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Forest Owners' Co-op Pilots |
The OWA has launched two Forest Owners' Cooperative Pilot projects in the regions of Huronia and Kawartha Lakes.
What is the goal of these cooperatives?
- Prevent their plantations from collapsing
- Reduce the expense of working with professional foresters and biologists by working collectively
- Generate a modest profit from sustainable harvested wood (focus on overcrowded, dead or diseased trees)
- Position themselves to take advantage of carbon credits
- Transition their forests to more biodiverse native hardwood forests
- Explore alternative revenue sources collectively such as eco-tourism and explore other social benefits such as wildlife corridors and trails
Why do plantations need thinning?
Plantations in southern Ontario were originally established as a way to rehabilitate previously deforested land. In many cases, these plantations are not being managed (thinned) and this can result in complete collapse of the forest because it becomes too dense to support natural regeneration. Our new Community Forest Owners' Cooperative Pilot projects aim to provide an affordable means for landowners to take care of their forests, so they evolve into more biodiverse systems that all can enjoy.
Monitoring protocol for assessing plant diversity on small private woodlots under the OWA Forestry Cooperative Pilot Project
Ningxin (Drossel) Ouyang joined the OWA as a summer intern in 2022. Drossel graduated from the University of British Columbia, and was enrolled in the Master of Forest Conservation Program at the University of Toronto during her internship.
Drossel’s internship with the OWA included researching various methods for assessing vegetation biodiversity in woodlots before and after thinning treatments in our Forest Owners' Cooperative Pilots to help develop a baseline plant biodiversity monitoring protocol. Read more about Drossel's capstone project with the OWA.
Please contact info@ontariowoodlot.com or call 613 713 1525 to inquire about joining the existing Forest Owners' Cooperative Pilots. We hope to expand to other regions over time and as capacity allows.
