Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

Logging Beneficial Management Practice Grants?

Prepared by Shane Tornblom – MAFRI Provincial Woodlot Specialist (BDS)

Most landowners, with bush on their land, mistakenly believe that they are doing the right thing by not harvesting or managing their bush. Unfortunately, like people, trees become weaker and increasingly susceptible to disease with age. Without natural disturbance or management, bush in agro Manitoba will continue to degrade and die.

In 2004, MAFRI decided to integrate the Manitoba Agro Woodlot Program into the Crops Branch, because of its potential to contribute to sustainable rural economic diversification. While MAWP has a long history of developing woodlot management plans, it only recently secured funding from Manitoba’s Climate Change Action Plan to support Logging BMP’s.

MAWP developed the BMP grants, with the goals of:

• Increasing landowner demand for low impact harvesting;
• Stimulating availability of environmentally sensitive logging services;
• Increasing availability of logs for small-scale mill owners;
• Stimulating investment in micro forestry equipment – mills, kilns etc.
• Improving logging safety;
• Sustaining environmental goods and services derived from woodlots as well as;
• Minimizing release of GHG.

 

Why are Logging BMP’s Important?

When logging pressure increased in the late 1990’s, most landowners didn’t know what to expect or ask for, simply because they weren’t familiar with the industry. Similarly many loggers, who were familiar with industrial logging, thought that there was no difference between logging on private or Crown land. Inevitably, this resulted in disappointments and/or disagreements.

In an effort to help both woodlot owners and logging contractors, MAFRI developed Logging BMP’s. The goal was to raise the standard of forestry practices, because logging is different on private land.

When landowners take the time to develop woodlot management plans and specify Logging BMP’s, it means they’re serious about sustaining and enhancing the long-term economic potential and environmental benefits of their woodlots. Even if a landowner’s goal is to convert wooded land to agricultural production, the basic principles behind Logging BMP’s apply – respect for the landowner and the land.

Contractors must accept that their job is to respect the landowner’s directions. Logging is like any other business that relies on referrals. It’s always about happy customers and that means giving customers what they want. So when logging BMP’s are followed:

(i) Landowners benefit from enhanced woodlot health, productivity and value.

(ii) Landowners, the micro forest industry and Manitoba benefit from sustainable rural jobs and income produced from private wooded land and

(iii) Manitoba benefits from reduced flooding and enhanced biodiversity etc.

 

What are Logging Beneficial Management Practices (BMP’s)?

Logging BMP’s are site specific guidelines that reduce the risk of property damage or environmental impacts. For example, in order to reduce site disturbance, logging is recommended on snow and frozen ground, not recommended on saturated soils. In order to qualify for Logging BMP grants, loggers (or landowners interested in logging their own bush) must participate in at least one day of chainsaw and two days of Low Impact Logger training. This training introduces participants to the basics involved in evaluating a site’s environmental risks, following the harvesting plan’s BMP’s and minimizing impacts.

Logging BMP’s Grants

Landowners can log their own woodlot or contract a qualified logger. In either case, in order to qualify to deliver Logging BMP services, there are 3 conditions:

-          The woodlot management planmust be completed by MAFRI woodlot foresters;

-          The landowner or ogger must participate in at least:

-           One day of chainsaw training and

-           Two days of Low Impact Logger training.

MAFRI’s foresters administer the Logging BMP process by:

-          Evaluating each woodlot to determine if it can benefit from tree and stand improvement (TSI) harvesting;

-          Processing applications for Logging BMP incentives;

-          Marking individual trees (for harvest), locate skid trails and landings;

-          If necessary, assisting the landowner in preparing a timber sales agreement (TSA);

-          Walking the site with the landowner and logger to confirm TSA and BMP details;

-          Coaching the logger for successful BMP implementation, during harvesting;

-          Assessing the site after logging to confirm that Logging BMP’s were followed and

-          Submitting a verification report that triggers payment to the landowner.

  

Logging BMP Grants 

Maximum Eligible Acreage	7 acres
Maximum Eligible Gross Logging Cost/acre	$520/ac
Maximum Eligible Gross Logging Cost/Project	$3,640
Maximum Landowner Contribution (25%)	$910
Maximum Net BMP Grant Contribution (75%)	$2,730

·      Since the goal of Logging BMP’s is to rejuvenate degraded woodlots, most of the harvested timber is low quality and low value. Fortunately, landowners who’ve hired an approved BMP logger understand that they are paying for tree and stand improvement services, not selling merchantable timber. As a result most landowners decide to pay the grant to the logger.

·      As hoped, micro forestry loggers are investing this income on micro forestry logging equipment, sawmills etc. so that they can increase their efficiency and potential to add value.

 

 

If you are interested in using logging BMP’s to improve the health and prolong the life of your woodlot, please contact:

Carol Graham, BDS - Souris, (204) 741-0490
Ian Kirby, BDS - St. Pierre, (204) 712-5747
Shawn Dias, BDS - Somerset, (204) 526-0836

From the June 2010 edition of CROPS E-NEWS (subscribe)