Private woodlots can and should be managed for multiple goals, whether those goals are generating timber income, restoring wildlife habitat, enhancing recreation, or just enjoying the beauty and solitude of a peaceful walk through the woods.

If you've owned a woodlot for long, you've probably thought about what you want from the land and set some goals for realising the values that are important to you and your family. Based on those goals, you may have some idea of what kinds of silvicultural treatments are needed. But how do you fund the work, especially if it doesn't result in any immediate income?

The good news is that financial assistance may be available for silvicultural treatments that meet certain criteria.

To begin the process of accessing the funds, you need to decide whether you want to do the work yourself, hire an independent contractor, or join a members' cooperative in your area. If the answer is a contractor or cooperative, you should approach that provider for help in planning the treatments and receiving funding.

If you want to do the work yourself, you can look to the Association for Sustainable Forestry (ASF) for help. The mission of ASF is to help small woodlot owners do forest improvement work by distributing silviculture funds provided by the provincial Department of Natural Resources.

The first step is to become familiar with ASF silviculture criteria and procedures, which can be found at www.asforestry.com/silviculture.htm. Then, decide which treatments would be appropriate in your woodlot and could be accomplished over the coming year. You should make sure that the pre-treatment condition of the stands -- as well as the expected post-treatment condition -- qualify for financial assistance. Also, you must commit to leaving your land in forest production for at least 10 years following treatment in order to qualify.

Often, the pre-treatment stand of trees must have certain species, density, or age classes. If you are unsure whether a stand fits the requirements, a registered professional forester or forest technician can help by prescribing silviculture treatments and collecting the appropriate data.

Once you have confirmed that the stand and planned treatment meets the requirements, you must submit a Silviculture Funding Request Form to ASF. You can apply for several treatments at once, as long as they are each in separate stands.

Your PTA must be completed by an individual who is PTA- or FEC- (Forest Ecosystem Classification) certified. The ASF can do this work for you, or help you to find someone else who is certified. PTA sheets are available on the ASF website.

After your application is approved by ASF, you can carry out the treatment you applied for. Once the job is complete, you will need to submit a Silviculture Funding Claim Form. The form must be accompanied by a post-treatment assessment to confirm that conditions in the stand meet the requirements for that treatment. You must also include a GIS shapefile of the completed area so that the ASF can update its database. If you need any help with creating a shapefile, the ASF has GIS experts on hand to help guide you through the process.

As soon as your claim form is approved, the ASF will send you a cheque based on the area completed and type of treatment. The rate of reimbursement varies by treatment, but it can range up to $20,000 per owner for some activities. The ASF may visit your woodlot at any time to confirm that the work has been completed to the required standards, and can revoke the funding if the job is unsatisfactory or misrepresented.

Don't despair if there is no funding available immediately for your type of treatment. Different amounts of funding are available for different treatments, and funding is more available at some times of the year than others. Keep trying and -- above all -- enjoy the woods!

For more information, contact:

David Sutherland, RPF
Association for Sustainable Forestry
Telephone: 902-895-1179