You should now have a better understanding of the principles of Forest Stewardship. You now have a better grasp of what they mean and how to implement them into your own operations. By learning about these principles you gain an idea of some of the measures of sustainable forestry. As a member of the Nova Scotia Forest Products Association you are helping the Association make a commitment to the principles. This demonstrates leadership in the industry.
As you implement these principles into your operation, you will find each situation different. People are unique, forest conditions change from place to place. You can refer back to this manual any time to refresh your memory. The reference lists at the end of each chapter can provide further information should you need it.
Here is a quick review of what was covered in the study course:
Operations Management Plan
Chapter 1 talked about how the key to a well run organization is having a plan. An operations plan is a document outlining what is going to be done on the woodlot. As you studied each chapter you added a component to the I.M. Ready woodlot operations management plan.
Parts you added were:
Other parts of the plan that were included for you were:
Forest/Wildlife Guidelines
Chapter 2 outlined the Forest/Wildlife Guidelines which were designed to help reduce negative impacts of forestry operations on wildlife habitat. In exercise 2 you included as part of the operations management plan:
Other guidelines that may need to be considered for an operations are significant habitats like deer wintering areas, raptor nests and heron colonies.
Harvesting Operations
In order to make sure a forest is renewed after harvesting, a tree harvesting system has to be considered. In Chapter 3, 3 types of harvesting systems were discussed:
In exercise 3 you designed a harvesting system that would best facilitate forest renewal.
Forest Roads
Chapter 4 explained how forest road and stream crossings can be very destructive to the environment if not done properly. In exercise 4 you developed a road plan to access the I.M. Ready woodlot. this kind of plan helps you anticipate problems and reduce cost. There are also many factors to consider when doing road and stream crossing construction.
Health and Safety
In Chapter 5, aspects of the Occupational Health and Safety Act were discussed. Responsibilities of employers, employees and self employed were mentioned. Also included in regulations to the act is the requirement for safety equipment on machinery and personnel. The Forest Act includes requirements for fire fighting equipment during fire season.
Public Awareness
Chapter 6 discussed how you can help contribute to public awareness and education. Small things like a clean work site or a friendly attitude towards inquiries goes a long way too helping with the public image of the forest industry. You should now be able to increase your public awareness IQ.
Landowner Objectives
In Chapter 7, the importance of landowner objectives were discussed. An effort has to be made to make sure owner objectives are included in an operation plan. In exercise 7 we discovered how landowner objectives can change how a proposed operation is done.