Some 88% of the Island's forest area is owned and controlled by private woodlot owners. There are approximately 16,000 woodlot owners on P.E.I and each one manages their forest land for a variety of personal goals and values.

Many of these woodlot owners have planted trees in cutovers and along streams and rivers to restore forest cover for wildlife habitat and to reduce impacts of soil erosion. Others have thinned young softwood and hardwood stands to select the most valuable species and develop the economic potential of their lands. Many use their lands as places for recreation or to gather wild plants and other products for use as jams and jellies, walking sticks and decoratives.

In order to recognize the efforts of dedicated woodlot owners who practice and promote good forest stewardship, the Province has introduced a Woodlot Owner of the Year Award (WOYA). WOYA is open to any Island land owner who has a minimum of 4 hectares (10 acres) of forested land and who has managed that land for at least 5 years. The award is only given to private forest owners but the owner can manage their forest for any number of goals and values.

For a listing of the current and past PEI WOYA winners, visit WOYA-winners.

WOYA Background:

The Woodlot Owner of the Year Award is not based on forest quality or the management work, but on how the owner(s) meets the following criteria.

KNOWLEDGE - Can the land owner demonstrate a knowledge of their forest land and how it is managed? Land owners should have at least a basic knowledge of the tree species, stand types, wildlife habitats, special or unique forest types, and the basic management work that has taken place on their forest.

COMMITMENT - Can the Land owner demonstrate how their knowledge and management has helped them to reach their short term and/or long term goals for their forest lands? Land owners do not need a formal written forest management plan but should be able to state how the management strategies they use help them to meet their goals and the needs of their forest.

DEDICATION - Does the land owner share or demonstrate their commitment and knowledge with other land owners, the public , school or communities groups? The land owner should be an advocate for good forest stewardship and good overall land management. This may be through outreach efforts, involvement in community groups related to conservation and good land use practices, offering forest tours or talks to school groups, demonstrating forest management or wildlife habitat improvement techniques to other land owners and many more aspects of education, outreach, involvement and advocacy.

About the Award:

The Woodlot Owner of the Year Award is part of a Maritime-wide program designed to recognize the achievements of the region's private woodlot owners. Similar programs are offered in New Brunswick (through the NB Federation of Woodlot Owners) and Nova Scotia (through the NS Department of Natural Resources). From 1990 - 1995, PEI had its own WOYA  program. A list of past winners is available at PEI WOYA Winners 1990-95.

In 2010, the Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry asked the Public Forest Council to explore options for the re-introduction of the Woodlot Owner of the Year Award program. Council members examined the 1990-95 PEI WOYA program and the programs in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and developed the PEI WOYA Criteria and Standards. Based on the PFC's recommendations, the Minister directed the Forests, Fish and Wildlife Division to reintroduce the WOYA program in 2011 to better recognize the forest management and stewardship efforts of Island land owners.

Anyone may nominate a worthy forest owner by printing off and completing the standard WOYA Nomination Form  or by completing and printing off the on-line WOYA Nomination Form version. Forms must be submitted to the address listed at the bottom of the form and received by midnight, April 15 each year.

A three-person selection committee (one Private Land program member, one Fish and Wildlife program member and one member of the Public Forest Council), will review the nominations in late April. In May, the committee will visit selected forest owners to discuss the award and determine a winner based on the WOYA criteria. One overall winner will be selected from the candidate list for an award ceremony in June.

It is hoped that in time, WOYA-focussed field trips will be offered to enable the public and other forest owners see examples of good forest management and gain an understanding of how forest stewardship meets so many environmental, social and economic needs.