Forests, Fish and Wildlife

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Forest Management Standards

Island forests have experienced some 200 years of poor harvest practices, land clearance, loss of original species and the introduction of new species. Still, this forest is an ecologically diverse ecosystem that has some of the best growth rates in Canada and one that provides many different economic, environmental and social benefits to all Islanders.

Work conducted on all Public Forest lands, as well as on private forest lands managed under the Forest Enhancement Program, is subject to the standards of the Ecosystem-based Forest Management Manual. This manual was developed to ensure that publicly funded forest management practices and programs concur with the intent and goals of the Island's Forest Policy. The Forest Policy states that that forests managed with public funding should be managed in a sustainable, ecologically responsible and socially acceptable manner.

The manual recognizes that forests are the source many economically valuable products and that hundreds of people depend upon them for employment and income. It also recognizes that forests support many other benefits and services such as wildlife habitats, recreational opportunities, clean air and water and much, much more. All of these elements are known as natural capital and each plays a vital role in the forest management decision making process.

The Ecosystem-based Forest Management Manual is updated on a regular basis to reflect new knowledge, changing public values, and other reasons that affect how and why we use our forests.  You can obtain a copy of the Ecosystem-based Forest Management Manual as a Summary Document or in the Full Technical Document.

As well, because some forest management plans reference information found in earlier versions, the older editions are also available at: Older EFMM Versions.