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Our Forest, Our Future: Dufferin
County Forest
Management
Plan 1995-2015 ~ Executive Summary
In the
beginning, there were forests. Forests of large, tall white pine trees. And
there were settlers - settlers who had come to clear the land for farming.
They cleared the land until, at the beginning of this century, the
large-scale clearing had caused blowsands to develop. The soil was eroded by
wind and water, making farming impossible.
Then,
in 1930, James Henderson, County Treasurer, inspired by what had been started
in Simcoe County in 1922, had
an idea. On July 3, 1930, he introduced a motion to County Council which led
to the first purchase of land for the Dufferin County
Forest.
From
that first purchase off Airport
Road in Mulmur
Township, a resource has grown of
which Dufferin County can be proud. Today, the Dufferin County
Forest covers an area of 1,048
hectares (2,590 acres) distributed over twelve tracts in all six of Dufferin County's townships. The forest
properties provide erosion and water control, recreation, outdoor education,
natural heritage protection, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and revenue
through timber production.
Since
1930, the Dufferin
County Forest
has been managed on behalf of the County under the agreement forest program, first
by the Department of Lands and Forests and later by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Past
management activities have included tree planting (particularly in the early
years), thinning, pruning, fire protection, road maintenance, and pest
control; until the last decade the focus has been on timber management.
Recently, management of the forest has become more integrated, with the
release of wild turkeys; a land use agreement with the Mansfield Outdoor Centre;
and the establishment of the Ontario
Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) trail system.
In
1991, when the most recent agreement with the MNR expired, the County of Dufferin decided that a new,
comprehensive, long-term management plan would have to be written for the
forest properties before a new agreement was signed. The new plan would
recognize that the Dufferin
County Forest
has a variety of uses: recreation, natural heritage protection, erosion and
water control, provision of wildlife habitat, outdoor education, and
protection of biodiversity, as well as being a source of revenue for the
County.
This new forest management plan "Our Forest, Our Future"
emphasizes three main points:
- An
ecosystem approach to forest management.
- Protection
of the provincial interest in natural resources.
- A
community-based approach to the planning and management of the forest
properties.
In
order to maintain this emphasis throughout the planning process, the County of Dufferin has:
- made
the protection of the quality and integrity of the natural environment
the primary goal of the plan;
- sought
the input of the MNR regarding the provincial interest in natural
resources;
- surveyed
the public, both groups and individuals, through questionnaires, open
houses, and meetings and;
- established
a Forest Advisory Team, representing the main user groups and the
public, to advise the County throughout the planning process.
The
Dufferin County Forest Management Plan
outlines the goal, objectives, strategies, and management activities and
projects that will guide the Dufferin
County Forest
over the next twenty years.
During
the twenty-year period of the plan, the focus will be on community involvement
in the management of the Dufferin
County Forest.
Several reasons support this approach: there is a growing interest in the
natural environment amongst the general public; the ratepayers of Dufferin
County are the true owners of the forest; the County must be accountable to
the public for its management of the forests; and in the future there will be
increased pressures on the forest properties that will have to be dealt with
in a public forum.
The
greater degree of community involvement has begun with the preparation of the
management plan. Throughout the planning process, input was sought from the
community at large. This was done through two sets of open houses and
associated questionnaires that participants were asked to complete. The first
set of open houses dealt with the background information regarding the Dufferin County
Forest and an assessment of the
issues involved in developing a management plan for the Forest.
The second set presented the draft plan to the public for review. A Forest
Advisory Team was also formed, which included representatives from the
following groups: the County of Dufferin, the Township of Mulmur, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Huronia
Woodlot Operators, Dufferin-North Peel Anglers' and Hunters', Mansfield Outdoor Centre,
Dufferin Drift Busters Snowmobile Club, Upper Credit Field Naturalists, Camp
Dufferin, Ontario Trail Riders Association, Ontario Competitive Trail Riders
Association, Halton Off-Road Riders Association, and two representatives of
the general public. This team, along with a group of MNR resource advisors,
formed the core of advice and comment throughout the planning process. This
degree of community involvement ensured that the public's comments and
concerns about the Dufferin
County Forest
were taken into account and addressed in the management plan.
The
Dufferin County Forest
has been managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources since 1930. The
Management Plan marked the beginning of an important process wherein control
and coordination of all management activities in the County
Forest were transferred to the County of Dufferin during 1995-96. A new and
important era in the history of the Dufferin County
Forest has now been
initiated; an era in which our community, more than ever before, claims Our Forest for Our Future. That future promises
excitement and innovation.
Plan
Highlights
In
preparing this forest management plan, a strategic planning approach was used.
First, an overall goal was developed for the future thrust of the forest
properties. Within the scope of the goal, there are three objective streams:
public use and relations, environmental and resource management, and
administration. In turn, each of these objective streams consists of a number
of individual objectives. The objectives will be achieved by means of a
number of strategies. Finally, the strategies are broken down into management
activities and projects for the five years of the operational plan
(1995-2000) and for the twenty years of the management plan (1995-2015).
Goal
To
protect the quality and integrity of ecosystems in the Dufferin County
Forest, including air,
water, land and biota; and where quality and integrity have been diminished,
to encourage restoration or remediation to healthy conditions; while
providing a variety of social and economic benefits to the public.
Objective
Streams
- Public
Use & Relations
- Environmental
& Resource Management
- Administration
Management Activities and Projects ~ 1995-1998
Public Use & Relations
- production
and posting of new signs for the Forest, including "Dufferin County Forest",
"No motorized vehicles" and "No hunting" signs
- production
of a pamphlet describing the Dufferin
County Forest
- in
1996, the first annual Forest Fair held at the Dufferin County Museum
& Archives in conjunction with National Forest Week. The school
program component attracted about 350 students and the weekend activities
(including demos by woodworkers and sale of forest products) brought
almost 200 members of the general public to the Museum. The third annual
Forest Fair was held in 1998.
- over
1995 and 1996, five walking tours in the Forest
for the general public. The walks were conducted in co-operation with
the Dufferin County Museum & Archives, and all were well attended.
- in
January, 1996 an information display at Dufferin Farmer's Week, attended
by over 500 members of the local farming community
- passage
of a comprehensive by-law (96-36) governing the use of the County Forest properties
- formation
of the Friends of the Dufferin
County Forest, a group that will advise and assist the
County in the management of the Dufferin County
Forest
- handling
of requests for information, comments, and complaints about the Dufferin County Forest
in a timely manner
- establishment
and communication of access procedures for large groups and researchers
- making
users aware of hunting seasons through signs, advertisements, and public
service announcements
Environmental & Resource Management
- public
tenders of red pine wood, which continues to be the main source of
revenue from the Forest. All of the
revenue generated from the Forest goes into a dedicated account and is
used in the management of the Forest.
- application
of borax to freshly cut red pine stumps to prevent entry and spread of
the root rot Fomes annosus
- marking
of red pine plantations, which are generally tendered for sale in the
year following marking. The plantations must be marked prior to
harvesting because cutting in the Dufferin County
Forest is done on
an individual tree selection basis.
- the
marking and subsequent harvesting of half of the area (10 hectares) in
the Main Tract that was prescribed burned in
1994 in order to continue a red oak regeneration research project
- all
forest management activities will emulate natural disturbances;
specifically protecting and encouraging natural regeneration and
protecting snags, mast, downed, and cavity trees
- forest
management activities in Little Tract,
evaluated wetlands, Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest, and areas
where vulnerable, threatened, or endangered species are known to exist
will be limited
- healthy
wildlife populations will be maintained through the maintenance of a
diversity of habitat types
- sustainable
timber production
Administration
- the
addition of the County-owned Hockley and Leening
properties to the County
Forest portfolio
- the
establishment of fees for several types of users, in order that the
revenue from the Forest is more
diversified (i.e. not based solely on timber production). The revenue
generated in this way goes back into the management of the Forest;
paying for items such as advertising and signs that are of direct
benefit to the users of the Forest.
- the
achievement of a balanced budget for the County Forest
in every year since 1995
- a
business plan that shows the Dufferin
County Forest
to be financially self-sustaining
- investigation
of new funding sources including government programs, private
foundations, corporations, and groups such as Ducks Unlimited
- attempt
to improve the natural heritage and socio-economic significance of the Dufferin County Forest
through the acquisition and possible disposal of properties
- establishment
of a use plan that divides the forest properties into Dufferin County
Forest Natural Area (management activities and recreation restricted)
and Dufferin County Forest Resource Management Area (management
activities and recreation in accordance with the objectives of the plan)
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