Forest management guides

Why they are important

Forest management guides are:

• a key component of Ontario’s sustainable forest management framework
• used by forest management planning teams to develop forest management plans and to plan operations
• tools to achieve healthy sustainable forests and help Crown managed forests look and function like natural forest ecosystems

How they are developed

Forest management guides are:

• produced by ministry in consultation with the public, the forest industry and other interested parties
• based on the available science
• regularly reviewed and updated

Current guides

Landscape

These guides direct the amount and arrangement of different types and ages of forest on the landscape. This helps forest managers find a balance of habitat for all life forms (wildlife, birds, fish, plants) and measures for protection of specific habitat features, e.g. bird nests, species at risk.

• Forest management guide for boreal landscapes (boreal landscape guide)
• Forest management guide for Great Lakes-St. Lawrence landscapes (GLSL landscape guide)

Stand and site

This guide gives direction on modifying forest operations to retain special features such as decaying trees and fallen logs, protect sensitive habitats such as bird nests and woodland pools, and ensure the conservation of water and soil resources.

• Forest management guide for conserving biodiversity at the stand and site scales (stand and site guide)

Silvicultural

These guides provide the most up-to-date scientific and technical information on growing and cultivating trees. These guides cover harvest, renewal and tending methods for a variety of forest types.

• Forest management guide to silviculture in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence and boreal forests of Ontario
• A silvicultural guide to managing Southern Ontario forests

Tourism

This guide assists forest managers and tourist industry operators plan forest operations in areas that are used for both forestry and tourism.

• Management guidelines for forestry and resource-based tourism (tourism guide)

Cultural heritage

This guide helps protect archaeological sites, archaeological potential areas, cultural heritage landscapes, historical Aboriginal values and cemeteries during forest operations.

• Forest management guide for cultural heritage values (cultural heritage values guide)

Technical references

Technical references for current guides.

• Afforestation guide (supports silviculture guides) (PDF, 37MB)
• Boreal mixedwood notes (supports silviculture guides)
• Environmental guidelines for access roads and water crossings (supports stand and site scales guide)
• Landscape guides – Ontario’s Landscape Tool and science and information packages
• Tree marking guide (supports silviculture guides)
• Stand and site guide — Background and rationale for direction

Former guides

An independent review of the forest management guides resulted in a number of guides being rewritten and/or replaced.

These guides are still in use by some forest management plans during their operational period, and for independent forest audit purposes.

• Aerial spraying for forest management
• Bald eagle habitat management guidelines
• Code of practice for timber management operations in riparian areas
• Forest management guide for natural disturbance pattern emulation
• Forest management guide for the protection of osprey nests
• Forest management guidelines for the protection of the physical environment
• Forest management guidelines for the provision of marten habitat
• Forest management guidelines for the provision of white-tailed deer habitat
• Forest management guidelines for the provision of pileated woodpecker habitat
• Golden eagle habitat management guidelines
• Guidelines for providing furbearer habitat in timber management
• Habitat management guidelines for bats in Ontario
• Habitat management guidelines for birds of Ontario wetlands
• Habitat management guidelines for cavity-nesting birds in Ontario
• Habitat management guidelines for warblers of Ontario’s northern coniferous forests, mixed forests or southern hardwood forests
• Habitat management guidelines for waterfowl in Ontario
• Forest management guidelines for the conservation of woodland caribou — a landscape approach
• Habitat management guidelines for Ontario’s forest nesting accipiters, buteos and eagles
• Management guidelines for the protection of heronries in Ontario
• Peregrine falcon habitat management guidelines
• Prescribed burns
• Selected wildlife and habitat features: inventory manual
• Silvilcultural guide for the tolerant hardwood forest in Ontario
• Silvicultural guide for managing for black spruce, jack pine and aspen on boreal ecosites in Ontario (presented in three books):
  • Book I: Silviculture in Ontario
  • Book II: Ecological and management interpretations for northwest ecosites
  • Book III: Ecological and management interpretations for northeast site types
• Silvicultural guide for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence conifer forest in Ontario
• Silvicultural guide to managing spruce, fir, birch and aspen mixedwoods in Ontario’s boreal forest
• Timber management guidelines for the protection of fish habitat
• Timber management guidelines for the provision of moose habitat

Status summary of the forest management guides (2018)

Forest management guides are regularly reviewed and updated. Draft products are posted on the Environmental Registry to allow public input.

Forest management guide for conserving biodiversity at the stand and site scales (2010)

• Date released: 2010
• Date of last review: 2016 (revision required)
• Date of next review: To be determined
• Status: Revision underway

Forest management guide for cultural heritage values (2007)

• Date released: 2007
• Date of last review: 2012 (no revision required)
• Date of next review: 2022
• Status: Current

Forest management guide for boreal landscapes (2014)

• Date released: 2014
• Date of last review: Not applicable
• Date of next review: 2024
• Status: Current

Forest management guide for Great Lakes-St. Lawrence landscapes (2010)

• Date released: 2010
• Date of last review: 2015 (no revision required)
• Date of next review: 2025
• Status: Current

Management guidelines for forestry and resource-based tourism (2001)

• Date released: 2001
• Date of last review: 2011 (revision required)
• Date of next review: To be determined
• Status: Revision underway

Forest management guide to silviculture in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence and boreal forests of Ontario (2015)

• Date released: 2015
• Date of last review: Not applicable
• Date of next review: 2025
• Status: Current

Silvicultural guide to managing Southern Ontario forests (2000)

• Date released: 2000
• Date of last review: 2010 (revision required)
• Date of next review: To be determined
• Status: Revision underway