1. Herbicide Alternatives Program (HAP) – Current Activity (2016 to 2018)

2. Priorities – 2016 Monitoring field trip – Chapleau Crown Game Preserve
Mapping of herbicide-free areas (trial)
Application of enhanced forest resource inventory
Peer review of efforts to date
Communication
Create/update website
Outreach
Work planning for

3. Priorities – 2017
Enlist support of retired Industry /MNRF Forester having practical silviculture field experience and science background
Trial use of vegetation ground surveys to support decision making
First Nation technical review of survey methodology
Implement mechanical site preparation trial – varying ground pressure to control depth of furrows
Work planning for

4. 2018 Priorities Kick-off - Wahkohtowin-RYAM Partnership
Year 2 of Vegetation Surveys
First Nation students engaged
quantitative assessment of vegetation in planted areas to enhance decision-making
Field Tour(s)
review results from 2016, visit mixedwood sites, discuss status of alternative approaches
Using larger seedlings – decision support tools
Communications Plan and implement
Add HAP content to Wahkohtowin website:

5. Tracking Herbicide Use – Game Preserve

6. New Practices Forest Management Planning Adaptations
MCFN and CCFN - Land use and occupancy inventory
Identify sensitive values from the inventory and apply protection buffer or Area of Concern
Natural Springs
Medicinal Plants Collection Areas
Gathering Areas
Burial Sites
Worked with the communities and MNRF – facilitated by Barb Duffin GIS Manager with the Mushkegowuk Council
Fine filter approach to ensure protection of point values only

7. Promising Practices Planned use based on forest conditions
Romeo Malette and Martel Forests
Why regen delay is good on the RMF and MF – variable ground conditions
Talk about where we rely on natural vs. artificial regeneration
In addition to the variation in forest types, we also have variable ground conditions
Productive soils, bedrock outcrops, sandflats, swamp – do have some drier ericacious sites where we
have best bets for HAP on treated areas, but other much productive areas

8. Modified Site Preparation
Mechanical site preparation can stimulate root sprouting
Ensure minimal ground pressure
Late summer/fall timing when vegetation growth is reduced

9. Larger tree seedlings

10. New Practices Large Seedlings
Regular stock height – cm “optimum”
Large stock height – 20 cm “optimum”
Well balanced seedling – shoot/root ratio
Use slightly larger containers (Jiffy pods)
Modify growing regime to meet specifications
- Added a new seedling supplier for 2019 for large spruce and jack pine: 200,000 trees

11. New Practices Innovation in application technology (AgNav systems)
Improved digital imagery and inventories
Promoting natural regeneration on appropriate sites
Depending on the forest unit, there are some areas that we expect to regenerate naturally,
Generally hardwood forest units and lowland conifers
Expect natural regeneration via suckering or careful logging takes place protecting advance regeneration or seed bearing trees
For upland conifer sites and mixedwood stands, there is still the potential for natural regeneration
Productive upland sites may have abundant natural regeneration and are stratified out from otherwise artificial treatments
Headbangers – the delay allows the practitioner to see what is coming up naturally, and can avoid treatments in areas with heavy competition of crop species (poplar) and thus avoid multiple tending treatments or even failures.