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P.E.I. woodlot owners urge provincial government to take more steps in response to Fiona

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The P.E.I. Woodlot House owners Affiliation is asking the P.E.I. authorities to take stronger motion concerning tree injury assessments and administration plans following post-tropical storm Fiona. 

At a legislative committee assembly in Charlottetown on Oct. 20, members of the affiliation, PEIWOA, mentioned their issues concerning cleanup assessments of their heaps, and what protections the province plans to place in place going ahead.  

Kathy Stuart, PEIWOA board chair, King’s County, informed these current her group has been advocating for sources and long-term options to the already harassed forestry and woodland sector for over a decade.  

“PEIWOA is anxious in regards to the long-term impacts of Fiona on timber provide for the province’s forestry sector,” stated Stuart.

At a legislature committee standing meeting on Oct. 20, members of the PEIWOA met with members of the provincial government to discuss actions on how to deal with damaged woodlots across the Island. From left to right, members John Arthur, Marcel Arsenault, Kathy Stuart and Wanson Hemphill. - Rafe Wright
At a legislature committee standing assembly on Oct. 20, members of the PEIWOA met with members of the provincial authorities to debate actions on how you can take care of broken woodlots throughout the Island. From left to proper, members John Arthur, Marcel Arsenault, Kathy Stuart and Wanson Hemphill. – Rafe Wright

To correctly quantify the devastation felt throughout the province would contain using satellite tv for pc imagery, drones, forest quantity monitoring and different work to provide you with an affordable estimate of the timber worth misplaced, taking time and compensation.

However Stuart stated speeding to plant bushes in broken areas shouldn’t be a obligatory or smart use of public {dollars}, as many of those areas will recuperate naturally. 

And, though it does create a possible fireplace danger, there may be merely no approach the entire downed wooden will be recovered. 

“Not each landowner needs their lot cleaned up. We should always discover different strategies to take care of all of the wooden broken,” she stated. 

With winter fast approaching, the PEIWOA is urging the government to look into chainsaw courses for woodlot owners who may not want to deal with the clean-up themselves but don’t currently have the proper training. - Contributed
With winter quick approaching, the PEIWOA is urging the federal government to look into chainsaw programs for woodlot homeowners who could not need to take care of the clean-up themselves however don’t presently have the right coaching. – Contributed

From the province, the PEIWOA wish to see public areas cleaned, and administration plans for brand spanking new woodlots put in place.

At present, it’s not necessary in P.E.I. to file a administration plan when planting a wooden lot. This needs to be mended, so landowners should full one inside 5 years via the Forest Enhancement Program, FEP. 

“The FEP program is crucial to shifting ahead the sustainable administration of P.E.I. {dollars} and it wants extra funding obtainable to advertise sustainable forestry over the long run,” stated Stuart. 

Committee issues

As of 2022, P.E.I. doesn’t have a devoted forestry division. Any points concerning the forestry sector fall beneath the Division of Atmosphere, Power and Local weather Motion. 

Because of this, many woodlot homeowners discover it tough to get details about what they’re allowed to do on their property and have been cleansing up public roads and pathways near their properties at their very own expense. 

A downed tree blocks a walking path at Kathy Stuart’s woodlot near Tracadie. - Contributed
A downed tree blocks a strolling path at Kathy Stuart’s woodlot close to Tracadie. – Contributed

Marcel Arsenault, board member for the PEIWOA in Prince County, informed the committee one other concern is that wooden lot homeowners are finishing up this work themselves with out correct coaching. 

“There appears to be a scarcity of individuals on the Island writing administration plans,” stated Arsenault. 

He stated mini-management plans and incentives geared toward educating woodlot homeowners on how you can use a chainsaw and offering incentives to contractors for fireplace hazard discount are what is required now. 

Many of the smaller trees survived the storm, but almost all of the large growth on many woodlot owners' properties came down causing major damage. - Contributed
Most of the smaller bushes survived the storm, however nearly the entire massive development on many woodlot homeowners’ properties got here down inflicting main injury. – Contributed

Enhanced psychological well being applications needs to be made obtainable for woodlot homeowners with heavy tree loss, and tree planting charges must also be waived, he stated.

Wanson Hemphill, member of the board for PEIWOA in Queen’s County, informed committee members about his issues over the quantity of deadfall throughout the province. 

“It’d be laborious to place out a fireplace in your woodlot the place the entire bushes are down,” stated Hemphill. “That is going to be a giant downside. We’ve acquired all these items down and nothing to do with it.”

Kathy Stuart from the PEIWOA told members of the provincial government careful examination of individual lots and what woodlot owners need in their lots should be taken into consideration. - Rafe Wright
Kathy Stuart from the PEIWOA informed members of the provincial authorities cautious examination of particular person heaps and what woodlot homeowners want of their heaps needs to be considered. – Rafe Wright

With a lot wooden now obtainable, there may be additionally the problem of attempting to promote it, as it’ll rot if it sits untouched for greater than 5 years. 

“We’ve acquired completely good lumber and we do have a brief window,” stated Hemphill. 


Rafe Wright is a Native Journalism Initiative reporter, a place coated by the federal authorities. He writes about local weather change points for the SaltWire Community in Prince Edward Island and will be reached by e-mail at [email protected] and adopted on Twitter @wright542. 



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