FORESTRY FUTURES TRUST ONTARIO
Year 2017
December 14, 2017
The Forestry Futures Trust Committee (FFTC) is pleased to announce its Round 2 Call for Proposals (click here for details) for eligible projects under the Enhanced Forest Resource Inventory (eFRI) Knowledge Transfer and Tool Development (KTTD) Program. Up to $1,000,000 will be allocated in this Round for projects up to two years in duration. Applications forms are available under the side bar tab DOWNLOAD FORMS.The Program is open to all interested applicants including, but not limited to, university and private sector researchers, federal and provincial applied researchers, private consultants, non-governmental organizations, forest company staff, who can provide expertise in the areas of:
digital land and provincial forest imagery (Ontario)
forest inventory development within the context of Ontario’s Crown forests
processes to link imagery with land or forest inventory to meet operational or management needs at the local to provincial scales (applicable to Ontario’s forests)
creative solutions for developing and utilizing digital imagery and forest inventory
Program Themes
Projects will be developed under the framework of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) 2017-2026 Strategic Focus for the Forest Resources Inventory Program and fall under one or more of the following four themes:
Tools and Products to Enhance the Production of the eFRI
Tools and Products for Clients and Stakeholders
LiDAR (single photon)
Integrating Monitoring Framework
November 27, 2017
Enhanced Forest Resource Inventory - Knowledge Transfer & Tool Development (KTTD) Program Symposium
A live broadcast of the eFRI KTTD Symposium was be streamed on November 1 and 2. The event will be archived here for future reference.
To review the agenda, click on the image to the side. The projects presented are available the web site tab under WORKSHOPS.
October 23, 2017
The 2016-2017 FFT Annual Report is now available for viewing in the Annual Report section.
September 14, 2017
Independent Forest Audit Update
| Forest | Auditor | Field Audit Time Frame |
| Black Spruce | Arbex Forest Resource Consultants Ltd. | October |
| Crossroute | Arbex Forest Resource Consultants Ltd. | September |
| Northshore | Arbex Forest Resource Consultants Ltd. | October |
| Sapawe | Arbex Forest Resource Consultants Ltd. | September |
| Algonquin Park | Arbor Vitea Environmental Services Ltd. | October |
| Martel | Arbor Vitea Environmental Services Ltd. | September |
| Nagagami | Arbor Vitea Environmental Services Ltd. | October |
| Pineland | Arbor Vitea Environmental Services Ltd. | October |
| Abitibi River | KBM Resources Group | November |
| Bancroft-Minden | KBM Resources Group. | November |
| Lac Seul | Merin Forest Management | September |
| Ogoki | Merin Forest Management | October |
September 15, 2017
Applications for FFT Silviculture Round 45 are now closed.
May 1, 2017
Boreal Forest Health Information Session
In combination with the Forestry Futures Trust Committee Silvicluture Workshop, the MNR&F's Boreal Forest Health Information Session was held March 22, 2017. This allowed for attendees to partiipate in both sessions. The presentations from the second day are hyperlinked below.
| Forest Health Program: i) History of the program, ii) Current delivery model, iii) EAB provincial update |
Dan Rowlinson -Provincial Forest Health Program Coordinator |
| Forest Health Update for NW and NE Regions | Lia Fricano - Forest Health Technical Specialist - Timmins, Mike Francis - Forest Health Technical Specialist -Sault Ste. Marie Vance Boudreau - Forest Health Technical Specialist – Thunder Bay |
| 2016 Minnesota Forest Health Highlights | Mike Parisio - Forest Health Specialist, Minnesota Department Natural Resources |
| Mountain Pine Beetle – The threat to Ontario pine species | Dr. Barry Cooke - Acting Provincial Forest Entomologist, Crown Forest and Lands Policy Branch, Forest Sustainability and Information Section, MNRF |
| The Importance of Science in Monitoring | Dr. Alvaro Duran - Forest Health Research Scientist, Forest Research and Monitoring Section, MNRF |
| Spruce Budworm - an updated perspective on the science of cycling, with implications for Ontario | Dr. Barry Cooke - Acting Provincial Forest Entomologist, Crown Forest and Lands Policy Branch, Forest Sustainability and Information Section, MNRF |
July 20, 2017
The Forestry Futures Trust Committee invites you to 'Hold the Date' for a November 1 – 2, 2017 Thunder Bay Symposium that will showcase projects funded through the Enhanced Forest Resource Inventory (eFRI) Knowledge Transfer & Tool Development (KTTD) Program. The eFRI KTTD Program was initiated by the Ontario Government to fund studies that supported one or more of the following objectives: develop and/or update decision support tools linking the eFRI to forest management and operational planning; refine the image interpretation or inventory development; and/or incorporate training opportunities to upgrade the skills of users of Ontario’s eFRI.
This Symposium will promote the transfer of knowledge and technology gained through the KTTD Program to a wide audience. For the list of speakers and topics, please refer to the accompanying flyer. In the next month or two, FFTC will send out an Eventbrite invitation through which you can register for the Symposium. There will be no registration fee for this event.
April 12, 2017
On March 21 the Forestry Futures Trust Committee and MNR&F hosted a Silviculture Workshop. There were over 100 attendees from industry, academia, provincial and federal governments.
The presentations are listed below.
| Road Decommissioning | Jodi Hall, Regional Planning Forester, MNRF |
| Enhancing Ontario’s Silviculture Policies | Rob MacLeod, Provincial Silviculture Program Specialist, MNRF |
| FFT Silviculture Program Overview | Shelley Vescio, Program Coordinator, Forestry Futures Trust Committee |
| Shadows and Light: Tree Retention Effects on Understory Light and Regeneration Planning in Boreal Mixedwoods | Dr. Bill Parker, Research Scientist, OFRI |
| Challenges of Managing White Pine in the Shelterwood System | Andree Morneault, Silviculture Forester, Nipissing Forest Resource Management Inc. |
| Creating Optimum Light Levels for White Pine Regeneration Through Mid-story Removals | Liz Cobb, GIS & Silviculture Tech, Ottawa Valley Forest Inc. |
| Effects of 50 years of Precommercial Thinning on the Forest Value Chain in Northwestern New Brunswick | Michael Hoepting, Silviculture Research Forester, Canadian Forest Service |
| Precommercial Thin of Fire-Originated Jack Pine |
Deanna Hoffman, Chief Forester, Ne-Daa-Kii-Me-Naan Inc. |
| Challenges and Opportunities: Density Management in Boreal Conifers | Dr. Doug Reid, Research Scientist - Boreal Silviculture , CNFER |
| Prescribed Burning Primer | Ian Staley, Prescribed Burn and Fire Behaviour Specialist , MNRF Scott Wiseman, Fire Operations Supervisor, MNRF |
| Application of Prescribed Fire to Untreated Roadside Slash Debris | Tara Pettit, Management Forester, Sioux Lookout District, MNRF |
| Confederation PB: Renewal of a Natural Disturbance | Holly Aggas – Silviculture Forester, Domtar Mike Kitney AFFES, Fire Operations Supervisor |
April 6, 2017
Forestry Futures Trust Silviculture Round 43 and 44 Results
Eleven applications were received for Round 44, 10 of which were approved for $2.19M in funding by the FFTC. One project from the Northwest Region was deemed to be ineligible for funding.
Among the categories, six Category 1: Intensive Stand Improvement projects received $1.0M in total funding (three projects from the South Region, two from the Northeast and one from the Northwest). Two Category 2: Remediation projects received $198,075 in total funding (one project from the Northeast Region and one from the Northwest). Two Category 4: Insolvency projects received $973,00 in total funding (both from the Northeast Region).
Among regions, the South received $648,672 in total funding, the Northeast Region received $1,418,021, and the Northwest Region received $125,943 in total funding.
March 10, 2017
March 21st, 2017 Forestry Futures Trust Committee and the MNRF are hosting a 1-day Silviculture Symposium at Old Fort William in Thunder Bay. Click on the agenda to the right to enlarge.
Who should attend: foresters, biologists, technicians, practitioners, anyone interested in hearing about and discussing silviculture practices and projects.
Lunch and coffee breaks are included. Please advise of any allergies.
You MUST register with Dirk Becker at dirk.becker@ontario.ca. Please specify Silviculture Symposium
March 7, 2017
The Forest Futures Trust Committee produced a recent internal report regarding a review of the efficacy of the recommendations from the most recently tabled Independent Forest Audit (IFA) reports (2009-2013). The results of the review are positive and indicate that the SFL’s and MNRF have been diligent, at least over the reviewed five year period, in responding to the recommendations set out by the auditors. The associated assessment is that the audits have contributed to an overall improvement in forest management, and by extension, to sustainability in Ontario’s forests.
The findings set out in the report will require a collective response from MNRF, FFTC, and the approved auditors. Feedback on the report would be welcome.
Are Ontario's Independent Forest Audit's (IFAs) effective?
January 2017
The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry has appointed Dr. Sandy Smith as a new member of the committee. Sandy is a Professor in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Toronto, serving as Dean (2010-2012). She specializes in forest health and urban forests, specifically natural controls to address invasive species. Sandy has published over 130 papers and reports, served as guest editor and reviewer for numerous refereed journals, NSERC panels, and on science panels to manage invasive insects such as the Asian Long-Horned Beetle (ALHB) and Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Her research focuses on biological control of invasive forest insects, earthworms, and plants such as dog-strangling vine and Phragmites. Sandy has supervised over 50 graduate students and is currently a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, Past President of the Entomological Societies of Canada and Ontario, a Strategic Advisor to LEAF (Local Enhancement & Appreciation of Forests) and serves on the Boards of Tree Canada, Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation, and the Ontario Invasive Plant Council.
January 6, 2017
Applications for FFT Silviculture Round 44 are now closed.