• Contact Us
  • New Brunswick Federation of Woodlot Owners Inc.
    819 Royal Road
    Fredericton, New Brunswick
    E3G 6M1
    Phone: 506-459-2990
    Fax: 506-459-3515
    Email: please use our form

    Bouteau 140X300

Background

Woodlots are the small forests owned by 40,000 New Brunswick families. Nearly one of every four New Brunswickers is a member of one of these families. All social groups are well represented, including farmers, blue collar, white collar and retired New Brunswickers. The majority of us live on or near our woodlot, but many of us also live in a town or city. Taken together, our woodlots are 30% of New Brunswick's forests. To learn more about woodlots and families across Canada, click here (PDF; 104KB) for a publication from the Canadian Model Forest Network Private Woodlot Strategic Initiative.

Our woodlots are used for a variety of purposes, depending on family needs and preferences. Uses include production of timber for income, firewood for our own use or for sale, a long-term investment or insurance policy for unexpected financial needs, and various forms of recreation. Many of us combine a number of these uses.

As a group, we make an important contribution to the provincial economy. Timber sales to pulp mills and sawmills last year were worth more than $83 million (a considerable decrease from the average sales of recent years) and another $30 million worth of firewood was produced.

Much of the work on our woodlots is done by people from the local community. We often invite neighbours to use our land for recreation or provide them with firewood. Our woodlots account for much of the clean water in New Brunswick and most of the forest beauty that visitors and New Brunswickers enjoy. Wildlife of many kinds live in our woodlots, including as much as 60% of the province's deer population. These are among the ways woodlots contribute to a healthy environment and strong communities across New Brunswick.

After the Second World War, woodlot owners began to experience some challenges, especially in the sale of forest products. Pulp and paper companies were getting bigger, and with long-term agreements for Crown timber, some took advantage of being in a position to pay low prices for our wood and to buy it on a haphazard basis. Woodlot owners came to see Crown Land as our biggest competitor. Other challenges included: scaling practices, the need for more extension services, property taxes, and a lack of reforestation. Starting in the 1960's, we began to form local associations and a provincial federation to address these concerns. Provincial farm products marketing legislation was used by the associations to form Marketing Boards. A policy known as "Primary Source of Supply" was also put in place in 1972 requiring companies with access to Crown timber to negotiate with Marketing Boards as their first source of supply.

The development of Marketing Boards progressed throughout the province during the 1970's following the early example of Madawaska. By 1981 all woodlot owners in the province were represented by Boards.

Since the associations and Marketing Boards were formed, their roles and responsibilities have evolved but their founding principles have remained unchanged. They act on the authority given to them in plebiscites by woodlot owners when they were originally formed. This mandate is renewed each year as several thousand woodlot owners participate in the local and general meetings held by each Board. Fair prices through elimination of competition from Crown Land, expanded markets for all grades and species of wood, promotion of improved forest management through education and an expanded silviculture assistance program, and representation of woodlot owners through the Federation to governments and other interests at the provincial and national levels continue to be our main priorities.

In general, the Boards and the Federation seek to represent woodlot owners on all matters of common concern.
Below is a promotional document that provides additional information on the Federation and some areas that we have been working on over the past year.

Please note that this document may not be suitable for download on a dialup connection. If you wish we can mail you a copy. Just send us a note here.

Federation Background & Activities (PDF; 1.6MB)