Jorg & Gloria Beyeler own 1100 acres (445 hectares) of land south of Minto and west of Grand Lake. It has waterfront at Sypher Cove, an old growth area along Sypher Brook, a significant moose habitat in boggy areas, and borders on the Grand Lake Meadows Protected Area.
Jorg is a forester and currently owns a forestry business. They have owned part of their woodlot since 1982, with an additional purchase of land in 2001.
Their main objectives for their woodlot include decreasing the risk from Spruce budworm, increase the number and variety of climate adaptive tree species, and maintain a healthy ecosystem.
Location: Windy Haven Lane, off Route 690 (Pondstream Road), Grand Lake, NB
Sites & access: 45.991625; -66.057745
Site conditions:
-
On the shore of Grand Lake, potential for strong wind
-
Evidence of a healthy ecosystem (rabbits, deer, bear, birds, mushrooms, ferns, shrubs, etc.)
Ground conditions:
-
Well-drained
-
Little to no slope
-
Good operability
History of site:
Little to no intervention has taken place, however some areas were pre-commercially thinned (especially in the Control area).
Treatments implemented by plot
AREA
Control
Traditional
Climate adaptive
TREATMENT
None
Shelter-wood cut to retain good quality white pine. Remove all balsam fir, spruce and poor quality hardwoods. Work was completed using a single-grip harvester and porter system
Remove all balsam fir, spruce and poor quality hardwoods. Retain white pine where present. Plant red oak seedlings in openings, and protect from browse with protective sleeve. Work was completed using a single-grip harvester and porter system
GOAL
n/a
To salvage fir and spruce volume before lost to maturity and encourage white pine regeneration
To increase diversity of climate adaptive species through planting of red oak seedlings and acorns
SIZE in hectares (acres)
0.3 (0.74)
0.6 (1.48)
0.4 (0.99)
Total site area: 1.3 ha (3.21 acres)
Species summary before and after treatments
Volume in m3 (cords)
2020
CONTROL
BEFORE
AFTER
0 (0)
2 (1)
5 (0.9)
19 (10.28)
1 (0)
0 (0)
27 (8.9)
0 (0)
2 (1)
5 (0.9)
19 (10.28)
1 (0)
0 (0)
27 (8.9)
SPECIES
Spruce
Balsam fir
White pine
Red maple
White birch
Oak
TOTAL
TRADITIONAL
BEFORE
AFTER
8 (3.44)
25 (11.04)
77 (29.62)
19 (10.28)
4 (2.4)
0 (0)
133 (56.6)
0 (0)
0 (0)
77 (29.62)
12 (6.42)
4 (2.4)
0 (0)
93 (33.44)
CLIMATE ADAPTIVE
BEFORE
AFTER
20 (9.14)
29 (12.88)
22 (8.6)
18 (9.92)
8 (4.36)
6 (3.13)
103 (48.03)
0 (0)
0 (0)
22 (8.6)
12 (6.3)
8 (4.36)
6 (3.13)
48 (22.39)
update Fall 2024
2020 answers
What has the woodlot been used for in the past (e.g. timber harvesting, firewood, farmland, been left wild and free)?
It is primarily a timber production property with approximately 92% productive forest land with the special features as explained above. The property has been managed extensively over the past 37 years with most of the property under active management.
What are your short-term goals for your woodlot (next 7 years)?
1. Reduce risks to the current threat by the Spruce Budworm by harvesting mature stands that have pre-dominantly Balsam Fir.
2. Complete an upgrading of the road network for the property.
3. Actively introduce and increase the range of red oak and bur oak species on the property by planting acorns and seedlings over the next few years.
4. Complete all the necessary follow-up activities and treatments from the recent 6 years of various types of harvest treatments.
5. Re-establish the trail network that may have been impacted by the harvest treatments over the past six years.
What are your mid-term goals for your woodlot (7–35 years)?
1. Create a succession plan to ensure the continuous management of the property within our family as I mature into older age.
2. Achieve a diversification of revenue sources from the woodlot; along with our other properties to reduce the dependence of harvesting timber to generate income.
3. Gradually shift the age class structure and also create a higher percentage of age class diversity within stands during this period.
4. Increase the percentage of ecosystem types and stands that become un-even aged and partially harvested on an approximate 15 years entry cycle.
5. Increase the woodlot’s potential to become resilient to the changing climate by adapting our management practices during this period.
What are your long-term goals for your woodlot (35+ years)?
1. Achieving and maintaining a long-term sustainable harvest level using multiple harvest treatments that diversify the harvest entry regimes and also maintaining a consistent forest growth and health across all productive forest areas.
2. Consistently increase the financial value of the woodlot into the future.
3. Maintain ecosystem biodiversity by achieving a reasonable balance of healthy forest conditions on the productive forest areas as well as maintaining some old growth ecosystems all of which would benefit wildlife flora and fauna as natural habitats.
Have you previously taken your woodlot’s ability to adapt to future changing climate conditions into consideration?
Yes, I am well aware of the need to create future climate change resiliency on this this woodlot and on all my woodlot properties. This includes aspects of climate change such as temperature warming, changes in weather volatility; wind events, greater threats from hurricanes, severe rain events, drought periods, changing frost conditions and a gradual reduction in winter cold temperatures. All these factors ultimately affect species range changes, insect and disease threats, wildfire risks, surface water movement and run off, ground water table changes as examples.
That’s a long way of saying yes, I have been making gradually adjustments to property and forest management procedures to hopefully create more resiliency on my properties by adaptive management.
Are you currently aware of what future modelling shows for NB’s climate conditions?
Yes, but haven’t really updated my knowledge in the last few years.
Do you think your woodlot will be resilient to NB’s changing climate conditions? Why?
Well, I definitely hope so, but the uncertainty regarding the rapidly changing climate conditions will create risks that are hard to predict. The main aspects of changes to our management practices involve focusing on species that will be more resilient in a warmer climate, changing the forest structure diversity with longer rotations and greater species diversity, improving surface water management on woodlot road networks, and protecting stand treatments from severe wind events as much as possible.
This section will be updated each time a site visit is made to measure the updated volumes and site conditions. The first anticipated update will be in fall of 2024, and then approximately every five years afterwards.
Conrad and Elspeth Leroux own 487 acres of land off of Route 580 in Carleton County. They first bought a section of the woodlot in 1978.
Conrad is retired and enjoys the peacefulness of his woodlot. He wants to increase the health, diversity and resilience of his woodlot while improving it’s timber value at the same time.
Location: Route 580, Windsor Settlement, Carleton County, NB
access: 46.405942; -67.409535
sites: 46.405932; -67.420517
Site conditions:
-
Softwood height: 2-3 metres
-
Hardwood height: 5-6 metres
-
Predominantly hardwood area on slight rocky slope with southern exposure.
-
A few mature softwoods, mostly younger sugar maple, red maple, poplar and cherry
-
Fast growth due to soil fertility
-
Some ledge outcrops under shallow soil
-
Some areas of poor drainage
-
Regeneration too young to provide timber volume (M3 or cords), so stems per hectare (stems/ha) were used instead.
Ground conditions:
-
Well-drained
-
South-east slope
-
Good operability
History of site:
Formerly cleared farmland (before the 1970’s). One part of the woodlot was used as a Christmas tree plantation, and after they stopped selling Christmas trees, the remaining plantation was left to grow on its own. Another section had a Red pine plantation that was harvested in 2018/19. The area where the case study site is located was clear cut about 20 years ago.
Treatments implemented by plot
AREA
Control
Traditional
Climate adaptive
TREATMENT
None
Shelter-wood cut to retain good quality white pine. Remove all balsam fir, spruce and poor quality hardwoods. Work was completed using a single-grip harvester and porter system
Remove all balsam fir, spruce and poor quality hardwoods. Retain white pine where present. Plant red oak seedlings in openings, and protect from browse with protective sleeve. Work was completed using a single-grip harvester and porter system
GOAL
n/a
To salvage fir and spruce volume before lost to maturity and encourage white pine regeneration
To increase diversity of climate adaptive species through planting of red oak seedlings and acorns
SIZE in hectares (acres)
0.3 (0.74)
0.6 (1.48)
0.4 (0.99)
Total site area: 1.3 ha (3.21 acres)
Species summary before and after treatments
Volume in m3 (cords)
2020
CONTROL
BEFORE
AFTER
0 (0)
2 (1)
5 (0.9)
19 (10.28)
1 (0)
0 (0)
27 (8.9)
0 (0)
2 (1)
5 (0.9)
19 (10.28)
1 (0)
0 (0)
27 (8.9)
SPECIES
Spruce
Balsam fir
White pine
Red maple
White birch
Oak
TOTAL
TRADITIONAL
BEFORE
AFTER
8 (3.44)
25 (11.04)
77 (29.62)
19 (10.28)
4 (2.4)
0 (0)
133 (56.6)
0 (0)
0 (0)
77 (29.62)
12 (6.42)
4 (2.4)
0 (0)
93 (33.44)
CLIMATE ADAPTIVE
BEFORE
AFTER
20 (9.14)
29 (12.88)
22 (8.6)
18 (9.92)
8 (4.36)
6 (3.13)
103 (48.03)
0 (0)
0 (0)
22 (8.6)
12 (6.3)
8 (4.36)
6 (3.13)
48 (22.39)
update Fall 2024
2020 answers
What has the woodlot been used for in the past (e.g. timber harvesting, firewood, farmland, been left wild and free)?
Prior to the 1970’s, about half was cleared land used for farming. After our acquisition, part was operated as a Christmas tree plantation. This was eventually stopped due to market conditions and time constraints. The remaining trees were left to grow. Those and the Red Pine plantation were harvested in 2018/19 and the ground was scarified in 2020. Other former fields have almost all reverted to commercial and non-commercial forest species of varying ages. During our tenure, much of the wooded areas have been cut. Some clear-cut, some selective thinning cuts, with help from CVWPA.
What are your short-term goals for your woodlot (next 7 years)?
Replant the 2018/19 clear-cut area of Balsam Fir and Red Pine (with spruce and white pine).
To include a component of White Pine in a manner which will facilitate control of inevitable weevil attack
Pre-commercial thinning of hardwood regeneration in areas (that were previously) clear cut on Lot 58.
Attempt to establish suitable hardwood replacement for the expected loss of all ash trees due to emerald ash borer.
Presently attempting establishment of Red Oak by seeding of acorns on a trial basis.
Monitor beech regeneration for feasibility of encouraging strains resistant to the bark disease which infects the majority of beech trees.
Considering my age, arrange for the orderly transfer of ownership of the woodlot, hopefully within the family.
What are your mid-term goals for your woodlot (7–35 years)?
I would hope that the next owners are family members who will manage for a well-stocked forest of various age groups and diverse species native to the Acadian Forest or suitable for expected climate changes.
What are your long-term goals for your woodlot (35+ years)?
Basically, that the woodlot be fully stocked, tending more to climax species and aiming for a future harvest of greater value due to larger trees of higher quality. It is very difficult to predict what will be in demand for future markets and what future strains will occur from disease and climate change. The wisest approach will probably be to avoid reliance on one or a few products. Monoculture is very risky.
Have you previously taken your woodlot’s ability to adapt to future changing climate conditions into consideration?
No. Only in the last year, or so. The Federation’s seminar in Fredericton last year on this topic was an eye-opener for me. I now realize that this is important.
Do you think your woodlot will be resilient to NB’s changing climate conditions? Why?
There will always be trees of some kind in the woodlot. Will they be healthy? Will they be of commercial value? Will the species mix change? Will we continue to lose species due to imported diseases? Who can say for sure? But I do believe that we should plan and act based on best available information and forecasts.
This section will be updated each time a site visit is made to measure the updated volumes and site conditions. The first anticipated update will be in fall of 2024, and then approximately every five years afterwards.
Jorg & Gloria Beyeler own 1100 acres (445 hectares) of land south of Minto and west of Grand Lake. It has waterfront at Sypher Cove, an old growth area along Sypher Brook, a significant moose habitat in boggy areas, and borders on the Grand Lake Meadows Protected Area.
Jorg is a forester and currently owns a forestry business. They have owned part of their woodlot since 1982, with an additional purchase of land in 2001.
Their main objectives for their woodlot include decreasing the risk from Spruce budworm, increase the number and variety of climate adaptive tree species, and maintain a healthy ecosystem.
Location: Windy Haven Lane, off Route 690 (Pondstream Road), Grand Lake, NB
Sites & access: 45.991625; -66.057745
Site conditions:
-
On the shore of Grand Lake, potential for strong wind
-
Evidence of a healthy ecosystem (rabbits, deer, bear, birds, mushrooms, ferns, shrubs, etc.)
Ground conditions:
-
Well-drained
-
Little to no slope
-
Good operability
History of site:
Little to no intervention has taken place, however some areas were pre-commercially thinned (especially in the Control area).
Treatments implemented by plot
AREA
Control
Traditional
Climate adaptive
TREATMENT
None
Shelter-wood cut to retain good quality white pine. Remove all balsam fir, spruce and poor quality hardwoods. Work was completed using a single-grip harvester and porter system
Remove all balsam fir, spruce and poor quality hardwoods. Retain white pine where present. Plant red oak seedlings in openings, and protect from browse with protective sleeve. Work was completed using a single-grip harvester and porter system
GOAL
n/a
To salvage fir and spruce volume before lost to maturity and encourage white pine regeneration
To increase diversity of climate adaptive species through planting of red oak seedlings and acorns
SIZE in hectares (acres)
0.3 (0.74)
0.6 (1.48)
0.4 (0.99)
Total site area: 1.3 ha (3.21 acres)
Species summary before and after treatments
Volume in m3 (cords)
2020
CONTROL
BEFORE
AFTER
0 (0)
2 (1)
5 (0.9)
19 (10.28)
1 (0)
0 (0)
27 (8.9)
0 (0)
2 (1)
5 (0.9)
19 (10.28)
1 (0)
0 (0)
27 (8.9)
SPECIES
Spruce
Balsam fir
White pine
Red maple
White birch
Oak
TOTAL
TRADITIONAL
BEFORE
AFTER
8 (3.44)
25 (11.04)
77 (29.62)
19 (10.28)
4 (2.4)
0 (0)
133 (56.6)
0 (0)
0 (0)
77 (29.62)
12 (6.42)
4 (2.4)
0 (0)
93 (33.44)
CLIMATE ADAPTIVE
BEFORE
AFTER
20 (9.14)
29 (12.88)
22 (8.6)
18 (9.92)
8 (4.36)
6 (3.13)
103 (48.03)
0 (0)
0 (0)
22 (8.6)
12 (6.3)
8 (4.36)
6 (3.13)
48 (22.39)
update Fall 2024
2020 answers
What has the woodlot been used for in the past (e.g. timber harvesting, firewood, farmland, been left wild and free)?
It is primarily a timber production property with approximately 92% productive forest land with the special features as explained above. The property has been managed extensively over the past 37 years with most of the property under active management.
What are your short-term goals for your woodlot (next 7 years)?
1. Reduce risks to the current threat by the Spruce Budworm by harvesting mature stands that have pre-dominantly Balsam Fir.
2. Complete an upgrading of the road network for the property.
3. Actively introduce and increase the range of red oak and bur oak species on the property by planting acorns and seedlings over the next few years.
4. Complete all the necessary follow-up activities and treatments from the recent 6 years of various types of harvest treatments.
5. Re-establish the trail network that may have been impacted by the harvest treatments over the past six years.
What are your mid-term goals for your woodlot (7–35 years)?
1. Create a succession plan to ensure the continuous management of the property within our family as I mature into older age.
2. Achieve a diversification of revenue sources from the woodlot; along with our other properties to reduce the dependence of harvesting timber to generate income.
3. Gradually shift the age class structure and also create a higher percentage of age class diversity within stands during this period.
4. Increase the percentage of ecosystem types and stands that become un-even aged and partially harvested on an approximate 15 years entry cycle.
5. Increase the woodlot’s potential to become resilient to the changing climate by adapting our management practices during this period.
What are your long-term goals for your woodlot (35+ years)?
1. Achieving and maintaining a long-term sustainable harvest level using multiple harvest treatments that diversify the harvest entry regimes and also maintaining a consistent forest growth and health across all productive forest areas.
2. Consistently increase the financial value of the woodlot into the future.
3. Maintain ecosystem biodiversity by achieving a reasonable balance of healthy forest conditions on the productive forest areas as well as maintaining some old growth ecosystems all of which would benefit wildlife flora and fauna as natural habitats.
Have you previously taken your woodlot’s ability to adapt to future changing climate conditions into consideration?
Yes, I am well aware of the need to create future climate change resiliency on this this woodlot and on all my woodlot properties. This includes aspects of climate change such as temperature warming, changes in weather volatility; wind events, greater threats from hurricanes, severe rain events, drought periods, changing frost conditions and a gradual reduction in winter cold temperatures. All these factors ultimately affect species range changes, insect and disease threats, wildfire risks, surface water movement and run off, ground water table changes as examples.
That’s a long way of saying yes, I have been making gradually adjustments to property and forest management procedures to hopefully create more resiliency on my properties by adaptive management.
Are you currently aware of what future modelling shows for NB’s climate conditions?
Yes, but haven’t really updated my knowledge in the last few years.
Do you think your woodlot will be resilient to NB’s changing climate conditions? Why?
Well, I definitely hope so, but the uncertainty regarding the rapidly changing climate conditions will create risks that are hard to predict. The main aspects of changes to our management practices involve focusing on species that will be more resilient in a warmer climate, changing the forest structure diversity with longer rotations and greater species diversity, improving surface water management on woodlot road networks, and protecting stand treatments from severe wind events as much as possible.
This section will be updated each time a site visit is made to measure the updated volumes and site conditions. The first anticipated update will be in fall of 2024, and then approximately every five years afterwards.
Jorg & Gloria Beyeler own 1100 acres (445 hectares) of land south of Minto and west of Grand Lake. It has waterfront at Sypher Cove, an old growth area along Sypher Brook, a significant moose habitat in boggy areas, and borders on the Grand Lake Meadows Protected Area.
Jorg is a forester and currently owns a forestry business. They have owned part of their woodlot since 1982, with an additional purchase of land in 2001.
Their main objectives for their woodlot include decreasing the risk from Spruce budworm, increase the number and variety of climate adaptive tree species, and maintain a healthy ecosystem.
Location: Windy Haven Lane, off Route 690 (Pondstream Road), Grand Lake, NB
Sites & access: 45.991625; -66.057745
Site conditions:
-
On the shore of Grand Lake, potential for strong wind
-
Evidence of a healthy ecosystem (rabbits, deer, bear, birds, mushrooms, ferns, shrubs, etc.)
Ground conditions:
-
Well-drained
-
Little to no slope
-
Good operability
History of site:
Little to no intervention has taken place, however some areas were pre-commercially thinned (especially in the Control area).
Treatments implemented by plot
AREA
Control
Traditional
Climate adaptive
TREATMENT
None
Shelter-wood cut to retain good quality white pine. Remove all balsam fir, spruce and poor quality hardwoods. Work was completed using a single-grip harvester and porter system
Remove all balsam fir, spruce and poor quality hardwoods. Retain white pine where present. Plant red oak seedlings in openings, and protect from browse with protective sleeve. Work was completed using a single-grip harvester and porter system
GOAL
n/a
To salvage fir and spruce volume before lost to maturity and encourage white pine regeneration
To increase diversity of climate adaptive species through planting of red oak seedlings and acorns
SIZE in hectares (acres)
0.3 (0.74)
0.6 (1.48)
0.4 (0.99)
Total site area: 1.3 ha (3.21 acres)
Species summary before and after treatments
Volume in m3 (cords)
2020
CONTROL
BEFORE
AFTER
0 (0)
2 (1)
5 (0.9)
19 (10.28)
1 (0)
0 (0)
27 (8.9)
0 (0)
2 (1)
5 (0.9)
19 (10.28)
1 (0)
0 (0)
27 (8.9)
SPECIES
Spruce
Balsam fir
White pine
Red maple
White birch
Oak
TOTAL
TRADITIONAL
BEFORE
AFTER
8 (3.44)
25 (11.04)
77 (29.62)
19 (10.28)
4 (2.4)
0 (0)
133 (56.6)
0 (0)
0 (0)
77 (29.62)
12 (6.42)
4 (2.4)
0 (0)
93 (33.44)
CLIMATE ADAPTIVE
BEFORE
AFTER
20 (9.14)
29 (12.88)
22 (8.6)
18 (9.92)
8 (4.36)
6 (3.13)
103 (48.03)
0 (0)
0 (0)
22 (8.6)
12 (6.3)
8 (4.36)
6 (3.13)
48 (22.39)
update Fall 2024
2020 answers
What has the woodlot been used for in the past (e.g. timber harvesting, firewood, farmland, been left wild and free)?
It is primarily a timber production property with approximately 92% productive forest land with the special features as explained above. The property has been managed extensively over the past 37 years with most of the property under active management.
What are your short-term goals for your woodlot (next 7 years)?
1. Reduce risks to the current threat by the Spruce Budworm by harvesting mature stands that have pre-dominantly Balsam Fir.
2. Complete an upgrading of the road network for the property.
3. Actively introduce and increase the range of red oak and bur oak species on the property by planting acorns and seedlings over the next few years.
4. Complete all the necessary follow-up activities and treatments from the recent 6 years of various types of harvest treatments.
5. Re-establish the trail network that may have been impacted by the harvest treatments over the past six years.
What are your mid-term goals for your woodlot (7–35 years)?
1. Create a succession plan to ensure the continuous management of the property within our family as I mature into older age.
2. Achieve a diversification of revenue sources from the woodlot; along with our other properties to reduce the dependence of harvesting timber to generate income.
3. Gradually shift the age class structure and also create a higher percentage of age class diversity within stands during this period.
4. Increase the percentage of ecosystem types and stands that become un-even aged and partially harvested on an approximate 15 years entry cycle.
5. Increase the woodlot’s potential to become resilient to the changing climate by adapting our management practices during this period.
What are your long-term goals for your woodlot (35+ years)?
1. Achieving and maintaining a long-term sustainable harvest level using multiple harvest treatments that diversify the harvest entry regimes and also maintaining a consistent forest growth and health across all productive forest areas.
2. Consistently increase the financial value of the woodlot into the future.
3. Maintain ecosystem biodiversity by achieving a reasonable balance of healthy forest conditions on the productive forest areas as well as maintaining some old growth ecosystems all of which would benefit wildlife flora and fauna as natural habitats.
Have you previously taken your woodlot’s ability to adapt to future changing climate conditions into consideration?
Yes, I am well aware of the need to create future climate change resiliency on this this woodlot and on all my woodlot properties. This includes aspects of climate change such as temperature warming, changes in weather volatility; wind events, greater threats from hurricanes, severe rain events, drought periods, changing frost conditions and a gradual reduction in winter cold temperatures. All these factors ultimately affect species range changes, insect and disease threats, wildfire risks, surface water movement and run off, ground water table changes as examples.
That’s a long way of saying yes, I have been making gradually adjustments to property and forest management procedures to hopefully create more resiliency on my properties by adaptive management.
Are you currently aware of what future modelling shows for NB’s climate conditions?
Yes, but haven’t really updated my knowledge in the last few years.
Do you think your woodlot will be resilient to NB’s changing climate conditions? Why?
Well, I definitely hope so, but the uncertainty regarding the rapidly changing climate conditions will create risks that are hard to predict. The main aspects of changes to our management practices involve focusing on species that will be more resilient in a warmer climate, changing the forest structure diversity with longer rotations and greater species diversity, improving surface water management on woodlot road networks, and protecting stand treatments from severe wind events as much as possible.
This section will be updated each time a site visit is made to measure the updated volumes and site conditions. The first anticipated update will be in fall of 2024, and then approximately every five years afterwards.