Central Ontario Forest Consulting
Your woodland
MY COMPANY'S SERVICES
Development of woodlot management and property stewardship plans, including preparation and approval of Managed Forest Plans for application to the Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP). In addition to qualifying your property for reduced taxes, I will prepare a high quality plan that informs you of your property's values and features with practical stewardship recommendations.
Follow-up services will be provided by phone or e-mail at no cost to support plan implementation .
Woodland ‘walk abouts’ to discuss priorities, strategies, and 'coaching' to help you meet
your personal objectives, including:
- Know your property from a management perspective; what is happening and how will it evolve over the next 10 years?
- How to set a compass bearing and navigate your woodland.
- Identification of tree species growing in your woodland.
- Manage for resilience to climate change and impacts of the Emerald Ash Borer and Beech Bark Disease.
- Protect property values. Know how to identify invasive plants and shrubs; control recommendations.
- Identify high value 'crop trees' for a future harvest; how to thin for their health and better growth.
- Selecting trees for firewood harvest, perhaps in conjunction with developing 'crop trees' and encouraging species diversity.
- Identifying wildlife habitat features and recreational opportunities and recommending actions to achieve these objectives.
- Location and re-establishment of old, remnant property boundary lines.
- Improve your sap yield for maple syrup production.
- Forest and individual / residential tree health recommendations.
- Tree and woodland inventories to support municipal requirements prior to construction.
Forest harvest planning for hardwood, conifer plantations and white cedar.
Services range from basic evaluation to full service / project management package, including:
- Initial appraisals and evaluation, i.e., potential values; would your woodlot benefit from a harvest. If you are approached by a buyer, is it a fair offer? What are the pros and cons?
- Tree marking – this includes marking of individual trees selected for harvest and estimating their volume (by species and product, i.e., lumber/veneer or firewood).
- Marketing of the marked trees to ensure you receive the fairest value from timber sales.
- Discussing the pros / cons of each offer while selecting a reputable buyer.
- Assisting with development of a timber sales contract; harvest inspections.
- The preparation and approval of tree marking prescriptions and permit application to comply with municipal Forest Conservation By-Law requirements, where applicable.
- Forest certification under the umbrella of the Eastern Ontario Model Forest - https://www.eomf.on.ca/
QUALIFICATIONS of DAVE PRIDHAM
Over 30 years of providing forest stewardship services for central Ontario landowners
- Associate Member, Ontario Professional Foresters Association.
- Past recipient, “Best Plan Award”, Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program.
- Provincially Certified Tree Marker. Specializing in organizing hardwood harvest, crop tree management, and commercial thinning of conifer plantations.
- Provincially licensed log scaler. Qualified to determine log volumes according to the Ontario Log Rule.
- Butternut Health Assessor
- Stewardship Coordinator for the Victoria County Land and Water Stewardship Council, 1996 - 2006.
- Program Coordinator (2006–07), Large Woodlands Conservation Co-operative, Trent University, promoting forest interior values / habitats.
- Past Director, Kawartha Chapter of the Ontario Woodlot Association.
- Coordinator, the annual Lindsay Woodlot Conference from 1997-2006.
- Forest stewardship and habitat presentations at numerous landowner events.
- Qualified as a Master Gardener.
- Primary author of 3 forest management handbooks:
https://www.ontariowoodlot.com/Landowner-Guides
1. A Landowner’s Guide to Selling Standing Timber
2. A Landowner’s Guide to Controlling Invasive Woodland Plants
3. A Landowner’s Guide to Forest Management Basics
MY APPROACH
I work on my own to provide personalized service. In particular, I am concerned about factors that affect the health and sustainability of your natural areas, including –
- Maintaining native species and habitat diversity.
- Identifying various forest health issues such as exotic insect and diseases, various site issues.
- Identifying invasive plant and shrub species, considering their impacts, practical control options.
- How to mitigate potential impacts of climate change.
- Habitat features.
- Other factors that may impact your property’s value.
Your property's woodland and other natural areas are significant assets. These areas benefit from informed management as does any other investment. Natural areas provide a place for wildlife, outdoor recreation and exercise, perhaps personal firewood or maple syrup, aesthetic values, a place for personal reflection and solitude, and – for some - income from periodic forest harvesting.
I will work with you to develop a practical management program designed to meet your objectives. Upon completion of this plan, tree marking, or other work, I remain committed to your project by providing support by e-mail or telephone at no cost.
Contact information:
Dave Pridham - 705-324-2269
E-mail – davepaloma.pridham@sympatico.ca