Forest Management

The Kitigan Zibi Natural Resource and Wildlife Office is responsible for the forest management of the common lands (also called the limit) on the reserve. Through our forest management plan, we are able ensure that when forestry activities do occur, whether it is for our stovewood projects or when we need to intervene due to an invasive bug or fungus attacking the trees, we always have the ecology and the environment in mind. We go above and beyond the standard practices on public lands in Quebec by ensuring large buffers (50-200 meters) along creeks, rivers, lakes and wetlands.

By constantly monitoring the health of the forests on the reserve, we are able to rapidly identify and act when a new invasive insect or fungus become problematic in our forests. Examples of this are the Beech bark fungus first discovered in 2016 and more recently the white pine needle disease. While we mostly let nature take its course when it comes to regenerating the forest, we also lend it a helping hand when we have to. For example, in areas affected by the beech bark disease, we planted various hardwood species to ensure that a wide diversity of tree-species return when the forest grows back. We believe that maintaining and protecting biodiversity is key to ensuring that our forests are as resilient as possible to face the challenges of climate change.