A Newsletter About the People and Activities of the Port Hawkesbury Paper Woodlands Unit

A long-term forest plan is an ever-evolving document that is reviewed and revised on an on-going basis to reflect new knowledge and information, changes in the forest, new or changing legislation, and local community values.

A forest management plan considers a wide array of values such as environmental, cultural, social, and economical, then provides a road map to current and long-term management objectives and includes:

History of Our Long Term Planning Efforts
In 1967, the pulp facility located in Port Hawkesbury developed its first long-term forest management plan followed by a second updated plan in 1986. By 2015, the company had updated and submitted four supplementary sustainable forest management plans to the Provincial Government for Crown Land management with planning horizons of 80 to 100 years. As part of a new 10-year Forest Utilization License Agreement (FULA) with the province, an updated long-term plan was submitted to the NS Department of Resources & Renewables (NRR) in December 2022. This plan and accompanying appendices are now available on the PHP website at Reports and Policies | Port Hawkesbury Paper.

Current Planning Efforts
In 2021, PHP engaged in a joint timber supply analysis with the Forestry Division of NRR as an update to the analysis completed in 2015. This analysis was conducted to support the new FULA as the province transitions to a triad forest management system for Acadian forests on Crown Lands as recommended in the report “An Independent Review of Forest Practices in Nova Scotia” (2018). At the time of the timber supply analysis in 2021, certain components, policies and guidelines related to the ecological matrix and high production forest areas of the Triad framework were not fully developed or finalized. Regardless, an updated plan from 2015 with a new sustainable harvest volume was developed and submitted to NRR in late 2022.

As the province is now closer to the full implementation of the Triad management framework on Crown Lands, PHP will begin a new and full long-term planning process that meets this new approach. An updated strategic plan that incorporates Triad management will be developed by December 31, 2026.

Subsequent long-term plans will be submitted for approval every five years with a minimum time frame of 100 years. Additionally, 20 year spatial and temporal plans for harvest and silviculture treatments will be developed to support the long-term planning horizon. With further refinement, PHP will develop 5-year rolling annual operating plans for harvest, silviculture, and road activities. All stages of planning will be reviewed and approved by NRR.

Monitoring of Plans
Following approval of a forest management plan, the Provincial Government monitors PHP’s activities to ensure compliance with all levels of planning activities. In addition to PHP’s own internal auditing process, regional NRR staff, and third-party auditors assess PHP’s management activities. Any deficiencies identified by either PHP, NRR, or external auditors, are noted on non-conformance reports that require follow-up and corrective actions for continuous improvement.  

With the majority of Nova Scotia’s Bicknell’s Thrush habitat being in the Cape Breton Highlands, and within Port Hawkesbury Paper’s Crown-managed forest, PHP is in a great position to help conserve and manage Bicknell’s Thrush critical habitat. Learn more in our latest fact sheet.

Join the fun! Our tournament supports the IWK Children’s Hospital - to date, this tournament has raised approximately $279,600 for the hospital. 

Port Hawkesbury Paper, through its sister organization, Port Hawkesbury Paper Wind (PHP Wind) is proposing to build a 130-megawatt wind farm on lands in Guysborough County that are currently under sustainable forest management license to Port Hawkesbury Paper. The project will reduce the PHP facility’s carbon footprint and help reduce energy costs to ensure a long-term future for one of the region’s largest employers. The PHP Wind project team has been organizing local community open houses and engaging with members of the Mi'kmaq communities who might have an interest in this project.
For more information about the project, visit www.phpwind.ca