Westwind Forest Stewardship (Westwind) Inc. won a prestigious North America-wide Leadership Award from the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) for its commitment to responsible forest management, advocacy and conservation leadership in the French-Severn Forest, near Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada.
“Our team is thrilled to have won an FSC Leadership Award,” shared Westwind Board Chair and Registered Professional Forester (RFP) Rob Keen. “In 2002, we were the first forest company in Ontario with publicly managed Crown lands to earn FSC certification. Since then, our dedication to environmental stewardship, responsible management, and building strong relationships with our entire community including Indigenous groups is unwavering.”
At almost 1.3 million acres, the French-Severn forest rests on the Canadian Shield stretching from Algonquin Park to Georgian Bay, and from the Severn River north to the French River. Sugar maple and white wine dominate the landscape which is also home to the greatest number of turtle and snake species in the Ontario, each with habitat protection requirements found in the FSC standard.
“The requirements within the FSC standard have both challenged and inspired us to enhance our forest management systems,” says Barry Davidson RFP and General Manager of Westwind.
The Westwind team oversees planning, silviculture and ensures the compliance of commercial forestry operators working in the complex French-Severn forest. As this forest is dominated by white pine and tolerant hardwood species like sugar maple, yellow birch, black cherry and red oak, it is best managed by the single tree selection and uniform shelterwood systems. This requires ground intensive on the ground data collection, development of a Forest Operations plan, guidance for certified tree marking and a tree marking audit before careful logging operations begin.
Additionally, due to the many raptor nesting sites, fishery values, recreation trails and cottaging lakes, Westwind also guides operators to avoid the many species at risk habitats that are found in the forest including multiple turtle and snake species like the Eastern Hognosed Snake and Blanding’s Turtle.
Over the years Westwind has also hosted world class forestry conferences, worked with countless community partners including the Muskoka Watershed Council, Friends of the Muskoka Watershed and the Georgian Bay Biosphere and even sponsored the Parry Sound Forest School - a program for young children to learn about the forest. Most recently they piloted a project on the management of tolerant hardwood forests impacted by beech bark disease - for which they are a leader - and a pit rehabilitation project with local cottage associations.
FSC Canada’s Deputy President Monika Patel, adds that “Westwind embodies FSC’s principles for the sustainable management of forests. The Leadership Award celebrates their exceptional practices and underscores the important role local companies play in ensuring the health and resilience of forests in Canada.”
For further information on Westwind Forest Stewardship Inc. www.westwindforest.ca