Block Harvest
Source: PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), pp. 25–27
What it is
Block harvest is an even-aged technique. More than 85% of the existing trees are removed, and the new stand grows up in fully exposed conditions. It can regenerate from planted seedlings or natural regeneration.
Eligibility
Mature or older stands of these covertypes:
- white spruce
- balsam fir
- eastern larch
- black spruce
- white birch
- trembling aspen
- plantation-grown red pine
- red maple in low-lying areas
Other stands are considered on their individual merit, based on the Department’s interpretation.
Retention: what stays standing
On any harvest site covering more than 2 ha of forest land:
| Rule | Standard |
|---|---|
| How many | At least 10 living or partly living trees per hectare harvested |
| Which species | In the same species proportions as the stand being cut, but giving priority to tolerant hardwoods where present |
| How big | At least as tall, and at least as large in diameter at 1.3 m, as the stand’s average tree |
| Grouping | In clumps of at least 20 trees |
| Number of clumps | One clump for blocks up to 8 ha. Larger blocks may have several clumps, as long as the totals are met. |
| High windthrow risk | If splitting retention into smaller patches would seriously weaken it, special Department approval is required |
| Distance from the edge | Every clump sits 20–200 m from the edge of the stand being cut |
| Distance between clumps | No more than 200 m apart |
| Inside clumps | No harvesting |
| How long | Retained trees stay until the next harvest |
| Wet spots | Unmarked areas that collect water — slope bottoms, soft ground, vernal pools — should be prioritized for retention when they hold the required number and spread of trees |
Worked examples
- A 5 ha block keeps at least 50 trees, in a single clump.
- A 12 ha block keeps at least 120 trees. Because it is over 8 ha, those trees can be split into several clumps of 20 or more, each 20–200 m from the edge and no more than 200 m from the next.
Other standards
| Measure | Standard |
|---|---|
| Snags and coarse woody debris | As close to natural levels as possible, with at least 200 pieces/ha, each averaging ≥7.5 cm in diameter and ≥2 m long |
| Scarification | Extraction methods that scarify the ground are encouraged — up to a maximum of 2,500 prepared micro-sites/ha, evenly spread through the block |
| Slash | Spread through the block unless another treatment is prescribed. The manual’s sentence is cut off here; this reading follows the matching rule for strip and patch harvests. |
| Damage limit | No more than 5% of residual trees damaged; damage means broken limbs and/or bark damage exposing more than 10 cm² of sapwood on a tree |
Specialty salvage
After natural events that damage large areas — hurricanes, wildfires, insect outbreaks — a salvage treatment can recover merchantable fibre and clear debris. Salvage follows the block harvest standards, with two exceptions:
- When standing retention trees can’t be left, preserve retention patches covering 15% of the area. These support natural recovery and wildlife habitat consistent with the disturbance.
- Stump height rules don’t apply to blown-down trees, because of how the stems are lying.
Based on the PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), pp. 25–27. Where this guide and the manual differ, the manual governs.