Forest Management Lines
Source: PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), p. 35
What it is
A forest management line is a cleared, well-marked boundary run around a property’s perimeter. It marks where forest management activities stop between neighbouring properties.
It is not a legal survey and does not replace one.
Standards and assessment
Planning and agreement
- Decide whether lines are needed while the management plan is being prepared.
- All owners on either side of a shared line should sign a Forest Management Line Agreement in a form the Department accepts.
Clearing and blazing
| Measure | Standard |
|---|---|
| Clearing | Wooded lines cleared to at least 1 m wide |
| Which trees can be blazed | At least 2 m tall and at least 10 cm in diameter |
| Blaze spacing | On both sides of the line, every 15 m — or closer, so each blaze is visible from the last |
| Blazes on trees beside the line | On the side facing the line, plus both sides at right angles to it |
| Paint | Red or orange tree paint on every blaze |
| Legacy trees | Never blazed |
| Offset lines (where the plan specifies one) | Within 3 m of the true line; mark trees on the offset on both sides, facing along the line |
Marking without trees
A suitable tree is living, healthy and more than 10 cm in diameter. A woody shrub such as alder never qualifies.
Where there isn’t one, mark the line with a metal stake or pipe:
- at least 15 mm in diameter,
- at least 100 cm above ground,
- topped with flagging or paint,
- at intervals of 15 m or less.
Buffer before heavy harvests
Leave a 5 m vegetation corridor between the line and any later block, patch or strip harvest.
Based on the PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), p. 35. Where this guide and the manual differ, the manual governs.