Woodlot Management Plan
Source: PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), p. 3
The woodlot management plan is the framework for everything else in this guide. It sets out what the owner wants from the woodlot — for example more biodiversity, better timber quality, richer wildlife habitat or lower environmental impact — and which treatments will get there.
The ground rules
- Approval comes first. The Department must approve the plan before any treatment starts.
- Ten-year horizon. Operations are planned over at least ten years, and the plan is revised when circumstances change.
- Treatment summary. The plan must summarize how each operation will be carried out and what outcome each completed treatment is expected to deliver.
- Harvests must be in the plan. Every harvest site has to be prescribed in an approved plan (see Harvest).
What the plan must contain
At a minimum, the plan covers the following. The Department can ask for more.
| Area | Required content |
|---|---|
| Owner and scope | The owner’s objectives · the lands the plan applies to · the plan’s purpose and scope for the ten-year period · a general description of the ownership |
| The woodlot | A description of the woodlot · stand tally information · a property map · woodlot access |
| Protection and constraints | Protection needs such as fire, watercourses and rare plants · biological, physical and legal constraints on developing the woodlot |
| Silviculture | The silvics of each species to be managed · long-term planning objectives · the amount and type of work to be done · stand treatment prescriptions |
| Enhancement | Management and enhancement of streams (where present), wildlife and biodiversity |
Where the plan shows up in other standards
Several treatments tie back to specific parts of the plan:
- Strip, patch and block harvests: harvest widths, patch sizes and each harvest pass are set in the plan, as are any exceptions to broadcasting slash (Strip, Patch, Block).
- Planting: hardwood and softwood densities are specified in the plan and must fall within the treatment ranges (Planting).
- Nesting boxes and hedgerows: both require a plan that meets the Department’s minimum requirements (Nesting boxes, Hedgerows).
- Forest management lines: whether boundary lines are needed is decided while the plan is being prepared (Management lines).
- Biomass harvests with public investment: need a pre-harvest plan that meets these standards (Biomass).
Based on the PEI Ecosystem-Based Forest Management Standards Manual (October 2025), p. 3. Where this guide and the manual differ, the manual governs.