Stewardship
Forest stewardship is at the heart of all that we do.
Island Timberlands appreciates that forestry is more than cutting trees. When we take care of our forests, they take care of us:
Our Business
Our People
Our Community
Our Environment
Our private managed forest is continually renewed and maintained. This process sustainably creates economic impact for our company and prosperity in our communities through the harvest and growth of timber.
Planning
Our planning horizon extends more than 20 decades into the future.
Island Timberlands is in it for the long haul. Our plans are generated to be future-focused yet flexible. We:
- Make projections for our forests decades in advance.
- Adjust to respond to new information, conditions and demands.
- Keep up with current regulations, research and best practices.
- Use innovative technologies to gather data about our trees and their environment.
Light Detection & Ranging (LiDAR)
uses a pulsed laser to examine the topgraphy of the land and vegetation layers.
Digital Elevation Modals (DEM)
offer a 3D representation of the land’s surface.
Geographic Information System (GIS)
mapping captures, stores, manipulates, analyzes, manages, and presents all types of geographical data.
Business Analytics Software
allows us to continually improve, and analyze and adapt to market needs.
Harvesting
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We minimize impact on the environment.
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Island Timberlands only harvests what we will use. Maintaining the integrity of our forests is better for the environment and the trees we grow. We:
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Balsam Fir
offers a wide range of products, from lumber to air fresheners, and used by First Nations for medicinal purposes.
Douglas Fir
as the second-tallest conifer and one of the world’s best timber producers, offers dense, highly durable lumber.
Western Hemlock
is an important producer of softwood, and - when planted along river banks - can help reduce erosion.
Western Red Cedar
is renowned for its unique timber and aroma, with mature trees producing a natural fungicide that prevents rot.
Reforestation
We nurture our forests through the early survival stage.
Island Timberlands gives our trees the chance to thrive. It is crucial that our delicate young trees are carefully planted and protected. We:
- Prevent the intentional and unintentional destruction of seedlings and their habitat.
- Plant at the right time of year with the right level of soil moisture to encourage optimal shoot and root growth.
- Select suitable, natural species which are native to our region and thrive in our environment.
- Safeguard from pests and invasive, non-native species which can stifle early survival:
Scotch Broom
is an escaped garden ornamental evergreen which stifles conifer seedlings and increases wildfire risk.
Himalayan Blackberry
is a biennial plant that spreads quickly, out-competing native vegetation.
Japanese Knotweed
is an extremely fast growing, invasive, non native plant, which can grow up to 20cm per day.
Hogweed
is a dangerous weed with sun sensitive sap that can cause severe burns and blisters, even blindness.
Growth
We respect and protect our forests’ ability to grow free.
Island Timberlands takes a step back from our forests. After nursing our trees through early survival, the right approach is to leave them to do what they do best – grow! We:
- Minimize disruption in the forest ecosystem by our staff and the public.
- Allow respectful, safe access to our lands which isn’t destructive to natural habitats.
- Keep others informed of the importance of leaving a forest “free to grow”.
- Only intervene in order to maintain balance and encourage symbiotic relationships between all components of the ecosystem:
Abiotic Components
are all of the non-living elements which make up the habitat for the biotic components.
Producers
take in energy from sunlight to transform carbon dioxide and oxygen into sugars.
Consumers
get their energy from consuming producers (herbivores), other consumers (carnivores), or both (omnivores).
Decomposers
break down waste material and dead organisms to return nutrients back into the soil.