FSC celebrates 30 years of championing sustainable forest management

Between our operations in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Maine, JDI Woodlands had 124 summer students who planted over 13 million trees this year. These students are dedicated, hardworking and are helping regenerate the forest for the future. A great incentive we offer to our Tree Planters if they are returning to school is between $750 - $1,000 scholarships. This year, we were pleased to give a total of $60,500 in scholarships to 71 planters!

Hydropower is clean and renewable, but harnessing energy from running water can disrupt aquatic ecosystems. New solutions are being tested to help restore fish stocks. While the sun and wind can be unpredictable, hydropower is an emission-free, renewable method of generating electricity that comes with an added advantage: it is rapidly adjustable. There is no debating that hydropower plants have had a significant effect on migratory fish stocks, as they create obstructions that prevent fish from returning to their home stream for spawning. In certain locations, stocks have collapsed to an endangered level. Finland has adopted a National Fish Passage Strategy prioritising the restoration of the natural reproductive cycle of migratory fish in harnessed waterways. This government programme has seen an additional EUR 8 million in funding allocated for the restoration of fish stocks. Collaborative projects have already been completed in ten different river systems. Restoring fish stocks and preserving biodiversity is a long-term effort requiring committed work for many years into the future. Click read more below for additional detail.

J.D. Irving Limited’s (JDI) partnership with Natural Resources Canada's Canadian Forest Service has led to the commercial development of advanced tree breeding, field testing and seedling production techniques. Maritime Innovation, JDI's new lab in Sussex, New Brunswick was designed to use advanced seedling production technologies based on selection from our native tree population for a range of high value traits such as fast growth rate, high wood quality, resistance to insects and disease and broad adaptation to climate change. A propagation method called Somatic Embryogenesis is used to produce large numbers of seedling from a broad range of genetically diverse trees which have been field tested across the region. Another aspect of the lab’s research involves fungi which live inside the needles and leaves of trees across our region which are called endophytes. A range of these fungi have been selected because they produce compounds which improve their host tree’s tolerance to insect and disease attack. Methods have been developed to inoculate small seedlings in the nursery with these special fungi which stay with the tree throughout its life. Investing in this technology will sustain diverse forests, contribute to a sustainable wood supply for the forest industry and improve tree tolerance to various insect and fungal pests leading to a reduction in pesticide usage.