Ontario’s forests are a valuable resource and as such deserve careful management. The 
management options available range from leaving them in their natural state to conducting detailed planning to be able to harvest the trees. These plans include the use of modern silvicultural practices, the protection of trees from many threats, and the use of the trees for a variety of wood products.
Silviculture is the art and science used to grow healthy trees in stands, forests and landscapes. As part of Ontario’s sustainable forest ecosystem management, silvicultural practices consider not only timber production, but also ecological concerns such as biodiversity, wildlife habitat and water quality.
Foresters view the harvesting of trees as the beginning of the new forest, not as the end. How trees are harvested affects the type of forest that will grow back. There are three different methods of harvesting and managing Ontario’s forests. These methods are referred to as silvicultural systems.
The CFSA provides for the establishment of a Forest Renewal Trust Fund and a Forestry Futures Trust Fund to reimburse operators for silvicultural expenses incurred in Crown forests.
