Conserve
Maintaining tree species and wildlife diversity is part of responsible forest management. A total of 25 per cent of the lands we manage are set aside for conservation. That’s almost 530,000 hectares (1.3 million acres).
More than 2,100 conservation sites are included in our Conservation Areas Program. Aiming to showcase and preserve distinctive features and unique landscapes and ecosystems, the program recognizes 11 conservation site types, from lakes and wetlands and noteworthy plant and wildlife habitats to areas of geological and historical significance.
DID YOU KNOW
We have designated more than 68,800 hectares (170,000 acres) of old forest. This is part of an objective to maintain old forest within the working forest landscape.
BY THE NUMBERS
29 TOTAL
84,291 hectares (208,288 acres)
791
Plant Sites
519
Bird & Mammal Sites
293
Reptile & Invertebrate Sites
189
Unique Forest Stands
149
Historic Sites
89
Aesthetic Sites
48
Lake & Wetland Sites
22
High Conservation Forest Sites
21
Fish Sites
18
Geological & Fossil Sites
10
Sites with Alternative Conservation Measures
CONSERVE
DEER
During winter, planted stands provide a resting place for whitetail deer, which seek out softwood forest cover for shelter during periods of heavy snow. In fact, about 136,000 hectares (336,000 acres) of the forest land we manage are deer wintering grounds.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
To continue improving our conservation efforts, we partnered with universities, government agencies and the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit on a research project to study the effects of the working forest on whitetail deer. By using GPS collars, more than 100 whitetail deer were tracked, providing data to analyze habitat choices and how they are impacted by summer and winter conditions.
CONSERVE
MOOSE
The moose population in New Brunswick has rebounded under a responsible working forest model. Six decades ago, from 1936 to 1960, the moose population in New Brunswick had dwindled to the point that it was illegal to hunt them. This is no longer the case, thanks in part to responsible forest management practices. In fact, 2023 was a record-breaking year for moose harvesting, and moose harvest levels have increased by over 1,700 per cent since 1960.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Moose in New Brunswick and Quebec may be seen sporting GPS collars. We sponsor a research project that uses data from these collars to track how factors like ticks, climate change and predators influence population count.
DID YOU KNOW
A single moose can harbour as many as 80,000 ticks on its body at a time.
CONSERVE
SONGBIRDS
Managed forest land in northern New Brunswick provides a habitat for two songbird species of concern: the Canada Warbler and the Olive-sided Flycatcher. The presence of songbirds is a useful gauge for forest management impacts, and research shows a working forest can sustain diverse species of songbirds, with 95 songbird species identified in our Black Brook freehold in northern New Brunswick.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
A study using acoustic monitoring devices to measure bird species presence across three managed forests in northern New Brunswick and Maine found the greatest songbird diversity in the Black Brook area, our most intensively managed site. This research was conducted in collaboration with universities, government agencies and the Canadian Wildlife Service.
A CLOSER LOOK
Deer and moose and birds, oh my! We can’t get enough of the beautiful nature of New Brunswick, so here are even more photos of the incredible wildlife that thrives in our managed forests.
