Pre-Harvest Assessments are completed to determine site specific conditions before harvest plans are developed. This information is used to determine the appropriate Silviculture System. The Silviculture System represents a set of prescriptions for the removal and subsequent renewal and growth of the forest. Spray Lake Sawmills uses a number of silviculture systems.

A Harvest System is the means used to cut, limb and forward trees to the point where they can be loaded for hauling. Spray Lake Sawmills uses feller bunchers, stumpside processors and grapple skidders as their primary means for harvesting. Site productivity, environmental considerations and reforestation requirements are the primary determining factors in selecting the best harvest system for a site.

Post Harvest Surveys are completed to determine if the initial silviculture prescription determined in the Pre- Harvest Assessment can be achieved due to the site specific conditions present after harvest.

Site Preparation is done to create microsites which provide favorable seed beds for natural regeneration or planting spots to improve the early growth of seedlings. Microsites are prepared to meet specific site and species requirements relating to soil temperature, moisture, nutrients, competing vegetation, light and frost susceptibility.

Tree planting on sites which have factors limiting the success of natural regeneration is done to ensure the site will regenerate back to a fully stocked stand. Each year Spray Lake Sawmills plants approximately 2 million trees!

Three year surveys are internal company surveys completed after site preparation to ensure the blocks harvested are stocked and growing back. The information gathered during these surveys allows us to determine if additional treatments such as site preparation or tree planting is required to ensure proper stocking levels.

Establishment surveys are legislated requirements detailed in the Timber Management Regulation. The surveys must be done 4 to 8 years after harvest. Reforested areas must achieve both a specified stocking level and a minimum level of growth performance.

Performance surveys are also legislated requirements detailed in the Timber Management Regulation. The surveys must be done 8 to 14 years after harvest. The same information as an Establishment Survey is collected, however, coniferous crop trees must meet the criteria of Free-to-Grow. A crop tree is considered Free-to-Grow when it is located at least 2m from any deciduous competitor tree/shrub.