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Lanark County’s Community Forest continued to show strong environmental stewardship and financial stability in 2025, according to its latest State of the Forest report.
The report outlines a year marked by successful timber operations, ongoing invasive species management, and another clean bill of health from independent auditors reviewing forest practices.
The Lanark County Community Forest remains certified under both the Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forestry Initiative standards through the Eastern Ontario Model Forest.
A certification audit conducted Oct. 27 found no issues, with auditors praising the quality of recent harvesting work and a heritage fence restoration project in Darling Township.
Two timber harvests were completed during the winter, including a hardwood selection harvest on the James property and a third thinning of a red pine plantation on the Bowes property. Both operations were reviewed during the audit and deemed successful.
Planning is already underway for future work, including a red pine thinning at the Bulloch property scheduled for the winter of 2026–27, and continued tree marking on the Thorne property.
Maple syrup production also remains a significant activity. Wheelers Maple installed more than 11,000 taps across the forest in 2025 under an existing agreement with the county.
Forest management continues to follow a long-term plan running from 2011 to 2030, alongside a five-year operating plan updated in 2023. These plans guide harvesting, conservation, and maintenance activities across more than a dozen properties.
Beyond timber and syrup production, staff carried out inspections across multiple sites, monitoring for hazards, invasive species, and property issues.
A previously undocumented pioneer-era structure was also discovered on the Wright property in Dalhousie Township.
Efforts to control invasive species are ongoing.
Dog-strangling vine, first identified on the Thorne property in 2020, continues to be managed through manual removal and targeted spraying. While the plant persists, officials say it has been contained and reduced.
The forest is managed through a partnership with the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority and Upper Canada Forestry Service. Together, they also provide training, public outreach, and technical oversight.
Expenses for forest management services totalled just over $18,000 in 2025.
Over the longer term, the report notes the forest has consistently generated net positive revenue for Lanark County since the partnership began in 2006.
Officials say the combination of sustainable harvesting, environmental protection, and community use continues to guide the forest’s management.
