Eligibility for Assistance

1. The purpose of this program is to assist landowners and contractors to harvest stands with significant amounts of Natural Disturbance Damage with the goals of:
   • improving future forest potential for higher value products, and
   • reducing wildfire susceptibility and vulnerability of treated sites.
2. Sites MAY BE eligible for merchantable silviculture assistance (categories 6 and 7) provided they meet provincial technical standards.
3. Sites previously receiving assistance through any of the Fiona Clean-up, Challenge or FITT programs administered by the ASF are NOT eligible.
4. Sites must be LC4.0(SWD), or LC1.5(HWD) or higher.
5. The program is open province wide to private landowners (small private and non-industrial large landowners owning between 4.0ha and 50,000ha of forest land.
6. Priority: Stands that have been adversely affected by natural disturbance agents such as insect/disease, windstorm, or wildfire.
7. Maximum assistance of $300,000/landowner, and $350,000/harvesting contractor.
8. Harvesting/Transportation contractor: A contractor that owns or leases forest harvesting/transportation equipment that have been used on the site for which the claim has been made.
9. All sites must be pre-approved by ASF staff.
10. Assistance classes are based on percentage of Natural Disturbance Damage prior to treatment.
11. Rates are a result of three conditions; Productivity Loss, Moisture Loss and Product Degradation.
12. Sites must follow all Provincial regulations (i.e., WHWP wildlife clumps, SMZs, etc.).
13. Evidence of Forest Product utilization and removal from the site is required.
14. Damaged products remaining on-site, as either standing or downed coarse woody material, are primarily for the requirements of post-harvest retention (i.e., for WHWP purposes), for biodiversity purposes (existing and future snags and cavity trees, CWM, etc.), or when materials are beyond marketable condition.
15. Treated sites under this program cannot be high graded.
16. Site must remain in forest production (not converted to agriculture or other non-forest land use) for a period of 10 years following payment of claims.

Application Process

1. Applications will be evaluated based on the above stated criteria.
2. Applicants with incomplete applications or with sites requiring pre-treatment field visits will be notified.
3. A $50.00/ha application fee will be charged for all applications greater than two hectares.

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FORMS:

Online Forest Damage and Renewal Application Form or PDF Version (412KB)
Online Forest Damage and Renewal Claim Form or PDF Version (428 KB)

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Provincial Zones

1. Western Region – all areas west of Highway 101.
2. Eastern Region – all areas east of Highway 7 from Sherbrooke to Antigonish, and Antigonish Harbour, including all of Cape Breton Island.
3. South-Central Region – All other areas not described in Western, Eastern, or North-Central Regions.
4. North-Central Region – All of Cumberland County and West Colchester County from the county line south along the Portapique River to the Bay of Fundy.

Eligible Assistance Rates

1. Western, Eastern, and South-Central:

Low-Grade Proportion*                 Rate/Ha
35% – 50%                                      $500
>50%                                               $1000

2. North-Central:

Low-Grade Proportion*                 Rate/Ha
35% – 50%                                      $800
>50%                                               $1300

Percentage of Natural Disturbance Damage – The percentage of trees damaged within a defined area by one or more Natural Damage events (including but not limited to insect infestations, wildfire, and wind storms). Sawable products will NOT be included in the percentage calculations. Rates will be approved by ASF staff through standardized auditing processes.

Basis of assistance (Natural Disturbance Damage) – Assistance is intended to support the incremental costs resulting from productivity loss, or reduction in product value due to moisture loss and/or product degradation over time.

Assistance is NOT for sawable products.

Claim Process

1. Claims will be approved, adjusted, or denied based on standardized ASF auditing criteria and procedures.
2. Incomplete or incorrect claims will be returned to the claimant for correction.
3. The $50.00/ha application fee will be deducted from claims greater than two ha.
4. At least one and no more than three entities to receive all or partial payment of the claim.  This may include the landowner, harvesting contractor, or other managing entity.  The total of the allotments to each entity must not exceed the total claim.
5. If signing on behalf of the landowner, the contractor or agent MUST supply to the ASF a letter of signing authority from the landowner. Landowner Authorization Proxy