Aerial Forest Management

Forest Protection is the industry leader in planning and delivering aerial forest management programs. With a robust team of project managers and forestry experts, Forest Protection is perfectly equipped to manage turnkey or bespoke aerial treatment, aerial survey, and other forestry, agricultural, and wildfire programs. Our best practices include:

• A fleet of deployed operations centres enabling project staff to be on site, where they’re needed, throughout the project.
• An in-house team of GIS specialists capable of providing on-demand geospatial information and analysis throughout project planning, execution, and closeout.
• Proprietary project planning and management software developed specifically for use in aerial forest management.

Transparency is the key to any successful forestry program. The nature of our industry is that the land we service is used by our clients and the public – often equally. Over our 70 years of service, Forest Protection has become adept and engaging with clients and stakeholders in a meaningful way that leaves all parties feeling consulted and informed. We do this through many methods including:

• Operating a state-of-the-art central operations centre that collects and collates all project data and distributes meaningful updates to stakeholders.
• Mass media notifications and hosting public online dashboards.
• Hosting public consultations and conducting community outreach.
• Ensuring operational areas are well signed.

The focus of any aerial treatment program should be ensuring that the right quantity of product is delivered to the right place, at the right time. Well managed aerial treatment programs maximize effect, minimize the amount of product used, and reduce cost to the client. At Forest Protection, our process and technology give us an industry leading edge that provides unmatched value while executing programs at a level of safety this is second-to-none.

Forest Protection’s fleet of AT802 aircraft represent the state-of-the-art in aerial treatment technology but they are not the only tool available. The Forest Protection advantage means clients have access to an array of fixed wing, rotary wing, and unmanned assets that we will tailor to the specific needs of the project. Likewise, we ensure that the product used is the safest, least invasive option. Such is the case with the Foray family of Btk insecticides used for Spruce Budworm treatment, which are certified organic and authorized for use in organic farming.

With a fully staffed research team, Forest Protection is fully adaptable to support any forestry research questions. Our current research focuses on the following initiatives to help mitigate the impacts of harmful infestations:

• The efficacy, treatment optimization, and non-target impacts of the Early Intervention Strategy for Combating Spruce Budworm in Atlantic Canada
• Tracking outbreaks by using the Budworm Tracker citizen science program to study budworm dispersal and enhance public engagement
• Spruce Budworm pest management as a conservation tool for critical habitats and ecological integrity of forest watersheds

As part of our turnkey solutions, Forest Protection’s research team can provide continuous project monitoring including:

• Pre- and intra-treatment sampling to determine insect development stage for optimized treatment timing.
• Pre- and post-treatment sampling to determine program efficacy and migration effects.
• Real-time quality assurance of flight lines.
• On-site weather analysis to ensure ideal weather conditions for treatment.