The Forest Management Agreement (FMA) requires that the Company establishes a new forest on all logged areas. Chief Forester Des Crossley had studied regeneration of pine and spruce as a research scientist before he came to Hinton. He applied his findings to this industrial forest and with a few refinements and adaptations based on experience, soon saw the results in successfully regenerated stands. The focus was on natural regeneration from seed from pine cones in the slash or spruce seed blowing in from adjacent stands.

Seed beds were prepared by scarification - usually by dragging anchor chain with spikes behind a bulldozer to mix the organic and mineral soil. This mixing also reduced the fire hazard from logging slash.

Difficult areas were planted, and re-planted as necessary. The Company built the first forest industry nursery in Alberta in 1965 to provide its own seedlings grown to its own standards.

Areas that grew in with too many seedlings were thinned so the remaining ones could grow faster. Over the first 40 years of harvest, the regeneration requirements in the FMA have been fully met.

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• History of Weldwood's Hinton Division Overview
• The Beginning- A discussion on the start up of operations in the Hinton area and the men who started it all.
• Some of the Pioneers- The forestry people were some of the first hired. This section talks about the early pioneers, and contains numerous photos.
• Early Forest Management- An explanation of forest management in the early years with some interesting photographs of early transportation methods including Volkswagen "Bugs" and Tote-Goats.
• Logging: Camps to Commuting- This section discusses the transition from men working out of logging camps to the time when housing and roads improved and loggers began to live in the community and commute to work.
• Logging: Horses to Horsepower- In 1967 the Company changed from primarily a horse logging operation to one using diesel engine powered skidders.
• Early Forest Renewal- A look at early forest renewal including the first forest industry greenhouse in 1965

Hinton Web Design would like to thank Aaron Jones at  Weldwood & Hinton Forest Resources for the use of this information
Please visit their Website for more information on this and other areas of Weldwood

Hinton Forest Resources