Communications Director Jon MacNeill spoke with the French-language daily newspaper Acadie Nouvelle about silviculture programs in New Brunswick for an article published on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
The article was about a Guinness World Record awarded to JDI Irving Ltd and other forestry companies who participated in a successful bid to claim the world record for most trees planted in one hour.
MacNeill told Acadie Nouvelle that there is a big difference between replanting the natural Acadian forest of New Brunswick and the large-scale plantations preferred by forestry companies.
“The silviculture program of J.D. Irving includes big plantations with only a few tree species that are ideal for commercial harvest. The plantations are sprayed with herbicides to kill the natural growth that would compete with the young planted trees. This type of practice and plantations do not produce a natural healthy forest,” MacNeill said.