Current Management

The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville assumed full responsibility for the management of Limerick Forest in April of 2001.  In June of the same year, with the assistance of the Grenville Land Stewardship Council (GLSC), the Limerick Forest Advisory Committee (LFAC) was formed with the objective of advising the Counties on the management of Limerick Forest. This group of community volunteers interested in the management and well-being of Limerick Forest were instrumental in the development of the Limerick Forest Long Range Plan (LFLRP) and the Twenty Year Forest Management Plan (FMP).  Written in 2003, the LFLRP describes long range goals and objectives for the forest.  Initial forest management operations were based on this document.  The FMP was completed in 2007 and provides a more detailed set of objectives, management strategies and standards to be used in the achievement of specific goals.  Annual and 5 Year operating plans are used to support this document.

In July of 2008, Limerick Forest achieved Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification (FSC® C018800) through the Eastern Ontario Model Forest’s Forest (EOMF) Certification Program.  The FSC® is an international, membership-based, non-profit organization that supports environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests. The EOMF is a not-for-profit, charitable organization.  The EOMF works with government, landowners, industry, First Nations, non-government organizations and others to develop new ways to sustain and manage our forest resources.  The Model Forest provides a unique forum where forest users can build partnerships and gain a greater understanding of conflicting views, share their knowledge, and combine their expertise and resources to promote responsible resource management.

Limerick Forest is not a “park” or a “reserve”. It is managed as an active forest as per the FMP and FSC® certification guidelines. However as the goal of Limerick is not to generate a steady stream of revenue but to provide a “a wide variety of goods and services" to the residents of Leeds Grenville, a multi-use management philosophy has been adopted. This provides for a wide array of recreational opportunities, which in turn are reliant upon forest management operations aimed at ensuring the forest remains healthy, and grows and develops over time. Long-term sustainable management of the forest will preserve the environmental, social and economic values of the forest for future generations.

Table 1. Limerick Forest Tracts

Table 2. Areas of Limerick Forest by Municipality