Prince Edward Island Announces Funding for Clearing Trees Felled by Hurricane Fiona

The Provincial Government of Prince Edward Island, Canada, announced on Thursday (10-12-23) that funding is now available to assist with clearing Hurricane Fiona-felled trees on essential forest access roads and on small wood lots that may pose a fire risk to nearby urban areas and infrastructure.

According to the press release, the Hurricane Fiona Forestry Recovery Program is open to small forestry businesses and woodlot owners who were not eligible for assistance under previous programs. The program is supported by an investment of $125,000 (CAD) from the Provincial Government and $975,000 investment from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) through the Government of Canada’s Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund.

Financial assistance is available for small woodlot owners—larger than 1 acre but less than 2.5 acres—where land is excluded from the Forest Enhancement Program but where land intersects with urban and wildland areas and may pose a fire risk.

Financial assistance is also available for land where the forestry road is deemed necessary for suitable forest management and fire suppression, i.e., no other access roads are nearby, or where the road provides access to forest land near infrastructure.