FERIC undertook a comparison of five site-preparation methods (scalping with a bulldozer, scalping with an excavator, windrowing, mulching of the full site, and strip mulching) in central Ontario. The study was designed to measure equipment productivity, assess the results in terms of microsite quality, and calculate the costs of the various operations. The results suggested that each treatment within the study conditions should be facilitated by biological follow-ups that will be carried out by the Ontario Forest Research Institute over the next few years.