In 1986, a field trial was established near Second Falls, N.B. to assess the potential of using pulpmill wood waste as a soil ameliorant for land reclamation. Three types of wood waste were spread on mineral soil and subsequently planted with black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.). After one growing season, it became evident that either a fertilizer application or nitrogen-fixing vegetation was necessary for seedling survival and growth. The design was upgraded to a series of plot trials that included fertilizer applications and nitrogen-fixing vegetation. This report includes the growth rates of plants in different plots and provides potential direction for future research and development activities to facilitate reclamation and reforestation of degraded and unproductive sites.