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J. Russell et al. 2010. Developing models and processes to aid decision support for integrated land management
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Developing models and processes to aid decision support for integrated
land management in the Canadian boreal forest
Jonathan Russell 1 , Ellie Prepas 2,3* , Gordon Putz 4 , Daniel W. Smith 3 & James Germida 4
1
Millar Western Forest Products Ltd., Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada
2
Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
3
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
4
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Abstract
Forested lands encompass nearly half of the surface area of Canada and are exposed to demands
from a growing human population. Industrial forested lands support multiple uses (e.g., forestry,
oil and gas and urban development) within the same space and time. Planning processes need to
consider these cumulative, long-term impacts. A novel forest management planning initiative is
presented that considers forested landscape conditions within the context of climate change and
cumulative impacts from forestry related and non-forestry related disturbances, as well as
habitat supply and water quantity and quality. These measures are analyzed under various
models to produce an optimum long-term forest strategy that satisfies current economic drivers
and the new paradigm of intrinsic values that are naturally contained within the forest.
Keywords: integrated land management, cumulative effects assessment
1. Introduction
Canada is approximately 10 million km 2 in area, of which >30% is boreal forest (Fig. 1). More
than 90% of the boreal forest is classified as Provincial Crown Land (under the jurisdiction of
Provincial Governments in the name of the Crown) (NRC 2009). Within provinces, mechanisms
exist to develop ~20-year leases on Crown Land to allow forest products companies to establish,
grow and harvest timber. Forest Management (FM) plans must be developed by the companies
and approved by the Province (usually every 10 years), with a 200-year forest harvest volume
projection. There is usually a specific spatial harvest sequence for the first 5-10 years, which
details where forestry operations will be undertaken. In Alberta (Fig. 1), the FM planning
process, managed through the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development, is centered on
timber supply analysis and has a limited focus on issues like water, wildlife and the physical
environment. Further, it virtually ignores the issues of Integrated Land Management (ILM) and
Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA), as well as oil and gas activities, which can have as big a
footprint as the forest industry. Forest operations on adjacent FM areas are also not considered,
eliminating any potential to mitigate large landscape issues that encompass multiple FM areas.
This study is based primarily in the FM area (productive land base 2950 km 2 ) leased by Millar
Western Forest Products Ltd., a small pulp and solid wood products company. The research
group embarked upon a process that would help push the intent of FM planning by engaging the
company, government and researchers in an ILM approach (Russell et al. 2008). This FM plan
would be based on science, data and state-of-the-art modelling and would address issues like
* Corresponding author. Tel.: 807-343-8623 - Fax: 807-343-8116
Email address: eprepas@lakeheadu.ca
Forest Landscapes and Global Change-New Frontiers in Management, Conservation and Restoration. Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology
Working Group International Conference, September 21-27, 2010, Bragança, Portugal. J.C. Azevedo, M. Feliciano, J. Castro & M.A. Pinto (eds.)
2010, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal.