New government forestry planning manual -- input needed.

Canadian Parks And Wilderness Society -- Edmonton Chapter

Hello everyone,

I am writing in regards to the government's request for feedback on their new forest management planning manual. This document represents a major shift by the government. I am hoping that many of you will be able to respond, though I realize that time may be a limiting factor for many. To facilitate your efforts I am sending along a link to our recent review of forest management in Alberta , which includes an in-depth analysis of the new planning manual -- go to What's New at www.cpaws-edmonton.org/ . Please note that comments need to be in to the government by Sept. 15 (see the news release appended below). Sending even a short note touching on a few points would be helpful.

In our view, the new planning manual is an important step forward and its implementation should be encouraged. It is the first meaningful thing the government has done with respect to forest management since the release of the Alberta Forest Conservation Strategy in 1997. What's wrong with the manual is not so much what is in it, but what was left out. The following is a list of the key issues we identified:

  1. The manual includes a good set of criteria and indicators that companies must address in their plans . . . but . . . it does not set minimum standards. Therefore, companies could comply with the manual by simply changing the wording of their plans, without making any changes in their actual practices. We need to raise some noise about that. Old-growth is of particular concern because we found that all but two companies are still liquidating the merchantable old growth stands of one or more species on their management areas. Old-growth conservation guidelines are sorely needed. It is also worth pointing out that the setting of provincial standards needs to include broad public input.
  2. The manual only applies to FMA holders. Its scope should be extended to all resource companies on an FMA to force integration among FMA holders, embedded quota holders and petroleum companies. Without such integration it will be impossible to achieve the ecological management objectives contained in the plans.
  3. Fire and forest clearing by the petroleum sector are still not included in the calculation of the annual allowable cut. Companies should be required to do so, to ensure that harvest levels are sustainable.
  4. Companies need to be held accountable against their management plans and the public should have the right to know the results. This is particularly important as we move away from standardized practices to outcome oriented management (e.g., from a fixed cutblock size to maintaining a natural distribution of block sizes). The best way to achieve this is by requiring companies to periodically undergo independent audits of their operations. The planning manual only requires the companies to submit a stewardship report, with no set format or requirements.
  5. The only legislative support for the planning manual is the out-dated Forests Act, which is still stuck in the sustained-yield era. It is high time that our forestry legislation be updated.
  6. Although it may be beyond the scope of the planning manual, it might be worth mentioning that adequate ecological benchmarks (i.e., protected areas) are still lacking for most forestry operations in the province.

Sincerely,
Rick Schneider
Conservation Director
CPAWS Edmonton

News Release: Albertans are invited to review draft forest management rules

Edmonton... Albertans are invited to comment on proposed changes to the requirements governing forest management planning in Alberta.

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) has revised the standards which set out requirements for forest management plans prepared by forest industry companies working on public land in Alberta. The updated standards include clear and measurable performance expectations for forest companies, requirements for meaningful public participation, measures to safeguard biodiversity resources and a streamlined planning process.

"The new standards will enable us to better manage Alberta's forests for sustainability," said SRD Minister David Coutts. "We committed to update the existing standard as part of wise stewardship of our renewable resources, so that's what we're doing."

As well, the revised standards adopt the internationally accepted Canadian Standards Association model as its baseline for sustainable forest management planning.

As part of finalizing the updated Forest Management Planning Standard, Albertans are asked to provide written comments to SRD by September 15, 2005. Copies are available at the ministry's website, at http://www3.gov.ab.ca /srd/forests/managing/index.html.

The standards were last revised in 1998, when the Interim Forest Management Planning Manual was adopted.

Public comments will be reviewed this September, followed by release of the new standards in fall, 2005.