Expanding the forest management framework in the province of Alberta to include landscape-based research Available to Purchase

The Forest Watershed and Riparian Disturbance (FORWARD) project was initiated in the western Canadian province of Alberta, the site of some of the most intensive forest activities on the Boreal Plain subregion of the Canadian Boreal Forest, including forestry, oil and gas extraction, and mining. Forest management falls primarily within provincial/territorial jurisdiction in Canada; therefore, we outline the processes for forest management planning and practices at the provincial level. In Alberta, the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development allocates tenure of forested areas to forest products companies via forest management agreements (FMAs). Conditions for company activities in the FMA area are cooperatively designed and documented in detailed forest management plans. We examine Alberta Government policies with respect to watershed management in forested areas, with an emphasis on aquatic ecosystems. Further, needs for changes to current government policy and practices are discussed, with recognition of the pressures that exist on the regulatory effort. Key words: forest management, forest harvest, regulation, policy, legislation.