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Canada's Model Forest Program

Canada's Model Forest Program represents an initiative in building partnerships locally, nationally, and internationally to generate new ideas and on-the-ground solutions to sustainable forest management issues.

These grass roots partnerships include representatives from environmental organizations, native groups, industry, educational and research institutions, all levels of government, community-based associations, recreationists, and landowners.

The Canadian Model Forest Network

Objectives of the Program

What is a Model Forest?

Why were model forests created?

Minister Dhaliwal Announces $40 Million for Renewal of Model Forest Program

Accomplishments: Phase II (1997/98 - 2001/02)

Model Forest receives CFS Merit Award

Contact the Canadian Model Forest Network

• to increase the development and adoption of sustainable forest management systems and tools within and beyond model forest boundaries;
• to disseminate the results and knowledge gained through Canada's Model Forest Program at local, regional, and national levels;
• to strengthen model forest network activities in support of Canada's sustainable forest management priorities; and
• to increase opportunities for local-level participation in sustainable forest management.

• a diverse partnership of stakeholders and rights holders
• a large-scale working model of sustainable forest management
• a site for developing and applying new knowledge and technologies
• a focus for promoting ecologically sound forest management practices
• a consensus-driven partnership working with shared decision-making to achieve social, environmental, and economic sustainability in forest management
• a creator of on-the-ground solutions addressing local needs and global concerns
• a place where communities and traditional knowledge play a role in forest management
• a link in a network to facilitate an exchange of ideas and approaches to sustainable forest management

Canada's forests are an integral part of our national identity. They grace the landscape with breathtaking beauty, and are a key contributor to Canada's natural wealth, providing clean air and water, habitat for wildlife, recreational opportunities, and wilderness areas. At the same time, the economies of 337 communities are solely reliant on industrial forest production, and one in 17 Canadians depends directly on the forests for employment.

The Government of Canada, through the Canadian Forest Service, launched Canada's Model Forest Program to address the challenge of balancing the extensive range of demands we place on our forests today and the needs of tommorow's generations. The principle behind the program is simple. Each model forest serves as a demonstration of partners with a diversity of forest values working together to achieve sustainable forest management. (SFM)

QUÉBEC - The Government of Canada will continue to support an innovative and successful forestry program that is based on partnerships. Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), today announced renewed funding of $8 million per year for five years for Canada's Model Forest Program.

"The Model Forest Program renewal is the latest in a series of announcements made by the Government of Canada over the past two months totaling more than $140 million in investment in forest sector innovation and research," said Minister Dhaliwal at a press conference in Québec.

Recently the Government of Canada announced it would contribute $20 million to help raise awareness in the United States of the challenges facing Canada's softwood lumber industry. Last month, Natural Resources Canada announced a $75-million investment in the future of our forest industry. In April, $4.5 million was contributed to the First Nation Forestry Program. The Model Forest Program renewal contribution will be $40 million.

"During the past ten years, the Model Forest Program has made a substantial contribution to sustainable forest management practice in Canada through partnerships developed among industry, the research sector, environmental and other nongovernmental groups, Aboriginal and community groups, and governments," said Minister Dhaliwal. "Through the renewal of this program, the Government of Canada will continue to work with our partners toward common goals of improving our quality of life through sustainable resource development, environmental preservation and economic growth."

Canada's Model Forest Program was established in 1992 to address the challenge of balancing the extensive range of demands that are placed on our forests. The focus of the next five years of the program will include expanding activities beyond the boundaries of the individual model forests and strengthening their collective activities at the network level.

Local, regional and national partnerships and an innovative management approach are key elements of the program. Each Model Forest is managed by local individuals and organizations who work together to ensure that their forest remains a healthy and dynamic part of the community.

Successes of the program include the development of local-level indicators of sustainability; innovative land-tenure models; best management practices including sustainability codes of conduct for woodlot managers and contractors; cutting-edge wildlife research; public education and participation; and the development and application of geographic information systems technologies for forest management and resources scenario planning.

Partnerships with Aboriginal communities are an important component of this and other Government of Canada programs, including the First Nation Forestry Program, which provides First Nations communities with increased access to sustainable forest management opportunities.

Funding for this program was provided for in the December 2001 budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework. Since its inception, the program has received $96 million in funding from Natural Resources Canada.

For more information, media may contact:

Heather Bala
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
(613) 996-7252

Accomplishments: Phase II (1997/98 - 2001/02)

A Users' Guide to Local Level Indicators of Sustainable Forest Management: Experiences from the Canadian Model Forest Network was produced. These experiences formed the basis of a six regional workshops on sustainability indicators.

• A two-year project developed protocols for reporting on socio-economic indicators based on Statistics Canada census data. In addition, the project developed an interactive, map-based web site as a reporting and display framework for this information.
  
• The Foothills Model Forest Grizzly Bear Research Project is a multi-year collaborative effort between government, industry and academia encompassing an area of over 5300 km2 including parts of Jasper National Park, Alberta Crown land, Weldwood of Canada's forest management area, Cardinal River Coals' open-pit mine, and the proposed Cheviot mine site.
  
• The Manitoba Model Forest developed a Manual for Environmentally Responsible Forestry Operations in Manitoba which has been adapted by the Lake Abitibi, Waswanipi Cree, and Bas-Saint-Laurent Model Forests for use in Ontario and Quebec.
  
• The Bas-Saint-Laurent Model Forest developed and implemented a voluntary wetland conservation program for private lands.
  
• In 1997, the Waswanipi Cree Model Forest was established to explore the effectiveness of the model forest approach within a framework where Aboriginals had the leadership role and were not just another partner. In addition, nine of the other model forests have Aboriginal involvement.
  
• The Prince Albert Model Forest Ecosystem Based Integrated Resource Management Plan was developed with input from all resource users including the public, Aboriginal people and local residents and is being used by the Province as the framework for future forest management planning.
  
• Numerous model forest research projects including the Hayward Brook Watershed Study in Fundy, Natural Disturbance Regimes in both Foothills and Manitoba, and soil disturbance and harvest with regeneration protection studies in Lake Abitibi, have all resulted in the development of guidelines, videos and other tools to assist in reducing the environmental impact of forest operations.
  
• In October 1999, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through the recommendations of the Western Newfoundland Model Forest's Pine Marten Conflict Resolution Working Group, established the Grand Lake Reserve to protect three ecoregions and habitat for the endangered Newfoundland pine marten.
  
• The Eastern Ontario Model Forest has produced a Code of Forestry Practice booklet to help landowners understand and apply the principles of sustainable forest management to their forested lands. In addition to being used by local landowners, the publication is a required text in the Forestry Program at Sir Sandford Fleming College.
  
• Over 400 participants from educational institutions; industry; Aboriginal groups; local, provincial, and federal governments; community and public interest groups; ENGOs; recreationists; and others are involved in the Program.
  
• Each model forest met or exceeded their direct partner contribution requirement of $1.25 million. Total partner contributions, both financial and in-kind, are estimated to be $6 million per year.
  
• A web site to promote the Program and its activities has been created. It contains a searchable database with over 1500 projects. Reports can be requested through the publications database which contains over 1100 documents. Further information can be found at www.modelforest.net.

Merit Award

The Foothills Model Forest recently received the Canadian Forest Service Merit Award for Creativity and Innovation. The presentation was made to the Foothills Model Forest President Bob Udell and the Board of Directors February 11, 2004 by Dr. Gordon Miller on behalf of Brian Emmett, Assistant Deputy Minister, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada.

The award recognizes creativity, innovation, support and exemplary contribution to social science research in the Model Forest.

The award to the Foothills Model Forest recognizes FMF contribution to the development of a broad array of studies carried out in partnership with the Social Science Research Group of the Canadian Forest Service at the Northern Forestry Centre in the areas of sociology, economics and non-timber valuation. The work has been undertaken over the past couple of years by a dedicated team led by Dr. Bill White.