SFM - Sustainable Forest Management Network

Sustainability for Canada's forests requires consideration of how forest management transcends political jurisdictions. For example, while most forest lands are provincially-owned, there are increasing national and international demands for forest products to be produced in a sustainable manner. Through the Sustainable Forest Management Network (SFM), diverse sectors come together to fund, plan, conduct and apply research on forestry practices. Results are used to inform policy makers, revise or renew land management strategies and to create a better public understanding of the scientific issues concerning Canada's forests.

SFM's mission is to deliver an internationally-recognized, interdisciplinary program that undertakes relevant university-based, peer-reviewed research; develop networks of researchers and industry, government, Aboriginal, and non-governmental organization partners; offer innovative approaches to knowledge transfer; and provide educational opportunities in an interdisciplinary, partner-oriented framework to train scientists.

The Network's research program recognizes that sustainability emerges from the interaction of economic, ecological and social forces acting on the forest and the institutions that determine how it is managed. The program seeks to integrate the contributions of many disciplines and sectors to develop and refine policies and practices that will sustain the flow of benefits that society has come to expect from the forest.

Research priorities are initiated by the industry, government, Aboriginal and NGO partners of the Network in collaboration with the university-based research community. Funded research teams work closely with partners and Network staff to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and its implementation. Recent research has addressed a wide range of priorities including natural disturbance management, landscape zonation, Aboriginal forest tenure, watershed processes, forest management decision-support tools, redesign of forest institutions and trade-offs between economic, ecological and social values.

For example, two major projects involving water and wetlands are evaluating ecological criteria and indicators. One is in a sub-humid region of Alberta and another is in a humid region of Ontario. SFM Network researchers are working in landscapes not previously studied in the context of forest management activities. They are examining how forest management affects water movement across those landscapes. Results indicate that existing models of water movement do not apply across the country. The current research is working on new conceptual models to fill this gap.

A multidisciplinary research team concerned about land tenure, led by Dr. Ilan Vertinsky, FEPA Research Unit, University of British Columbia, is assessing the effectiveness of how forest harvesting rights are structured and allocated (forest tenure) in different provinces. The research team is investigating the impact of tenure reform on the cost and availability of timber and the provision of secondary products. Proposals are being developed for new tenure arrangements and their potential consequences are being evaluated within specific regional contexts.

Educating and training new scientists is an ongoing Network goal. Since its inception, 26 former students have accepted academic positions at Canadian universities, six of whom are now principal investigators on Network-funded projects. Five former students, representing a large proportion of Canada's research capacity in this area, are working as university researchers on topics involving Aboriginal communities.

The Network encourages students and researchers to attend major conferences and events to share their knowledge and learn from others. To that end, it holds cross-cultural training workshops to help students understand the Aboriginal issues involved in their research. Students also take part in cultural and inter-university exchanges where they can develop new skills and perspectives.

To pass new knowledge on to forest managers as soon as possible, the Knowledge Exchange and Technology Extension (KETE) initiative condenses results from multiple projects into short, easy to read reports. In addition to the book published in 2003 in cooperation with the NRC Research Press, various reports outlining implementation options as well as Research Notes aimed at the practitioner have been released and distributed to partners.

Provincial Reach:

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Distribution of Research Personnel in 2004-2005

For more information visit the SFM Web site.