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Al-Pac Case Study
- Part I
Daniel
Farr, Biota Research
Steve Kennett, Canadian Institute of Resources Law
Monique M. Ross, Canadian Institute of Resources Law
Brad Stelfox, Forem Technologies
Marian Weber, Alberta Research Council
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This case study has been commissioned as background research
for the NRTEE’s Conserving Canada’s Natural
Capital: The Boreal Forest program.
The views expressed in the case study are those of the authors,
and do not necessarily represent those of the National Round
Table, its members, or the members of the program’s
Task Force.
July 2004
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Key conservation values
Conservation may be defined as “the maintenance
or sustainable use of the Earth’s resources in a manner
that maintains ecosystems, species and genetic diversity and the
evolutionary and other processes that shaped them” (NRTEE
2003b). In the context of this case study, the ecosystems, species,
genes and ecological processes to be maintained in the Al-Pac
FMA are considered to be natural capital, “assets in their
role of providing natural resource inputs and environmental services
for economic production” (NRTEE 2003b).
The NRTEE (2003b) identified three forms of natural
capital:
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natural resource stocks, both
renewable and non-renewable;
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land on which human activities
can take place; and
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ecosystems that provide direct
and indirect services.
Which aspects of natural capital should be promoted
in the Al-Pac FMA? The Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM
2000) identified six criteria “that define a set of values
Canadians want to enhance and sustain,” of which the first
five most directly represent aspects of natural capital.
Criteria for sustainable
forest management
1. Biological diversity
2. Ecosystem condition and productivity
3. Soil and water resources
4. Role in global ecological cycles
5. Economic and social benefits
6. Society's responsibility for sustainable development
Source: CCFM 2000.
The Government of Alberta, as
a member of the CCFM and a signatory to the National Forest Strategy
(National Forest Strategy Coalition 2003), has adopted the CCFM
criteria and indicators framework for monitoring progress toward
sustainable forest management. The five criteria related to natural
capital (1 to 5) thus represent appropriate conservation objectives
to be promoted in the Al-Pac FMA.
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