New publications provide guidance for working around boreal wetlands
December 11, 2018
Edmonton, AB: The Forest Management and Wetland Stewardship Initiative (FMWSI) is pleased to announce the launch of two new tools to help guide management decisions of practicing foresters. The Guiding Principles for Wetland Stewardship and Forest Management Technical Report and plain-language Practitioner Guide were developed by Ducks Unlimited Canada in collaboration with seven forest sector organizations as part of the FMWSI.
About the project
The purpose of the Guiding Principles project is to document the current state of knowledge on the interactions among boreal wetlands, forests, and forest management and to provide strategic and operational level planning considerations to promote wetland stewardship in the context of forest management.
“These tools will be of great value to forest practitioners who are involved in resource-sector planning and operations in the boreal forest,” says Bob Mason, Millar Western’s chief forester. “The guide provides direction at the strategic planning level to help maintain the function of boreal wetlands and the benefits they deliver, such as maintaining water quality and supply, regulating global climate, and providing habitat to an abundance of plant and animal species.”
About the products
The Technical Report provides detailed descriptions of how boreal wetlands, forests, and forest management interact with one another, along with extensive references to supporting literature for those looking to dive deeper into specific topics. The technical report also describes high-level planning considerations for wetland avoidance and minimization of potential impacts, along with practical examples, and it identifies knowledge gaps for future research. The plain-language Practitioner Guide presents a simplified version of the Technical Report’s content and is intended to be a user-friendly field reference for forest professionals.
In an effort to promote their widespread usage, the Technical Report and Practitioner Guide are available for free download. Hardcopies of the Practitioner Guide will be available for purchase at a later date.
Quick Facts
- Boreal wetlands make up over 30% of Canada’s boreal forest and provide important ecosystem services including water storage and filtration, carbon storage, and habitat provisioning.
- Boreal wetlands and forests are highly interconnected as both water and nutrients move through surface and sub-surface connections and contribute to ecosystem productivity and resiliency.
- Ducks Unlimited Canada works with the forest sector to improve its knowledge of boreal wetlands to help minimize environmental impacts, costs and safety concerns associated with operating in and around these vital forest features.
About Ducks Unlimited Canada: Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is the leader in wetland conservation. A registered charity, DUC partners with government, Indigenous Peoples, and industry to develop comprehensive solutions to conserve wetlands that are critical to waterfowl, wildlife and the environment.
About the FMWSI: The FMWSI is a partnership between Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc., Canfor, the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), Millar Western Forest Products Ltd., Tolko Industries Ltd., West Fraser, and Weyerhaeuser Company to advance wetland stewardship in the boreal forest through sustainable forest management.