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Part of Forests

About forest stewardship in Alberta

Procedures, policies, planning documents and statistics related to the sustainable management of Alberta's forests.

Overview

Alberta is committed to the principles of sustainable forest management and responsible stewardship through the development of rigorous legislation and policies for the protection, conservation and sustainable management of forests. Government foresters and biologists work alongside forest industry representatives to develop long-term plans that ensure forest values are maintained for future generations. 

Government continually reviews standards, monitoring operational and research results and seeking improvements. New practices and technology encourage Alberta's forest product companies to use virtually all the wood harvested, operate more efficiently, and generate fewer emissions.

Alberta monitors and predicts forest growth and current yield to determine sustainable allowable harvest levels, see forest health and adaptation resources for more information. 

Regulation

Under the authority of the Forests Act, Alberta has developed strict standards for forest management planning.

Regulated forestry professionals follow the Alberta Forest Management Planning Standard.

Forest management planning does not include protected areas. This planning only provides direction for forest management activities and does not involve public land and resources for non-forestry uses. All commercial timber dispositions carry out forest management planning to varying degrees, depending on the type of forest tenure, see about forest tenure in Alberta for more information.

Industry Ground Rules
The Alberta Timber Harvest Planning and Operating Ground Rules provide direction to forest companies and government for planning, implementing and monitoring timber harvesting operations on timber disposition areas in Alberta. See the current Operating Ground Rules and other forest management standards and guidelines.

Timber dispositions 
Once a timber disposition is allocated, an extensive planning process is used to ensure sustainability before any trees are harvested. These plans must be approved by the Government of Alberta after consultation with the public, interest groups and First Nations, Metis Settlements and Credibly Asserted Metis Communities.

Forest management planning documents

Annual Operating Plan (AOP)
AOP plans describe in detail the harvesting and road building activities proposed for the current year. Annual operating plans must also include details regarding reforestation and fire control plan. Use the Annual Operating Plan Submission form (TM 118, November 2017).

General Development Plan (GDP)
GDP plans project activities for the next 5 years. These documents include a forecast of the areas scheduled for harvest. They also provide details regarding road requirements and fish and wildlife issues within the planning area. GDP's are intended to guide the integration of activities among different operators.

Forest Management Plan (FMP)
A FMP plan turns sustainable forest management commitments into action in the field. This plan summarizes the current state of the forest, as well as the values, objectives, indicators and targets of sustainable forest management developed through engagement with the public, local stakeholders and consultation with Indigenous communities. Enhanced forest management can be considered in this plan to improve forest growth resulting from thinning, fertilizing, drainage or tree improvement. Forest management plans are required to be prepared by Forest Management Agreement (FMA) holders and, in non-FMA forest management units, the Crown may undertake FMP development or may enable a forest tenure holder to develop an FMP, see Forest Management Plans for more information.

Stewardship Report

Stewardship reports describe the monitoring program and how well the objectives of the forest management plan are met. Stewardship reports are required with each forest management plan every 5 years.

Public Engagement and Indigenous Consultation

Throughout the forest management planning process including Forest Management Plans and General Development Plans, FMA holders may be required consult First Nations, Metis Settlements and Credibly Asserted Métis Communities. Learn more about Indigenous Consultation in Alberta or proponent-led Indigenous consultations. Members of the general public are also engaged during the development of forest management plans. The annual general development plans, final harvest plans and operating plans are publicly available.

Public engagement can include:

  • public advisory committees
  • town hall meetings
  • open houses within the community
  • presentations
  • information on the forest tenure holder's website

Strategic land use plans

Alberta prepares strategic land use plans such as Regional Sustainable Development Strategies or the Land-use Framework, regional plans that address the integration of resource uses. Existing land use plans take precedence over forest management plans (FMPs) and provide strategic direction that shall be honoured in the FMPs. The direction may be through zoning, which limits activities in various zones, or by setting values, objectives, indicators or targets to be implemented.

Where strategic land use plans are approved after an FMP has been approved, Alberta and the organization shall discuss implementation of the strategic land use plan, and Alberta may require the FMP to be amended. For more information, see the Land-Use Framework.

Publications and resources

The following facts and statistics summarize forest management program activities and accomplishments reported by the Alberta government. Information presented is collected by or reported to the Alberta government and uses the most current data available. 

Forest management facts and statistics sheets (2016)

Other topics of interest

Disclaimer

Please note:

  • Information reported by the forest industry is presented "as reported". Other information presented has been collected by, or is based on department programs and staff reports.
  • The statistics are for information purposes only, many have been generalized from detailed data. Readers are encouraged to view the data source and contacts documents for more detailed information, including limitations, and/or seek additional detailed information on specific statistics by contacting the identified department contact person.
  • The Land-use Framework Planning Regions are not as of yet integrated into data collection processes captured in the centralized computer systems. Therefore, data are summarized by regional boundaries to indicate approximate location and value for comparison purposes only.
  • Original versions of data in official files are the authoritative source. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of statistics, but their integrity cannot be guaranteed.  

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