GL 911851
Terry Osko, Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries
We are engaged in a collaborative study addressing forest sustainability through improved wellsite reclamation within the Green Area of Alberta to be completed during 2003 – 2007. Traditional wellsite reclamation practices on forested lands in the Green Area have not been successful in returning wellsite disturbances to equivalent land capability. Forest sustainability is threatened by increased fibre losses, habitat fragmentation, and reduced carbon sequestration. Our industries are also threatened by reduced public trust in our ability to ensure environmental sustainability. The proposed research will identify, quantify and measure the persistence of factors associated with wellsite construction that result in impaired land capability so that these factors can be avoided through development of alternative construction practices. Potential practices will be evaluated under a range of conditions to determine which practices are most applicable under specific circumstances. We also propose to research and develop reclamation practices that promote both recovery of land capability and rapid reforestation of wellsite and related disturbances.
The project partners have fully funded the initial year of this study. The second, third, and fourth years of this study were funded by, ERAC, and the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA). This research is being completed on abandoned leases within Al-Pac’s forest management area and on active leases in northeastern Alberta operated by the energy partners.
2007 Report
