Minister encourages participation in forestry planning process

The Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods is seeking public participation in the process of preparing its Management Plan Report and Five Year Plan for Forest Management District 15 (FMD 15). The Forestry Act requires that these documents be prepared for each forest management district in the province every five years.

Minister Rick Woodford is encouraging the public to get involved in the planning team process for FMD 15. The first meeting has been scheduled for January 29 at the Humber Community YMCA in Corner Brook.

Planning teams consist of various forest stakeholders including members of the general public, environmental organizations, industry representatives, wildlife advocates and government departments and agencies. Planning teams provide information that is considered during preparation of management plan reports and five year operating plans for all forest management districts.

Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited (CBPPL) will use input from the same planning team to develop its Five Year Operating Plan for FMD 15, which extends from Gros Morne National Park in the north, to Gallants in the south, to Grand Lake to the east and to the coastline in the west. Approximately 90 per cent of forest land in FMD 15 is controlled by CBPPL. Since FMD 15 is a multi-ownership district, the department is taking this opportunity to initiate the planning process.

Minister Woodford said a key challenge for forest district planning teams is reaching an agreement on how to best provide for a continuous timber supply that is consistent with resource management objectives, sound environmental practices and the principle of sustainable development.

"In the past, all environmental, economic, and social values were planned in isolation of one another. Today, however, ecological integrity and sustaining all forest values provide a major thrust behind resource planning," said Mr. Woodford. "Accordingly, forest managers attempt to blend values together into sustainable ecosystem based forest management plans."

Mr. Woodford said despite the challenges in forestry management due to a variety of competing values, the planning framework is continually adapting to meet the high standards required for resource management.

The minister added: "Finding a balance is often difficult, but the contribution of forest district planning teams is a necessary and integral component of sustainable forest management in this province. I encourage everybody with an interest in the future well being of our valuable forest resource to participate in the planning team process."

Media contact: Sonia B. Glover, Communications, (709) 729-6183.

2002 01 23                    10:15 a.m.