For any relationship to last, you can’t take more than you give. In Alberta, provincial laws and regulations hold industry accountable to some of the highest sustainability standards in the world. Protecting water sources, accounting for wildlife habitat needs and maintaining forest health are all part of the detailed long-term forest management plans Alberta requires from companies that work in our forests.
When trees are harvested in Alberta, provincial law requires that the area must be reforested. Just re-planting isn’t enough – the job isn’t done until a healthy, diverse, self-sustaining new forest has been successfully established. Making that happen takes careful long-term planning, a deep understanding of what makes a healthy forest, and years of diligent, attentive care.
We all spend time getting to know the people we love – their needs, their quirks, and what brings out the best in them. Countless researchers around the world, including here in Alberta, spend their professional lives getting to know our forests in the same intimate detail. Forest companies provide funding and support to help make this research possible.
The best practices, policies, laws and regulations that guide how we care for our forests are based on the work of passionate people who devote their careers to studying our natural environment.