Ressources naturelles �Canada

Natural Resources �Canada

Canadian Model ForestNetwork Secretariat

580 Booth St., 7th FloorOttawa, Ontario K1A 0E4

Telephone: (613) 992-5874Fax: (613) 992-5390

E-mail: modelforest@nrcan.gc.ca

www.modelforest.net

ISSN 1497-5386

There are some very encouraging signs

that it is. The widespread application of

the HARP harvesting system to Abitibi-

Consolidated Inc.’s operations is one (see

page 8). So is Saskatchewan’s adoption of

a novel integrated forest management

planning process (page 5). As is the

integration of model forest knowledge into

the curriculum at Université Laval (page 6).

This issue highlights these and other ways

that model forests are helping Canadians

to understand and preserve ecological

integrity; develop new, more sustainable

practices; create new tools for sustainable

forest management; influence forest policy;

and become informed participants in

forest management planning.

Unless otherwise noted, all publications

mentioned in this issue can be ordered

or downloaded by visiting the Model

Forest Network’s online catalogue at

www2.clicshop.com/stores/modelforest

or by calling (613) 992-5874.

InnovationsT H E C A N A D I A N M O D E L F O R E S T N E T W O R K B U L L E T I N

BEYOND THE BOUNDARIESThis issue of Innovations takes a look at what kind of influenceCanada’s model forests are having outside their boundaries. Is themodel forest experiment — the bringing together of diverse partnersto develop new approaches to sustainable forest management thatcan be adopted across the country — bearing fruit?

July 2002

Featuredin this issue

Understanding Ecological Integrity

New Practices

New Tools for SFM

Model Forests and Forest Policy

A Model Education

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McGregor Model Forest

Foothills Model Forest

Prince Albert Model Forest

Manitoba Model Forest

Lake Abitibi Model Forest

Eastern Ontario Model Forest

Waswanipi Cree Model Forest

Bas-Saint-Laurent Model Forest

Fundy Model Forest

Nova Forest Alliance

Western Newfoundland Model Forest

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Boreal - Predominantly ForestBoreal - Forest and GrasslandBoreal - Forest and Barren

MontaneCoastColumbia

Great Lakes - St. Lawrence

SubalpineDeciduous

AcadianGrasslandTundra

Canadian modelforest network

Forest regionsof canada

Forestry Centres and Headquarters of the Canadian Forest Service

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Model forest network — PHASE III

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Model Forests and National Parks:Protecting Ecological Integrity

Four national parks are part of Canada’smodel forest network: Gros Morne inNewfoundland and Labrador, Fundy in New Brunswick, Prince Albert inSaskatchewan, and Jasper in Alberta.That’sgood news for parks striving to maintainthe integrity of ecosystems that extendbeyond their boundaries.

“It is obvious thatyou cannot draw aboundary around anational park andcontain all the eco-logical processesthat make up anecosystem,” explainsStephen Woodley,Chief Scientist atthe Parks CanadaAgency. “No matterwhere you drawthe boundary, nomatter how large the park is, you willalways have transboundary issues. Modelforests give national parks an opportunityto integrate with surrounding land uses forthe overall goal of conserving ecologicalintegrity.”

The grizzly bears that frequent JasperNational Park often roam beyond the parkboundaries in search of food, mates andden sites. To ensure the long-term conser-vation of the grizzly bear in west-centralAlberta, Jasper is working with the FoothillsModel Forest and 39 Foothills ModelForest partners from industry, governmentand the private sector, on a ground-break-ing five-year study of grizzly bear habits and

habitat throughout the 9700 km2 studyarea. Because the grizzly bear is consideredan umbrella species, gauging the health andpopulation status of the grizzly populationwill also help the researchers understandhow other species are faring.

National parks and other protected areasare also invaluable as controls in sustain-able forest management experiments.

“They’re benchmarks that we can use toexperiment with our forest managementto see if we’re getting it right,” saysWoodley. “How would you ever know, forexample, if you’re emulating a natural fireregime with your cutting unless you had a natural fire regime operating within a large protected area?”

Woodley hopes the partnerships betweenparks and model forests will be long term.“Ecosystems can’t be managed as a seriesof short-term projects — they haveprocesses that occur over centuries.Long-term partnerships are the way tolearn and do better forest management in Canada.”

Natural Disturbances

Theory has it that one of the best ways topreserve biological diversity in the managedboreal forest is to design harvesting and silvicultural operations that emulate naturaldisturbances. Several model forests are puttingthis controversial hypothesis to the test.

One is the Foothillls Model Forest in west-central Alberta, which has brought togethera multidisciplinary team to study how fire,wind and disease affect the forests of themodel forest land base. Experiments havebeen undertaken to determine whethersome natural disturbances can be emulatedthrough prescribed burns, harvesting andreforestation. Jasper National Park is usingthe results to see whether reintroducingprescribed burns will reduce the risk ofwildfires and, by restoring a more historicalvegetation pattern to the landscape, help toconserve biodiversity in the park.

Similarly, the Manitoba Model Forest is testing site preparation and harvesting prescriptions based on an analysis of theaftermath of six large wildfires that burned75,000 hectares of boreal forest in easternManitoba between 1955 and 1983. The prescriptions are documented in A Guide toHarvesting Practices to Regenerate theNatural Forest, which doubles as a how-tomanual for operators.

Available in English only.

UNDERSTANDING ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITYEcosystems know no borders; to understand and protect them, we have to look beyond our boundaries.A model forest is one place where the mix of people who own; who live, work and play in; and who study parts of a particular forest ecosystem can come together to learn about and safeguard its ecological integrity.

3

Industries Maibec Adopts Métayage

Inspired by the Bas-Saint-Laurent ModelForest, a Quebec forestry company hasadopted forest tenant farming on just over2000 hectares of its private land.

Intensive salvage logging during a sprucebudworm epidemic left very little har-vesting and silviculture work on the land,says Charles Tardif, Procurement Managerfor Industries Maibec, who felt that morecould be done with such a “beautifulresource.” He knew about the Bas-Saint-Laurent Model Forest and the métayagesystem, and thought that the many possibilities for income generation madethe land a perfect test site for métayage.

Indeed, the company determined that the land could support maple syrup production and hunting, in addition to3500 cubic metres of harvesting and 14 weeks of precommercial thinning peryear — “enough work for an entrepreneurto be working all year round,” says Tardif.

Two years ago, a family selected by a panel that included the manager of theBas-Saint-Laurent Model Forest signed a10-year contract to manage the land. Thetenant farmers pay Maibec a share of theirrevenues from maple syrup production,a hunting operation, and the operation of a small inn and restaurant built by the company. Standard contractor’s prices arepaid for thinning and harvesting.

The entire five-member family works onthe farm, with the three school-age children helping out on weekends and during the summer. The tenant farmershire additional help during the hunting,

maple syrup and harvesting seasons, andwhen large groups visit the inn.

Although Maibec owns the land and thebuildings, the family owns everything else

NEW PRACTICESA forest tenant farm in Quebec, private woodlots in Ontario, and an industrial operation in Newfoundland andLabrador are some of the places where new practices developed by Canada’s model forests are advancingsustainable forest management.

(Continued on page 8)

What is métayage?

Métayage, or tenant farming, is a land-usemodel in which tenants cultivate land inexchange for providing the landownerwith a share of the harvest.

For private woodlots only ...

Two model forests have published manualsto help owners and operators plan,implement and monitor sustainable forestmanagement on private woodlots.

The Eastern Ontario Model Forest’s Codeof Forestry Practice is an easy-to-use,illustrated introduction to the conceptsand practice of sustainable forest manage-ment that’s helping to open up the lines ofcommunication between landowners andforest resource professionals. It’s also agood first step toward meeting some certification standards, and for that reasonhas been distributed to the approximately60 woodlot owners within the model forest working to obtain group certifi-cation by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Available inEnglish andFrench.

A similar manual produced by the NovaForest Alliance is a must for Nova Scotia,where more than 60 per cent of all timber harvested in 1998 came from smallprivate lands.

The Contractors and Operators BestManagement Practices Manual is part of a

larger training and monitoring programthat aims to work with contractors toimprove forest management practices.The first training session, held lastSeptember, covered topics such as protecting waterways, creating a diversity of wildlife habitat in forest operations, and selecting the best harvesting methods. A field training session was held in October 2001.

Available inEnglish andFrench.

The Groupement forestier de l’Est du LacTémiscouata, one of the sponsors of theBas-Saint-Laurent Model Forest, hasobtained Forest Stewardship Council(FSC) certification for its member woodlotowners. The certificate was awarded inspring 2002. Having achieved certification,the model forest will produce a manual to help other woodlot owners adapt tothe FSC and other certification processes.For more information, please contact theBas-Saint-Laurent Model Forest, at (418)722-7211 or foretmodele@fmodbsl.qc.ca.

4

Prince Albert: New MicrophoneRecords Bird Calls

The Prince Albert Model Forest has assisted in the development of a highlysensitive microphone to record bird calls inthe forest. A Prince Albert-based companydeveloped the technology and tested itwith support from the model forest.

Songbirds, along with small mammals suchas mice and voles, are considered “sensitive” indicators for assessing forestbiodiversity. There aren’t enough expertsto hear all the birds “live.” With the microphone, the model forest records allthe bird songs and experts can later listen to them and interpret them at their convenience.

The microphone is also being used by theLake Abitibi Model Forest and the OntarioMinistry of Natural Resources (OMNR).Lake Abitibi’s work is part of a largerOMNR project testing the use of micro-phone recordings and GIS technology as a cost-effective method of monitoring songbird populations.

For more information, please contact the Prince Albert Model Forest at (306) 922-1944, or the microphone’sdevelopers, River Forks Research Corp.,2557 MacDonald Ave., Prince Albert, SKS6V 2V8, (306) 764-3711.

Bas-Saint-Laurent: Guide to Beaver Management

The new Management guide for the land used by beavers in Quebec gives forest managers and woodlot ownersmuch-needed help in dealing with beavers,whose persistent dam- and pond-buildingcan flood roads and drown forests.

The guide covers topics such as basicbeaver ecology, the animal’s positive andnegative impacts, population management,legislation, approaches for minimizing therisks and costs of management actions, adescription of intervention techniquesincluding their advantages and dis-advantages, and a series of forms for characterizing sites and evaluating thedegree of risk.

One technique in the guide is a “beaverbaffler” — basically a tube that allowswater to flow through a culvert even whenbeavers attempt to block it. Another is toput wire mesh around valuable trees.

The 100-page guide was produced by the Fondation de la faune du Québec,with funding and technical support fromthe Bas-Saint-Laurent Model Forest andother partners.

Available inEnglish andFrench.

Modelling CommunityDevelopment

The Moose Cree First Nation is using newcomputer software, developed in partner-ship with the Lake Abitibi Model Forest, tomodel the economic impact of a proposedforestry business on the community.

The software, called the AboriginalCommunity Development Impact Model:Moose Cree 2000 (ACDIM), was designedas a decision support tool for the First Nation.

“This software has been an effective tool in forecasting what benefits project

development would have on the commu-nity, taking into account various spin-offsfor local businesses selling gas, food andother items,” says George Beasley, generalmanager of the Moose Band DevelopmentCorporation.

The development of the model involveddata collection and a detailed analysis ofthe Moose Cree First Nation’s economy.The results of this work were then used tocalibrate an economic impact modelspecifically for the characteristics of thiscommunity. The fact that many familiesdepend on hunting, for example, wasincluded in the model.

One question the model has helped toanswer is the impact the forestry projectwould have on provincial and federal taxrevenues. “The cost of developing the

NEW TOOLS FOR SFMHere are just a few of the model forests’ new tools for sustainable forest management. For others, visit www.modelforest.net.

(Continued on page 8)

One question the model has helpedto answer is the impact the forestryproject would have on provincial andfederal tax revenues.

5

Western Newfoundland:Protecting the Pine Marten

The Government of Newfoundland andLabrador is greatly concerned about thefuture of the Newfoundland pine marten,an endangered species since 1996, with apopulation of about 300 in the province.

The concern stems from the fact that thecat-sized member of the weasel family is anindicator species: its ability to flourish or failmirrors the ability of a vast spectrum ofplant and animal life in the same ecosystemto survive.

The pine marten lives mainly in the core ofthe Western Newfoundland Model Forest.The findings of the model forest’s extensive, long-term pine marten researchprogram have driven new policies to protect this endangered species.

The recovery plan for the Newfoundlandpine marten involves designating areas asreserves where core populations of atleast 50 animals each have been identified.The province also prohibits activities inthese areas, such as snaring and trapping,which may be harmful to the survival of the species, while permitting other activities, like mining and big game hunting.

“We want to establish populations, and let them grow from there,” says AllanMasters, deputy minister of Newfoundlandand Labrador’s Department of ForestResources and Agrifoods.

“The main shift in provincial policy involvessetting annual harvesting levels for timber,”says Masters. “The original thinking wasthat older forests were needed for pinemarten to survive. More recently, we’refinding pine marten in much youngerstands.” So there’s been a change from

solely protecting old-growth forests, whichfocus on the age of a stand, to developingguidelines that also focus on height anddensity, Masters explains.

“As long as a stand is a certain height anddensity, it can also be a habitat for pinemarten. Work is ongoing. What is unique is that the plan involves academia, industry,and federal and provincial governments.We’re all working in partnership to try andfind solutions.”

So how does the future of pine marten look?

“We would hope very rosy,” says Masters.“We’re committed to making it a viablespecies, and we’re on the right track.We hope our results justify all of our hardwork and resources.”

Prince Albert:A New Model for Management Planning

When six levels of government can cometo agreement to cooperatively manage370,000 hectares of forest, anyoneinvolved in land-use development has totake notice.

And they have. Currently, the Saskat-chewan government has six projects underway in which the process used to managethe Prince Albert Model Forest (PAMF)has been adopted.

“It’s a model of issue identification, discus-sion, resolution, consensus. That’s theprocess we’re following,” says Doug Mazur,Director of Sustainable Land ManagementBranch, Saskatchewan Environment.

One thing that sets the PAMF’s planningprocess apart from others is the consciousdecision to solicit public input right fromthe beginning, before the arduous task ofcollecting, sharing and analyzing informa-

tion begins. With most planning models,much of the legwork is done before thepublic is invited to join the process.

The PAMF’s ecosystem-based manage-ment plan was completed in 2000.The interests of First Nations, industry,government, interest groups, area residentsand others were weighed over a two-yearperiod, starting in 1998. The plan has beenendorsed by three levels of Aboriginal government and three levels of non-Aboriginal government.

“It was the first time in Canada that anintegrated land-use plan was adopted bysix levels of government. All peopleinvolved with the plan are extremely proudof it. Through the process of workingtogether, helping each other, we can in factagree on a course of development forlong-term sustainable development,” saysMazur. Ma Maw Wechehetowin, Cree for“working together, helping each other” isthe motto of the PAMF.

Mazur recalls how people overcame theirdifferences for the land’s best interest during the Prince Albert Model Forestprocess.

“At first, there was a difference of opinion,opposing stances. That changed to com-promise and recognizing other interests.”

Mazur is certain the harmony achieved bythe PAMF led to the recent endorsementof a road development in the AthabascaBasin, in Saskatchewan’s far north, by thePrince Albert Grand Council, the regionalgovernment for First Nations.

“I’m convinced we couldn’t do it withoutthe success of the PAMF,” says Mazur.

MODEL FORESTS AND FOREST POLICYFrom protecting an endangered species to democratizing forest planning, provincial governments are making use of the science and innovation developed in Canada’s model forests.

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Fundy: Lessons for budding foresters

Youngsters in New Brunswick are gettingan early start on their forest education,thanks to a forest studies curriculum developed by the Fundy Model Forest.

In 1997/98, Fundy Global Foresters— a four- to six-week lan-guage arts unit for kinder-garten to grade 5 — wasdelivered to every K to 5teacher in school districts#4 and #6, which arealso Fundy partners. Thekit has since been adoptedby teachers in other NewBrunswick school districts.

“Through activities such as reading, writing,spelling, group and individual projects,the students become much more aware of biodiversity, and how everything interrelates,” says Lynn Rector, a teacher atLakefield Elementary School in Quispamsiswho, with teacher Sandra Stockall, led theFundy curriculum project.

Field trips to the Fundy Model Forest givestudents, especially those who have spentmost of their time in towns or cities, a real-world perspective on what they learnin the classroom, adds Rector. “Sometimesin our urban areas you don’t really realizehow important it is, for example, for aforester to leave buffer zones near streamsand riverbeds and how that affects yourswimming in the river further down.”

Designed to be as teacher-friendly as possible, the lessons conform to the

requirements of the province’s board ofeducation. And the kit’s comprehen-siveness saves teachers from scroungingfor extra material. In addition to lessonplans, activity sheets and a guide to additional resources, each kit containsresource materials such as tree identifi-

cation kits, endangered speciesposters and pamphlets on

biodiversity. Students areencouraged to e-mailquestions to experts atthe model forest officeand other agencies, andlocal resource people are

available to accompany students on field trips.

The hands-on learning offered bythe model forest is not limited to students.“Every fall we invite one teacher from eachschool for a day at the Fundy ModelForest,” says Rector. “We review the kits,hand out updates of Web sites and part-ners, and usually do a couple of activitiesfrom the kit, such as visit a woodlot orsawmill run by one of the Fundy partners.”

Rector says the curriculum project hassparked a kind of chain reaction when itcomes to learning. “I grew up in a city.Thecurriculum project has expanded myknowledge, which I in turn pass on to thechildren, and which they then share withtheir parents.”

Teachers interested in getting a free copyof the curriculum can contact the FundyModel Forest at (506) 432-7575 or atinfo@fundymodelforest.net. There is a small charge for shipping and handling.

Model Forests Part of University Curricula

On the west coast, CD-ROMs from theMcGregor Model Forest demonstrate thecomplex concept of computerized scenario planning to graduate students inthe Faculty of Forestry at the University ofBritish Columbia. In Northern Ontario,model forest concepts and processes areput to the test by students in LakeheadUniversity’s Faculty of Forestry and theForest Environment.

These are just a few examples of modelforest knowledge making its way into the curricula of forestry programs in universities throughout the country.

Another can be found in Quebec, whereDr. Louis Bélanger, a professor in the

Faculté de foresterie et de géomatique at Université Laval, is using model forest material to teach approximately 50 undergraduate students. Bélanger’s students continually refer to A User’s Guide to Local Level Indicators of SustainableForest Management during their fourth-year forest management class.

Bélanger gives his students a case study:they must develop local level indicators foran assigned forest. Local level indicatorsprovide a method to measure a forest’s

A MODEL EDUCATION Forest management isn’t the sole territory of government agencies and forestry companies anymore. Public participation and community forestry are becoming the norm as people insist on their rights as citizens to have a say in what happens in Canada’s public forests.

Effective participation depends on knowledge.The following are a few examples of how model forests are helping Canadians of all ages — including future forest managers — gain the knowledge they need to become stewards of their forests.

“This (User’s Guide to Local LevelIndicators) is relevant, it is available.Even if you try to find other examples,there aren’t many out there,”says Bélanger.

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progress toward sustainability, assessing,for example, factors such as soil quality and water conservation.

“At first, the students are overwhelmedwith their task. It is not easy to determinepertinent local indicators. That requires agood level of experience. They have totake complex situations and put them intoa simple format,” says Bélanger.

But the students find the user manual extremely helpful because it contains comprehensive examples of local level indi-cators for 11 model forests, says Bélanger.

“They need these examples. That is whythe manual is interesting. It is a very usefuldocument because it is based on Canadianexperiences.”

“The students learn this is something theycan relate to, something they can adapt totheir region. They aren’t starting fromscratch,” says the professor.

Available inEnglish andFrench.

Before the manual’s publication in 2000, relevant local material to teach from was scarce, says Bélanger. Either it was national or international in scope,or it was outdated.

“This manual is relevant, it is available. Evenif you try to find other examples, therearen’t many out there,” says Bélanger.

“Model forests are among the first to have done serious work on local issues,”he adds.

• High school students in Manitoba are taking a closer look at sustainable development and Canada’s borealforests thanks to an educational video and companion teacher’s guide developed by the ManitobaModel Forest. The video and guide are designed to be used in the grade 10geography unit “The North.” (To ordera copy, call the Manitoba Model Forestat 204-367-5232.)

• In Ontario, the Lake Abitibi ModelForest has put together a 65-lesson curriculum for grades 1 to 8. Lessons on fur-bearing animals, forest harvesting,bacteria and soils, and other topics culminate in a simulated public con-sultation in which students adopt theroles of loggers, naturalists, Aboriginaltrappers and other stakeholders. Thelessons were updated in 2000 to reflectthe new Ontario school curriculum.(To order a copy, call the Lake AbitibiModel Forest at 705-272-7800.)

• For the past five years, elementary and high school teachers from acrossthe country have been heading to theWestern Newfoundland Model Forestfor an intensive six-day environmentaltraining program. Held annually at thebeautiful Killdevil Camp and ConferenceCentre, the Summer Institute inEnvironmental Education uses innovative

methods to foster awareness of forestecology and forest management issuesin Newfoundland and Labrador. TheInstitute receives strong financial and in-kind support from the model forest.(For more information, contact theWestern Newfoundland Model Forestat 709-637-7300.)

• Lake Abitibi has also produced Mysteries of the Boreal, a series of 74 leading questions on sustainable forest management and forestry issues.Following each question is a general discussion of the associated topic,helpful tips and a list of references — but no answers. The intent is to get elementary school students inter-ested in the stewardship of their forestresources while giving them a broadunderstanding of the issues involved in sustainable forest management.(To order a copy call the Lake AbitibiModel Forest at (705) 272-7800.)

Available as a combinedEnglish andFrench volume.

The Government of Canada,through the Canadian Forest Service,launched Canada’s model forest program in 1992 to address thechallenge of balancing the extensiverange of demands we place on ourforests today with the needs oftomorrow’s generations. A network of model forests representative ofCanada’s diverse forest ecosystemshas since been established to bringtogether individuals and organiza-tions striving to make the goal of sustainable forest management a reality.

Each model forest in the Canadian ModelForest Network provides a unique forumwhere partners can gain an understandingof other stakeholders’ views, share theirknowledge, and combine their expertiseand resources to develop innovative techniques, tools and approaches to sus-tainable forest management. Model forestsact as giant, hands-on laboratories in whichleading-edge techniques are researched,developed, applied and monitored. Thenetwork also has the mandate to transferthe knowledge and techniques it developsso the benefits derived from its work canbe shared with other forest stakeholders.

This bulletin contains just a small sampling of the activities undertaken by Canada’s model forests. For moreinformation:

please visit our Web site at:www.modelforest.net

or contact:Canadian Model Forest Network Secretariat580 Booth St., 7-C4

Ottawa, OntarioK1A 0E4

Telephone: (613) 992-5874Fax: (613) 992-5390

E-mail: modelforest@nrcan.gc.ca

CANADA’S MODELFOREST PROGRAM

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(equipment, furniture, etc.) and has investedmore than $250,000 in the project.

So far, the experiment is going well.Tardif says that if the success continues,Industries Maibec may expand the modelto other areas.

Abitibi-Consolidated andCanada’s Model Forests:A “Test Case for Sustainability”

Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. is a partner in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Lake Abitibi,Waswanipi Cree and Western Newfoun-dland model forests. “We have a commit-ment to sustainable forest management.A model forest is a tool to achieve that.It’s what we call our ‘test case for sustain-ability,’ ” says Francine Dorion, Manager,Sustainable Forest Management, for theforest products company.

The experimentation made possible bythe model forests has led to some significant changes to Abitibi’s operations.One example is HARP (Harvest withAdvanced Regeneration Protection), aharvesting system developed with theLake Abitibi Model Forest that protectsadvanced growth by minimizing distur-bances on lowland black spruce sites.HARP has been implemented in Abitibi’soperations in the Iroquois Falls Division ofOntario, and is one of the best manage-ment practices that won high praise in thecompany’s most recent third-party audit.

Another change on the ground can befound on the east coast, where the com-pany has adapted the local level indicatorsdeveloped by the Western NewfoundlandModel Forest as part of its ISO 14001environmental management system.

Participating in model forests has alsoenriched the company’s relationships withother forest stakeholders. In northernQuebec, Abitibi’s work with theWaswanipi Cree Model Forest is helpingthe company bridge cultures and learn “towork in a proper way with First Nations,”says Dorion, while the forest tenant farming project in the Bas-Saint-LaurentModel Forest is testing new ways for thecompany to manage private forests andcontribute to community sustainability.

What does the company add to themodel forest partnerships? The industrialperspective and some funding, obviously,says Dorion, but also valuable links to thevarious research organizations with whichthe company collaborates. “We also addour own view of sustainability.”

But appreciating that the company’s viewis just one of many equally important perspectives is another reason for participating in the model forests.Working from the principle that “peoplemake the difference,” Dorion believes thatAbitibi-Consolidated must encourage its employees to “see the real issues,and not just from an industrial perspective.The model forest table provides this opportunity.”

(New Practices: Continued from page 3)

project is in the vicinity of $7 million,” saysBeasley. “The impact on the federal andprovincial governments in the first yearalone is just under $3 million.” The federaland provincial governments have recentlycommitted this amount to the project.

Beasley said other First Nation leadersthroughout Canada are showing an inter-est in the software, particularly if it can be

used to help stimulate the economies oftheir respective communities.

The model forest has previously been apartner in developing similar technologyfor the non-Aboriginal communities ofIroquois Falls and Cochrane.

To find out more about the ACDIM, pleasecontact the Lake Abitibi Model Forest at(705) 272-7800.

(New Tools for SFM: Continued from page 4)