Unit 5 - Stakeholders
| Site: | MoodleHUB.ca 🍁 |
| Course: | Issues & Trends in Forestry [1cr] - AB Ed copy 1 |
| Book: | Unit 5 - Stakeholders |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Wednesday, 17 September 2025, 6:50 AM |
Information
- Unit 5 Stakeholders, is designed to take approximately 3 hours to complete.
- You will complete the following tasks and assignments in this unit.
- Read Unit 5, including all pages, associated videos, publications, etc.
- Complete 5.1 Quiz with a mark of 50% or higher.
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you will be able to:- identify the different forest stakeholders, such as:
- governments (Provincial and Federal)
- industry
- indigenous Peoples
- communities
- environmentalists/Conservationists
- understand how the different forest stakeholders make use of the judicial, legislative and regulatory systems in working toward their objectives.
Introduction
In this unit, we will discuss in detail some of the forest stakeholders, their roles, responsibilities, views, objectives, etc. We will also look at some actions that different stakeholders take in order to influence decisions made with respect to sustainable forest management.
In order to discuss the stakeholders thoroughly, we will also discuss the process of sustainable forest management in Alberta in order to demonstrate where the various stakeholders have opportunities for influence.
To introduce you to the various stakeholders that will be discussed in this unit, please watch this video.
Levels of Government: Government of Alberta
“Alberta Agriculture and Forestry is the government department that manages development and sets policies and regulations for the forested regions of the province. This department also sets the forest annual allowable cut, which determines the volume of trees that can be cut in a given year in order to ensure sustainable forest management, or ongoing forests. This government department is the one most responsible for considering all the different uses and users of the forest when making its important decisions.” (Inside Education – Current Forest Issues – Forest Management)
In addition to the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry department, other government of Alberta departments could be stakeholders when it comes to sustainable forest management. For example, the Alberta Forest Products Association reported that, “forest companies in Alberta are required to assess their areas of activity to ensure culturally significant areas are not disturbed. To date the forest industry has identified thousands of culturally significant areas. Through partnerships with the Historic Resource Management Branch of Alberta Culture, forest companies are attempting to identify these areas for all users of the forest.”
We can see that while the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry department is the main stakeholder when it comes to managing our forests responsibly, there are also other government departments that may also play key roles.
Levels of Government: Government of Canada
Currently, one third (1.41 million km²) of Canada’s forested land is not designated to either industry or protected areas; it is located in remote and northern areas that are fairly undisturbed by human activity. This number is likely to change as the demand to allocate forested land increases by industry and recreationists.
Canada is a leader in sustainable forest management and is always looking at new approaches to maintain the health and productivity of the forest. One concept that is being used in Canada is integrated land-use planning.
Integrated Land-Use Planning
Integrated
land-use planning attempts to balance the social, economic, environmental, and cultural importance of the forests, involving all interested groups in making decisions about how to maintain the well-being of the forest.
Integrated land-use
planning in Canada is a complex process; it’s very challenging to achieve agreement from many stakeholders who have different needs and ideas of how the forest should be best maintained.
One important part of the planning process is to take into account the many economic activities that take place, such as hydroelectric development, mining, oil and gas, hunting, trapping, tourism, and non-timber forest products.
The other important part of the planning process must include the other activities that benefit Canadians, such as the beauty, cultural, environmental, historical, recreational, and spiritual values of the forest.
Forest Facts
Integrated Land Management and the Woodland Caribou
In west-central Alberta, the Foothills Research Institute’s Woodland Caribou Program is an example of how local forest operators, oil and gas companies, governments, and First Nations have come together to develop a coordinated plan to preserve the caribou’s habitat.
For more information about Year 1 and 2 of the Caribou Program, read the Quick Notes.
Industry
When we think about industries that have an interest in the forest, oil and gas companies probably come to mind but also the forest products industry. Not surprising, energy is the largest industry in Alberta, followed by agriculture and then forest products industries. It is in the best interests of industry to work together with the government and other stakeholders to ensure sustainable forest management.
In 2008, the government of Alberta released the Land Use Framework which established seven new land use regions and began the work of developing a plan for each region. The Land Use Framework establishes a provincial vision of Albertans working together to respect and care for the land as a foundation for our environmental, economic, and social well-being.
Agriculture, Alberta’s second largest industry, is also a stakeholder when it comes to sustainable forest management; many forested lands border on agricultural lands. Owners of agricultural land need to be involved in any forest operations that might impact their agricultural industry; these two stakeholders might often operate on the same parcels of land. Again, consultation, communication, working together, etc. are all required between both agriculture and forest companies to reduce the impacts of ranching and forestry on the land.
The third largest industry in Alberta, forest products, needs access to the forest in order for their industries to thrive. They enter into agreements with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry for the right to harvest and grow trees on specified forested areas. Through the whole process,from identifying and surveying the area, to the finished product (lumber, paper, boards), forest companies are involved at each step and need to work with other stakeholders to protect and sustain the forests.
Indigenous Peoples
When we look back at the history of Indigenous people in Alberta and Canada, we can see how the forested land has, and continues to, met the needs of Indigenous people, not only culturally and spiritually, but in other ways such as fishing,
trapping, hunting, etc. We also know that Indigenous people view the forest from a different perspective as it is important to their culture; it provides food, medicine, shelter, and materials.
As the first stewards of the land and
forest, Indigenous people recognized that their survival was dependent upon maintaining a healthy forest. Their traditional knowledge of the land is increasingly gaining attention with the decision makers of our forests. In some cases, that
traditional knowledge is the best source of information when looking at geographical features, species status and health.
During the planning stage, when a Forest Management Agreement is being developed, and before any harvesting can take place, forest companies must consult with the Indigenous people that will be affected. This consultation is not only an opportunity to share information but also for Indigenous people to provide the forest companies with information about any areas that are historically sensitive, spiritual and/or hunting areas that are imperative to their livelihood. The forest companies must do everything possible to limit the effect of harvesting on the lives of the Indigenous people at all stages of any particular harvesting project.
In addition, the Government of Alberta has a policy that outlines its legal obligation to consult with Indigenous people, not only regarding the forested land but also the water, air, or fish and wildlife. Read the Government of Alberta’s Policy on Consultation with First Nations on Land and Natural Resource Management.
Sometimes, even though all parties have the best intentions, Indigenous people feel that their efforts to sustain the forest and land are not being heard. Often, their objections to specific projects are displayed in protests, blocking access roads or other measures. Some First Nations have come together to oppose certain oil industry projects; the Treaty Alliance Against New Pipeline Development was signed in September 2016, and commits over 50 First Nations and Tribes from Canada and the United States to work together to stop proposed oil sands pipelines, tankers, and rail projects on their lands and waters.
A more recent example of how Indigenous people are using different means to ensure their input is heard occured late 2019 early 2020 when Indigenous people across the country set up barricades on train tracks, roads and bridges in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en Nation’s hereditary chiefs, some of whom objected to the construction of a natural-gas pipeline through their traditional territory.
To ensure that our forests are responsibly managed and sustained, information and input from all stakeholders is important; by working together, everyone benefits from the experiences, knowledge, skills, etc. of the other.
Communities
Often, the community stakeholders consist of people who use the forest for recreation or people who live in communities that attract tourists due to the activities in the nearby forest. Recreation in the forest can consist of hiking, quadding, cross country skiing, walking, taking pictures, etc.
Forest Management Agreement holders have a requirement to consult with the public during the development of the Forest Management Plans. When a forest company makes a management plan, these community stakeholders are consulted in many forums:
- public advisory groups/committees
- open houses in the community
- online surveys
- field tours
- town hall meetings
These forums are opportunities for the public who use the forests to let their voices be heard and help in the management of public lands.
Some of the information above is used “with permission from the Canadian Institute of Forestry / Institut forestier du Canada”
In some cases, community stakeholders are not satisfied that their concerns are being heard and defer to other means of communicating their objections. In 2017, a group of ATV riders from the Crowsnest Pass area suggested that the public’s recommendations were not recognized. This article explains some of the issues and concerns of this particular stakeholder group and the government, and it speaks to the use of town hall meetings to try and reach a decision that all stakeholders can agree to.
Environmentalists/Conservationists
There are several non-profit organizations that are dedicated to the conservation and protection of the forests. These organizations are dedicated to protecting the environment and they use various methods in working toward their objectives. They may organize protests or boycotts, take the government to court, or launch campaigns in order to eliminate or reduce an impact on the forest.
Some of these organizations include:Forest Facts
- Ecojustice–fighting for your right to a healthy environment
- Alberta Wilderness Association–a voice for the environment
- Keepers of the Athabasca–working together to protect the waters of the Athabasca basin
- Greenpeace–standing up to protect air, land, and water
- Pembina Institute–leading Canada’s transition to clean energy
- Nature Alberta–a community connected by a love of nature
- Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)–dedicated to the protection of our public land, ocean, freshwater and ensuring our parks are managed to protect the nature within them
Love Alberta Forests is an initiative of AFPA (the Alberta Forest Products Association), made possible by funding from FRIAA (the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta). Although not an environmentalist group, Love Alberta Forests is a province-wide awareness campaign to highlight the beautiful relationship between Albertans and our forests. We are lucky to have an incredible forest resource that benefits us all, and our forest management practices are among the best in the world. Love Alberta Forests celebrates everything our forests do for us and the care with which we manage them in return.
5.1 Assignment
Stakeholders
For this assignment, you will take on the role of a land manager and consider the needs of multiple stakeholders of our forests. You will explore the importance of sustainable development while being mindful of ecosystem needs and the plants and animals that call our forests home.
Consider the requests of each of the stakeholders on the chart in Part A of the assignment.
Each of the stakeholders has requested to lease some of the forested land. Your task is to divide the land as reasonably as possible. Each stakeholder may be allocated more or less than their requested amount, or you may allocate them no forested land. You can not change the allocation for those stakeholders already represented on the map.
The map represents 768 hectares of forested land (1 hectare = 1 square on the map).
Review the video from Unit 5 Introduction:
This assignment has three parts.
- Select the preferred document type from the options below. Download and save the assignment on your desktop (or documents folder). If you are using a Google Doc, make a copy in your own Google Drive.
PDF Document Word Document Google Doc - Open this saved document.
- Download a copy of the map here.
- Follow the assignment instructions to complete the chart and map.
- When you have completed the assignment, save it on your desktop (or documents folder).
- Once you have completed the written portion of your assignment, click on the button below to go to the submission page. Make sure you submit both the chart and the map.
Submission Page
Rubric
To learn the criteria for this assignment, view the Stakeholder's Rubric.| 4–Exceeding assignment expectations |
3–Meeting assignment expectations |
2–Nearing assignment expectations |
1 –Not Yet Meeting assignment expectations |
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5.2 Assignment
Decision Analysis
Click the button below to go to the questions. Consider the questions based on the decisions you made in 5.1 Assignment Stakeholders.
Questions
5.1 Quiz
Stakeholders
It is now time to complete 5.1 Quiz. Click on the button below to go to the quiz page.
5.1 Quiz