Lesson 6: Forest Companies

Forest companies are also part of Canada's forestry research system, often working in close partnership with government, universities, and other research agencies.

Industry exists to make a profit, and forest companies are no exception. Research priorities include the development of new, innovative products and technologies that will meet the demands of growing global markets. Canadian forest companies, however, are also very committed to the development and implementation of sustainable forest management, for example, finding ways to improve the sector's environmental performance.

Alberta-Pacific, an Alberta-based pulp mill, invests approximately two million dollars a year in research. Alberta-Pacific's millsite is located about 50 kilometres northeast of Athabasca, Alberta, Canada, and 200 km northeast of Edmonton. The company is licensed by the Province of Alberta to harvest trees sustainably in its Forest Management Agreement (FMA) area. This area, which is about the size of Nova Scotia, encompasses 5.8 million hectares in northeast Alberta. Most of the research supported by Alberta-Pacific is carried out by independent scientists from highly-respected institutions, including the University of Alberta.

 

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