Use the back button to return to your initial selection.

HOME |  THE NETWORKS |  SFM

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Dr. James Fyles says the Networks of Centres of Excellence has accomplished a feat that few in the world have been able to achieve – bringing governments, industry, academia, Aboriginal groups and NGOs to the same table to develop more sustainable forest management practices.

"Much of our research has focused on trying to understand this incredibly complex process that is sustainable forest management, which involves everything from the behaviour of microorganisms in the soil to the behaviour of policymakers at every level of government, and everything in between," says Dr. Fyles, Scientific Director of the Sustainable Forest Management Network (SFM) and a forest ecologist at McGill University.

"There's a huge amount of fragmentation in the forest sector with overlapping jurisdictions and competing interests. The SFM Network is beginning to be viewed as an honest broker who can bring everyone together to promote dialogue and learning in a non-confrontational environment," he adds. "This is an amazing accomplishment that will have a longstanding impact on how our forests are managed in Canada."

On March 28, the NCE announced $12.3 million in renewed funding for the SFM following an in-depth review of its scientific accomplishments, future research priorities and training and knowledge transfer activities. The three-year funding will take the Network through to the end of its 14-year mandate.

Since its last renewal in 2001, the number of SFM partners has grown significantly. It now includes 160 researchers and over 200 graduate students from 35 universities working collaboratively with three federal departments, seven provincial/territorial governments, 12 companies, seven Aboriginal groups, and one non-governmental organization – Ducks Unlimited Canada.

"We have also developed a more critical mass of expertise within universities to address this issue, both with established researchers and graduate students from multiple disciplines who now see an opportunity to work in this field," says Dr. Fyles.

To date, 26 Network graduates have accepted academic appointments at universities across Canada. Six are principal investigators on projects funded by the Network and five are focused on issues involving Aboriginal communities.

There has been an appreciable increase in the number of social science researchers working in sustainable forest management. During the SFM Network's first years, research on Aboriginal forest issues, for example, typically involved a few anthropologists and sociologists. Current projects involve researchers with expertise in economics, anthropology, public policy, political science, operations management and law. The shift is reflected in the Network's research spending, which has seen social sciences and humanities content of research projects increase from 20 per cent in 2002 to more than 40 per cent in 2006.

Accomplishments to date
SFM Network research is improving forest management practices across Canada, and having a direct impact on public policy. Network findings have helped to support sweeping changes for forest management in Quebec (the Coulombe Commission) and provided significant input to the Ontario Forest Management Guide for Natural Disturbance Pattern Emulation.

SFM Network Conference 4th International Conference - Sustaining Canada's Forests: Building Momentum Edmonton, June 20-22, 2006 Presentations will focus on important sustainable forest management issues throughout Canada and the world. Among the many themes to be covered are integrated land management, evolution of sustainable forest-dependent communities, water management strategies, public participation in planning processes, natural disturbance management and emulation, climate change adaptation, and tenure reform. The conference will feature keynote presentations, implementation showcases, research presentations (papers and posters), and numerous discussion forums.

In Western Canada, Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. (Al-Pac) is using Network research results to better understand the cumulative effects of human activities in one of Canada's busiest corners of the boreal plain, and helping them to understand the interactions of land use and hydrology in the boreal plain.

Several aspects of Louisiana-Pacific Canada's proposed 20-year Forest Management Plan in Manitoba are based on Network research. In Manitoba, Ducks Unlimited is using Network research findings to provide input into changing buffer and riparian guidelines in Manitoba. In New Brunswick, J.D. Irving is continuing to work with Network researchers to determine the range of silviculture intensity that is compatible with the persistence of forest bird populations on the lands it manages.

Next research priorities
The SFM's research program is constantly evolving. In its early years, Network research focused on ecological aspects of forests and forestry to understand how managed forests differ from natural forests.

Today, the focus has broadened to examine the entire forested landscape and the multitude of players who have a stake in how it is managed and protected.

"You can't look at protecting biodiversity or water in a forested land, for example, without taking into account that there are other people out there, such as oil or gas companies who are building roads in and out," he explains. “That change in focus has come into clarity in the last couple of years, and this will be influencing the kinds of research we're looking at and the kinds of partners that we will be looking for in our next cycle."

At a meeting in May, the Network will seek to identify the research priorities that its partners feel are the most urgent as part of the input the Network receives regarding its next funding competition slated for Fall 2006.

"As part of this exercise, we will examine the research that's been done to date and lay some foundation for future questioning," adds Dr. Fyles. "That will involve looking at the complex linkages between the natural, social and economic systems to understand how we approach the management of that whole land base to be sustainable. It's a different kind of research than what we've funded before."

www.sfmnetwork.ca