Forest and Land Management

Coalition For Sustainable Forests of NL

Coalition for Sustainable Forests (CSF) of Newfoundland and Labrador

Sustainable Forest Management is the management to maintain and enhance the long-term health of forest ecosystems, while providing ecological, social, and cultural opportunities for the benefit of present and future generations (source: Canadian Standards Association).

Vision: To coordinate a coalition of citizens and interest groups with regional representation in order to provide clear direction to assist Government in implementing a Sustainable Forest Management Strategy.

Mission: Clearly define and contribute to the successful implementation of ecosystem-based planning in forest management in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Objectives:

Re-define forest management to fit within the objectives and needs of community-based planning and development, i.e., local ownership.
To encourage and contribute to the development of ecosystem-based guidelines for each ecoregion in the province.
Contribute to the development of a template for applying ecosystem-based planning to forest management in the province.
Help create clear links between 5-year forest district plans and ecological management objectives in the province.
Contribute to the development of 5-year forest district plans that are consistent with the sustainable forest management strategy of the province and principles of sustainable forest management as defined by the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (1992) criteria framework.
Establish community-based groups and contacts in order to promote local sustainable forest management practices.
Establish regional representation on the CSF for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Establish a highly credible scientific advisory group to the CSF.
Provide an introductory letter to government and seek direct meeting and partnerships with the Minister of Natural Resources and Minister of Environment and Conservation.
Develop media press releases for public information establishing the CSF mandate, concerns, and proposed actions.
Coordinate a request for class assessment by the Department of Environment and Conservation of forest management in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Meet with and coordinate as necessary to disseminate information and liaisons on sustainable forest management.
Where possible coordinate and encourage workshops and symposia on ecologically-based forest management and ecosystem-based planning.

Resources:

Community Forestry And Ecosystem-Based Planning

At its core, community forestry is about local control over and enjoyment of the benefits offered by local forest resources.

A community forest can be described as any forestry operation managed by a local government, community group, First Nation or community-held corporation for the benefit of the entire community. Community forestry involves the three pillars of sustainable development: social, ecological, and economic sustainability.

Ecosystem-based planning is a system that may be effectively applied in unmodified to highly modified landscapes; and may be used for a wide range of purposes from conservation area design to resource development, settlement design, and urban planning.

Ecosystem-based planning is also based on the understanding that ecological landscapes and patches are not static and unchanging and they contain a variety of ecosystem types and successional patterns through time that are tied to natural disturbance regimes. Natural changes diversify and maintain ecosystem composition, structures, and functions at all scales; are unpredictable in frequency and character; and focus on sustaining the whole, not on producing any one part. In other words, change due to succession and natural disturbance is part of natural ecosystem functioning. Natural patterns of ecological succession and disturbance interact in unpredictable ways that sustain ecosystem functioning and provide a diverse range of habitat for plants, animals, and other wild organisms.

For more information on community forests and ecosystem-based planning, feel free to read the following documents:

Community Forestry Guidebook for BC

Newfoundland and Labrador Public Lands Coalition

CPAWS Newfoundland and Labrador, in partnership with The Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network, Protected Areas Association, Nature Conservancy and the Partridge Forever Society have embarked upon developing a network of organizations focusing on conservation issues in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Modeled after a similar group in the province of Nova Scotia, the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Lands Coalition wishes to represent a broad section of citizens with varying interests, including – environmental, tourism, forestry, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation groups. CPAWS-NL and their partners originally came together to discuss the issue of ATV abuse in wilderness areas, and the decision was made to and start a broadly targeted, province wide coalition that could take on a number of issues, including the irresponsible usage of ATV’s.

The project focuses on building a network of groups, organizations, communities and the general public who share a common goal of protecting and maintaining our public lands and wilderness areas in the province. If you are looking for more information on the coalition or responsible ATV usage, or wish join the coalition, please contact Suzanne Dooley at your local CPAWS office (709) 726-5800 or nlcoordinator@cpaws.org.