Project Showcase:
Research in the Western Newfoundland Model Forest

The WNMF works with its partners to develop innovative tools and systems that help advance sustainable forest management in Newfoundland and Labrador. Here are just a few of the many research projects we’re involved in:

Biodiversity Assessment Project
In 1999 the WNMF initiated the Biodiversity Assessment Project to develop a suite of tools that could predict the influence of forest harvesting on biodiversity. A working group of WNMF partners, with the assistance of the Institut Québécois d'Aménagement de la Forêt Feuillue (IQAFF), developed three habitat suitability models. Based on existing information, three species were chosen for the models: boreal owl, woodland caribou and Newfoundland marten. In order to determine possible effects of various forest harvest management scenarios, each is assessed based on three scales: impacts on landscape, ecosystem function, and specific species habitat.

Our primary challenge is to develop a management scenario that will maintain the over-mature component of NL’s forests. With a decline in this age class, species dependent on older forests will face an uncertain future.

Municipal Watershed Management
The WNMF is developing a provincial template for watershed management planning to ensure municipalities have the capacity to protect drinking water while permitting the resource to be used on a controlled and sustainable basis.

A watershed planner worked directly with the Town of Steady Brook to gather vital watershed resource information and legislation in support of future watershed management planning. The Town of Steady Brook’s plan is now complete, and the WNMF is broadening the scope of watershed planning to benefit other communities facing similar watershed management challenges.

Riparian Zone Management
The Newfoundland & Labrador Riparian Working Group has been addressing issues such as the value of riparian zones to the province’s forest sector. Research is attempting to answer specific questions such as how and whether these buffers can be managed for timber without sacrificing their ecological integrity.

The working group consists of representatives from Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Ltd., Abitibi Consolidated Company of Canada, NL Department of Natural Resources—Forest Resources, Canadian Forest Service, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and various contractors. The Wildlife Division of the NL Department of Environment and Conservation joined the working group in 2002 to provide a perspective on the impact of harvesting on wildlife in riparian zones. On-going discussions revealed that a much broader picture is needed to provide a good understanding of some of riparian zones’ natural and caused variations before full riparian management is approved and implemented.

Forest Water Quality Index Model
The FWQI is an innovative planning tool designed to assess the impact potential forestry activities may have on the water quality and ecosystem health of protected water supplies. Working with its partners, the WNMF helped develop a computerized model that will help users gauge this potential impact, and allow them to communicate that impact to the public in clear, consistent language.

Other Projects
Some of the events, activities and reports from Phase 3 (2002-2007).