Storybank

The most important point of OSLI's Faster Forest program, according to Project Lead Terry Forkheim, is its holistic focus on restoring ecological integrity. Forkheim adds that while the program is designed to reduce the footprint of oil sands development by planting trees in areas disturbed by industrial activity, the focus of the program isn't on the numbers. It's on the forest.

What does that mean?  In 2011, OSLI companies planted approximately 600,000 seedlings, bringing the number of seedlings planted to just under one million in three years since the inception of the program. But Forkheim maintains the real story with Faster Forests is the project group's aspiration to get industry's disturbances back to a healthy forest trajectory, taking a holistic focus at restoring ecological integrity and ecosystem functions. And that may, or may not, include planting more trees every year.

For example, planting shrubs was piloted in 2011 and will become a much larger component of the overall program in years to come.

"Shrubs add tremendous value and are a cornerstone to establishing healthy forests," explains Forkheim. "They grow faster than trees, keep competing grasses away and contribute to biodiversity of species."

In 2011 seven varieties of shrubs were planted, including blueberries, saskatoon berries, and two variations of cranberries.  Berry bearing shrubs, native to the forests in the area, provide additional significance in their value as traditional use plants to First Nations' living in northern Alberta.

Shrubs provide an important bridging function for the tree seedlings planted, allowing the trees to grow healthier, faster and with less competition for nutrients and water from fast growing grasses.  The tree species planted in 2011 include white and black spruce, jack pine and balsam poplar.  In 2009, when OSLI started planting core hole exploration sites and other disturbed areas, only aspen was planted.

"This project is about continuous improvements, and as we learn, we change and adapt our planting practices," states Forkheim.  The Land Stewardship's Faster Forest project team plans to share what they've learned from their three years of field implementation experience with other companies active in the area.  An OSLI best practices workshop is being contemplated for the spring of 2012 to facilitate this plan to share experiences and expand the program.

Comments

Code in the picture:
Your Name(*):
Email:
	Notify me of any further comments to this thread
Comment(*):