Edmonton, AB — The Forest Management and Wetland Stewardship Initiative (FMWSI) has announced the launch of two new tools for practicing foresters. The Forestry and Waterfowl: Assessing and Mitigating Risk Technical Report and plain-language Practitioner Guide were developed by Ducks Unlimited Canada in collaboration with seven forest sector organizations as part of the FMWSI.
The purpose of the Forestry and Waterfowl project was to develop a decision-making approach to assist the forest industry in assessing and mitigating the risk of incidental take of waterfowl in Canada’s boreal forest. The project was developed to lead changes and demonstrate due diligence in forestry planning and operational practices to minimize effects on waterfowl, their nests, and eggs.
“We appreciate the importance of wetlands and know that the forest sector has a vital role to play in effective stewardship of boreal wetlands and waterfowl,” says Kate Lindsay, VP of Sustainability and Environmental Partnerships of the Forest Products Association of Canada. “This tool will help provide further guidance to the forest industry and partners in assessing and mitigating the risk of incidental take of waterfowl.”
The plain-language Practitioner Guide presents the decision-making approach and a compilation of migratory bird best management practices in an accessible format geared towards forest industry practitioners. The Technical Report provides the detailed rationale and methods supporting the steps of the decision-making approach along with background information on boreal waterfowl, the regulatory context, and supporting resources.
In an effort to ensure foresters can access and use the guides, the Technical Report and Practitioner Guide have been made available for free download on the Ducks Unlimited Canada Boreal website. Hardcopies of the Practitioner Guide will be available to order at a cost at a later date.