State of Alberta Forests: With A Focus on the Eastern Slopes

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1 State of Alberta Forests: With A Focus on the Eastern Slopes by Peter Lee, Executive Director Global Forest Watch Canada for the Alberta Wilderness Association s Fish, Forests, and Flood Resiliency Forum

2 What is the state of Alberta s forests according to the Alberta Government? There are no performance indicators available for biodiversity at this time. No information (June ) Forests remain vibrant in Alberta. Alberta supports a policy of sustainable forest management designed to provide Rhetoric ecological, economic, social and cultural opportunities for the benefit of present and future generations. (June ). rigorous legislation and policies for the protection, Extreme conservation and sustainable management of forests rhetoric (June ) World-class this and world class that Beyond the stratosphere rhetoric

3 What is the state of Alberta s forests according to the Alberta Government? The public does not easily know what is the state of Alberta forests from the Alberta government. BUT Non-government and quasi-private efforts using high resolution and near- real-time satellite and smart phone technology and linking with people on-theground is providing increasingly reliable, high quality, comparative and powerful information.

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5 globalforestwatch.org

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7 Global Forest Watch Facilitated by the World Resources Institute Online global forest monitoring and alert system 40 partners, including: - Google Earth - ESRI - University of Maryland - United Nations Environment Program - USAID - Center for Global Development - The Jane Goodall Institute - Global Forest Watch Canada globalforestwatch.org

8 Indicators 1. Information Is information about the state of Alberta s forests readily available? Free? Reliable?

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10 Categorized by government as a fire of unknown cause. NOT LIKELY: 1. No lightening strikes May Center of active energy exploration 3. Local forest office reported to media that the fire was almost certainly the result of human activity. Enforcement in oil sands region is <0.9% of contravention rate

11 State of Alberta s Forests: 4 INDICATORS 1. Information Is information about state of Alberta s forests available? Free? Reliable? National Freedom of Information initiative Joint initiative of the Canadian Newspaper Association and the Canadian Community Newspapers Association 2012 audit: Alberta Tories get a 'D' grade for transparency 2013/4 audit Freedom-of-information audit singles out federal government as among the worst Alberta: Speed of Responses = D Completeness of disclosure = D

12 Comparison between distribution of economic, social and environmental Indicators used by (i) the Government of Alberta (leftmost pie chart) and (ii) the GPI (rightmost pie chart)

13 State of Alberta s Forests: 4 INDICATORS D But getting better mainly via global efforts (satellites, processing power) 1. Information Is information using rapidly advancing about Alberta s technology forests available? Free? Reliable?

14 State of Alberta s Forests: 4 INDICATORS 1. Information Is information about state of Alberta s forests available? Free? Reliable? 2. Conservation How much allocated to industry? How much to protected areas? Distribution of protected areas? Are caribou and grizzly conserved? 3. Stewardship Has forest been lost? Gained? Degraded? 4. First Nations Are cumulative impacts excessive? What is happening to their forests? Which forests? 1. Alberta s boreal forest region (70% of Alberta; 96% of Alberta s forests), especially oil sands region (30% of boreal) 2. Eastern Slopes (11% of Alberta; 90% is heavily forested)

15 TYPES OF INDUSTRIAL CONCESSIONS - Forest Management Agreements - Coal - Conventional oil and gas - Unconventional oil and gas Bitumen Shale - Minerals/mining

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17 Eastern Slopes = 74,000 km 2 Industrial concessions = 54,000 km 2 (73% of the Eastern Slopes)

18 Boreal = 460,000 km 2 Industrial concessions = 325,000 km 2 (71% of Alberta`s boreal forest) Protected Areas = 52,000 km 2 (11% of Alberta`s boreal forest)

19 Eastern Slopes = 74,000 km 2 Industrial concessions = 54,000 km 2 (73% of the Eastern Slopes) Protected (98% of Eastern Areas Slopes outside = 10,600 of Prime kmprotection) 2 Eastern Slopes = 74,000 km 2 Industrial concessions = 54,000 km 2 Protected Areas = 10,600 km 2 (14% of Eastern Slopes) (3% of Eastern Slopes outside of Prime Protection)

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23 State of Alberta s Forests: 4 INDICATORS D But getting better mainly via global efforts 1. Information Is information using rapidly about advancing Alberta s technology forests available? Free? Reliable? (satellites, processing power) 2. Conservation How F Getting much worse allocated rapidly, to except industry? some semi- How much to protected reasonable areas? gains Distribution in new protected of areas protected areas? Are caribou and grizzly conserved? 3. Stewardship Has forest been lost? Gained? Degraded? 4. First Nations Are cumulative impacts excessive? What is happening to their forests?

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25 Tar sands: forest loss = 5.5% Eastern Slopes with Prime Protection: forest loss = 6.8% Eastern Slopes w/o Prime Protection: forest loss = 7.9% Canada forest extent: forest loss = 3.1%

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28 Forest gain = 2,350 km 2 Forest loss = 5,025 km 2 Net loss = 2,675 km 2 (3.6% over 12 years or 0.3% / year) Tar sands: forest loss = 5.5% Eastern Slopes with Prime Protection: forest loss = 6.8% Eastern Slopes w/o Prime Protection: forest loss = 7.9% Canada forest extent: forest loss = 3.1%

29 State of Alberta s Forests: 4 INDICATORS D But getting better mainly via global efforts 1. Information Is information using rapidly about advancing Alberta s technology forests available? Free? Reliable? (satellites, processing power) 2. Conservation How F Getting much worse allocated rapidly, to except industry? some semi- How much to protected reasonable areas? gains Distribution in new protected of areas protected areas? Are caribou and grizzly conserved? 3. Stewardship Has F Forest loss far greater than tar sands and forest rest of been Canada lost? due to Gained? industrial-caused Degraded? disturbances. Forests are degraded. 4. First Nations Are cumulative impacts excessive? What is happening to their forests?

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34 State of Alberta s Forests: 4 INDICATORS D But getting better mainly via global efforts 1. Information Is information using rapidly about advancing Alberta s technology forests available? Free? Reliable? (satellites, processing power) 2. Conservation How F Getting much worse allocated rapidly, to except industry? some semi- How much to protected reasonable areas? gains Distribution in new protected of areas protected areas? Are caribou and grizzly conserved? 3. Stewardship Has F Forest loss greater than tar sands and rest forest of Canad been due to lost? industrial-caused Gained? Degraded? disturbances. Forests are degraded. 4. First Nations Are cumulative impacts excessive? And getting worse rapidly What is happening to their forests? F

35 How does Alberta s state of its forests score? 3 indicators score F 1 indicator score D Out of a possible score of 25, Alberta s state of its forests scores a 5, using these selected criteria (Information, Conservation, Stewardship, First Nations).

36 Global Forest Watch Canada s Mission To support the stewardship and conservation of Canada's remaining forests, by providing decision makers and civil society with timely, accurate information on their location, state, and change. In particular, this mission includes monitoring development activities occurring within and around Canada's forests, which influence the current and future conditions of these ecosystems as well as the people who live within them.