Gordon Whitmore outlines how Daishowa-Murabeni's pulp mill in Peace River, Alberta sources its wood using forest harvesting that emulates natural disturbance processes. He describes the challenges of integrated land management with other forestry and oil and gas companies on a land base that is larger than the province of New Brunswick. He then describes how wet area mapping (WAM) is used in strategic and operational planning. For example retention blocks that overlay wet areas make tree replanting easier and more successful. Wet areas mapping now is a prerequisite for road and cut block planning.
The labour saving for on-site visits to identify streams, pools and wet ground is significant. Wet areas mapping is in some cases more accurate than field mapping. Moving sites and paperwork is both reduced. Reduced replanting costs also come with better knowledge of where wet areas are. Knowledge where medicinal plants are in association with wet areas are used in conversations with First Nations. The future opportunities with hand held GPS devices, iPhones and WAM are already being tested.
Gordon Whitmore is Superintendent, Land Management with Daishowa-Marubeni International Limited, the hardwood/softwood pulp mill in Peace River, Alberta. His presentation was part of the Wet Areas Mapping Workshop, Calgary, Alberta, February 11., 2013.
