Forest Management Planning – Canfor Grande Prairie FMA
Canfor holds a Forest Management Agreement (FMA 9900037) with the Government of Alberta under the Forests Act. The Defined Forest Area (DFA) represents the broader administrative planning boundary, while the FMA area is the portion within the DFA where Canfor holds the exclusive, regulated, and conditional right to harvest coniferous timber. These rights are tightly linked to sustainable forest management requirements, including adherence to approved planning documents, regeneration obligations, and ongoing performance monitoring to ensure long-term forest health and productivity.
Deciduous timber rights within the DFA are allocated by the province through quota agreements, currently held by West Fraser (Grande Prairie) and Tolko (High Prairie). Harvesting and management of these deciduous volumes are integrated into the Forest Management Plan (FMP) to ensure coordinated and sustainable planning across the DFA. While deciduous tenure holders play a central role in developing and refining plan components, final responsibility for the submission of a Forest Management Plan rests with Canfor as the FMA holder.
As part of the FMA, Canfor is required to prepare a Forest Management Plan every 10 years. The current FMP (2015) remains in effect, and Canfor is actively developing the next plan for submission to the Government of Alberta, with a revised submission timeline of November 1, 2026.
About the Forest Management Plan
The FMP is a long-term strategic plan that guides how the forest is managed over a 200-year planning horizon. It outlines where, when, and how harvesting, reforestation, and other activities will occur to ensure sustainable forest management.
In addition to timber supply, the plan considers a broad range of forest values, including:
- Wildlife habitat and biodiversity
- Fish and aquatic ecosystems
- Water quality and watershed function
- Wildfire risk and forest resilience
- Forest health (including insects and disease)
- Cultural, social, and economic values
Key components of the FMP includes:
- A Timber Supply Analysis (TSA) to determine a sustainable Annual Allowable Cut (AAC)
- A 20-year Spatial Harvest Sequence (SHS) to guide operational planning
- Values, Objectives, Indicators, and Targets (VOITs) to define and measure forest stewardship outcomes
- Monitoring and adaptive management approaches to report performance over time (Stewardship Reports)
Get Involved
Canfor is committed to a transparent and inclusive planning process. Input from local communities, Indigenous groups, stakeholders, and the public plays an important role in shaping the Forest Management Plan.
We welcome your questions, comments, suggestions, and local knowledge to help inform the FMP. Inquiries can be sent directly to Canfor through this webpage for comment and response. Please click and follow instructions under the "Contact" section to inquire further.