Forest Management Agreements - Forest Management

 
     
 
 
 
What is the size of a Forest Management Agreement (FMA)?

The size of an FMA varies. In Alberta, the largest FMA is located in northeastern Alberta and covers approximately 58,120 square kilometres. It is managed by Alpac Forest Products Incorporated. Vanderwell Contractors Ltd.'s FMA located near Slave Lake is the smallest, at 585 square kilometres. Spatial boundaries for both Forest Management Agreement (FMA) areas as well as the associated Forest Management Unit (FMU) boundaries can be downloaded from AltaLIS, as part of their Base Features Geo Admin layer. The data is available as a shapefile in NAD_1983_10TM_AEP_ForestProjection.

How many FMAs are there in Alberta?

Alberta presently has 20 FMAs, including three joint FMAs. More information about current forest management agreement (FMA) holders, their Forest Management Agreement and approved Forest Management Plan is available at: Do FMA holders have more planning responsibilities than other forest tenures?

Yes. FMA holders must manage the forest on a long-term, sustained yield basis. They must also consider a broad range of forest values and social, economic and environmental factors such as watershed, environment and wildlife habitat. FMA holders take on greater responsibility and accountability for forest management planning consistent with the Government of Alberta's commitment to sustainable resource development. In addition, FMA holders are required to provide an opportunity for public consultation during the development of a Forest Management Plan for the area.

For more information about forest management planning, see: Are FMA holders responsible for reforestation?

Yes. Under Alberta law, an FMA holder is responsible for the planning and reforesting after harvest. Reforestation efforts must be completed within two years of harvest and must take place in all areas where timber is harvested. The government sets reforestation standards and also receives annual reforestation results for all commercial timber dispositions. These results are monitored to ensure reforestation is successful.

For more information on forest management standards and practices, see:
 
 
 
 
For more information about the content of this document, contact Wendy Machan.
This information published to the web on February 25, 2016.
Last Reviewed/Revised on June 29, 2018.