The Highway 40 North Demonstration Project

This project tested to what degree it was possible to create a fully integrated disturbance plan based on natural patterns. Can we create a collaborative disturbance plan for the collective activities of all partners?

This was a test of the degree to which it was possible to create a fully integrated, operational-scale disturbance plan for an operational-sized area based on a natural pattern foundation.  The underlying premise of the project was on the surface quite simple; can we create a collaborative disturbance plan for the collective cultural activities of all partners over the next 10-30 years using Mother Nature to guide us? 

The project originally included:

1. the harvesting activities of three neighbouring forest management companies (for whom local harvest approvals had already been issued),
2. the prescribed burn activities of a provincial park,
3. prescribed and managed fire collaboration from the provincial government, and
4. the industrial footprint of the energy sector.

This demo had one additional feature of note. The study area included a portion of an existing woodland caribou herd, which at the time was one of the few in Alberta that was not declining in numbers.  This was thus a unique opportunity to learn more about woodland caribou dynamics via an adaptive management framework.

Selected Resources

Reports:

1. The Hwy40 North Demonstration Project: Using Natural Patterns as the Foundation for Operational Planning. Part 1: How We Did It
2. The Hwy40 North Demonstration Project: Using Natural Patterns as the Foundation for Operational Planning. Part 2: What Did We Learn?
3. Woodland Caribou Response to a Natural-Pattern Inspired Disturbance Plan