Forest management issues in a wildland-urban interface: The case of West Bragg Creek Timber Licence in Alberta

Abstract

A wildland-urban interface is a complex and dynamic zone which makes it a very difficult and uncertain area in which to practice forestry. The difficulty stems from, among other things, lack of an effective two-way communication system between forestry organizations and the affected publics, and from the differential value systems and social standards held by the publics in the wildland-urban domain. The complexity of, and approaches to solving, forest management issues in West Bragg Creek, a wildland-urban setting in Alberta, are examined in this paper,. The public consultation model is proposed and discussed as one strategy to minimize forest management conflicts in West Bragg Creek. Key words: forest management, wildland-urban interface, West Bragg Creek, public consultation model, Alberta