News
SFI conservation grant supports Dalhousie University forest road research

Dalhousie University’s School of Resource and Environmental Studies has received a Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant to develop best management practices for forest road crossings in…

Dalhousie University’s School of Resource and Environmental Studies has received a Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant to develop best management practices for forest road crossings in Atlantic Canada to avoid disrupting water flows in wetlands.

“The forest industry makes a considerable effort to avoid wetlands when building access roads but this is not always possible,” says Peter Duinker, Director and Professor in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University, Halifax.

The project will receive a total of $70,000 over three years through the SFI program.

“This research brings together academic, non-profit, government and industry experts to identify the best way to cross streams so biodiversity is conserved and water flows maintained,” said SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow. “The findings will help SFI-certified companies, and will also be communicated widely through peer-reviewed papers.”

In addition to Dalhousie University, project partners include Ducks Unlimited Canada; SFI Implementation Committees in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; the Nova Scotia Department of Environment; the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources; two SFI program participants — J.D. Irving Ltd. and Bowater Mersey Paper Company Ltd. — FPInnovations non-profit research institute; and the University of New Brunswick.

SFI Inc. is an independent non-profit charitable organization, responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving the internationally recognized Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program.