Developing a sustainable forest management planning system for private woodlots using the Canadian Standards Association Protocol

The S.N.B. Woodlot Owner Organizations are in the process of developing a Sustainable Forest Management Plan for the approximately 400,000 ha of productive forest land owned by more than 6000 woodlot owners in southern New Brunswick.The Canadian Standards Association Protocol is being used as the guiding document in this process. S.N.B. is nearly mid-way through the process with a tentative schedule and target of 15 February 1997 to have the first draft of the system ready for review, approval and implementation by 1 April 1997.The experience continues to be one of many challenges, not only for the woodlot owner organizations and the woodlot owners themselves, but for the many other stakeholders who have been or will be provided the opportunity to participate. The CSA Protocol provides one of the first frame-works for all the players to "walk their talk" in the real management of a real forest with everyone's interests being facilitated. It also provides the players with the opportunity to demonstrate that they do know what they are talking about and to share that understanding with others to achieve the balances required within sustainable limits.The CSA Protocol provides challenges in itself. Staying "true to the process" may be the secret to addressing those challenges. In this presentation we shall examine these challenges more specifically.