Forest management issues in a wildland-urban interface: The case of West Bragg Creek Timbler 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 wild-land-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.