Ducks Unlimited

Weyerhaeuser and Ducks Unlimited Canada announced a five-year, $2.5 million (CAN$1.25 million per partner) conservation project that will provide science-based information to help manage migratory bird habitats in all three of Weyerhaeuser's Alberta forest management areas.

The partnership will focus on conserving boreal wetland systems, including riparian areas. These watersheds of the western boreal forest are vital to northern communities and provide unparalleled economic, environmental and social benefits to all Canadians.

In addition to supporting Ducks Unlimited Canada's inventory work, which began in July 2006, we will collaborate on research to inform best management practices (e.g., stream and lake buffers, effect of roads on subsurface hydrology). Traditional land use inventories and relationships with local aboriginal groups and woodlot owners are areas that both organizations intend to address through ongoing efforts.

The first collaborative research topic selected will focus on assessing watershed vulnerability and, in turn, determining the resiliency of varying amounts of wetland to harvesting activities.