Albertans have significant interest in the use and management of public forestlands. The Alberta Forest Products Association commissioned a research project related to understanding societal values Albertan's hold towards their forestlands. This initiative was part of an integrated response and action planning process to identify issues around industrial activities generally, and forest industry activities specifically, on the province's public forest lands. The central issue underlining this project is to determine what the forest industry needs to do to maintain and enhance the public trust placed in Alberta's forestry firms as stewards of the forest - one of Alberta's prime, natural, sustainable and wealth-creating renewable resources. Almost 3000 people completed the Alberta Forest Usage Survey in late 2005.The Alberta Forest Products Association, and its member companies, will be using the results of this survey to:

• assist them in better understanding society needs and wants related to its public forest lands,
• measure how forest industry current and proposed operations and management plans meet and can be improved in light of the public's expectations and
• develop better communications, information and awareness tools that help the forest industry communicate with Albertans about forestry activities and management.

The news release and the survey results are available in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) form. For more information, please contact the Alberta Forest Products Association at (780) 452-2841.