|
|
 |
Home > Network Initiatives > Ecological Goods and Services 
Ecological Goods and ServicesGoal To determine the value and issues surrounding an ecological goods and services compensation and incentive program within Canada’s woodlot community. Description
2008 - 2009 Highlights Publication of report “Valuing Ecological Goods & Services from the Forest: Overview and Results of Five Regional Workshops” A national workshop on forest certification and verification approaches for private woodlots, March 2009. A national workshop on ecological goods and services from forests, March 2009. |
© Canadian Model Forest Network
2010
|
Ecological goods and services are the basic processes, functions and products required for life to exist on our planet. Society places great value on water and air quality, recreation, wildlife habitat, climate regulation, aesthetics, and biodiversity. Unlike other natural resources such as timber or minerals, however, these intangible but necessary products are not assigned a financial value.
The Canadian Model Forest Network is working to define the value of ecological goods and services that derive from the forest sector and, in particular, private woodlot owners. The aim is to address the key issues related to using ecological goods and services in developing natural resource and land-use policy in Canada. 
The Private Woodlot Strategic Initiative, a collaboration between the Canadian Model Forest Network and the Canadian Federation of Woodlot Owners, evolved into Ecological Goods and Services as the need for information and action on this issue emerged. Workshops were held across Canada and summarized in the report, “Valuing Ecological Goods & Services from the Forest: Overview and Results of Five Regional Workshops.” Based on these workshops, the Canadian Model Forest Network and the Canadian Federation of Woodlot Owners are in the process of developing a proposal to establish a series of pilot projects that test means and values of an ecological goods and services compensation and incentive program within Canada’s woodlot community.