PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The standard requires AFA to seek comprehensive and continuing public participation including an effort to work with Aboriginal peoples at the local community level. The purpose of the public consultation process is to obtain input from interested parties. The input will be used to confirm values, objectives, indicators and targets (Figure 1) at the Algonquin Park Forest level, and to formulate additional ones as required. These local values, objectives, indicators and targets are then incorporated into the forest management planning and practices. The standard requires locally appropriate targets, including thresholds and limits, be set through the public participation process.
Figure 1. Relationship among values, objectives, indicators and targets.
The public participation process will respect existing authority for decisions associated with the use and management of the DFA and will not change existing public policies, laws, and regulations established by governments.
A representative group of interested parties has been selected from a comprehensive list of potential stakeholders to serve as the Advisory Group and liaise on a continuing basis with AFA. The list of potential stakeholders was developed through a review of values, issues and interest groups and a stakeholder analysis completed by AFA and CMC Ecological Consulting.
The Advisory Group consultation process include introductory training and facilitated workshops dealing with the identification and selection of values, objectives, indicators and targets for the SFM. Subsequent meetings involve the identification of values of specific importance to environmental, social and economic concerns and needs of members and stakeholder groups and the development of suitable objectives, indicators and targets for each.
Advisory Group Meeting Minutes