Forest management issues in a wildland-urban interface: The case of West Bragg Creek Timber Licence in Alberta

A wildland-urban interface is a complex and dynamic zone which makes it a v ery difficult and uncertain area in which to practice forestry. The difficu lty stems from, among other things, lack of an effective two-way communicat ion system between forestry organizations and the affected publics, and fro m the differential value systems and social standards held by the publics i n the wildland-urban domain. The complexity of, and approaches to solving, forest management issues in West Bragg Creek, a wildland-urban setting in A lberta, are examined in this paper,. The public consultation model is propo sed and discussed as one strategy to minimize forest management conflicts i n West Bragg Creek.