During October 2000 a contract was awarded to Diversified Technical Services to develop a database system and conduct a forest resource inventory for members of Parkland AgroForestry Products Inc. (PAFP).  

The project area is located in North Eastern Saskatchewan  primarily on  privately owned farmland.  partners in the project include Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food and the Cumberland Regional College.

Parkland AgroForestry Products Inc. (PAFP) is a non-profit group formed to assist landowners n developing markets and promoting sustainable practices on private land in Saskatchewan.  Priorities of the group include sustainable production practices, investigating market opportunities and providing training in sustainable forest management.

PAFP has undertaken an inventory of forest resources to establish quality and quantity on member owned farmland.  An inventory is the required first phase in developing markets and management plans.  This report outlines the results of the inventory and details recommendations and conclusions for further work.

Pertinent Forest Resource Inventory data has been gathered and interpreted to enable the group to make decisions on future phases of the project.  The information presented is intended for the planning of potential markets and business ventures.  A detailed inventory is required to perform sustainable harvest.  

The purpose of this project is to develop an inventory of private land forest resources for members of Parkland AgroForestry Products Inc. (PAFP).  An accurate and detailed inventory is critical to properly manage a land base.  Producers need to know what they have, how much they have and where the resources are.  Once this is achieved we can manage the resource and not simply harvest the trees.

The inventory covers an area located in the North East corner of the settled portion of Saskatchewan (see Map 1).  The majority of the land is privately owned but there is a percentage that is under lease tenure with Sask. Ag and Food (SAF).

AgroForestry is being considered an an alternative to traditional farming.  It will be used as an addition to but not replace grain, forage and livestock production.  This inventory will allow the landowner to look at all the resources available on his land and decide what the best management approach is for his situation and the values on the land.

Parkland AgroForestry Products Inc. commissioned Diversified Technical Services to conduct an assessment of market opportunities for the resources found on members land base.  An additional objective was to identify processes that could utilize 100% of the tree, this would allow a greater utilization of lower quality wood fiber.  

The purpose of the study is to identify opportunities for sustainable production and marketing of forest resources within the limits of low capital investment.  A preliminary list of products was gathered and presented to the group; the list will be narrowed down to specific areas that appear to have the greatest potential for the area.

The criteria for markets were that the members, existing equipment, resources required no capital investment, expertise will be utilized within the group.  members and industry will be surveyed to establish areas of interest, potential buyers, prices and existing resources.

The three areas of interest to the group in pursuing an agroforestry venture are:

• Non-Timber Use -- This area will have an emphasis on low impact use of the land base, areas such as ecotourism, wildlife viewing and cabin rental will be reviewed.
    
• Special Forest Products -- This area includes crafts and florals, natural health herbs, decorative woods, edible plants and berries.
   
• Timber -- The timber aspect will focus on complete utilization of the tree while ensuring the highest end value for the member.  As the traditional markets for aspen have centered around OSB and pulp, information on alternate uses is limited.  This appears to be an opportunity as competition is limited in the aspen marketplace.  Waste utilization, custom harvesting, composting, machining and secondary manufacturing will be included in this section.