In 2017-2018, Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) partnered with the Canadian Forest Service - Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to develop a suite of extension products. These products demonstrate how forestry techniques can be used to manage for purposeful reclamation outcomes within Alberta's in-situ oil sands regions. This union of forestry experience with land reclamation objectives represents two key opportunities for oil and gas operators. First, forestry, principles that have been honed over generations and are backed by science can help land reclamation practitioners expedite the return to forest cover on disturbed sites. This in turn may help companies achieve their reclamation goals faster.
Second, these tried and true forestry principles can improve the predictability of reclamation outcomes. By capitalizing on knowledge of site characteristics and regeneration potential, companies can reduce their long-term reclamation costs and reduce costly re-entry into previously reclaimed sites.