Abstract:
Some Provincial Forests in southern Manitoba have become
popular public recreational areas, yet little planning for
that type of land use has been done. In Manitoba, all
Provincial Forests have heretofore been managed with a
specific forestry objective in mind, that is, the full
utilization of the forest resource on a sustained-yield basis
for the purpose of producing forestry products. Regulation of
all other uses and activities, such as preserving wildlife
habitat, watersheds, and wilderness recreation, is subsumed
under a multi-use management approach. However, since multi-use
is not clearly defined and has no guidelines for specific
existing activities, most of these other uses and activities
cannot be effectively administered.
One of these other uses and activities is recreation. It
is the focus of the study. During the 1970s and '80s
recreational activities in some Provincial Forests increased
dramatically, yet no recreation-oriented development strategy
was devised to accommodate these activities. Clearly,
Provincial Forests cannot continue to be adequately managed
under the present forestry management mandate. The entire
use-spectrum must be taken into account. A comprehensive and
responsible recreational management strategy is vital in order
to guide and direct growing recreational demands and protect
the interests of all forest users.
In this report, the Belair Provincial Forest is used
as an example. A set of management guidelines for
recreational use has been developed that could be applied to
recreational management in Provincial Forests generally.
