Canadian Forest Service Publications
Socioeconomic transition in the Foothills Model Forest from 1996 to 2001. 2007. Patriquin, M.N.; Lantz, V.A.; Furtas, R.; Ambard, M.; White, W.A. Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, Edmonton, Alberta and Foothills Model Forest, Hinton, Alberta. Information Report NOR-X-410. 53 p.
Year: 2007
Issued by: Northern Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 27262
Language: English
Series: Information Report (NoFC - Edmonton)
Availability: PDF (download)
Abstract
This report highlights the economic transition that occurred in the Foothills Model Forest between 1996 and 2001 by updating a 1996 region-specific economic database and a computable general equilibrium impact model for the region. Whereas the 1996 database showed that the mining and forestry sectors were two of the largest and most influential in the region, the 2001 database showed a transition away from coal production toward natural gas exploration. This transition was fueled by changing world prices for coal and natural gas combined with a depletion of coal reserves in the region. The visitor sector also experienced a slight decline in activity during this period. These changes had a significant effect on many socioeconomic variables in the region. The simulations performed with the impact models revealed that the economic transition has caused the socioeconomic variables to become more sensitive to changes in activities in the natural gas sector and less sensitive to activities in the mining and visitor sectors.
