Grant: Technology Access Centre

The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) provides applied research and support for businesses*and communities through its Boreal Research Institute (BRI) located in Peace River, Alberta. The boreal*forest is the largest public resource in Canada. The people of Canada look to the boreal forest to provide*economic, environmental, and cultural resources. The importance of the boreal forest is expressed in the*strengthening of historic regulations protecting soil and water, and in the additional of regulations addressing*biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and traditional land use. Increased economic activity and climate change are*threatening the sustainability of the forest and its ability to provide all of the values Canadians desire from it.*In stark contrast to our ability to plant and grow commercial spruce and pine trees, our ability to establish*other plant species is limited by knowledge, capacity, and skilled labour. Innovative and effective plant and*seed technologies are needed to reduce the impact of these challenges and their associated costs. Plant and*seed technologies is an emergent field in northern Alberta that refers to methods for pre-treating seeds,*including chemical treatments, and physical treatments such as pelleting. Plant and seed technologies also*includes developing equipment to efficiently collect, handle, test and deliver seed as well as establishing*orchards. Technology solutions are required for incorporation of traditional values in reforesting*disturbances such as harvest blocks, access roads, landings, in-bush processing sites, and after severe wildfire*or insect outbreaks where reforestation technologies are needed as part of a response to climate change.