Phase 3 Forest Inventory Maps for Alberta's Green Area

The Phase 3 Forest Inventory Program was initiated by the Alberta Forestry, Lands and Wildlife Department in 1970 and completed in 1984. It produced hardcopy maps of forest cover types interpreted from aerial photography for Alberta's Green Area and fringe areas, excluding specific northern units and federal lands. These maps are not available as geo-referenced rectified images or GIS-ready data.

Use Cases

• Analyze historical forest composition based on interpreted cover types.
• Study the evolution of forest management plans based on inventory extent.
• Research provincial forestry policy and allowable cut revisions based on the program's stated intent.
• Map historical land use changes in Alberta's Green Area based on the inventory's geographic scope.

Strengths

• Clear temporal scope from 1970 to 1984.
• Specific geographic extent defined as Alberta's Green Area and fringe areas minus listed exclusions.
• Institutional provenance from the Alberta Forestry, Lands and Wildlife Department.

Limitations

• Data is not GIS-ready; maps are hardcopy and not geo-referenced.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Government of Alberta

Collection Method

Cover types interpreted from aerial photography (mainly 1:15 000 black and white) to generate a hardcopy map base.

Time Range

1970-1984

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-17 14:49:55.530832; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Alberta's Green Area and fringe areas at that time, excluding Forest Management Units A13, F10, F20, Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (L9), Federal Indian Reserves, and Wilderness Areas.