Kickstarting forest growth : seismic lines given step in right direction

The recently formed Oil Sands Leadership Initiative (OSLI) has started a program, known as Faster Forests, to replace trees cut down during seismic exploration in the Athabasca oil sands region. The focus is on in-situ areas where steam-assisted gravity drainage development has taken place. To date, 300,000 seedlings have been planted. Over many decades, seismic lines were cut into the boreal forest to explore for oil and gas, and the remediation practices of the past, or the lack thereof, left the forest damaged. The OSLI's five founding companies, all major players in the oil and gas industry, are committed to landscaping and replanting their areas, regardless of whether they were actually responsible for the damage, in order to facilitate the reforestation of the Wood Buffalo region. In consultation with a forestry company, strains of seedlings that are more successful are being selected for planting. The formation of OSLI is part of a commitment to improving the oil sands industry's reputation by demonstrating and communicating environmental, social, and economic performance. 1 ref., 2 figs.