Woodlands
Introduction
The Woodlands area lies west and north of the city of Edmonton . It encompasses 2.7 million hectares of land and includes the city of Spruce Grove, as well as a number of towns such as Fox Creek, Swan Hills, Whitecourt, Barrhead, Westlock and Stony Plain.
There are three natural regions represented in the Woodlands area.
- The Boreal Forest Natural Region (47 per cent) is dominated by forests of aspen, white spruce, balsam poplar or jack pine, mixed with wetlands dominated by black spruce and tamarack.
- The Foothills Natural Region (46 per cent) occupies the balance of the Woodlands area in the north and west reaches. This region includes forests of lodgepole pine and, to a lesser extent, white spruce, aspen and balsam poplar.
- The Parkland Natural Region (7 per cent) is dominated by cleared agricultural lands, with a few remnants of the original mixture of native grasslands and aspen forests.
Where to find us
The area head office is in Whitecourt. Fishing and hunting permits and Christmas tree licences can be purchased at SRD offices in most major towns in the area. See map for locations of area offices.
The local economy
Forestry is the largest industry on the landscape. Over 55 per cent of the area is covered under three Forest Management Agreements. The area also provides services to the surrounding industrial and resource-based economies.
Tourism and recreation
A wide variety of outdoor activities take place in this area including fishing, camping, hunting, canoeing and snowmobiling.
The Golden Triangle a 354-kilometre snowmobile route stretches between Whitecourt, Fox Creek and Swan Hills.
Other
This website provides information about how we manage this special region's natural resources for sustainable use. Welcome to the Woodlands area!
