Environmental assessment (EA) is widely used as a means of incorporating environmental considerations into decision-making, primarily at the project level. The scope of EA has been expanded considerably in recent years to include earlier stages of the decision-making process, namely, policies, plans and programmes. Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) facilitates a planning approach to addressing the overall, cumulative effects of the projects that occur as a result of these decisions. This paper demonstrates the potential benefits of SEA in the assessment and management of cumulative effects, using a case study of recent hydroelectric development planning in Newfoundland, Canada. It goes on to illustrate how SEA could be used to address potential cumulative effects at the various stages of such a decision-making process. Through the case study, the paper also explores a number of issues in the implementation of such a planning approach.

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Environmental assessment (EA) is widely used as a means of identifying and addressing the potential environmental effects of proposed development activities. This paper provides an overview of EA and its application to forest management in Canada. Forestry planning processes in Canada generally include consideration of environmental issues and stakeholder participation, and therefore incorporate key aspects of EA as part of the planning exercise. EA review can, however, provide an opportunity to further assess and consider the potential environmental effects of proposed forestry activities, as required, as well as involve other relevant parties in decision-making. Key words: environmental assessment, forest management, planning, Canada.

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