Sustainable Forest Management

• Canada’s Forests –So Little Used – So Much Protected
• How Much Wood Is Harvested in Canada Annually?
• How Extensive are Canada’s Original Forest Cover and Park Lands
• Canada’s Forest Types, Ownership & Legislative Approach
• Focus on Hardwoods from Canada
• Focus on Private Woodlots

Canada’s Forests – So Little Used – So Much Protected

How big are Canada’s forests?

• 417 million hectares of forested land – the boreal and temperate forests cover approximately half of Canada’s landmass, about 417 million hectares.
• 234 million hectares of forest with commercial potential – occupying a space about as large as the Mediterranean Sea.
• Only ½ of the commercial forest, (or about ¼ of the total forest) are managed primarily for timber production, while the rest remain inaccessible or have not been allocated for that purpose.
• What is harvested? Only 1 million hectares per year, that is less than ¼ of 1% of the total forest area.
• How much parkland? Canada is the world leader with its national and provincial parks alone occupying some 56.8 million hectares. Compare that to the area of forests managed primarily for wood production in Canada – 119 million hectares – and one can quickly see that Canada’s forests are maintained for a variety of values and uses.

Source: Based on info found in the State of Canada’s Forest Report 2001/2002 produced by NRCAN.

How Much Wood Is Harvested in Canada Annually?

• Did you know that the forest industry harvests less wood each year than is destroyed by wildfire, disease and pests?
• In fact, Canada harvests only about ¼ of 1% of its forest lands.
• Did you know that the Canadian forest sector harvests four times less (proportionally) than the five largest European forest nations combined?
• Due to ever improving sustainable forestry practices, the volume of wood in Canada’s commercial forests just keeps on growing. In fact between 1976 and 1991 it increased by 35%.

* Sweden, Finland, Norway, France & Germany combined

How Extensive is Canada’s Original Forest Cover and Park Lands?

Almost half of the Earth’s original forest cover is gone, much of it destroyed within the past three decades. In contrast, Canada has maintained over 90% of its forest cover and it has done so while being one of the world’s largest producers of high-quality forest products. The CLA considers this fact to be instrumental in getting across the message that Canada is a leader in sustainable managing the natural forest, and it continues to improve based on the integration of new knowledge, information, research and development.

Not only does Canada maintain the highest percentage of original forest cover and untouched forests in the world, the reality is Canada’s forest industry has spent the better part of the last two decades making enormous strides in its forest management techniques, in lessening its environmental footprint – all in recognition of its role in the stewardship of a valued world resource. These achievements point to our ability to continue to be leaders in the management of natural forests using all three pillars of sustainable development: social, economic and environment.

Likewise, Canada is the world leader in terms of its national and provincial park system which now occupies some 56.8 million hectares. Moreover, this network of national and provincial parks continues to expand. For example, in October 2002, Prime Minister Jean Chretien announced that Canada plans on creating 10 new national parks over the next five years to protect unique landscapes and animals in the world’s second largest country. The total area covered by the 10 new parks will be around 100,000 square kilometers, almost doubling the area occupied by the existing 39 national parks.

“Canada is blessed with exceptional natural treasures. We owe it to Canadians and to the world to be wise stewards of these lands and waters,” Prime Minister Jean Chretien said in a speech to mark the announcement.

Forest Types, Ownership & Legislative Approach

Legislative Approach – Today, each province or territory has its own legislation, regulations, standards and programs through which it allocates forest harvesting rights and management responsibilities. About ¼ of 1% of Canada’s forests or about one million hectares are harvested annually. Each province or territory establishes Annual Allowable Cuts, which are based on the average volume of wood that may be harvested under sustained yield management. More than half the harvested area is left to regenerate naturally, usually after some form of preparatory site treatment. The remaining areas are seeded or replanted. Roughly 1.6% of Canada’s forests are affected by fire, insects and disease each year, and they are also left to regenerate naturally.

In addition, many provinces and territories have legislation that provides for public participation as part of the forest management planning and allocation process. The broad spectrum of forest user—the public, forest industries, Aboriginal groups and environmental organizations—are consulted in order to ensure that recreational, cultural, wildlife and economic values are incorporated into forest management planning and decision making.

To learn more about each of the Ministries across Canada responsible for forest management, click here.

In addition to provincial forestry legislation, there is federal legislation to ensure water quality is maintained and it is also working towards introducing federal legislation for species at risk. For example, in 1992, Canada became the first industrialized country to ratify the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity. In doing so, Canada committed itself to ”Develop or maintain necessary legislation and/or regulatory provisions for the protection of threatened species and populations.” To fulfill this commitment, Canada has been working toward an improved protective framework for species at risk. In October 1999, the federal government committed itself to bringing in a new Species at Risk Act (SARA) as one of its first environmental priorities for the new millenium. Bill C-5 the Species at Risk Act, was passed by the House of Commons and tabled in the Senate in June 2002. The law is expected to be passed by the end of 2002″.

Source: Based on information in The State of Canada’s Forests Report 2001 – 2002. NRCAN.

Focus On Hardwoods From Canada

Canada has a large hardwood resource. The Allowable Annual Cut (AAC) has been calculated and set at 65 million m3 per year. The harvest level is approximately 35 million m3 per year or 55% of the AAC.

There are two broad categories of hardwoods in Canada:

• Aspens and poplar (which require full sunlight to grow) – used mainly for wood- based panels, such as plywood and Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and for hardwood Kraft pulps and papermaking.
• Tolerant hardwoods (so called because they are tolerant of shade. They also regenerate naturally when managed under partial-cut or selective harvesting systems). -used for lumber, veneers, furniture, cabinet making, flooring, and other value-added products with the low-grade logs being used for pulpwood or fuel wood depending on the marketing.

Canada has about 25 commercial species of tolerant hardwoods. 15 species are found in small quantities. Approximately 10 species are of significant economic importance.

Tolerant hardwoods found predominantly in Canada’s three eastern Forest Regions:

Of Canada’s multiple-use forest land, approximately 23.4 million hectares, or 11% is in private ownership. 18 million hectares of the privately owned forest land lies in 5 of the eastern provinces with the vast majority falling within the three forest regions where the Tolerant Hardwoods grow.

Approximately half of the area of these three forest regions is in private ownership. Families own almost 75% of the private land as farm woodlots that average 40 ha in size. These lands tend to be the most productive and produce large volumes of tolerant hardwood logs. The area that is in public ownership is managed under strict provincial government regulation that ensures respect for the AAC, environmental guidlines and prompt regeneration after harvest.

In Canada stands of tolerant hardwoods, whether in public ownership or owned by industry or families, are managed and harvested using several partial cut or selection systems. Little planting is required after harvest, as natural regeneration is usually abundant.

(Source: Tony Rotherham. Nov. 2002)

Focus on Private Woodlots

Private woodlots are an important part of the sustainable forest management (SFM) equation in Canada. There are an estimated 425 000 woodlot owners in Canada who collectively own more than 18 million hectares of commercial productive forest land, which represents more than 12 percent of Canada’s total. Woodlots are an important source of commercial timber providing an annual harvest of 39.6 million cubic metres, or 21 percent of the national harvest¹. Equally, if not more important to woodlot owners, woodlots provide habitat, biodiversity, clean water, and spiritual and recreational opportunities.

(Source: http://www.modelforest.net/e/home_/privwoodse.html)

• Six percent of Canada’s forest land is owned by an estimated 425 000 individuals, families, communities and forest companies.
• If we compare the size and annual production of Canada’s family owned private forests to the listing of forest statistics for member countries of the FAO we find that these forests would be 13th in area and annual production – somewhere between Finland and France. The wood from private woodlots forms an important part of the 180 million m3 annual raw material requirements of the Canadian forest products industry. The woodlots have a significant presence in the southeastern regions of Canada, and are the source of a high proportion of Canada’s tolerant hardwoods.
• These privately owned forests, of which 80% are located east of Manitoba and mostly in the Atlantic provinces, are generally productive and of high quality. They are the source of 19% of Canada’s industrial roundwood production (logs, bolts and pulpwood), 77% of maple products, 79% of fuelwood and firewood, as well as most of the nation’s Christmas trees.