Editor's Column
Guest Columns
Forest Facts
Some 1.5 billion trees are planted in the U.S. every year, about 5 trees for every American.
Annually, U.S. forestland owners plant about 6 trees for every tree harvested.
About one-third of America's original forest - some 300 million acres - have been converted to other uses, principally agriculture.
There are 26 million more acres of forestland in the Northeast than there were in 1900.
Today, forests blanket about one-third of the U.S. land base and about half the U.S. East.
U.S. annual growth rates have exceeded harvest rates since the 1940's.
Timber harvesting is forbidden on 50% of all National Forest lands in the U.S.
National Forests account for 20% of the nation's forestlands and 19% of its timberlands.
National Forests hold 46% of the nation's softwood timber inventory but only provide 6% of the annual harvest.
Since 1986, the harvest of timber from America's national forests has declined 70%.
In the West, 34% of all forestland and 54% of all timberlands are in national forests.
National forests in the Pacific Coast and Intermountain West regions hold 68% of the nation's softwood timber inventory, but provide less than 28% of annual harvest.
Forest density has increased 40% in the U.S. over the last 50 years.
Flying Finns
Home->Fall 2004
The word “boreal” is named after Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind, but to Canadians in general it has also come to mean “sacred trust”.
Despite rumors to the contrary—spread mainly by certain environmentalists who would seem to want to have that north wind seal off Canada’s boreal forest in an icebox of inactivity—the people of Canada are deeply aware of the relative fragility of this wondrous natural resource. Furthermore, they are determined to manage their country’s vast stretch of northern forest wisely, operating on the principle of sustainable development for the economic, aesthetic and ecological benefit of present and future generations.
“To set aside an area completely is to recognize your inability to manage it properly,” says Richard Côté, Acting Director of the Federal-Provincial Relations Division of the Canadian Forest Service (CFS). “It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re taking good care of it. Still, a lot of well-intentioned individuals and organizations are clamoring for more conservation of the forest and it’s healthy that this should be open for debate.”
Mr. Côté adds, however, that when this debate is done through the media, there aren’t a lot of nuances — everything comes out either black or white. “There have been statements made that Canadian forests are ‘endangered’ forests,” he says. “It’s a jazzy term, but once people hear the word ‘endangered’, they take it for granted that nothing is being done to sustainably manage our forests and that just isn’t true.”
In fact, there are a number of high-profile individuals and organizations from across the forest spectrum who are engaged in numerous activities aimed at the wise use of Canada’s forests, of which the boreal constitutes 77% — and 35% of the country’s land mass.
In 1992, signatories to the first Canada Forest Accord, representing a cross-section of forest stakeholders from industry, academia, non-governmental organizations, Aboriginal people and other interested parties, indicated their interests and concerns through the following policy statement:
“Our goal is to maintain and enhance the long-term health of our forest ecosystems for the benefit of all living things both nationally and globally, while providing environmental, economic, social and cultural opportunities for the benefit of present and future generations.”
In addition, the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) was created to play the role of catalyst in identifying, explaining and promoting, in all sectors of Canadian society and in all regions of Canada, principles and practices of sustainable development.
NRTEE is composed of a Chair and up to 24 distinguished Canadians appointed by the Prime Minister as opinion leaders representing a variety of regions and sectors of Canadian society, including business, labor, academia, environmental organizations and First Nations. The members meet as a round table four times a year to review and discuss the ongoing work of the agency, set priorities and initiate new activities.
Another group, the Boreal Research Partnership, is comprised of federal and provincial government representatives as well as members from such agencies as the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Forest Products Association of Canada and Ducks Unlimited. It is working in such areas as inventories of the boreal tree species, wildlife, plants and biodiversity, adaptive management procedures, indicators of sustainability and knowledge and information systems.
And in Québec, a Commission on the Management of Public Forests was formed as an independent body in response to recommendations made by Québec’s auditor-general to analyze in depth forest management practices in the province and the evolution of the state of the forests.
So just what is this boreal forest that everyone is so concerned about? One writer with a poetic bent described the Canadian portion of it this way: “Draped like a great green scarf across the shoulders of North America, the boreal or northern forest is Canada’s largest ecosystem.”
It is part of a great northern circumpolar band of mostly coniferous forests extending across the subarctic latitudes of Russia, Scandinavia and North America. Globally, the boreal forest comprises about a quarter of the world’s closed canopy forest and plays a significant role in the earth’s environmental balance and life on this planet. Besides being a producer of oxygen, the boreal forest absorbs and stores carbon dioxide, playing a critical role in the ongoing battle against global warming.
It’s a dynamic system of shrubs, trees,herbs, mosses, microorganisms, insects and animals interacting among themselves and with rock, soil, water and air.
In Canada, it forms an arboreal band across the northern portion of the country from Newfoundland to the North West Territories. There are three distinct regions. The lowest, geographically speaking, is the Aspen Parkland Region, a transition zone of mixed grassland and open forest. Next is the Boreal Region, predominantly forested by white and black spruce, tamarack, balsam, fir and jack pine. The upper portion is the Taiga Region, whose forests taper down to barren tundra at its northernmost reaches.
The boreal forest is home to countless species of birds as well as such animals as bear, moose and woodland caribou. It also contains some of the most important wetlands in the world. Formed after the last Ice Age, the boreal forest is disturbance-driven, in that the hardy coniferous species that predominate have learned to cope with — and even thrive on — such natural agents of change as lightning fires, insect infestations and disease. However, a disturbance that has many individuals and organizations more than a little concerned is one that, if left unchecked, could conceivably spell the ruination of this vital ecological resource. That disturbance, of course, is man.
Current management of Canada’s boreal forest falls largely to the country’s ten provinces, which control 92% of this resource. They allocate harvest rights, monitor harvesting and encourage sound logging and reforestation practices. The federal government, which controls just over 5% of the boreal forest, contributes scientific research, economic development, international trade and relations, and pesticide regulations.
Both levels of government protect significant tracts of forest from logging — in national and provincial parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation areas and forest preserves.
Recently, a coalition of environmental groups launched a letter campaign to 500 major corporations in North America urging them to end the use of products sourced from the boreal forest — which they term “endangered” — and to refuse to buy from companies that have not halted logging in the region.
They are concerned with three main issues: certification; protection; and Aboriginal, or Native rights. And, while their concerns are well intentioned, they seem off the mark.
About 143 million acres of forest land in Canada have been independently certified as being sustainably managed in accordance with standards set by North America’s three leading certifiers: the Forest Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Canada’s National Sustainable Forest Management Standard. In addition, the Forest products Association of Canada — the umbrella association for Canada’s largest industrial employer — insists on third party certification as a condition for membership in the association.
In terms of protection, Canada has more than 71,000 square miles—about 5,000 square miles larger than the entire state of Washington — of forest and other wooded land reserved, and the door to discuss other worthwhile proposals to reserve land remains open.
As for Aboriginal people, while employment and standard of living remain below national averages, forestry and other natural resources represent a significant part of the livelihood of rural and remote Aboriginal communities. The number of benefit sharing agreements and joint ventures with industry is increasing slowly but steadily.
There are federal programs geared to capacity building, such as the First Nations Forestry Program. Aboriginal people are a part of the National Forest Strategy Coalition and one of the eight strategic directions within that five-year national strategy is specifically geared to First Nations peoples and their values. One of Canada’s networks of model forests is a First Nations Model Forest and, because of the participatory nature of forest management plans, Aboriginal peoples can and do feed into those planning processes.
There is a strong fear among those who believe in the sustainable development of Canada’s forest through their wise use that Canada could be forced, through public pressure, into adopting policies based on arbitrary targets and forest management practices that are not based on science, ecological processes or sound public policymaking.
None of this is to say that concerns about potential harvesting of large tracts of the boreal forest are frivolous or ill conceived. But the challenge is to maintain a healthy balance between the wise use of this resource for the economic and recreational benefit of Canadians and the rapidly-growing global demand for wood products.
The hope is that this country’s forest community can get the message out that Canadians from all walks of life are keenly aware of their responsibility as stewards of this priceless natural resource and that responsible action is being taken to sustainably manage the boreal and other forests in Canada.
As André H. Rousseau, Acting Director General of the Policy, Planning and International Affairs Branch of CFS puts it: “The people in the forest industry are no dummies. They read the newspapers. They know that 94% of our forests are publicly owned and that public interest in their welfare is extremely high. They are very strong supporters of a cooperative approach to managing our forests for the benefit of present and future generations.”
If, as the scribe once wrote, it’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good, perhaps Boreas can be prevailed upon to provide smooth sailing for those entrusted with the all-important task of sustainably managing one of Canada’s — and the world’s — most precious natural resources.
Canadians Take Their Stewardship Role Very Seriously
By: Tom Douglas
 Boreal Region, North Saskatchewan Photo by Government of Canada |
Despite rumors to the contrary—spread mainly by certain environmentalists who would seem to want to have that north wind seal off Canada’s boreal forest in an icebox of inactivity—the people of Canada are deeply aware of the relative fragility of this wondrous natural resource. Furthermore, they are determined to manage their country’s vast stretch of northern forest wisely, operating on the principle of sustainable development for the economic, aesthetic and ecological benefit of present and future generations.
“To set aside an area completely is to recognize your inability to manage it properly,” says Richard Côté, Acting Director of the Federal-Provincial Relations Division of the Canadian Forest Service (CFS). “It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re taking good care of it. Still, a lot of well-intentioned individuals and organizations are clamoring for more conservation of the forest and it’s healthy that this should be open for debate.”
Mr. Côté adds, however, that when this debate is done through the media, there aren’t a lot of nuances — everything comes out either black or white. “There have been statements made that Canadian forests are ‘endangered’ forests,” he says. “It’s a jazzy term, but once people hear the word ‘endangered’, they take it for granted that nothing is being done to sustainably manage our forests and that just isn’t true.”
In fact, there are a number of high-profile individuals and organizations from across the forest spectrum who are engaged in numerous activities aimed at the wise use of Canada’s forests, of which the boreal constitutes 77% — and 35% of the country’s land mass.
In 1992, signatories to the first Canada Forest Accord, representing a cross-section of forest stakeholders from industry, academia, non-governmental organizations, Aboriginal people and other interested parties, indicated their interests and concerns through the following policy statement:
“Our goal is to maintain and enhance the long-term health of our forest ecosystems for the benefit of all living things both nationally and globally, while providing environmental, economic, social and cultural opportunities for the benefit of present and future generations.”
In addition, the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) was created to play the role of catalyst in identifying, explaining and promoting, in all sectors of Canadian society and in all regions of Canada, principles and practices of sustainable development.
NRTEE is composed of a Chair and up to 24 distinguished Canadians appointed by the Prime Minister as opinion leaders representing a variety of regions and sectors of Canadian society, including business, labor, academia, environmental organizations and First Nations. The members meet as a round table four times a year to review and discuss the ongoing work of the agency, set priorities and initiate new activities.
Another group, the Boreal Research Partnership, is comprised of federal and provincial government representatives as well as members from such agencies as the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Forest Products Association of Canada and Ducks Unlimited. It is working in such areas as inventories of the boreal tree species, wildlife, plants and biodiversity, adaptive management procedures, indicators of sustainability and knowledge and information systems.
And in Québec, a Commission on the Management of Public Forests was formed as an independent body in response to recommendations made by Québec’s auditor-general to analyze in depth forest management practices in the province and the evolution of the state of the forests.
So just what is this boreal forest that everyone is so concerned about? One writer with a poetic bent described the Canadian portion of it this way: “Draped like a great green scarf across the shoulders of North America, the boreal or northern forest is Canada’s largest ecosystem.”
It is part of a great northern circumpolar band of mostly coniferous forests extending across the subarctic latitudes of Russia, Scandinavia and North America. Globally, the boreal forest comprises about a quarter of the world’s closed canopy forest and plays a significant role in the earth’s environmental balance and life on this planet. Besides being a producer of oxygen, the boreal forest absorbs and stores carbon dioxide, playing a critical role in the ongoing battle against global warming.
It’s a dynamic system of shrubs, trees,herbs, mosses, microorganisms, insects and animals interacting among themselves and with rock, soil, water and air.
In Canada, it forms an arboreal band across the northern portion of the country from Newfoundland to the North West Territories. There are three distinct regions. The lowest, geographically speaking, is the Aspen Parkland Region, a transition zone of mixed grassland and open forest. Next is the Boreal Region, predominantly forested by white and black spruce, tamarack, balsam, fir and jack pine. The upper portion is the Taiga Region, whose forests taper down to barren tundra at its northernmost reaches.
 Boreal Region, Prince Albert Sask. Photo by Government of Canada |
Current management of Canada’s boreal forest falls largely to the country’s ten provinces, which control 92% of this resource. They allocate harvest rights, monitor harvesting and encourage sound logging and reforestation practices. The federal government, which controls just over 5% of the boreal forest, contributes scientific research, economic development, international trade and relations, and pesticide regulations.
Both levels of government protect significant tracts of forest from logging — in national and provincial parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation areas and forest preserves.
Recently, a coalition of environmental groups launched a letter campaign to 500 major corporations in North America urging them to end the use of products sourced from the boreal forest — which they term “endangered” — and to refuse to buy from companies that have not halted logging in the region.
They are concerned with three main issues: certification; protection; and Aboriginal, or Native rights. And, while their concerns are well intentioned, they seem off the mark.
About 143 million acres of forest land in Canada have been independently certified as being sustainably managed in accordance with standards set by North America’s three leading certifiers: the Forest Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Canada’s National Sustainable Forest Management Standard. In addition, the Forest products Association of Canada — the umbrella association for Canada’s largest industrial employer — insists on third party certification as a condition for membership in the association.
In terms of protection, Canada has more than 71,000 square miles—about 5,000 square miles larger than the entire state of Washington — of forest and other wooded land reserved, and the door to discuss other worthwhile proposals to reserve land remains open.
As for Aboriginal people, while employment and standard of living remain below national averages, forestry and other natural resources represent a significant part of the livelihood of rural and remote Aboriginal communities. The number of benefit sharing agreements and joint ventures with industry is increasing slowly but steadily.
There are federal programs geared to capacity building, such as the First Nations Forestry Program. Aboriginal people are a part of the National Forest Strategy Coalition and one of the eight strategic directions within that five-year national strategy is specifically geared to First Nations peoples and their values. One of Canada’s networks of model forests is a First Nations Model Forest and, because of the participatory nature of forest management plans, Aboriginal peoples can and do feed into those planning processes.
There is a strong fear among those who believe in the sustainable development of Canada’s forest through their wise use that Canada could be forced, through public pressure, into adopting policies based on arbitrary targets and forest management practices that are not based on science, ecological processes or sound public policymaking.
None of this is to say that concerns about potential harvesting of large tracts of the boreal forest are frivolous or ill conceived. But the challenge is to maintain a healthy balance between the wise use of this resource for the economic and recreational benefit of Canadians and the rapidly-growing global demand for wood products.
The hope is that this country’s forest community can get the message out that Canadians from all walks of life are keenly aware of their responsibility as stewards of this priceless natural resource and that responsible action is being taken to sustainably manage the boreal and other forests in Canada.
As André H. Rousseau, Acting Director General of the Policy, Planning and International Affairs Branch of CFS puts it: “The people in the forest industry are no dummies. They read the newspapers. They know that 94% of our forests are publicly owned and that public interest in their welfare is extremely high. They are very strong supporters of a cooperative approach to managing our forests for the benefit of present and future generations.”
If, as the scribe once wrote, it’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good, perhaps Boreas can be prevailed upon to provide smooth sailing for those entrusted with the all-important task of sustainably managing one of Canada’s — and the world’s — most precious natural resources.
"We must always consider the environment and people together, as though they are one, because the
human need to use natural resources is fundamental to our continued presence on earth."
P.O. Box 1290, Bigfork, MT. 59911 • Tel: (406) 837-0966 • Fax: (406) 258-0815 • Email:
human need to use natural resources is fundamental to our continued presence on earth."