Canada s Sustainable Forest Management Practices

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1 Canada s Sustainable Forest Management Practices

2 Canada s Forests Governance

3 Canada s Forests Provincial and territorial governments - Responsible for forest management Federal government - Responsible for foreign policy, international trade, Aboriginal affairs, management of federal lands Canadian Council of Forest Ministers - National forum that allows all Canadian jurisdictions the opportunity to discuss and work towards solutions for issues of common concern

4 Canada is a Forest Nation A vast resource, a special responsibility: 9% of world s forest

5 Global Forest Area Data source: FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2010.

6 Canadian Forestry Public ownership of forest resources Forests managed for the common good: 94% Public ownership 6% Privately owned

7 Canadian Forest Forest Policy Policy Sustainability is in is in the public interest Sustainable forest management maintains and enhances the longterm health of forest ecosystems for the benefit of all living things while providing environmental, economic, social, and cultural Forests opportunities are managed for present and future to balance generations the needs of all stakeholders

8 Sustainable Forestry Rooted in science Science drives policy

9 Forest Policy Development Achieving a balance All stakeholders must have the opportunity to participate equally

10 Indigenous People Rights and Reconciliation Indigenous peoples are actively participating in management of resources and decision making

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12 Sustainable Forest Management Regulatory framework Strong regulations and consistent monitoring = legal timber

13 Forest Practices Legislation High environmental standards Plans requires public input Government approves plans Companies are held accountable Focus on results

14 Forest Practices Legislation High environmental standards Plans requires public input Government approves plans Companies are held accountable Focus on results

15 Sustainability Messages Forest Management Comprehensive legislative and regulatory forest management framework Sound research and adaptive management Balance social, economic and environmental values Forest operations compliance program Independent Forest Audits

16 Sustainability Messages Forests - Part of the solution to Climate Change

17 Sustainability Messages Fibre Supply / Socioeconomics Significant quantities of available biofibre in Ontario (>10 million tonnes) Ontario supports the pursuit of these opportunities by identifying woody materials forest biofibre Bioenergy helps stimulate rural and regional economic development and employment by providing new, decentralised and diversified income streams from bioenergy and biomass production. Bioenergy technology in the right situation can help achieve greater cost savings than using fossil fuels Energy security, reliability

18 Regeneration By regulation and policy, all harvested areas in Canada must be regenerated within a specified timeframe Planting Natural regeneration Maintain species diversity Average of 600 million seedlings planted each year

19 Monitoring Tough compliance and enforcement by government agencies: Highly trained staff Focus on high risk activities Forest practices and revenue Effective enforcement ensures risk of illegal logging in Canada is negligible Voluntary third-party forest certification

20 Studies on Forest Regulation 2009 study by the Finnish research company Indufor Oy compared 11 forest regulation and certification standards around the world. Canada (British Columbia and Ontario) and Australia (New South Wales) are the countries with the most demanding legislation on the studied elements. According to the summary results, the strength of the legislation contributes to the strictness of the standard more than does the type of the standard (FSC or PEFC). The Indufor Oy study reaffirmed the fact that Canada continues to be a world leader in practicing sustainable forest management. The Canadian provinces have some of the most stringent regulatory regimes in the world.

21 Canadian Forest Products The sustainable source Buying with confidence

22 Canadian Forestry A leader in forest certification

23 Summary Canada manages its forests sustainably, ensuring they are there for future generations to be used for the many things that society values; including recreation, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and forest products Rigorous legislative supervision provides assurance that Canadian forest products are made from timber originating from legal sources Independent studies confirm that Canada has one of the most stringent regulatory regimes in the world and world-class sustainably managed forests All major forest certification programs in North America are recognized by companies and governments around the world

24 Canadian Forestry Sustainable by nature, today and tomorrow Thank you Faye Johnson, R.P.F. Director, Forest Tenure & Economics Ontario Ministry of Natural Resource and Forestry Photographs courtesy of: The Forests of Canada collection, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Forest in Mind Program Forestry Innovation Investment