Canada's forests are managed predominantly for timber. However, the Canadian public values forests primarily for nontimber uses. Canada's most species-rich and productive forests have been extensively modified by development activities. Under current management practices, harvesting rates appear unsustainable over the long term. A handful of companies now manage much of Canada's forest.
Development increasingly extends into Canada's northernmost forests.
Increasingly, Canada is promoting sustainable forest management policies. However, implementation remains a problem. Lack of publicly available forest information hinders accountability and informed decisionmaking. We welcome your comments.