What is sustainable forestry? Imagine the stewardship and use of forests in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, and vitality, while realizing their environmental, economic, and social potential at local, national and global levels, now and in the future. Canada is a recognized global leader in doing both.

Not only has Canada retained over 90% of its original forest cover, but we harvest less than 1% of forests designated for harvesting per year and replant between 400 and 600 million seedlings annually. In addition to some of the toughest and well-enforced federal and provincial regulations in the world, Canada leads the world in third-party forest certification, managing 36% of the world’s certified forests, more than twice the area certified in any other country. These voluntary certifications include commitments to reforestation, promoting wildlife habitats, biodiversity and water protection, so Canadians can be assured that we’re doing our part to keep our forests as forests forever.  

Why does sustainable management matter? Learn more about the critical role our foresters play in keeping our forests healthy and our communities safe.