NRCan releases State of Canada’s Forests 2017 report

There is also a focus on the bioeconomy of Canada’s forest sector, and a look at Canada’s timber forest products.

“With the third-largest forested area on the planet, Canada boasts nearly 40 per cent of the world’s certified forests, far more than any other country,” Minister of Natural Resources, Jim Carr said in a statement. “From Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador, the forest sector is benefiting local communities, boosting our economy, helping to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and showing us what we can accomplish when we work together.”

The largest portion of the 2017 report assesses sustainability indicators such as whether timber is being harvested sustainably, how disturbances like forest diseases and insects shape Canada’s forests, how Canadians benefit from forests through employment, and how the forest industry in turn benefits Canada’s economy.

In 2016, approximately 211,000 people were employed by the forest industry. The same year, the forest industry contributed $23 billion to Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP), according to the report.

“Our government believes in this industry and is excited about its future. As this year’s chair of the CCFM [Canadian Council of Forest Ministers], Natural Resources Canada has worked with the provinces and territories to highlight forestry’s central role in some of the most important issues of our time: combatting climate change, driving innovation and creating economic opportunities for rural and Indigenous communities,” Carr said.

“This edition of The State of Canada’s Forests examines some of these exciting opportunities, from the emerging bioeconomy and new construction materials to innovative uses for forest products in auto parts, bioplastics, biochemicals and textiles.”