Boreal Forest Management
The boreal (or "northern") forest is a vast area stretching through Canada, Alaska, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia.
It is home to the world's largest populations of caribou, wolves, grizzly bears and lynx. It is also the breeding ground
for an estimated one-third of North America's land birds and 40 percent of its waterfowl. About 70 percent of the boreal
forest remains undeveloped.
The Canadian boreal includes a rich variety of grasslands, tundra, rocky outcrops and extensive wetlands. Three-quarters
of Canada's forest is in the boreal, dominated by hardy coniferous trees well suited to the short growing season, cold winters
and fire cycles.
MANAGING CANADA'S BOREAL FOREST IS A PUBLIC AFFAIR
Most of Canada's forests are publicly owned. We license forest land from provincial governments for renewable
terms of 20 to 25 years. As of January 2012, we hold licenses to roughly 13.9 million acres (5.6 million hectares)
of forestland in Canada. About 7.1 million acres (2.88 million hectares) is within the boreal forest. Although Canadian
provinces are ultimately responsible for land-use decisions and the management of the boreal forest, in reality, both industry
and governments work together to develop forest management plans. Forest research is another area where governments and
industry work together to improve and better understand the boreal forest, and in many areas the hands-on management of
forests is carried out by companies such as Weyerhaeuser. Provincially approved forest management plans are prepared in
consultation with others, including aboriginal and local communities, tourist outfitters, trappers, anglers and hunters,
as well as other industries such as oil, gas and mining. Forest management plans represent the balancing of multiple objectives,
including sustainable forest management, economic benefits and ecological values.
After producing wood products for the benefit of communities and the economy for more than a century, 91 percent of Canadian
land that was originally forested continues to support a growing forest. This is a higher percentage than in any other forested
nation. Canada also has the largest area of protected forest in the world, including 69 million acres (28 million hectares)
of the boreal forest. Approximately 8 percent of Canada’s forest is protected by legislation while roughly 40 percent of
the total land base is subject to different degrees of protection such as integrated land use planning, or defined management
areas such as certified forests.
FIRE IS A DOMINANT FORCE IN THE BOREAL FOREST
The boreal forest is subject to frequent and large natural disturbances. These include insects and disease, but the primary
force is fire, which regularly burns through large areas of the boreal.
Because fire is such a common feature, few boreal forest stands reach 200 years in age. Trees in the boreal are nowhere
near the size of their coastal counterparts. In fact, Taiga—the word sometimes used by scientists to describe the boreal
ecosystem—is a Russian word meaning "land of little sticks." In some areas of the boreal, mature trees are often less than
6 inches (15 centimeters) in diameter. Larger trees, usually in southern areas around water, may reach up to 24 inches (60
centimeters) in diameter.
WE HARVEST LESS THAN ONE PERCENT
Our 2011 harvest in the boreal forest was 0.2 percent of the forest area we manage. We strive to harvest in a
way that emulates natural disturbances such as fire. For example, we leave variable edges and clumps of trees in harvested
areas. We also leave buffer strips of trees along scenic routes and streams, lakes, other water bodies and other ecologically
sensitive areas.
After harvest, we take three approaches to reforestation: planting seedlings, spreading seed, and leaving trees to drop
seed or sprout from roots. For example, black spruce and jack pine will come back quickly from seeds alone, whereas white
spruce requires planting of young seedlings. White spruce seedlings are grown for a year in greenhouses before being planted
in harvested areas. Birch regenerates naturally with sprouts from the stump.
WILDLIFE ARE CONSIDERED IN FORESTRY PLANNING
As a result of continued natural disturbance in the boreal forest, most bird and animal species are adapted to change. Different
animals are adapted to different habitat types. Some species move out of an area after fire or harvest, while others—preferring
open areas and young plant growth—move in. Wolves, grizzly bear, moose and elk are examples of animals that prefer
forest clearings and shrub-covered areas.
Some species require special attention. Woodland caribou, a threatened species in Canada, feed on lichen in the older-aged
boreal stands and require large areas of forest. In 2004, we initiated a five-year voluntary deferral of timber harvest
on 202,000 acres (82,000 hectares) used by caribou in Alberta. This deferral allowed time for us, governments
and others to conduct research and develop caribou recovery plans. Mountain pine beetle infestations have presented a new
threat, and our revised plan to address the pine beetle continues to incorporate caribou needs. Harvesting strategies
to reduce the risk of mountain pine beetle are expected to have minimal impact on important zones within caribou habitat.
Grizzly bear are another threatened species in Alberta. Since 2002, we have supported research into their habitat, determination
of population numbers and impact of mountain pine beetle on their range.
JOINING FORCES TO CONSERVE BOREAL WETLANDS
On May 18, 2010, the Forest Products Association of Canada announced a
Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA), a joint undertaking between FPAC members and a number of environmental nongovernmental
organizations. The agreement is intended to be a nationally and globally significant precedent for boreal forest conservation
and forest-industry competitiveness.
We are a longtime member of FPAC; have operations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario that are in the boreal forest;
and adhere to some of the highest forest practice standards in the world. We support the aim of balancing the economic,
social and environmental aspects of the forest and are one of the forest products companies that have agreed to sign the
agreement.
The CBFA is designed to achieve six strategic goals:
- World-leading on-the-ground sustainable forest management practices based on the principles of ecosystem-based management,
active adaptive management, and third-party verification
- The completion of a network of protected areas that, taken as a whole, represent the diversity of ecosystems within the
boreal region and serve as an ecological benchmark
- The recovery of species at risk within the boreal forests, including caribou
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the full life cycle from the forest to the end of product life
- Improved prosperity of the Canadian forest sector and the communities that depend upon it
- Recognition by the marketplace (e.g., customers, investors and consumers) of the CBFA and its implementation in ways that
demonstrably benefit FPAC members and their products from the boreal
All of the signatories to the CBFA, including us, have pledged to work together and
with all levels of government to find a workable balance among the needs of forest-dependent communities and the social
and environmental attributes of the boreal. We plan to participate fully in the implementation of this ambitious initiative
in a manner that respects all interests in the boreal.
For several years, we have also been working alone and with partners such as Ducks Unlimited Canada to support
habitat and wildlife conservation efforts. In 2006, Ducks Unlimited Canada and we agreed to jointly fund and conduct
research focused on waterfowl and wetland bird habitat on the lands we manage in Alberta.
We also support several boreal conservation projects, such as the development of science-based tools to
identify priorities for conservation. Identifying sensitive areas and adapting forest-management policies require public
support and government action, so we are also working to engage governments, communities and indigenous peoples
in these efforts.
