Forests in Canada

The Canadian forestry industry is a major contributor to the Canadian economy. With 42 percent of the land acreage of Canada covered by forests, the country contains 10 percent of the world's forested land, made up mostly of spruce, poplar and pine. Forests and forestry in Canada are managed by Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Forest Service, in cooperation with several organizations which represent government officials, policy experts and numerous other stakeholders. Extensive deforestation by European settlers during the 18th and 19th centuries has been halted by more modern policies, and today less than 1 percent of Canada's forests are affected by logging each year. Despite the low amount of land that is logged, Canada is the world's second-largest exporter of forestry goods, and the industry contributes significantly to Canada's surplus global balance of trade. Economic concerns related to forestry include greenhouse gas emissions, biotechnology, biological diversity and infestations of pests, such as the mountain pine beetle.

Government legislation protects about 8 percent of the forested area, of which less than 1 percent is logged annually; this latter portion is required to be reforested after being harvested. It is one of the five countries with the largest amount of forest, along with Russia, Brazil, China and the US; together, these countries control more than half of the world's forested land area.

Forests and forestry in Canada are managed by Natural Resources Canada, which controls natural resources issues, and the Canadian Forest Service, which conducts research and coordinates forestry policy at the national level. These organizations are assisted by the National Advisory Board on Forest Research, established in 1997 and focusing on strategic issues, and the Forest Sector Advisory Council, which represents the interests of the multitude of private, non-profit and academic stakeholders in Canadian forestry. The Canadian Council of Forest Ministers, composed of 14 ministers representing the federal government and the various provinces and territories, is the main tool for dissemination of national and international policy throughout the country.

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