A Final Evaluation of the National Forest Strategy

A Final Evaluation of the National Forest Strategy

prepared for:

National Forest Strategy Coalition

prepared by:

Independent Expert Panel

October, 2002

CONTENTS

page

Acronym List

The Panel's View

1

Introduction

9

Analysis by Commitment

17

Strategic Direction One

The Forest Ecosystem: Multiple Values

17

Strategic Direction Two

Forest Management: Practicing Stewardship

23

Strategic Direction Three

Public Participation: Many Voices

31

Strategic Direction Four

The Forest Industry: A Global Competitor

39

Strategic Direction Five

Forest Science and Technology Management: A Team Approach

51

Strategic Direction Six

Communities and the Workforce: Living with Change

57

Strategic Direction Seven

Aboriginal Peoples: Issues of relationship

65

Strategic Direction Eight

Private Woodlots: A Growing Opportunity

79

Strategic Direction Nine

The Global View: Canada on Stage

87

Appendix 1 Websites Appendix 2 General Overview of Forest Management Standards and Certification

ACRONYM LIST

AAC ADM AFPA ATFS CCFM

CEN CFA CFAB CFI CFS

CFWO CGFA C&I CIDA CIFFC

CMHC COFRA

CRCI CSA EMEND

EMS FAO

FEC FERIC FORCAST Forintek FM

FNFP FPAC FSC GHG GPS HRDC IDRC IFF IFPP IPF ISO IUFRO JPRF MOU MRA

Annual Allowable Cut Assistant Deputy Minister American Forest and Paper Association American Tree Farm System Canadian Council of Forest Ministers

Canadian Environmental Network Canadian Forestry Association Canadian Forestry Accreditation Board Canada Foundation for Innovation Canadian Forest Service

Canadian Federation of Woodlot Owners Corporation de Gestion de la For?t de l'Aigle Criteria and Indicators Canadian International Development Agency Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Committee of Forest Research Agencies

Costa Rica/Canada Initiative Canadian Standards Association Ecosystem Manageme nt Emulating Natural Disturbance

Environmental Management System Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Forest Ecosystem Classification Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada Forestry Coalition for the Advancement of Science and Technology Forest Industry Technology For?t Montmorency, Universit? Laval

First Nation Forestry Program Forest Products Association of Canada Forest Stewardship Council Greenhouse Gas Global Positioning System Human Resources Development Canada International Development Research Centre Intergovernmental Forum on Forests International Forestry Partnerships Program Intergovernmental Panel on Forests International Organiza tion for Standardization International Union of Forestry Research Organisations John Prince Research Forest Memorandum of Understanding Mutual Recognition Agreement

NABFOR National Advisory Board on Forest Research

NAFA

National Aboriginal Forestry Association

NAFC

North American Forestry Commission

NFI

National Forest Inventory

NFIS

National Forest Information System

NFS

National Forest Strategy

NFW

National Forest Week

NGO

Non-governmental organization

NRC

National Research Council

NRCan

Natural Resources Canada

NSERC

National Sciences and Engineering Research Council

NRTEE

National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy

Paprican Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada

PEFC

Pan European Forest Certification Council

SARA

Species at Risk Act

SFI

Sustainable Forestry Initiative

SFM

Sustainable Forest Management

SFMN

Sustainable Forest Management Network

SIMFOR a decision support tool designed to help managers and researchers evaluate

the impacts of forest harvesting scenarios against landscape and habitat indicators

SSHRC

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

S&T

Science and Technology

TCF

Tree Canada Foundation

TTC

Teslin Tlingit Council

UNFF

United Nations Forum on Forests

WHC

Wildlife Habitat Canada

WNMF

Western Newfoundland Model Forest

WWF

World Wildlife Fund

1

THE PANEL'S VIEW

For the Final Evaluation of the 1998-2003 National Forest Strategy, the Independent Expert Panel assembled information from the signatories to the Canada Forest Accord and a sample of non-signatories. In addition the Panel conducted a set of site visits to review specific on-the-ground projects underway in all parts of Canada. These projects provide examples of activities contributing to the objectives of the nine Strategic Directions. Using this information, we reviewed the progress made on each of the 121 commitments of the National Forest Strategy. There has been substantial progress made on 37 commitments, some progress on another 76 commitments, little progress in 6 commitments and only 2 commitments showed no progress in this five-year period. The panel recognizes the significant advancement in forest practices in Canada over the past 15-20 years. This report must be viewed in the context that the Panel's assignment was to report on additional progress made in Canada over the five-year period 1998-2003.

Over the past five years, rapid change has continued in the Canadian forest and forest products sector. Forest management objectives, and techniques for achieving those objectives, have developed rapidly over this period. At the same time, the Canadian public's expectations regarding sustainable forest management have been growing. Although most of the Strategy's commitments continue to be relevant for future forest management, the Panel believes that how they are expressed in future needs to be reconsidered. On the one hand, actions by forest managers, advances in forest science and technology, and changes in Canadian society with respect to expectations of "our forests" will require a new statement of forest management objectives. On the other hand, the Panel feels that any future Strategy needs to be expressed in a way that can be more easily understood with clear targets and timetables. The current Strategy, with 121 commitments, tends to lose coherence; professional forest managers, and more importantly, the general public, whose support is critical, cannot grasp its intentions easily.

Canada has set very high standards in the National Forest Strategy. Achieving these goals requires a commitment by many private sector, government and non-governmental organizations. The evidence suggests that many participants in the forest community have accepted the challenge and are working hard to meet it. Canada's progress is being recognized by officials in other countries as indicated by a recent Council of Europe report. The National Forestry Strategy process is being suggested as a good model of forest management for countries in Europe and elsewhere to follow1. This is not to say that Canada can now rest on her laurels, for as is pointed out in this report, much remains to be done to achieve sustainable forest management. Indeed, forest management is a constantly evolving process in response to our increasing knowledge of the functions of forest ecosystems and the interface with human interventions.

1 Council of Europe, Committee on the Environment and Agriculture, Forest management in Canada and co-operation with Europe, Doc. 9289, 7 December 2001.

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