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Doc. 9289
7 December 2001
Forest management in Canada and co-operation with Europe
Report
Committee on the Environment and Agriculture
Rapporteur: Mr Guillermo Martínez Casañ, Spain, Group of the European People's Party
Summary
Forests have always been an important resource. Once primarily a source of building materials and firewood, they are now regarded as a natural asset performing vital environmental, economic, social and cultural functions.
Renewable they may be, but forests require intelligent use and sustainable management to safeguard their biological diversity, productivity and potential to perform other functions. The ever clearer threat of climate change and the part that forests can play in absorbing greenhouse gases demand a new approach to forest management.
Together, the Council of Europe member states and Canada possess nearly 40% of the world’s forest resources. This gives them special responsibility for their preservation and management, and it is important that forest management policies in Canada and Europe adopt a common approach based on sustainable development.
In September 1999 a Parliamentary Assembly delegation visited Canada to find out about Canadian forest management and look into the possibility of increased co-operation with European partners. This report takes stock and makes proposals for joint activities.
I. Draft resolution
1. The earth’s forest resources are estimated at some 4,000 million hectares, covering nearly a third of the planet’s land mass. In the past they were valued mainly for the wood and by-products that they provided but now they are regarded as a natural resource, performing, among other things, a vital ecological function. It is essential therefore to preserve them all while ensuring that their important economic and social role is not undermined. Judicious management of our forests is one of the major challenges faced by our societies.
2. With 410 million hectares of forest, covering half of its territory, Canada possesses 10% of the world’s forests. Europe, for its part, possesses one third of the world’s forests, most of which (some 80%) are located in Russia. Russia alone has 23% of the world’s forest cover.
3. In 1992, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Canada and the member states of the Council of Europe and the European Union adopted the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 and signed the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Framework Convention on Climate Change, thus subscribing to a Statement of Forest Principles and recognising the need to ensure sustainable forest management.
4. The Parliamentary Assembly points out that sustainable management of forests means preserving their biological diversity, their productivity and their ability to fulfil their various functions without undermining other ecosystems.
5. It is also important to take account of the potential repercussions of climate change on forest ecosystems and the role that the latter can play in the implementation of policies in this area.
6. The Assembly is pleased that, as a result of the Canadian government’s invitation and hospitality and the welcome extended by the Federal Parliament and the authorities of the Provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, a delegation from the Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities1 was able to visit Canada in September 1999 to review the situation on the spot and meet the various parties involved in Canada’s forest management policy.
7. The Assembly delegation was able to gauge the role that the exploitation of forests plays in the Canadian economy and what it represents for industry, civil society and the other parties concerned.
8. The Assembly welcomes the fact that on two occasions since 1992 all the parties concerned (governments, industry, native communities, civil society, etc) have signed the Canada Forest Accord, under which they agreed to help implement the National Forest Strategy. This strategy, which runs for a five-year period, reflects Canada’s commitment to the sustainable management of its forests and its desire to establish co-operation and dialogue with both governmental and non-governmental partners.
9. The Assembly is also particularly concerned about the situation of Canada’s indigenous peoples and is aware of the importance that representatives of the First Nations attach to the forest, which is often a key element in their social, cultural and economic lives.
10. Accordingly it welcomes the increased commitment and determination of the Canadian authorities - both federal and provincial - to involve the indigenous peoples more closely in the management of natural resources, for which they are now assigned some responsibility. It particularly welcomes the decision to set up training courses for these peoples, designed to enable them to deal with every aspect of forest management.
11. The Assembly also notes the growing interest that civil society in general and environmental groups in particular are taking in forest management. It is important for the public to be informed of and - where possible - involved in natural resource management. Accordingly, it welcomes the steps taken in this direction by the federal government and some of the provinces.
12. Furthermore, in its belief that the future of the forests and the communities that depend on them lies in increased international co-operation, Canada has chosen to play an equally active part in the framing of international agreements of relevance to forests, such as the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
13. As early on as the Rio Conference in 1992, it highlighted the need to set standards and indicators making it possible to arrive at a common definition of sustainable forest management and assess the implementation of sustainable management policies. Since then, Canada has taken an active part in the Montreal Process, which brings together the representatives of various non-European countries wishing to co-operate on this issue.
14. The Assembly welcomes this because it is convinced that all successful forest management policies have to be devised on the basis of criteria deriving from reliable and comprehensive data. It also considers that the discussions that have already been launched at various levels in Europe are particularly worthwhile and that this work may give rise to a legal instrument which would serve the purpose of establishing a number of conditions required to ensure sustainable forest management.
15. The Assembly is also pleased that Canada is involved in international co-operation on technological research and development in this field. Advances in research, information and communication are an essential factor in improving sustainable resource management and methods of combating threats to forests such as fire, disease, insects or indeed inappropriate practices.
16. Bearing in mind that, between them, Canada and the Council of Europe member states possess nearly 40% of the world’s forests and that there are many similarities between the situation of the Canadian and Russian forests, particularly as regards their structure, nature and composition, the Assembly considers it important to promote co-operation - especially at parliamentary level - in this field, on questions of specific interest to the various parties involved.
17. In the light of the foregoing, the Assembly:
i. encourages Canada to continue in its efforts to set up a sustainable forest management policy resulting from a broad-ranging dialogue with all the groups concerned, while continuing to respond positively to calls for increased dialogue with local communities, civil society and non-governmental organisations;
ii. requests therefore that it take account of the concerns expressed by the public regarding forestry practices in certain regions and that it look into the possibility of increasing the number of protected areas in order to preserve an irreplaceable heritage;
iii. stresses that while Canada has a duty to safeguard the economic role of its forests, it must refrain from any forest management practices which might threaten the survival of environmentally vulnerable areas or the conservation of forests which represent an important cultural and ecological heritage;
iv. invites Canada to persist in and enhance its major role in international co-operation in this area by continuing to make its expertise and skill available to other countries;
v. considers that it would be particularly worthwhile establishing co-operation projects between Canada and those Council of Europe member countries which, like Russia for example, have a similar forest heritage;
vi. points out that it is particularly important to step up research and share knowledge and experience of major problems such as forest fires, disease and insects;
vii. asks Canada and the Council of Europe member states to consult one another on the definition of standards and indicators and to continue supporting the stance taken by Canada since 1992 and by the European Union, calling for an international agreement on forests setting out common forest management principles while respecting the diversity of forests;
viii. asks the Council of Europe member states to ensure that their national or sub-national forest programmes are in conformity with the forestry principles adopted at the Rio Conference in 1992. These programmes are essential tools for the implementation of decisions taken by member states under international conventions such as those on climate change, biodiversity and desertification;
ix. points out that within the European Union, although forest management is the responsibility of the member states, many of the activities carried out as part of existing common policies have a major impact on forests. The European Union can therefore make a major contribution in this respect, particularly in the establishment of standards and indicators for the sustainable management of European forests and in the preparation of a legal instrument on the subject;
x. wishes to contribute to parliamentary co-operation in this field by organising meetings on specific subjects with the national parliaments concerned.
II. Explanatory memorandum by Mr Martínez Casañ
Contents
1. Introduction
1.1 Background to the report
1.2 Preparatory work
2. Canadian forests
2.1 Physical properties / geographical distribution / specification
2.2 Historical data (developments in patterns of ownership, organisation and management, factors in change)
2.3 Economic, social and environmental functions
3. Stakeholders in Canadian forest management
3.1 Institutional level
3.2 Non-institutional level
4. Actions at federal level – programmes for sustainable forest management
4.1 The Canada Forest Accord and the National Forest Strategy 1998-2003
4.2 Criteria and indicators for sustainable forest-management
4.3 Certification of sustainable forest management practices
4.4 The Canadian Model Forest Network
5. First Nations and forests in Canada
6. Canada and international co-operation on forests
6.1 International convention on forests
6.2 Convention on Biological Diversity
6.3 Criteria and indicators for conservation and sustainable management of forests in temperate and boreal regions outside Europe (Montreal Process) and Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (Pan-European Forest Process)
7. Evaluation, conclusions and proposals
Appendix 1: Programme and participants at the Hearing on Forest Management in Canada and co-operation with Europe
Appendix 2: Programme of the study visit to Canada
Appendix 3: Forests in the Russian Federation
Bibliography
1. Introduction
1.1. Background to the report
1. In May 1998, on the initiative of Paul Staes, a Belgian Senator and former member of the Committee, a number of Assembly members presented a motion for a resolution on deforestation of temperate rainforests and Canada’s responsibility (see Doc. 8106).
2. This text reflected the controversy then raging in Canada, which had also attracted attention outside, on forest management in Canada, and particularly British Columbia. It focused on the massive exploitation of rainforests by companies which it accused of unhesitatingly sacrificing centuries-old trees for purely commercial reasons.
3. The Committee, to which the motion was referred, decided to prepare a report and asked me to undertake that task. Feeling that neither the Committee nor the Assembly should add fuel to the flames by becoming directly involved in this argument, I suggested that the report be broadened to cover Canadian forest policy in general and possibilities for co-operation between Canada and Europe.
4. The Committee accepted this, and decided to prepare a report which would :
- make a general, exhaustive and critical survey of Canadian forest policy;
- draw from this survey any lessons which might be useful for Council of Europe member states in similar situations;
- make proposals designed to develop or initiate co-operation between Europe and Canada in this field, specifically through the presence of a Canadian delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly.
5. Moreover, given that the report concludes with proposals to develop co-operation on forest matters, it has been decided to add some information (see sections of boxed text) about forest management in European Union and Council of Europe countries.
1.2 Preparatory work
6. Realising the extent of the ground to be covered and also that the situation in certain areas - British Columbia, for instance - called for special attention, I suggested that we should concentrate on forest management in two provinces: Quebec and British Columbia. The fact-finding visit (see below) also took in Ontario.
1.2.1 The Paris hearing (21 May 1999)
7. To gain an impression of the situation and prepare for the fact-finding visit, the Committee organised a parliamentary hearing, attended by the people mainly responsible for implementing Canadian forest policy in British Columbia and Quebec, in Paris on 21 May 1999. The programme and list of participants are contained in Appendix 1.
8. At the hearing, the Committee was able to see how the Canadian Parliament’s House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Government Operations was monitoring these issues, and was told about its recent fact-finding visit to British Columbia. In his report, the Committee’s representative, Mr. John Duncan - himself a former professional forest manager in that province - said that a recent survey had shown that the public trusted the professionals, and had suggested that non-governmental organisations had less credibility in Canada than they did in Europe.
9. The representatives of both the federal and the provincial authorities emphasised the ways in which Canadian forest policy had changed since the early 1980s, moving from intensive exploitation to integrated management of forests, the aim being to foster sustainable development, marrying ecosystem conservation with economic and social development.
10. Against this background, Quebec’s Associate Deputy Minister for Forestry explained the principles of the Forest Act and presented the chief regulatory instruments on forests, which have brought numerous improvements to the Act since it was passed in 1986. Mr Ledoux laid special emphasis on consultation of the public and sustainable management of forests.
11. The representative of the National Association of Native Peoples for Forests (NAFA) spoke of his association’s determination to defend the rights of native peoples in respect of forest resources, e.g. the right to be consulted, access to resources, participation in forest management and a share in the profits that such management generated.
12. Although progress had been made, much still remained to be done to involve the native peoples in the economic life of the country.
13. Notable among the statements made by NGO representatives was that made by the Greenpeace spokesman, who took up the terms used by Mr. Staes in his resolution and particularly condemned the practice of clear felling, which, in British Columbia, would lead in the medium term to the disappearance of forests at present untouched, and affect areas with a wide variety of species.
14. The various discussions made it clear that forest management plays a vital role in Canada’s economy, making policy decisions in this area an obvious target for criticism. The situation in British Columbia is particularly marked by the fact that the forest is unusually dense, and the trees are very large. The area thus has all the assets: high-quality timber and exceptionally beautiful, well-stocked and varied forests. This gives the various forces in play - economic, political and environmental - special significance.
15. The way in which the various authorities - federal and provincial - connect was discussed, as was Canada’s compliance with its international obligations.
1.2.2. The fact-finding visit (5-15 September 1999)
16. In accordance with the timetable for preparation of the report and at the Government of Canada invitation, a delegation led by myself visited Canada to inspect the situation on the ground and talk to the various people in charge of forest management.
17. The delegation started its visit in Ottawa, where it had various meetings with the federal authorities, both governmental and parliamentary, and went on to Quebec and Ontario, ending its tour in British Columbia. Its programme and membership are detailed in Appendix 2.
18. The purpose of the visit to Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, was to observe the application of forestry practices on the spot and see the achievements testifying to the efforts made by these three Provinces in view of the sustainable development of forests.
19. This visit, as was the case in the other Provinces, also enabled the delegation to exchange views with forest managers, researchers, decision-makers, forest industrialists and aboriginal peoples representatives.
1.2.3 Information sources
20. My sincere thanks are due to the Canadian federal authorities, the provincial governments and the parliamentary authorities for the wide-ranging and up-to-date information material they sent me, which allowed me to take account of different viewpoints and of various aspects of the problem.
21. As the Bibliography indicates, I also consulted various documents produced by Canadian and international non-governmental organisations, professional organisations, independent research institutes and international organisations.
22. The support and helpfulness of the various individuals and groups I contacted made it possible for me to tackle my task effectively, bringing to it all the impartiality and balance which the preparation of such a report demands.
2. Canadian forests
2.1 Physical properties / geographical distribution / specification
23. Forests are very important in Canada. With a total area of some 416 million hectares, the country’s forests account for approximately half the total national territory (921.5 million hectares) and 10% of the world’s forests.
24. Most of these forests (67% of the total) are made up of conifers; deciduous trees account for 15%, and the remaining 18% are mixed. Canada has an important proportion - 14% - of the world’s conifers.
25. The forested area - 416 million hectares - breaks down as follows:
· there are 235 million hectares of commercial forest, producing timber and a broad range of other products (from maple syrup to Christmas trees…);
· 119 million hectares, or 28.5% of the total, are used to produce timber only;
· the remainder, some 61 million hectares has not been accessed or allocated for timber.
1 million hectares, or 0.4% of the total, are harvested every year;
26. It should be noted that in addition to the commercial vocation of these forests, the Canadian population spend their leisure time in forests for recreational and tourist activities like hunting, fishing, camping, boating..
27. One feature of Canadian forests is the major disparity between regions. The west coast has a climate which makes for bigger trees, and so has more sawmills and uses its forest resources more effectively. The disparity is already clear from the fact that British Columbia, covering 10% of the country’s total area, has 50%, in volume, of its standing conifers, 45% of its timber harvest and 67% of its sawn timber exports.
28. In ecological terms, the country has eight forest regions, each with its own distinctive pattern of animal and plant species. None the less, although some 180 different tree-types are recorded, the cold northern and temperate zones are responsible for the fact that biodiversity is relatively low. In fact, Canada has half as many tree species as France, although France is twenty times smaller.
29. For the same climatic reasons, biodiversity is far more developed on the west coast (British Columbia), which benefits from the mild influence of the Pacific and from differences in altitude.
30. The average life-span of forests varies from region to region, declining progressively from west (over 160 years) to east. These differences are mainly due to differences in the longevity of species and differences in the frequency of natural disturbances.
31. It is in the wake of these disturbances, e.g. fires or insect epidemics, that the capacity of forests to regenerate themselves naturally can be gauged.
32. In Quebec three main forest zones are distinguished: broadleaf forest, mixed forest and boreal forest. The latter, making up 80% of Quebec’s forests, a hardy ecosystem in which the black spruce predominates.
33. During the visit, the experts contacted drew attention to the natural processes of regeneration, which is very prolific under mature forest cover. In addition, almost 80% of forests have satisfactory regrowth after harvesting operations conducted so as to safeguard the regeneration occurring in the understorey. Deforestation is therefore considered necessary only for 20% of timberland.
34. Concerning harvesting, various systems are employed in Canada, e.g. clearcut, partial cutting or shelterwood clearcut2.
35. Clearcut harvesting, intensively practised in boreal forests, favours the natural regeneration of communities of deciduous species. However, this harvesting method, which still accounts for slightly over 80% of all timber harvesting activities in Canada, is severely criticised by environmentalists and the public, who deplore the landscape damage it causes; It is gradually giving way to other methods.
36. Indeed, largely because of public pressure, but also because more is now known about forest ecosystems, major changes have been made in forest management policy, which now includes conservation of forest habitats, soil protection and landscape preservation among its chief priorities.
37. Some provinces have laws to protect particularly vulnerable felling zones where, for example, nearby rivers or steeply sloping terrain may make landslides, flooding or other natural disasters a danger after felling.
38. Quebec has implemented for example, as from 1995 (year when the forest protection strategy was adopted), a number of measures including prohibition al all forestry development on certain vulnerable sites, compulsory replacement of conventional clear felling by felling method which cater for regeneration and soil conservation, and mandatory public consultation on forestry development plans.
39. In the present situation and taking account of that evolution of the forest policy, we can note that about 7,6% of the forests are located in protected areas.
40. The European continent has almost 1,040 million hectares of forest which - together with other woodland - covers almost 30% of its surface area. European forest is characterised by a large variety of climatic, geographic, socio-economic and ecological conditions. With an afforestation rate of 44%, Russia alone has 941.5 million hectares of forest, which make up 23% of the total area of woodland in the world. The European Union has 130 million hectares – about 36% of its territory. European forests are very varied and they can be subdivided according to their ecological features into many vegetation zones, from the sub-Mediterranean zone to the Arctic belt and from coastal plains to the Alpine zone. In the European Union, 65% of forest estate is privately held by 12 million owners. The remainder is shared in equal parts between central governments and local authorities. As the number of owners is large, the private forests are fragmented and most of the areas worked are smaller than 5 hectares. However, the situation is not uniform across the Union. In Greece and Ireland, for example, about two thirds of the forests are state-owned. In Belgium, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, France and Germany, the local authorities own large areas of forest. Moreover, almost 13% of the EU’s forests are considered unsuitable for timber harvesting because of access difficulties, low productivity of the tree population or restrictions imposed to conserve protected areas. The candidate countries of central and eastern Europe have some 34 million hectares of woodland, which means the surface area of woodland in the EU is set to increase by 25%. It is estimated that a third of this area will be privatised, creating 3-4 million new businesses. As for Russia, its forests and unhewn timber production are entirely state-owned, although the forestry industry is almost completely privatised (see Appendix 3).
2.2. Historical data (developments in patterns of ownership, organisation and management, factors in change)
41. In Canada, unlike the majority of great forest countries, most forest land is publicly owned. Compared with other countries, and particularly certain European countries, very little forest is privately owned. While 46% of Germany’s forests, and 72% of Finland’s, are privately owned, Canada’s 425,000 private owners account for only 6% of all its forests.
42. The other 94% is publicly owned, either by the federation (23% of the total) or the provinces (71%).
43. Private forests are nearly all commercial, but most of the public forests are non-commercial. Of the commercial forests, 80% are owned by the provinces, while 12% are privately, and 8% federally, owned.
44. The forest has always been an important factor in the economic and general life of Canada, but the uses made of it have changed with the passing of time. The original inhabitants relied on it for most of their life-sustaining resources and, when the Europeans arrived, it continued to play a central role in the life of the community, in terms both of vital needs and the economy.
45. In the late eighteenth century, timber became one of the country’s most valuable products. Undressed timber was sold in vast quantities, but there was also a flourishing trade in wood products, such as pulp for paper-making, bark, etc.
46. It was in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that forestry and forest clearance developed on a major scale. There were various reasons for this: the need to clear land for building purposes, the booming timber trade, delegation to the provinces of responsibility for working their own resources, and their establishment of an intensive forest industry.
47. It was only towards the end of the nineteenth century that people began to worry about these resources, to wonder how long timber stocks would last and to question the speed of the forests’ disappearance. It was also at this time that the first agencies and ministries were set up to manage forests and, in particular, monitor the industry.
48. From the 1930s to the 1980s, the main aim of Canada’s forest policy was to maintain output.
49. In the last twenty years or so, the forests have become the focus of a host of activities, going well beyond timber-production to include the development of energy resources, tourism, road-building, etc.
50. Some people claim that both the quantity and quality of Canada’s forest heritage are still in clear decline, even though the country has for some years seemed determined - at international, federal and provincial level - to introduce projects and policies aimed at sustainable development of its forests.
51. As others have already done before me, I shall attempt to assess the situation as objectively as I can, with a view to identifying problems and - when appropriate - suggesting solutions.
2.3 Economic, social and environmental functions
52. The forest is of fundamental importance to Canada, and its functions are varied. Having always been a central component of the economy, it is also acquiring a social function in that it represents one of the biggest labour catchments.
53. In fact the timber industry, very important to virtually all regions of the country, forms the economic mainstay of about 300 communities. As an indication of its importance in both social and economic terms, suffice it to say that one in sixteen jobs in Canada depends on the forestry sector and that net experts of forestry products represent the greater part of the national goods trade (...%) and 19% of the world's wood products exports.
54. For over 20 years, forestry policy has been enhanced by an environmental dimension, the outcome of general realisation of the importance of natural resources and the perils to which they are subjected.
55. Accordingly, qualitative management of the resource, the need for integration of forestry policy into a broader sustainable development policy, advancement of research-related activities, preservation of biodiversity and inclusion of environmental components have been receiving closer attention. Furthermore, awareness that all bear responsibility in sustainable management of resources has led to greater involvement of civil society, which is now recognised as entitled to be consulted as well as informed.
56. In the European Union, there are 242,000 forestry enterprises (94% of them have fewer than 20 employees). With 2.4 million jobs, the forestry sector accounts for 5% of the total number of agricultural and industrial jobs in the European Union. EU production is worth about €150 billion a year. With the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, the European Union has become the world’s second biggest producer of wood pulp, paper, cardboard and panels. It is also the largest importer of forestry products and the third largest exporter of forestry products in the world.
3. Stakeholders in Canadian forest management
57. Canadian policy on forests is framed, implemented and developed at both an institutional and a non-institutional level. What is more, there are often numerous agents with a variety of powers at the same level.
58. On the institutional side, forest management is shared between the Federal Government, the Provinces and the territories. The Canadian Constitution grants the Provinces management of 71% of the country's forests, as against 23% to the Federal Government.
59. Nonetheless, it should be emphasised that the Federal Government is significantly active in this field, at both national and international level.
60. Concerning this institutional level, it is quite proper that the rapporteur should wish to highlight the extent of parliamentary action which, at both federal and provincial level, closely follows issues relating to all facets of this sector.
61. As regards the non-institutional sector, it is important to distinguish the "operators", whether private owners, who manage 6% of Canadian forest territory, or industrial concerns, from researchers and academics and the representatives of civil society among whom the environmentalist NGOs play an especially significant part.
62. Almost 40% of the European Union’s forest belongs to the public sector (central governments and local and regional authorities). Some 18% of the woodland area in the EU is incorporated into farms and therefore seems to represent a significant contribution to agricultural activity. Moreover, in contrast to what has been confirmed in some Scandinavian countries and in North America, the European forestry industry owns only a very small proportion of forests.
3.1 Institutional level
63. As stated above, the Federal Government has a very active role in this area, despite the fact that only 23% of resources come under its direct responsibility. Bearing in mind the body for which this report is intended, special emphasis should be laid on the role performed by the Canadian Forest Service at the international level with numerous initiatives.
64. A significant factor registered at both federal and provincial level is the ever larger place given to the environmental component in forest management policies. This tendency, also affecting other sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and industry, is reflected in the introduction of environmental impact assessment procedures and adoption of sustainable development plans.
65. Although various processes of consultation and dialogue between the different levels help to provide a framework for the country's policy on forests, it should be noted that the Provinces are free to manage the forest in their territory in accordance with their own priorities and their own economic or social requirements, and to enact their own laws, standards, regulations and other instruments for this purpose.
66. As an example of dialogue and consultation machinery, let us mention the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCMF), constituting a valuable intergovernmental discussion forum which can help co-ordinate the provincial/territorial and federal levels concerning national goals for sustainable development.
67. The situation in Europe is similar to the situation in Canada, in that public institutions generally have substantial influence, with varying degrees of involvement in private sector activities. Without going into detail, it can be observed that the organisation of a country’s forest policy is linked to the general way the state is organised. Where there is a high degree of centralisation, the institutions are national ones; where regionalisation exists or is being introduced, regional institutions exist or are being developed. It is important to emphasise that, at European level, forest policies are evolving in line with the general organisation of the state and the way it is changing (increased regionalisation, sustainable development policies, consideration of biodiversity and environment problems). At present, four out of the 15 European Union countries are organised on a regional basis: Germany, Belgium, Italy and Spain. The others still have a centralised policy, although within this group there can be substantial differences between one country and another. Of the countries with regional structures, a distinction should be made between Belgium and Italy - which are totally regionalised - and Germany and Spain, where the federal structure means that central government retains substantial influence in national policy-making. Public institutions generally have a dual function: they act as forest authorities, making sure that regulations are implemented, and they are responsible for the management of public forests. Where this is not the case, they share these functions either with local and regional authorities or with organisations that are dependent on central government.
3.1.1. The Ministry of Natural Resources - the Canadian Forest Service
68. As mentioned above, the Federal Government plays an important part in managing them.
69. Since the early 1980s, through the Canadian Forest Service, it has also been working with all the groups concerned on the preparation of policies and agreements aimed at sustainable management. It should be noted that it has set up a system of public participation (regional consultation forums) instrumental in the drawing up of a National Forest Strategy (1998–2003) whose aims are shared by fifty or so governmental and non-governmental organisations (see below).
70. The first national forest strategy, launched in 1981, was the outcome of negotiations between the federal, provincial and local authorities aimed at providing Canada with a high output forest management policy. In 1987 a new five-year national strategy was introduced to meet the demands of the time, which were for integrated management of Canada’s forest resources. 1992 saw the development of a further strategy resulting from broader consultation designed to take account of the views of governmental and non-governmental bodies concerned with Canadian forest management. This new five-year strategy was based on the principles of sustainable forest management whereby environmental, social and economic aspects are taken into consideration in all forest management decisions.
71. For the first time also, application of the Strategy was made subject to the Canada Forest Accord under which all the parties concerned committed themselves to achieving the objectives set by the new strategy. This further period of collaboration and co-operation between the various partners and players in the Canadian forest sector was renewed through the National Forest Strategy for 1998 to 2003 and the signature of a second Canadian forest accord.
72. The Federal Government also plays an important part in helping to make Canadian forest products more competitive on the world market. One aspect of this is investigating obstacles imposed by other countries and contesting them whenever they discriminate against Canadian products. Thus, it successfully staved off a European Commission proposal for compulsory labelling of wood products.
73. Through the Canadian Forest Service (CFS), the Federal Government has certain responsibilities in the matter of forest conservation under the laws on national parks, migrant species, navigable waterways and fish habitats. However, these responsibilities must be exercised consistently and must respect the provinces’ constitutional powers regarding forest management and land use.
74. The Federal Government is also responsible for concluding international agreements on protected areas and on the protection and conservation of biodiversity.
75. Finally, it is responsible for national forest research policy and for promoting forest technology. The Canadian Forest Service has set up ten science and technology networks for this purpose. Through them, it works with private sector and university partners to expand knowledge in this field, particularly on such vitally important questions as forest ecosystems, fire management, biodiversity and landscape development.
3.1.2. The Provinces
76. While the Federal Government represents Canada at international level and provides a platform for national discussion of all the relevant issues, the provinces are constitutionally responsible for managing most of the country's vast forests, working with the various groups involved (industrialists, owners, native peoples’ associations, environmental organisations, etc.) and trying to meet their expectations.
77. Every Province has its own policies, laws, regulations and programmes, and determines felling rights and management responsibilities on this basis.
78. The new concerns voiced by the various groups in recent years have obliged the provincial governments to adjust their policies and adopt the laws, regulations and standards required to manage forests in a way which reflects their multiple functions more fully.
79. Implementing sustainable forest development policies is thus largely a matter for the provinces, although they may also be tempted to make economic aims or job creation - and not sustainable management - their first priority.
80. The evolution of forestry policies, especially in Canada, is to the very fact that good management of the resource has become increasingly important. The policy most frequently advocated – in Quebec as in the other Provinces – is one which makes the economic aspect an integral part of a sustainable management technique which is to ensure preservation of the resource and participation by the user, but which must also meet the social and economic aspirations of populations groups, individuals and enterprises.
81. It is precisely because these decisions are taken solely by the provinces that policies may vary considerably from one to the next.depending on their economic, environmental, biological and social needs. National co-ordination is carried out through bodies and instruments such as the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers and the National Forest Strategy.
82. In practice, the provincial authorities do not manage their forests - or at least most of them - directly, but do this by granting tenure agreements.
83. Most of these concessions are long-running (usually 20 years) and cover large areas. They confer the right to harvest timber in accordance with the AAC (annual allowable cut) and specify the duties of concession-holders, e.g. road-building and measures to protect and regenerate forests. In Quebec, the AAC is fixed according to the sustainable yield to ensure that the present volume of timber harvested can be re-harvested annually in the short, medium and long term.
84. Most of these contracts or tenures are concluded with large companies which have extensive and varied production interests, ranging from sawmills to wood-pulp and paper factories.
85. In return for the right to work forests, these companies discharge the tasks specified in their contracts and pay the provinces fees determined by the market price of timber, which are proportional to the volume felled.
86. As a rule, the longer the contract, the more extensive the obligations. In some cases, obligations are shared, to varying degrees, between provinces and concession-holders; in others, as often in British Columbia, they are solely a matter for concession-holders.
87. The Provinces must also ensure that concession-holders respect their contracts. It is good to see that the present trend is towards contracts consistent with the aim of sustainable forest development.
88. Also in Quebec, for example, the 1987 Forest Act radically altered the forest management method and forestry practices. Its main principles are conformity with sustainable yield, protection of the resources of the forest environment, and their versatile use. Forest management responsibilities are shared between the Government of Quebec and the forestry industry; the Government grants Timber Supply and Forest Management Agreements (TSFMAs) entitling the holder to harvest a certain volume of timber per year, with the obligation to regenerate all harvested areas in return for this concession.
89. Furthermore, in 1994 Quebec adopted a Forest Strategy comprising new operating conditions aimed at greater respect for the environment and carrying the obligation for timber industry operators to consult the population on the planning of forestry activities.
90. In 1996 Quebec was the first province to undertake to develop its forests under sustainable conditions by introducing into its Forest Act a preliminary clause defining the purpose of the Act, namely to promote recognition of the forest heritage and sustainable management of forests. It also amended the Regulation respecting standards of forest management for forests in the public domain (RSFM) which prescribes the requisite measures and forestry practices for ensuring preservation of the multiple resources of the forest environment for the benefit of all users. The most significant changes observed include a substantial reduction of harvested areas, stricter protection of watercourses through complete elimination of sediment inflow, and the obligation to preserve natural regeneration and soils during harvesting. Also in 1996, the Ministry released an appraisal of biodiversity in the forest environment and undertook to pursue a management approach aimed at preserving biodiversity in managed areas.
91. In 1999 the Minister published "Sustainable forest management: a commitment for the future" and launched an educational series devised as part of the awareness-raising campaign on sustainable development of forests aimed at users of the forest environment.
92. One of the key points of Quebec's policy on forests is public consultation. In 1998 for instance, in a wide-ranging public consultation process under the control of the regional development boards, the public were invited to give their views on almost 60 proposals.
93. The summary of the consultation was made public in May 1999, while a second document confined to the views of native organisations and communities was published in December the same year.
94. In the light of the 500 or so memorials received, a bill and an information document on policy guidelines were tabled in the National Assembly of Quebec in the spring of 2000, with a view to adoption during 2001.
95. In addition, concerning protected areas, in June 2000 the Quebec government asked the Minister of the Environment to co-ordinate the work of an interministerial committee responsible for preparing a Quebec strategy for protected areas. The new strategy will be submitted jointly by the Minister of the Environment, the Minister responsible for Wildlife and Parks and the Minister of Natural Resources, for adoption during 2001.
96. British Columbia’s current regulatory framework for forests dates from 1 April 1997 and comprises a code of forest practices to regulate timber harvesting and other resource uses.
97. Some 95% of British Columbia’s area is Crown land placed under the constitutional authority of the provincial government which enters into contracts on the working and use of some 60 million hectares of forests with private companies and individuals. Forest management in British Columbia generates 95 000 jobs in forestry itself as well as 55 000 jobs in related or resultant activities.
98. To ensure responsible management of forests, British Columbia, introduced a comprehensive Forest Practices Code – supported by legislation – which promotes the conservation of biological diversity, soil, water, fish, and wildlife, and the consideration of scenic, cultural, recreational, economic and timber values in forest management. The Forest Practices Code applies to forest operations on all public lands. Compliance with the code is among the governments’ highest priorities, and the Ministry of Forests’ Compliance and Enforcement branch is responsible for carrying out inspections of forest operations.
99. Owing to the ecological and landscape value of forests for British Columbia, NGOs are very active. Greenpeace, the Sierra Legal Fund and other environmentalist organisations, often the instigators of public awareness and protest campaigns, have organised actions inter alia to induce the government to give up clearcut felling in favour of timber harvesting practices derived from ecoforestry which they consider would make for more diversified use of the forest.
100. In the last year, the Province has created over 300 new parks and protected areas, doubling its protected areas. This represents over 11 million hectares or 12% of the territory. New protected areas continue to be identified through a public land-use planning process. This process - underway or completed in 80% of British Columbia - includes all forest stakeholders, local communities, environmental groups, fisheries, indigenous people, forest industry representatives, government..
101. The Province of British Columbia, in cooperation with Canada and many aboriginal First Nations, is attempting to negotiate treaties that will clarify aboriginal rights and address the social, environmental and economic concerns of all parties. The underlying objectives of treaty-making are to establish defined treaty rights and to help First Nations’ communities become economically sustainable.
102. The Province is also negotiating “interim measures agreements” with First Nations to facilitate their involvement in resource management. In addition, First Nations are involved in joint ventures with the forest industry throughout British Columbia and a number of licences to harvest timber have been allocate to aboriginal groups.
103. When it visited Ontario, the Committee's delegation was given details of the changes which the province means to make in its forest policy. In spring 1999, the provincial government signed an agreement on Ontario’s forests and on the establishment of a trust fund. This agreement provides for active co-operation between the provincial authorities, industrialists and environmental organisations in protecting the province's natural resources.
104. Under the Accord, 378 new protected areas have been designated totalling 2.4 millions hectares. To compensate the forest companies for lost wood volume, the Ministry has committed support towards intensive forest management activities to allow more wood volume to be harvested on the remaining landbase. Environmental groups have vowed to continue to demand more protected areas, but the Accord constitutes a sound framework agreement within which future renegotiations can take place.
105. This demonstrates the resolve of the Province to accentuate a more definite ecological approach.
106. Ontario’s forests cover 74% of the Province and make up about 17% of the entire Canadian forest. They are mainly of boreal type, and the land under forest is typified by considerable variety of animal life and a large number of plant species.
107. The Province has initiated negotiations with a number of First Nation communities wishing to undertake active forest management in the area north of 51 north latitude, a region previously not available for harvesting under Ontario law. Some First Nations have reached agreement and have been granted licences to harvest and regenerate small areas of productive forests. The wood harvested will be either processed in small local sawmills or sold to larger lumber or pulp and paper companies. These agreements will result in the development of infrastructure (e.g. transportation routes) and local worker training
3.1.3. Parliaments
108. The parliaments have responded to pressure from the public, environmental organisations and industrialists by turning their attention to forest policy, with a view to making an objective assessment of the situation and, when appropriate, putting forward proposals.
The Senate
109. In November 1997, the Senate authorised its Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry to study the present state and future prospects of Canada’s forests.
110. The Committee decided to set up a Sub-Committee on Northern Forests to investigate various questions relating to exploitation of those forests. In June 1999, this sub-committee submitted its report, "Competing realities: the boreal forest in danger".
111. The report relies on information from various sources, and seems to side with those who suggest that current practices are reducing Canada’s forest heritage, even though the country appears, on paper, to be implementing a policy of sustainable development.
112. The Senate takes these two readings of the situation as its starting point and sets out to study Canada's present forest policy and establish whether, as presently conceived, it can lead to genuinely sustainable forest development - and, if it cannot, how it should be changed.
113. Substantial sections of the report are also devoted to environmental problems, the native peoples and international issues. Progress made in the last few years, developments in forest policy, and the main initiatives taken by Canada, particularly at federal level, are all covered.
114. However, the report stresses that, although forest policy has undergone a major change of direction, the present situation is worrying, since the changes seem certain to yield results only in a few years’ time - and everything suggests, at least where certain vital problems are concerned, that there is no time to be lost.
115. While recognising the environmental and heritage significance of forests, the Senate Sub-Committee was careful not to underestimate their economic importance.
116. In fact, the important role played in Canada’s economy by forest policy makes it vital to reconcile ecological and economic desiderata, while allowing for other factors too, e.g. the interests of the native peoples, and Canada’s position on the international market.
117. The world's northern forests, 10% of which are located in Canada, are exposed to multiple dangers, some of which may threaten their very existence.
118. There are many dangers: climatic change, owing to depletion of the ozone layer and acid rain, and over-exploitation, means too important pressures on forests.
119. Taking these two factors as its starting point, the Sub-Committee carried out a number of studies and arranged meetings and hearings for the purpose of finding solutions. Realising that useful lessons could be learned from other countries’ experience, it visited Finland and Sweden to study their forest policies.
120. On completing its work, it made 35 recommendations, suggesting in particular that the forest use regime should be based on a natural forest landscape and that apportions the boreal forest in three categories :
. the first, intensively developed for timber production, comprising up to 20% of the forest,
. the second and largest, which would be managed less intensively and essentially geared to the preservation of biodiversity,
. the third, up to 20% of the total, comprising specially protected areas, where ecological and cultural assets would be preserved;
The House of Commons
121. Around the same time, the House of Commons also focused on the question, and the Standing Committee on Natural Resources and the Standing Committee on Government Operations produced an interim report on “Forest Management Practices in Canada as an International Trade Issue” in June 1999.
122. The rapporteur was Brent St. Denis, then Chairman of the Committee.
123. While the Senate report deals with northern forests, the House of Commons report is mainly concerned with temperate rainforests in British Columbia.
124. The reason for this was that, following a campaign mounted in Europe, the United States and Japan by Greenpeace International, which had attacked the forest policy of Canada in general and British Columbia in particular, forest syndicates and companies had alerted the Committee to the possible consequences of that policy. In fact, Greenpeace was urging retailers to boycott timber from British Columbia.
125. At the request of local authorities and industrialists, the Committee accordingly decided to visit this mid-coastal region and talk to representatives of the various groups concerned.
126. In the light of these discussions, and also of Canada's efforts to introduce sustainable forest management policies, the Committee concluded that this was a question of the first importance.
127. It therefore decided to prepare a report and submit recommendations to the House of Commons. It also decided that the whole issue was important enough to warrant extending its investigations beyond British Columbia to the other provinces as well.
128. The introduction to the report outlines British Columbia's present forest policy and touches on the campaign, in which, since the early 1990s, several environmental organisations, Greenpeace prominent among them, have been particularly active in denouncing the province's forest policy in Europe and the United States, accusing British Columbia of destroying its forest heritage on a massive scale and promoting blind, intensive exploitation of its resources.
129. According to these organisations, felling far exceeds the forest's capacity to recover and will, if it continues at the present rate, have cleared the main valleys still intact today by 2020.
130. They accordingly demand that forest policy be totally rethought, clear felling banned, and an ecological approach to forestry adopted. They want the province to opt clearly for a comprehensive conservation policy, which would keep certain river basins intact and so help to preserve fauna, which are - they claim - seriously endangered today.
131. Since the Parliamentary Assembly delegation visit in September 1999, the Committee tabled in June 2000 his final report on “ Forest management practices in Canada as an international trade issue” which concludes with 11 recommendations. Five on them are on the question of the certification, and Six on the Federal Government role.
3.2 Non-institutional level
132. Canada has over 425 000 private woodlot owners. Those of whom who manage their forests, have in general to respect the norms and the rules of the Municipality where their lands are located.
133. Obviously not all private owners have elected to work their forests; an important part of privately owned forest remains unexploited by the owner's choice.
134. At the non-institutional level, still other stakeholders play a major part as regards forest policy, chiefly the industries which have been delegated the authority to work a certain area, trade organisations, the research sector and NGOs.
3.2.1 Private sector and industry
135. Private landholders own over 18 million hectares of wooded land, 6% of the total.
136. Private resources represent an important supply of commercial timber but they concurrently perform a vital function as wildlife habitats, reservoirs of biodiversity, carbon sinks and sources of clean water.
137. Private owners usually form associations in order to optimise the management of their resources and the sale of their products. One effect of this organisational method is possibly that private forests are considered the most productive and higher-quality. Indeed, although they represent only 6% of all Canada's forest, they account for 19% of national roundwood production (logs and pulpwood) and are still more significant for the other forest products sectors (maple syrup, firewood, Christmas trees).
138. In Quebec for example, the aim of the associations is the intensive management of forest resources on private land with a view to sustainable development. These bodies also contribute to the social and economic development of the regions by creating jobs and enriching the forest heritage. Their aims are to:
- create forest tracts by combining forest properties and take responsibility for their management, development, amenities, enhancement and conservation;
- develop all forest resources in order to exploit, use, transform and market them;
- acquire forest lands and rights to use public forest resources in order to conduct forestry activities;
- honour any contract for services within their competence.
139. The governments for their part, often in conjunction with the industry and other players, encourage this trend and offer the private sector incentives to invest their profits as a means of supporting sustainable forest management still more effectively. An example is "Forest Renewal BC", a British Columbia government corporation set up in 1994 to ensure that a large proportion of forest-derived wealth is ploughed back into the land, forestry sector employment and communities depending on the sector.
140. The timber industry works a specified public area of forest under the terms of an agreement with the Government which owns the resource, stipulating the obligation to manage it in return for harvesting rights.
141. In an economic perspective, it is plainly impossible to fully evaluate the socio-economic contribution of forests to Canadian society without taking into account all uses of the resources and the need to maintain competitiveness on world markets.
142. Now, in view of the globalisation of world markets, the future competitiveness of the Canadian forestry industry will depend partly on the responsiveness and adaptability of enterprises to the structural changes observed on domestic and foreign markets, and partly on the authorities establishing a fiscal and regulatory climate conducive to the prosperity of private enterprise.
143. In response to these concerns, certain initiatives have been launched, for example the programmes to encourage enterprise-workforce industrial partnerships, to increase employment potential and to improve productivity. Under programmes of this type, enterprises and trade unions negotiate a jointly devised strategic operating plan covering knowledge, information exchange, ongoing acquisition of knowledge, and upgrading of skills.
144. In Europe, private owners are not highly organised, probably because their holdings are small and therefore the forest accounts for a small proportion of their revenue. In addition, professional organisations do not play a significant role in the sector. In some EU countries, no professional organisations even exist, and their relative importance bears no direct relation to the importance of the private sector. Furthermore, in contrast to what the Parliamentary Assembly delegation observed in Canada, relations between owners and industrialists are practically non-existent. With regard to the European Union, it should nonetheless be emphasised that the situation in France and Germany is markedly more advanced, with substantial public intervention, public information programmes and training for professionals. In view of the trends which are taking shape in EU countries, a change in their national forest policies would also result in a stronger presence and role for professional organisations and forest owners.
3.2.2 Researchers and academics
145. Canada has become a benchmark for science and technology relating to forest management.
146. This forest management now encompasses a vast number of aspects and components which must be taken into consideration and which require more and more specialised factual knowledge. It implies some goals concerning non-timber resources, such as preservation of natural habitats and recreational values as well as fulfilment of the needs of forest-dependent individuals, communities and cultures.
147. Consequently, in Canada universities, research institutes and a variety of organisations engage in forest-related scientific and technological on subjects ranging from which includes natural habitats to cultures and aspects linked with the recreational or social function of the forest.
148. Aware of the importance of research for intensifying sustainable forest management, both the Federal Government and the Provinces have a deep commitment here which they pursue in relation to a wide range of topics.
149. It should still be remembered that the forestry institutes, like Canada's main forestry enterprises, realise what is at stake and also carry on applied research and development activities, usually in conjunction with federal, provincial and university institutes.
150. Another important point is that the relevance and application of research findings in this field basically depend on close relations being established between researchers and operators.
151. More than ever before, the forestry sector derives from science and technology the knowledge which it needs to adapt to the imperatives of sustainability and profitability. Scientific and technological work enhances the competitiveness of the forestry sector not only by developing new products and more productive methods but also by eliminating non-tariff barriers so that access to international markets is assured.
152. Research projects may often involve a mixed partnership, a telling example of which is the partnership between the Canadian Forest Service and certain research projects conducted by universities to develop and market bio-herbicides. This partnership resulted in the marketing of "bacillus thuringiensis", worth millions of dollars on the world pesticides market.
153. Where research activities are concerned, two initiatives of interest are worth mentioning: the Sustainable Forest Management Network of Centres of Excellence and the Canadian Model Forest Network. Each sets forth new ways of establishing partnerships between resource bodies, researchers, communities and interest groups.
154. In the research field, information exchange between organisations and researchers is at all times a crucial issue and a problem to be solved as a matter of priority. For that purpose, in 1997 the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers organised a national forum of science and technology leaders to develop a course of action to address forest sector science and technology needs. This was the origin of FORCAST (National Forest Science and Technology Course of Action), a private, non-profit entity whose task is to align science and technology with national priorities.
155. Research work can also be considered from different angle if reference is made to the activity of the Sustainable Forest Management Network which conducts cross-disciplinary research into sustainable forest management methods, policies and institutions.
156. The main pieces of research conducted in this framework have concerned natural disturbances of the boreal forest, development and evaluation of practical measures for preserving biodiversity and ecological integrity, and life cycle analysis to minimise environmental effects.
157. At the provincial level, research also constitutes a priority and is conducted under a concerted approach. Quebec, for instance, collaborates with partners through the agency of the Quebec Conseil National de la Recherche Forestière. The Ontario Forest Research Institute, one of the most recent and advanced institutes of its kind in North America, is based on partnerships and has a reputation as a leading-edge research centre on forest ecosystems.
158. In the European Union, a recent report by the European Parliament notes that all European countries except Luxembourg are developing research programmes which are more or less ambitious depending on the importance attached to forest issues. Hardly any basic research is being conducted, except in France, and it is fully dependent on government departments. Moreover, a study conducted by the European Parliament showed that efforts were very diffuse because there was little co-ordination or exchange of information. However, large research institutions are beginning to work more closely together and, at European Union level, there seems to be a growing desire to make European activity part of a common framework which would improve co-ordination. At present, European Union activity forms part of its programmes on agriculture and fisheries, environment and climate, and co-operation with third countries and international organisations.
3.2.3 Professional organisations
159. The quality of a forestry operation also depends on the qualification of the operators. On this point, the Provincial Governments are unanimous in requiring forestry professionals to have training which combines knowledge of theory, practice and ethics.
160. While each Province has legislation specific to each professional forestry organisation, it will be noted that the "forestry" profession is not yet firmly established in all parts of the country; only five Provinces have enacted a legislative framework specific to forest-dependent occupations, viz. British Columbia, Ontario, Alberta, Quebec and New Brunswick.
161. It should also be remarked that the respective legislation has markedly different implementing arrangements.
162. For instance, under the legislation of Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick the title of "Registered Professional Forester" is granted only to members of the Provincial Regulatory Body. The other two provinces, British Columbia and Quebec, recognise a right to practice forestry and a right to the title, meaning that the only persons qualifying for professional recognition do so by virtue of their membership of two other organisations, “L’Ordre des ingénieurs forestiers du Québec” and “The Association of British Columbia Professional Foresters (ABCPF)”.
163. Professional forestry practice in British Columbia comes under the authority of the ABCPF, whose principal function is certifying that its members are professionals possessing advanced practical knowledge in order to secure the public interest and the well-being of the population in British Columbia.
164. The professional organisations must also take into consideration the interdisciplinary nature of forest resource management. It is in fact observed that some of the occupations concerned presuppose diversified knowledge; forestry engineers require qualifications in agronomy as well as forest hydrology.
165. However, the tasks of these professional organisations can serve other requirements besides; for example, the Canadian Executive Service Organisation (CESO) runs a co-operation programme with forty developing countries and recruits forestry volunteers to fulfil their needs.
3.2.4 NGOs
166. A strong and extremely active commitment by environmental NGOs has developed significantly and has given rise to numerous actions for preservation and for the enhancement of forest sector planning.
167. The goal of these organisations is basically to ensure that the governments concerned redirect the forestry industry towards more substantial investment in the development of rural communities so as to diversity the economy and encourage more economical use of forest resources.
168. Certain environmental organisations, among which Greenpeace International has won special distinction, have been highly critical of forest management in Canada and especially of the policy implemented in British Columbia. Awareness-raising and protest campaigns have been organised in Europe in the last few years. Objections to harvesting of British Columbia's old rain forests have been widely echoed in Germany and the United Kingdom, and Greenpeace has pressured European consumers to stop buying timber products originating from British Columbian rain forests.
169. Such campaigns organised by environmentalist groups have also spread to the United States and maintain a high profile in Canada itself, especially in British Columbia. In December 1998 the Coastal Rainforest Coalition comprising Greenpeace, the Natural Resources Defence Council and the Rainforest Action Network published a full-page list in the New York Times naming enterprises which used wood from ancient forests in British Columbia.
170. Where actions in Canada are concerned, the NGOs preferentially target their campaigns to logging operations and their effects on landscape, resources and environment rather than to users of forest products.
171. After turning its attention to the wooded valleys of Vancouver Island in the early 1990s, a coalition of several organisations including Greenpeace is now concentrating its efforts on an extensive coastal region of British Columbia, the location of one of the last great expanses of as yet unexploited rainforest, a large part of which it wants to be placed under protection.
172. As regards actual timber harvesting, these organisations particularly condemn clear felling in the coastal forests and propose alternatives such as harvesting based on eco-forestry which would by the same token ensure more diversified use of the forest, ie for angling, tourism and recreational activities.
173. Furthermore, these organisations advocate redeploying the logging industry to achieve value-added production of a more labour-intensive and community-centred kind.
4. Actions at federal level – programmes for sustainable forest management
174. The Federal Government's role in relation to forests covers fields as varied as trade, international affairs, management of Federal land, science and technology.
175. While the Provinces, spurred by determination to improve forest management, have for one thing revised their legislative frameworks, they have taken initiatives along similar lines as industries and professional bodies have also done. Examples are adopting codes of good practice for sustainable forest development or allocating resources to the furtherance of more environmentally safe forestry technologies.
4.1 The Canada Forest Accord and the National Forest Strategy 1998-2003
176. Signed on 1 May 1998 by the Canadian Forest Ministers, the members of the Canadian forest community and the participants in the 1992 National Forest Congress, the National Accord on the forests has sustainable forests nationwide as its goal.
177. Taking for granted that Canada's forest is integral to the national environment, economy, culture, traditions, history and identity, the Accord holds that its care and stewardship are of concern to every Canadian.
178. Considering that a vital part of Canada's economy depends on the use of forests, not only in the wood and paper products sector but also for tourism, recreation, Christmas trees and maple products, the Accord recommends sound management and use of the forests and promotion of Canadian goods, services, technologies and expertise on world markets.
179. It also takes into account the special features of Canadian forests: the persons involved, notably Aboriginals and loggers, as well as the various classes of forests including private woodlots, all these principles being embodied in a series of thirteen "Commitments to Action" which constitute fairly definite ways to attain the goal of the Accord but are applicable only where "appropriate".
180. These various elements recur in more detail in the National Forest Strategy 1998-2003 drawn up by the CCFM (Canadian Council of Forest Ministers) defining common goals for the management of Canadian forests compatible with timber-felling and preserving the integrity, vitality and diversity of forest ecosystems. It put forward 9 strategic directions and 121 commitments.
181. The Strategy already has numerous positive results to its credit; most Provinces now make their Timber Supply and Forest Management Agreements subject to a prior declaration in which the enterprises must estimate the consequences of their operations for soil, wildlife and climate.
182. Thanks to its previous edition, covering the period 1992-1998, the Strategy enabled Canada to play a leading role and influence debates at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
4.2 Criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management
183. Pursuit of sustainable forest management is not possible without using criteria and indicators (C & I), which play a vital part in the implementation of all forest policies.
184. In 1993 the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) launched an initiative to determine and recognise sylvicultural values of importance in the public consciousness.
185. The criteria reflect the forest values which matter to the population, whereas the indicators measure the criteria and thus allow monitoring of progress towards sustainable management of forests.
186. Accordingly, in 1995 the CCFM adopted a framework of national criteria and indicators for sustainable forest development (see table on page 38 of the report "The State of Canada's Forests 1998-1999").
187. In 1997 an initial report assessed Canada's capacity to measure the sustainability of its forest resources.
188. In 2000, the CCFM published its first report on the forest sustainability, based on criteria and indicators. Its title is “Criteria and indicators of Sustainable Forest Management in Canada: national progress report 2000”
189. This work at national level enables Canada to be fully involved in comparable international initiatives (see below: Montreal Process).
4.3 Certification of sustainable forest management practices
190. The industry, under forest management agreements with provinces, operates in a highly regulated forest management environment. Canadian forest companies are making major efforts to respond to their customers by providing them with more information about their forest stewardship, including through the use of forest certification schemes. Forest certification represents a major challenge given the magnitude, diversity and complexity of the Canadian forest and the need to ensure that forests are evaluated using criteria and indicators relevant to the forest area in question.
191. As of January 2001, close to 31 million ha has been certified under one of the four systems available in Canada (Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)). All systems use third-party audits in addition to the audits performed by the provinces who are the forest owners. More than 75% of Canada’s managed forest is expected to be certified by the end of 2003.
192. Canada is the world largest wood products exporting country. As there is a growing number of certification systems in the international market place, reflecting the diversity of forest circumstances and approaches to certification, Canada supports equivalency and/or mutual recognition approaches between certification system to ensure efficiency in the marketplace.
193. In Europe, steps have been taken by some governments, local authorities or NGOs to ensure that reliable information is available on forest management and product quality. Representatives of the timber industry in some European countries have undertaken to develop a pan-European framework for certifying and authenticating forests. If such certification is to achieve the intended aims, it is vital that the criteria and performance indicators selected are compatible with principles agreed and in force at international level. In order to ensure that they are compatible, avoid thereby the risk of duplication of work and make it easier to implement such an initiative, the European Commission is planning to take action of its own. This could consist, for example, in drafting a legal instrument setting out the essential conditions that initiatives must fulfil in terms of voluntary certification and associated labelling. However, at present, the Commission considers that the steps provided for under Agenda 2000 constitute a satisfactory contribution to a European forest strategy.
4.4 The Canadian Model Forest Network
194. The Canadian Government programme on model forests is aimed at balancing the range of current uses of forests with the needs of future generations. Administered by the Canadian Forest Service (CFS), the programme is based on the simple principle that each model forest serves as a kind of laboratory demonstrating how partners try to reconcile their diverse interests in order to achieve sustainable forest management.
195. A model forest is first and foremost the outcome of a partnership of individuals and local organisations pursing the single goal of sustainable forest management. It is a model of partnership, comprising representatives of industry, landowners, governments, native communities and educational institutions.
196. The partners, representative of Canadian society, are committed to demonstrating how forest management can simultaneously accommodate social, environmental, cultural and economic interests. Canada's eleven model forests cover an aggregate area of over six million hectares and bear witness to the ecological diversity of Canada's principal forested regions.
197. A model forest also constitutes a forum in which the partners are better able to understand divergent viewpoints and pool their knowledge, energies and resources in devising innovative regional approaches to sustainable forest management.
198. Although each model forest is unique, it is plain that certain solutions and results achieved can be put to good use in other regions of Canada and other parts of the world.
199. In connection with its adoption of principles for forest law in the Russian Federation, Russia set up a foundation for the sustainable development of its forests in 1993. It has launched various programmes such as the state programme for reforestation and is also taking part in the Model Forest Programme and the Working Group on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests. Moreover, Russia was the second partner in the international component of the Model Forest Programme and established its first model forest in the territory of Khabarovsk Krai in Asia.
5. First Nations and forests in Canada
200. Approximately one million Aboriginals live in Canada, most of them belonging to one of six hundred or so First Nations. The Métis population is assessed at 200 000 persons and the Arctic-dwelling Inuit at 30 000. Each of these groups and their sub-groups has its own culture, territory and form of government.
201. About 80% of Canada's indigenous peoples live in regions of boreal forest or temperate rainforest; the forest has therefore been central to their existence for thousands of years. Their living conditions are closely bound up with nature's resources. First Nations share a common ethic of respect for these resources to honour yesterday's, today's and tomorrow's generations. This gives rise to certain responsibilities and obligations which fall to each individual, to the family and the community alike. It is an attitude which commands their behaviour and also influences the demarcation of their territories.
202. It is worth pointing out that the Convention on Biological Diversity proposes to make known and preserve the culture of native communities having regard to their contribution to sustainable environmental management. Article 8 of the Convention provides that each Contracting Party should as far as possible "encourage the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilisation of such knowledge, innovations and practices".
203. Reference is also made in Section 35 of Canada's Constitution Act to "existing aboriginal and treaty rights".
204. The Canadian Constitution does indeed recognise and affirm the ancestral rights of Aboriginal peoples and the rights deriving from treaties concluded with them. Moreover, Supreme Court rulings have more clearly defined the nature of these rights and ascertained their legal value for forest management.
205. Progress in resolving these issues will definitely contribute to closer cooperation among governments, industry and Aboriginal peoples. In this perspective, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples has recommended interim measures to use natural resources for Aboriginal economic and cultural development. The main aim of the recommendations in practice is to expand the range of benefits derived from resource development in "ancestral" areas, in order to achieve a more equitable distribution of the economic benefits accruing from such activities.
206. A few examples will serve to illustrate more clearly this closer attention to the aspirations and rights of native populations.
207. In north-western British Columbia for instance, the Gitxsan collect data specific to their own sites, enabling to analyse the government and private sector forestry plan more closely. In Northern Alberta, mapping of important native sites such as burial grounds, sacred places, trails and medicinal herb locations enables forestry enterprises to avoid their destruction.
208. In Quebec, the tendency is exemplified by the participation of the Lac Barrière Algonquins in the preparation of a management plan to preserve the characteristics of their forest environment. Quebec is also where the first native model forest was created. It should be mentioned that this Waswanipi Cree Model Forest makes inventories of sustainable development methods compatible with the beliefs, values and traditions of indigenous peoples.
209. As to the active participation of Aboriginal groups at decision-making level, it can safely be said that decisive progress in ensuring full satisfaction of their interests has been achieved.
210. In April 1996 a partnership programme, the "First Nation Forestry Program" (FNFP) was instituted between the First Nations and the Federal Government. The programme, spread over five years, is intended to improve the economic circumstances of communities with First Nation status by encouraging their greater involvement in the forestry sector. There are many advantages: young people and workers benefit from the mix of traditional skills and new concepts and technologies, as do the communities, while the First Nations set up new enterprises.
211. In January 1997 the Yukon Territory and fourteen First Nations signed a framework agreement serving as a model for settlement of territorial claims. Four First Nations have subsequently entered into Resource Transfer Agreements concerning their territorial claims, under which they are henceforth responsible for oil, gas, forest, mineral, water and land assets.
212. In the same spirit, in September 1998 the Prince Albert Grand Council and the National Aboriginal Forestry Association organised a conference in Saskatchewan, entitled "Celebrating Partnerships." More than 150 First Nation, industry, academic and government representatives participated. Topics of discussion included many of the national forestry issues facing First Nations (trade and development; managing Aboriginal lands).
213. These initiatives to assist creation or development of Aboriginal jobs and enterprises in the forestry sector are commendable. In this context various solutions have been recommended, with a prior strategic study of outlets and forest management patterns and taking account of the traditions, values and aspirations of the communities.
214. An effort is also made to stimulate employment among indigenous populations by offering training opportunities in their localities and publicising the wide range of openings in the forestry sector. In the final analysis, courses centred more on business management, leadership and technology transfer should be offered as well. Such measures should also be backed by infrastructures which facilitate access to capital.
215. One tangible result of these various approaches is provided by Tembec Inc. which has signed an agreement with five First Nations generating a hundred or more jobs (felling rights) for Aboriginals.
6. Canada and international co-operation on forests
216. The question of Canadian forests also has an international dimension, not always compatible with local or national interests, and the Canadian forest community has to strike a balance between sometimes conflicting priorities.
217. In return, Canadians have derived benefit from sound practices applied by other countries which are conducive to preservation of genetic resources, enrichment of biological diversity, carbon sequestration, improved environmental stability and enhanced national security.
218. Canada is prominent in international debate on forest-related issues, and was one of the chief architects of the principles adopted at the Earth Summit held in Rio in 1992 giving rise to instruments such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), which has been accompanied since December 1997 by the Kyoto Protocol.
219. In addition, after an initiative launched at national level, Canada set in motion an international process to develop and implement criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management. This idea was also introduced at the 1992 Earth Summit, resulting in the "Montreal Process on Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests".
220. In 1997 the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) submitted a final report to the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) containing more than 140 proposals for action. World leaders agreed to follow up the work by creating the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF).
221. Canada is thus instrumental in the progress achieved both in world dialogue on forest policy and as regards forest management methods on the ground.
222. Furthermore, for over thirty years Canada has been helping Third World countries find sustainable solutions to forest problems. Its actions are carried out via the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the leading Canadian body responsible for official development assistance (ODA).
223. The CIDA has launched over 150 projects covering a wide variety of activities: evaluation of local forest resources; preservation of genetic diversity; halting desertification. Its goal is to improve the basic infrastructures of the sector so as to derive constant benefit from the economic yield of forest resources. Since its foundation, the CIDA has helped over 90 countries teach their citizens more about forestry and build their capacity for devising solutions to local forest problems.
224. Co-operation between countries is essential for building capacity to preserve, enhance and restore the health of the world's forests. In this context, several crucial factors are singled out, involving compliance with international agreements, particularly the conventions on climate change, biological diversity and trade in endangered species.
225. In this spirit of global co-operation, Costa Rica and Canada recognized the need for a neutral and transparent process which could enable to support the discussions of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) on future agreements and mechanisms for the forests, and launched the Costa Rica-Canada initiative in August 1998.
226. The Costa-Rica-Canada initiative allows the different countries to participate in international meetings which propose discussion fora for specialists in forestry to increase their knowledge and exchange points of view and legal approaches on all aspects of forestry.
227. In addition, co-operation with other countries and with international bodies is also valuable in meeting requests for international assistance and improving the financial, strategic, scientific and informational assistance delivered to developing countries.
6.1 International Convention on Forests
228. Canada has been one of the main advocates of an international convention on forests since the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. There is much support in Canada for such a convention which would establish common forest management principles while respecting the diversity of forests worldwide and individual countries’ responsibility for managing them. In August 2000, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers reiterated its support for the proposal. The forest sector (industry, unions and academics) is also in favour of such an agreement. The aboriginal community and environmental groups have varying views on the subject.
229. The Canadian Pulp and Paper Association has supported since 1990 the moves made for an international convention on forests. It considers that forest management has become a planetary issue and should be addressed at international level. An international convention defining the concept of sustainable management of forests should be arrived at in order to carry out assessment and make reports in the matter.
230. Forest management, affected to some extent by agreements in force such as those relating to climate change, should be exhaustively examined.
231. The need to negotiate international agreements including an international convention on forests was discussed at the last session of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF) held in February 2000. The parties agreed to press more strongly for a framework binding them to an international convention on forests. This largely stems from an initiative by Costa Rica and Canada which has resulted in many countries being better informed about the need to conclude agreements on forests.
232. At the last session of the IFF, Canada and other countries, including members of the European Union, took positive steps towards obtaining a consensus on a possible international agreement on forests. The parties agreed that the two main features of such an agreement should be: 1) the creation of a “United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF)” which would focus on the application of the non-binding measures proposed by the IFF and its predecessor, the intergovernmental group on forests; and 2) a commitment that within the next five years, the United Nations would look into a procedure that could result in a framework binding the parties in respect of all types of forests.
6.2 Convention on Biological Diversity
233. Biodiversity is defined as "the variety of species and ecosystems on Earth and the ecological processes of which they are a part". Preserving biodiversity thus equates to protecting the diversity of ecosystems and species together with their inherent genetic diversity. This also involves maintenance of all the processes that interconnect these various components.
234. If it is to make flexible and effective provision for all facets of biodiversity, the forestry management approach must be broad and comprehensive, ie on the scale of a forest landscape. This consists of a complex of forest populations and non-forest vegetation, treeless areas and watercourses.
235. Four main factors threaten forest genetic diversity: fragmentation of habitats, forestry methods, climate change and air pollution.
236. Since 1992 the state of the environment has aroused ever-increasing awareness, convincingly demonstrated by the Convention on Biodiversity adopted at the “Earth Summit” in Rio.
237. Over 150 countries have signed the convention, expressing their readiness to undertake actions to preserve biodiversity in the plan and animal life of their ecosystems.
238. Where Canada is concerned, the Convention was ratified on 4 December 1992 and came into force on 29 December 1993.
239. Subsequent to the ratification, abroad consultation among all interest groups was conducted by the Federal Government and the governments of the provinces and territories, resulting in the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy in 1995.
240. This strategy proposes forward a set of objectives and practices for ecological planning, development and sustainable use of resources, applied by officials at the various levels according to their respective policies and programmes.
241. As shown above, action plans or specific strategies on biological diversity have been prepared at federal, provincial and territorial level. These are obviously consistent with the Canadian strategy, and help the country honour its international commitments regarding biological diversity.
6.3 Criteria and indicators for conservation and sustainable management of forests in temperate and boreal regions outside Europe (Montreal Process) and Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (Pan-European Forest Process)
242. The Montreal Process is an international response to the appeal issued by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and seeks to improve the quality and management of the forest heritage worldwide.
243. This initiative, commencing in 1994 in Geneva, stems from a Canadian proposal and is the upshot of Canadian experience at national level. It involves hastening the preparation of internationally accepted criteria and indicators for conservation and sustainable development of temperate and boreal forests.
244. In order to achieve this, the Process identifies seven essential criteria defined by means of 67 indicators which must afford the member countries a common understanding of the factors that characterise sustainable forest management.
245. They are tools for framing domestic forest policies, and provide a common framework for harmonising description, monitoring and assessment of progress achieved at national and international level.
246. The Montreal Process criteria and indicators reflect an ecosystem-based approach to forest management. Taken as a whole, the set of criteria and associated indicators gives an implicit definition of the conservation and sustainable management of forest ecosystems at country level. No single criterion or indicator is an indication of sustainability. Rather, individual criteria and indicators must be considered in the context of other criteria and indicators.
247. Internationally, Canada is a very active participant in initiatives relating to criteria and indicators for sustainable management of all boreal and temperate forests, particularly those lying outside Europe, and thus contributes towards defining what should constitute "sustainable forest management".
248. In accordance with the wish expressed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Forests (IPF) to promote compatibility of the criteria and indicators at all levels, the Montreal Process countries are continuing to exchange experience, information and "approximation reports" with Pan-European Forest Process countries. In developing its own criteria and indicators, Canada makes sure they accord with broader international projects.
249. At its meeting in Santiago (February 1995), the Working Group of the Montreal Process approved the Santiago Declaration, a policy commitment backed by a complete set of indicators for the conservation and sustainable management of temperate and boreal forests outside Europe.
250. In 1993 in Helsinki, at the second Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, the European countries and the European Community reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the decisions taken in the framework of the Rio Conference.
251. Two resolutions adopted at the conclusion of their proceedings establish the requisite framework for carrying out national initiatives on sustainable forest management and the basis for inter-State co-operation, thus furthering the Pan-European Forest Process.
252. The resolutions adopted in Helsinki provide a suitable framework for controlling forest management but do not specify the instruments whereby the proposed goals could be positively attained. These instruments are nevertheless suggested in the Pan-European operational level guidelines for sustainable forest management, which outline recommendations to be followed at policy level.
253. These recommendations are directed specifically at forest owners and managers and at sub-national and governmental organisations.
254. Following the Helsinki Conference, several States have accordingly amended not only their regulations in order to gear them to sustainable forest management, but also the institutional framework by promoting new forest policies and new powers.
7. Evaluation, conclusions and proposals
255. The sometimes drastic and irreversible changes to which the world’s forests have been subjected have shown that it was essential to steer the world’s forest management policy in another direction and that, in order to do this, new choices had to be made.
256. The policies that have long been applied to many of the planet’s forests have resulted in the disappearance and impoverishment of some forests and sometimes undermined their ecological functions in terms of soil quality and biodiversity.
257. Furthermore, as with other vital resources such as water, the demand for forest products has increased, often exponentially, far more than one would expect as a result of population growth or consumption patterns wasteful of resources.
258. Since the first world conference on the environment, in Stockholm in 1972, and particularly since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, sustainability has become the basis of all activities affecting the natural resources vital to life on earth.
259. Regarding forests, the undertakings given in Rio and above all the Statement of Forest Principles which was adopted there reflected the international commitment to preserve forests and recognised the need for sustainable forest management.
260. In this, the forested countries acknowledged that they have care of a resource which is crucial not only for their own people but for the whole world and therefore that responsibility for its management must be shared.
261. Accordingly the aim is to work together to strike the proper balance between economic and environmental considerations, while taking account of special circumstances such as those of developing countries or minorities.
262. We have to welcome the Rio undertakings which governments gave on forests and other matters of paramount importance such as the preservation of biodiversity and action on climate change. However, it is just as important to stress the growing role of civil society in general and the non-governmental organisations working in this field in particular.
263. The public is now fully aware of the importance and the uses that can and must be made of forests. They can therefore be expected to press increasingly for protection of forest as both an environmental asset – preserver of drainage basins, conserver of biodiversity and absorber of carbon dioxide – and a landscape and cultural one, whereas in the past it was only timber and forest by-products that were taken into account.
264. This change in perceptions on these problems goes hand in hand with – and is also a result of – increased information, consultation and involvement of the public, and indeed of all other parties concerned, in forest management policy.
265. The subsidiarity principle has also had the effect in a number of countries of “decentralising” natural resource management (including forest management), assigning an increased role to local authorities and hence bringing them closer to the public.
266. Forests are an essential part of Canada’s economic, social and cultural life. As in many other countries, it was long regarded primarily as an economic asset and sometimes used in a way that took little account of environmental or heritage aspects.
267. Since the 1980s and in particular since the Rio Conference, Canada has demonstrated a desire to adopt sustainable forest management practices and play a leading role in international co-operation. I have described some of the initiatives in which Canada is particularly engaged and I would stress the commitment that the Canadian authorities and the other parties concerned have shown towards co-operation projects helping to improve sustainable management of the world’s heritage.
268. At national level projects such as the Canada Forest Accord and the National Forest Strategy provide invaluable forums for dialogue for the various partners involved and will inevitably help to remedy existing problems.
269. The link between action by the federal government and action by the provinces appears to making for progressive regional policies and a strong Canadian presence at international level.
270. The Parliamentary Assembly delegation which visited Canada was pleased to note that more account was being taken of concerns expressed regarding use of certain forest areas and certain practices. It expressed the opinion – particularly in some of the regions it visited – that there was a need for increased resource protection and a review of certain forest management practices.
271. During the preparatory work for this report frequent note was made of the similarities between Canada and Russia, for example in the organisation and tenure of land and the type of forests.
272. Canada and the Council of Europe member states possess nearly 40% of the world’s forest, and more than half of this is in Russia. This warrants increased co-operation, at least within the scope of the Council of Europe’s responsibilities.
273. The Parliamentary Assembly could make its own contribution by organising parliamentary hearings with national parliamentary committees on subjects of common interest or topics on which particular countries might have a contribution to make.
274. From the visit to Canada and the various discussions it is clear that it would be worth increasing co-operation in research and information and in information supply to and involvement of civil society in general and organisations working in this area in particular.
275. It would also be a good idea to help assess the feasibility of preparing an international convention on forests. As already mentioned, this proposal has the support of Canada and some members of the European Union. Bearing in mind the projects that could be launched by the European Union regarding standards and indicators of sustainable management, we must seize the opportunity to press the case for harmonising measures at the various levels and drawing up a convention.
Appendix 1
Hearing on
Forest Management in Canada and co-operation with Europe
Paris, 21 May 1999
Programme and participants
Opening of the hearing: Mrs L. Aytaman, Chairperson, Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities, Parliamentary Assembly
Introductory remarks: Mr G. Martinez Casan, Rapporteur, Member of the Committee
Forest management and biodiversity protection in Canada
1. Federal Authorities of Canada
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service
Mr Gerry Byrne, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources Canada
Dr Yvan Hardy, Associate Deputy-Minister
Mr Jacques Carette, Director General, Policy, Planning and International Affairs
Mr Patrice Breton, Special Assistant, Oil and Gas (East Coast) and Legislative Assistant, Natural Resources Canada
Mrs Karen Kraft Sloan, Member of the House of Commons Standing Committee on the environment and sustainable development
2. Authorities of British Columbia
Mr Bronwen Beedle, Deputy Chief Forester, Ministry of Forests
3. Authorities of Quebec
Mr Michel Létourneau, elected representative of Ungava
Mr Marc Ledoux, Associate Minister in charge of forests, Ministry of Natural Resources
4. Non-governmental Organisations
Mr Mike Apsey, Chair of the National Forest Strategy Coalition
Mr Harry Bombay, Executive Director, National Aboriginal Forestry Association
Discussion
Forest management and biodiversity protection in Europe
Ministerial Conference on the protection of Forests in Europe
Mr Peter Mayer, Liaison Office, Vienna
Pan European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy
Action theme 9 : Forest Ecosystems
Mr Sipi Jaakkola, United Nations Programme for the Environment (UNEP), Geneva
Role of European non-governmental organisations
Mr Stefan Leiner, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Discussion
Conclusions
by Mr G. Martinez Casañ, Rapporteur
List of participants
Parliamentarians
MM BESOSTRI, Vice-Chairman of the Committee Italy
ADAMCZYK Poland
ANDREOLI San Marino
BRIANE France
CIUPAILA Lithuania
GONZALEZ de TXABARRI Spain
IVANOV Bulgaria
MARTINEZ-CASAN Spain
Mrs MIKAELSSON Sweden
MM RISE Norway
RUFFY Switzerland
Mrs SEHNALOVA Czech Republic
Mrs SCHICKER Austria
MM STAES Belgium
STEOLEA Romania
THEIS Luxembourg
TRUU Estonia
ZIERER Germany
Canadian Experts :
Mrs Karen KRAFT-SLOAN and Mr DUNCAN, Members of the Canadian House of Commons
Mr Gerry BYRNE, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources
Dr Yvan HARDY, Associate Deputy Minister
Mr Jacques CHARETTE, Director General, Canadian Forest Service
Mrs Bronwen BEEDLE, British Columbia Ministry of Forests
Mr Michel LETOURNEAU, elected representative of Ungava (Quebec)
Mr Marc LEDOUX, Associate Minister in charge of forests, Quebec
Mr Peter MAYER, Liaison Office for the Ministerial Conference for the protection of forests in Europe
Mrs Maguelonne DEJEANT-PONS, Directorate of the Environment and Local Authorities, Council of Europe
Mr Mike APSEY, National Forest Strategy Coalition
Mr Harry BOMBAY, National Aboriginal Forestry Association
Mr Stefan LEINER, World Wide Fund for Nature - WWF
Mr Patrick ANDERSON, Greenpeace
Appendix 2
Programme of the study visit to Canada
of the ad hoc Sub-Committee (of the Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities)
5-14 September 1999
Sunday, September 5, 1999: Travel from Europe to Ottawa, Canada
Monday, September 6, 1999: Ottawa
Introduction and welcome remarks by Brent St-Denis, Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Government Operations
Overview of Canadian forestry, Canadian Forest Service (CFS) of Natural Resources Canada
Meeting with Members of the Canada-Europe Parliamentarian Association
Tuesday, September 7, 1999: Ottawa / Hull / Quebec City
Welcome remarks by Dr. Yvan Hardy, Assistant Deputy Minister, CFS
Discussion with senior officials of the CFS on Canada’s Sustainable Forest Management Initiatives:
• National Forest Strategy by André Rousseau, Director, Federal-Provincial Relations Division, Policy, Planning & International Affairs, CFS;
• Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management by Pauline Myre, Policy and Planning Division, Policy, Planning & International Affairs, CFS
• Science and Technology Forest Network by Dr. Carl Winget, A/Director General, Sciences Branch, CFS; and
• International Convention on Forests by Mike Fullerton, Senior Policy Advisor, Policy, Planning and International Affairs, CFS.
Transfer to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) (Hull, Quebec)
Presentation of Canada’s development aid program by a senior official of CIDA
Presentation of forestry and the environment by a senior official of Environment Canada
Presentation on forestry research in Canada by Denis Brière of Forcast, a coalition for the advancement of science and technology in the forest sector
Travel from Ottawa, Ontario to Quebec City, Quebec, chartered flight
Wednesday, September 8, 1999: Quebec City / Bagotville (Quebec)
Breakfast with the Chair and vice-Chair of the Delegation of the National Assembly for Relations with Multilateral European Institutions, Mr. Michel Létourneau and Mr. Yvon Vallières (Quebec’s Parliament Building)
Working session under the auspices of the Committee on transportation and the environment and the Committee on planning and public domain
• Welcome remarks by the Chair of the Committee on transportation and the environment Mr. Claude Lachance and the Chair of the Committee on planning and public domain, Mr. Yvon Vallières
• Presentation on Quebec’s Forest Management Regime by the Associate Deputy Minister, ministère des ressources naturelles du Québec (MRNQ)
• Presentation on the work related to the Convention on biological diversity
• Exchange with members of Committee on transportation and the environment and the Committee on planning and public domain
Travel from Quebec City to Bagotville, Quebec, by chartered flight
Field visit highlighting an example of forest management in the Boreal forest
• Presentation of an example of cooperation between the forest industry and other forest stakeholders
• Briefing on Sustainable Forest Management Certification in Canada and within Quebec by Paule Têtu, Consultant
Presentation on the role of Professional Foresters’ Associations in the development of sustainable forest management policies and practices in Canada - a case study from Quebec - by Johanne Gauthier, President of the Ordre des ingénieurs forestiers du Québec.
Thursday, September 9, 1999: Chibougamau (Quebec) / Timmins (Ontario)
Travel from Bagotville, Quebec to Chibougamau, Quebec, chartered flight
Welcome remarks by Michel Létourneau
Presentation on boreal forest ecology by Réjean Gagnon from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Visit of silvilcuture practices in the boreal forest
Discussion with industry representatives
Travel from Chibougamau, Quebec to Timmins, Ontario, by chartered flight
Presentation of Ontario forest management policy, including Ontario’s Living Legacy Initiative, by Riet Verheggen, Manager, Forest Industries, and Dan Marinaugh, Regional Planner, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. This initiative reflects public participation in the development of forest management policies, involving Ontario’s forest community
Friday, September 10, 1999: Lake Abitibi – Timmins (Ontario) - Vancouver
Field visit: forest management in the Boreal forest - Lake Abitibi Model Forest.
Travel from Timmins, Ontario to Toronto, Ontario, then to Vancouver, British Columbia
Sunday, September 12, 1999: Vancouver – Squamish (British Columbia)
Transfer from Vancouver, B.C. to Squamish, B.C., by charter bus,
Welcome remarks by a Member of Parliament
Presentation on British Columbia’s Environment, Land Use and Forest Management Policy by Bronwen Beedle, Deputy Chief Forester, Ministry of Forests
Presentation on Forest Ecosystem Research Network of Sites (F.E.R.N.S.), a long term multi-disciplinary research on forest management practices by Chris Lee, Director, Forest Resources Program, Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada
Presentation on Canada’s strategy on biodiversity and its application in British Columbia by a representative of the B.C. Department of Environment, Lands and Parks, Wildlife Branch
Monday, September 13, 1999: Squamish – Richmond (British Columbia)
Forest management in the coastal temperate rainforest – Field visit to the Squamish Forest District, Elaho/Upper Liillooet area, Interfor’s Tree Farm Licence (TFL#38)
Travel from Squamish to Richmond, B.C., by chartered flight
Tuesday, September 14, 1999: Richmond (British Columbia)
Transfer to Forintek Canada Corp.
Presentation and discussion with representatives of the British Columbia environmental community on the state of British Columbia forest management initiatives
Presentation and discussion with representatives of the British Columbia forest industry on the role of the respective agencies, on its effort towards certification and on the importance of forestry to the British Columbia economy
Presentation and discussion with the British Columbia Professional Foresters’ Associations on the on the role of Professional Foresters Association in the development of sustainable forest management policies and practices in Canada - a case study from British Columbia, by a representative from the British Columbia Professional Forester Association
Presentation and discussion with Canadian forest research organizations, including Paprican, Forintek and FERIC, on their respective research programs and projects
Concluding remarks with a Member of Parliament.
Transfer from Forintek offices to Vancouver International airport and check-in
Travel from Vancouver, Canada to Europe
END OF PROGRAMME
Appendix 3
Forests in the Russian Federation
Russia has by far the largest land area in the world and the forest resources to match. It stretches for ten time zones across the northern part of the Eurasian landmass. Its terrain consists of vast plains (steppes) in the centre and west, with mountain ranges (Urals) separating the European part from the Asian, along its southern borders (Caucasus) and in the Far East. There are large areas of tundra to the north of the boreal forest zone along the Arctic Ocean. Forest and other wooded land accounts for more than half its land area and more than a fifth of the world´s total area of forest and other wooded land. A large part consists of northern boreal forest, with mixed and broadleaved forest to the south. Two thirds of the forest is available for wood supply, most of the remainder being not available for economic reasons (accessibility). More than nine tenths is classed as undisturbed by man and therefore mature or over-mature, with some areas of semi-natural forest and a smaller area of plantations. The area of forest is approximately stable. Coniferous species make up four fifths of the volume of growing stock, with larch the predominant species over much of Siberia, other important species being Norway spruce and Scots pine to the west, and other spruces, pines, and firs in Siberia. Broadleaved species are represented by birch, aspen, alder, oaks and hornbeam. Average net increment per hectare is low because of the large proportion of natural forest, but fellings are much lower still. The State owns all forest and other wooded land. Hunting and the collection of a wide range of non-wood forest products are very important for local populations.
|
Land area |
Forest Cover 2000 |
Forest Cover Change 1990-2000 |
Distribution of land cover/use % (1998) | |||
´000 ha |
´000 ha |
´000 ha/year |
%/year |
Forest |
Other Wooded Land |
Other land | |
Russian Federation |
1,688,850 |
851,392 |
135 |
.02 |
50.4 |
.0 |
49.6 |
Europe |
2,259,906 |
1,039,250 |
877 |
.08 |
46.0 |
1.3 |
52.9 |
World |
13,139,618 |
3,869,453 |
-9,319 |
-.24 |
29.4 |
11.2 |
58.6 |
The Russian Federation is one of the largest producers and exporters of industrial roundwood in the world. The country also exports significant volumes of sawnwood, plywood and pulp and paper. The Russian forest industry is almost completely privatised while the forests and the roundwood production remain state-owned.
The Russian forests are an invaluable source of wild fruits and berries, nuts and mushrooms, medicinal plants/herbs and raw material for various sectors of industry. Among the wide range of non-wood forest products in Russia, there are also honey, fodder and forage, resins, oils, Christmas trees and game meats, etc.
|
| ||||
Production Year |
1998 |
||||
|
Imports |
Exports | |||
US $752,476,032 |
US $3,007,699,968 | ||||
| |||||
Extract from the FAO’s “Forestry Information System (FORIS) - Country profiles”
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Draft resolution adopted unanimously by the committee (in conformity with Rule 46.4 of the Rules of Procedure) on 13 September 2001
Members of the committee: Mr Behrendt (Chairman), MM. Besostri, Hoeffel, Hornung (Vice-Chairmen), MM. Adamczyk (Alternate: Gibula), Agius, Mrs Agudo (Alternate: Mr Fernandez Aguilar), MM. Akçali, Aliko, Andreoli, Mrs Angelovicova, MM. Annemans, Bartos, Bockel, Briane, Browne, Mrs Burataeva, MM. de Carolis, Carvalho, Sir Sydney Chapman (Alternate: Mr Meale), MM. Colla, Cosarciuc, Cox, Diana (Alternate: Pingerra), Duivesteijn, von der Esch, Etherington, Frunda, Gonzalez de Txabarri, Graas, Grachev, Hadjiyeva, Haraldsson, Ilascu, Kalkan, Mrs Kanelli, MM. Keuschnigg, Kharitonov, Kjaer, Kolesnikov, Kostenko, Kostytsky, Kurucsai, Kurykin, Lachat, Libicki, van der Linden, Lotz, Manukyan, Mariot, Martinez Casan, Mrs Mikaelsson, MM. Minkov, Monteiro, Müller, Pisanu, (Alternate: Robol), Podobnik, Polozhani, Prosser (Alternate: O’Hara), Radic, Rise, Salaridze, Mrs Schicker, MM. Schmied, Skopal, Smolarek, Stankevic, Stoica, Tanik, Theodorou, Tiuri, Toshev, Truu, Vakilov, Zierer, Mrs Zissi.
N.B. The names of those members present at the meeting are printed in italics.
Secretariat to the committee: Mrs Cagnolati, MM. Sixto and Chevtchenko.
1 Which has since become the Committee on the Environment and Agriculture.
2 clearcut: a silvicultural system in which the entire stand of trees is cleared from an area at one time. Clearcutting can be implemented in blocks, strips or patches, to harvest all merchantable trees from an area of forest land; partial cutting: general term describing removal of only part of a stand for purposes other than regenerating a new age class; shelterwood cutting (careful logging around regeneration): harvesting operation based on shelterwood cutting principles, where advanced regeneration is protected during harvesting.
Roundwood
