The Teal-Jones Group - Fact or Fiction

Forestry in Canada - What's Fact and What's Fiction.
Do You Know the Difference?

Canada is Running out of Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fiction

The Facts Are:

Canada is a leader in Sustainable Forestry Management.
Canada has 417 million hectares of forested land.
Less than Ľ of 1% of the total forest area is harvested each year.
For every tree harvested 3 seedlings are planted to replace it.
56.8 million hectares are designated to national and provincial parks which are exempt from harvesting.
50% of the forest automatically re-generates itself.
There are more trees now in Canada than there were 100 years ago.
The provincial government (B.C.'s Chief Forester) sets out Annual Allowable Cuts (AAC) each year which are limits to the amount of timber that can be harvested. The AAC is based on various factors that focus on the sustained yield.
B.C. has mandatory reforestation practices with timeframes and stocking levels. Moreover, companies that harvest the timber are responsible for ensuring that a new healthy forest is growing.
Comparatively speaking Canada harvests "four times less (proportionally) than the five largest European forest nations combined" (Sweden, Finland, Norway, France and Germany). Source Canadianlumbermen.com

Harvesting and Deforestation are the Same . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fiction

The Facts Are:

Harvest and Reforestation is the process of harvesting trees (to be manufactured into useable products) and then replanting with seedlings which will grow into healthy new trees. Once a tree is harvested there are 3 seedlings planted to replace it.

Deforestation is the process of permanently clearing forests for other uses such as agricultural, commercial, residential or bare land. In this case trees will not be replanted and the land takes on a new function.

Forestry in Canada follows the Harvesting and Reforestation path. Forests that have been harvested are re-planted so that new healthy trees will grow and be available for future generations.

Canada has the Most Stringent Forest Practices, Standards and Laws compared to any Other Country in the World . . . Fact

The Facts Are:

An independent study conducted by Dr. Benjamin Cashore (associate professor of sustainable forest policy, and chair, Program on Forest Certification, at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT) and Dr. Constance McDermot (research associate in the Program on Forest Certification at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT) stated that the results of their study "provide strong evidence that the forest practice regulations in Canada and British Columbia are among the toughest on earth."
The study focused on the regulations for the following items: Riparian Zones, Clearcutting, Road Building, AAC, Reforestation, Biodiversity, Enforcement, and Third Party Certification.
The Forest and Range Practices Act is a government legislated set of laws that operate through compliance and enforcement. Forest companies employ Certified Registered Professional Foresters, Engineers, Geologist, Biologists and other experts that must develop stewardship plans that address first nations, cultural resources, fish, water, soil, biodiversity, wildlife and a host of other legal requirements. These individuals adhere to the governing standards and code of ethics in protecting and promoting both the forests and the public interest in forests.
Routine and random audits are commonplace and ensure forest regulations are being met. Further information on B.C. Forest Practices is available at www.for.gov.bc.ca/code.

Canada (B.C.) has Stringent Laws Against Illegal Harvesting Fact

The Facts Are:

B.C. follows strict policies and procedures in everything from the submitting of cut plans, the marking of territory, the actual harvesting of the timber, the markings, identification, and scaling of the timber, and the transportation of the wood.
B.C. has government departments devoted to the monitoring and enforcement of forest practices.
Routine and random audits are continuously conducted to ensure all aspects of harvesting meet regulations.
Compliance and enforcement reports are published and publicly viewed.

There is an Abundance of Old Growth Trees in
British Columbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fact

The Facts Are:

The total land and water area for B.C. is 95 million hectares. The total forested area in B.C. is 60 million hectares. The total Old Growth area is 25 million hectares. 42% of B.C.'s forest is Old Growth Timber. 54% of Old Growth is on the Coast.
It is important to keep in mind that old growth trees do not enhance the air quality, but in fact emit more CO². A healthy tree utilizes 1.47 pounds of CO² and gives off 1.07 pounds of oxygen in the process of growing a pound of wood. As a tree gets older the process of turning CO² into Oxygen reverses and for every pound of wood that decays 1.07 pounds of oxygen is used and 1.47 pounds of carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere - which contributes to global warming.

Clearcutting Is Bad For The Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fiction

The Facts Are:

Silviculture is the term used to describe the various ways to manage the forests. Canada has 3 silvicultural systems (clearcut, shelterwood, and selection) which forest managers utilize separately or in combination when planning, planting, tending and harvesting. Forest managers assess the harvesting location, the age of the trees, the ecological, social and economical impacts when determining which system is the optimal choice.
Clearcutting is ideal for areas that have evenly aged stands (trees are within specific parameters of age). Clearcutting in the boreal forest mimics natural disturbances such as fires, disease, wind storms, etc…which are customary in this area. Visually one will see strips, blocks and patterns that resemble what nature will do in a storm.
"Boreal tree species germinate and grow best in full sunlight, resulting in natural, pure stands of trees of the same age".
Source - Sustainable Forest Management in Canada - www.sfmcanada.org
In many cases clearcutting is the best defense against pests and disease - it can act as a barrier to the transference.
The safety of the forest worker is increased as there is concentration in one area.
"CSA, FSC and SFI all allow clearcutting as an acceptable harvesting method when used appropriately".
Source - Sustainable Forest Management in Canada - www.sfmcanada.org
Clearcutting is prevalent in most countries, but it is the size of the allowable clearcut that differs between countries. The size is affected by the amount of land available.
B.C. is a large province (95 million ha) with large land holding units. The size limit in B.C. is 40-60 ha with an average of 23 ha per unit.
Russia maintains the worlds largest boreal forest and has clearcut size limits that range from 10-250 ha.
Sweden covers 45 million ha and has clearcut size limits of .5-20 ha.
There are no clearcut size limits in Bavaria, Finland, New South Wales, Portugal and 12 U.S. States (Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia).

Using Wood Benefits the Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fact

The Facts Are:

Using wood benefits the environment by requiring less energy to produce and maintain; releasing fewer emissions into the atmosphere; releasing fewer pollutants into the water; producing less solid waste and a host of other benefits to the environment.
Using wood offsets Global Warming.
Wood is the only 100% recyclable resource for building materials.
Trees work as a filter system - they take in CO² and produce oxygen. When they are harvested they continue to store the CO² in the wood which reduces emissions into the air.
The CO² left in the root systems after harvesting is used as food and nutrition for the new forest.
Wood waste can be burned to produce an energy source other than non-renewable fossil fuels.
The production of Steel and Concrete creates 3-6 and 2-3 times (respectively) more CO² than wood.
The manufacturing of aluminum produces 8 times more air emissions than wood.
Wood products produce less solid waste than steel and concrete.
Wood products produce less greenhouse gases than steel and concrete.
Wood products require less energy to produces than concrete and steel.

Forestry is one of the Largest Financial and Social Contributors to the Canadian Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fact

The Facts Are:

323,600 people are directly employed by forestry (2006). Primary areas are Quebec, Ontario and B.C.
Revenues from goods manufactured were 78.3 billion (2005).
Contribution to gross domestic product - 36.3 billion (2006).
For every cubic meter logged approximately $80 is paid to the government in taxes (i.e. Income, Sales, Property, Logging, Lumber, Corporate, Electricity Tax along with Stumpage, Royalties & Rents) and other payments (i.e. Unemployment Insurance, Canadian Pension Plan, and Workers Compensation Board). In British Columbia an Annual Allowable Cut of 16.9 million cubic meters equates to 1.2 billion dollars to the government.
Wages and salaries paid to employees - 12.5 billion (2005).
For every directly related forestry job there are 2 more jobs that are indirectly created - i.e. Truck Logger (direct job) will create 2 (indirect jobs) - eg. local tire company sales person and server in the local diner.
Wages of forestry workers can range from $23.00 - $50.00 an hour, plus benefits.
Higher earnings mean more income tax dollars to the government.
Higher earnings mean more disposable income for consumer spending.

For further information on B.C.'s Forests and Forestry Practices please go to www.bcforestinformation.com

Sources for information and statistics were obtained from the following:
- Coast Forest and Lumber Association
- Canadian Lumbermen's Association
- Sustainable Forest Management in Canada
- B.C. Forest Report - July 2004
- B.C. Forest Facts Report - Sept. 2006
- National Resources Canada - The State of Canada's Forest Report 2007