Unit 2 - Government Legislation and Policies

Approximately 347 million hectares of Canada’s total land is forest land; this is about 40% of Canada’s total land of 979.1 million hectares. We learned that the majority of Canada’s forests are owned and managed by the provinces and territories and only 2% is owned by the federal government.  Although 2% might seem to be a small amount, there is still legislation in place that outlines the federal government’s responsibilities.

These include:

• international trade in forest products
• management of federal parks
• treaties, political, and legal responsibilities for Indigenous people

Some of the federal laws that might apply include:

• The Forestry Act
• Timber Regulations
• Indian Act
• First Nations Land Management Act
• National Parks Act

One of the leaders in setting a direction for sustainable forest management of Canada’s forests is the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers. Made up of the 14 provincial, territorial,  and federal ministers responsible for forests, they all work together to address areas of common interest and concern. The Council “released a long-term strategic vision for Canada’s forests that reaffirms the country’s commitment to sustainable forest management. A Vision for Canada’s Forests: 2008 and Beyond continues the leadership Canada has demonstrated for over 20 years through its previous forest strategies” in 2008.

In 2019, taking into account input from all Canadians and recognizing that the previous vision needed to be revised, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers developed A Shared Vision for Canada’s Forests: Toward 2030.