Since 1991, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has published a comprehensive report on the social, economic and environmental state of Canada’s forests. The theme of the 2023 edition of The State of Canada’s Forests is relationships for resiliency. The document underscores the need for climate action and the benefits of sustainable forest management, while drawing attention to the interconnections between people, nature and the long-term sustainability of Canada’s diverse forest-based values.
Among the stories featured in NRCan’s 2023 report:
- how Canada manages its forests for diverse values through the principles of sustainable forest management
- how “community forests” help sustain multiple values at multiple scales in increasingly uncertain landscapes
- how sustainable forest management sequesters carbon and helps mitigate climate change
- how forests help protect healthy aquatic ecosystems and Canada’s drinking water, and how forest disturbances and climate change affect our drinking water supply and quality
- the diverse people working across the forest sector supply chain, from forest regeneration and the production of various forest products to the development of new knowledge to help sustainably manage our forests
“In 2022–2023, Natural Resources Canada continued to deliver on its mandate to improve the lives of Canadians while ensuring that our country’s natural resources are managed sustainably, competitively and inclusively,” writes the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. “This report summarizes many of these initiatives, and it highlights the department’s efforts to ensure economic growth, create good jobs in every region of the country, and improve the lives and livelihoods of all Canadians.”
To learn about the challenges and opportunities facing Canada’s forests and forest products sector, read The State of Canada’s Forests: Annual Report 2023.
