Report in Brief

Forest Fires: An Integral Part of Sustainable Forest Management

The theme of the State of Canada's Forests 2003-2004 is forest fires. Fires have always played an important role in the natural development of forest ecosystems. As these ecosystems have evolved over the last centuries, fires have helped to maintain their health and diversity. From a socio-economic perspective, however, fire can have negative or undesirable effects on health and safety, property, and natural resources.

For generations, fire was seen as undesirable and had to be prevented and controlled. Today we understand that fire is a natural disturbance in forest ecosystems and is a process that should be managed. The challenge of managing fires in Canada is to find ways to balance effectively the positive ecological effects of fire with the negative social and economic impacts.

Consequences

The consequences of forest fires fall into three broad categories: ecological, economical, and social. As with most things in life, the consequences are not all good or all bad.

• Ecological
  Fires are part of nature's way of shaping, maintaining, and renewing forests, but they can also dramatically affect Canada's ecology. It can, for example, affect greenhouse gas emissions. Fire has a beneficial influence on species composition, abundance, and age. Periodic cleansing triggers new growth, clears out flammable duff layer, and staggers the age range of vegetation.
  
• Economical
  The loss of marketable timber may not be critical in all forest fires, but when compounded with the cost of shifting operations to another part of the forest, the costs can be considerable. Firefighting represents a huge investment by government agencies and the private sector. Many rural communities rely on jobs provided to firefighting crews, and the Canadian economy benefits from the manufacture and sale of suppression equipment.
  
• Social
  From the disruptions of the normal living patterns to the hazards associated with smoke inhalation, the social consequences can be extensive. A particularly devastating fire can result in the loss of a home and family treasures and having to start all over again. When fires destroy parks, recreational areas, or other historic structures, it can create a sense of emotional loss.

The Kelowna tragedy is reported through stories from the field. Residents, firefighters, fire experts and emergency response staff were asked to share their experience of the most destructive wildfire in B.C.'s recent history.

The report also provides a cross-country summary of major forest-related activities in the sector during the year and the latest forestry statistics and profiles. This year's edition also contains a new "For The Record" section to address public misperceptions and myths regarding the forest sector and forestry practices. This year's report looks at two questions: "Do genetically modified trees pose a threat to our forests and the environment?" and "Is clearcutting an acceptable forestry practice?"

Canada's Forests Facts for 2003–2004

To meet the needs of forest managers and policy makers, the Canadian Forest Service compiles Canada's Forest Inventory (CanFI) by collecting data from provincial, territorial, and other forest management inventories. CanFI 2001 is a compilation of existing inventories. The previous forest inventory was compiled in 1991. As a result of certain significant changes—forest classifications and definitions; the development and use of high resolution satellite technology; and improved data collection, measurement methodologies, and assessment techniques—the forest inventory statistics contained in the 2003–04 edition of The State of Canada's Forests (SOF) cannot be compared in a meaningful way with forest inventory statistics contained in previously published SOF reports.

To allow for accurate and meaningful forest inventory comparisons over time, a new design, Canada's National Forest Inventory (NFI), is being developed and implemented in cooperation with the provinces and territories. This new design will replace the current CanFI approach; the first statistical report using the new inventory is expected in 2006.

The statistical section of the report has been expanded to include available data on environmental and social indicators, as well as non-timber forest values.

Forest Facts

• Canada is steward to about 10 percent of the world's forests, 30 percent of the world's boreal forests, and 20 percent of the world's fresh water.
• Canada's forest inventory consists of 401.9 million hectares of forest and other wooded land. Of this total, 309.8 million hectares are forest land, while 92 million hectares of other wooded land consist of treed wetland, as well as slow-growing and scattered-treed land.
• 144.6 million hectares are considered accessible and most likely to be subject to forest management activities.
• Of these 144.6 million, about 1 million hectares are harvested annually.
• There were 8218 recorded forest fires in Canada in 2003, with approximately 1.6 million hectares of forested land burned, representing 1.2 million hectares less than in the previous year.
• Canada's forests are the backbone of an $81.8-billion forest industry.
• Forest products contributed almost $30 billion to Canada's positive trade balance, added over $33 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP), and generated $3.3 billion in new capital investments.
• Total value of forest product exports reached $39.6 billion.
• Direct employment in the forest sector increased by approximately 14 900 person-years to 376 300 in 2003.
• About two-thirds of Canada's estimated 140 000 species of plants, animals, and micro-organisms live in the forest.