This report provides factual and analytical information about Canada's forests, and addresses topics and issues important to the development of the Canadian forest sector. In addition to providing an annual overview on the state of Canadian forestry, the report places particular emphasis on Canada's forests as a source of commercial timber, and on management and environmental issues related to timber production. A national forest account is introduced to show the changes in the forest resource as it is depleted by harvesting, fire and insects, and replenished through reforestation and intensive management activities. Data are included from the mid-1970s to the present on exports by province and their value, their contribution to the balance of trade, employment, and types of materials produced.

This report provides factual and analytical information about Canada's forests, and addresses topics & issues important to the development of the Canadian forest sector. In addition to an annual overview on the state of Canadian forestry, national & provincial/territorial profiles present statistics on the forest resource & industry, as well as discussion of changes in the forest sector over the past year and the past decade. This is followed by feature articles on forest fires and by special articles on forests & climate change, the forest life cycle, and disturbances & renewal in the forest. The final part contains a glossary and a directory of contacts for further information.

Ken Drushka analyses the changes in human attitudes towards the forests, detailing the rise of the late nineteenth-century conservation movement and its subsequent decline after World War I, the interplay between industry and government in the development of policy, the adoption of sustained yield policies after World War II, and the recent adoption of sustainable forest management in response to environmental concerns. Drushka argues that, despite the centuries of use, the Canadian forest retains a good deal of its vitality and integrity. Written in accessible language and aimed at a general readership, Canada's Forests will be a must-read for anyone interested in the debate about the current and future uses of this precious natural resource.