This report summarizes a study by the Rural and Small Town Programme (RSTP) to develop the tools required by forestry‐dependent communities to help them transition from a one industry town.
The boreal forest region contains nearly 20 per cent of the world's forest resources. Canada contains 30 per cent of the world's boreal forest and the future of Canada's boreal region has been the subject of spirited debate, with some advocating more extensive and intensive harvest, while others argue for increased protection. Since the boreal region lags behind Canada as a whole on most indicators of socio-economic status, arguments for expanded harvest and for increased protection invoke the need to sustain human communities.
Canada’s boreal forest economy faces many challenges and opportunities. The current industry structure reflects past resource and economic conditions, government policies, and industry strategy. As economic conditions and the resource change, industry, communities and governments must also adjust. Forest sectors vary from one region to another, but all boreal regions face similar challenges.
This program aims to support Canada’s forest sector in becoming more economically competitive and environmentally sustainable through targeted investments in advanced technologies.
Established in 2002, Canada Wood funds activities that help Canadian wood producers diversify and expand export opportunities for their products in traditional and emerging overseas markets, including Europe, Japan, China and South Korea.
This discussion paper will examine how Aboriginal communities may be affected by processes under development to certify sustainable forest management or sustainably produced forest products and the possible basis for Aboriginal communities complying with these processes. Background information will be provided on the events leading to certification, the current status of certification initiatives and options for Aboriginal communities to meet certification standards or use such systems to promote their interests.
This paper is intended to provide a greater understanding of the nature of Aboriginal and treaty rights and how they interface with emerging forest policy. When one examines the essence of Aboriginal and treaty rights an early observation must be that these rights are largely about continued use of the forests. This obvious linkage has never been reconciled in forest policy, and where it counts most - at the provincial level. Only now is there some evidence that change may occur.
A discussion of six criterion outlined as integral to sustainable forest management by NAFA, including economic benefits via employment and management and learning opportunities for Aboriginal peoples.
