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Securing A Sustainable Future

One objective of the National Forest Strategy is to provide researchers with an extensive living laboratory. Consequently, ten model forests have been established across Canada, five of which are in the boreal forest. These are official research preserves with each representing a different social, economic and environmental milieu. A major purpose of the model forests is to assist in developing a comprehensive national set of criteria to measure Canada's progress toward sustainable forestry.

By the year 2000, a network of protected areas will be in place that is representative of forest ecosystems in Canada. At both federal and provincial levels, ecological classification and inventories are contributing to an understanding of the composition and structure of the boreal forest ecosystem.

There are several encouraging trends in Canadian forest management. One is a trend towards increased expenditures on forest management. As well, there appears to be a decline in the use of of chemical pesticides and herbicides in favour of biological control methods. In addition, the pulp and paper industry is decreasing its use of chlorine, dioxins and furans in response to government regulations and the introduction of new technologies.

At the international level, Canada has committed itself to the international agreements on biological diversity, climate change and forestry principles signed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, June 1992.

The cumulative and long-term effects of human activities on the boreal forest remain uncertain, but the outlook is encouraging. All stakeholders are being encouraged to take an integrated, ecosystem approach to sustainable forest management. Current research activities, policies and actions are moving us in the right direction. The obligations are simple:

The Canadian forest community and Canadian society as a whole share the responsibility for preserving the integrity of our boreal forest heritage, not only for our present use, but for the use of future generations, and for the health of our global environment.