The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Bruce Sorrie (Cape May warbler) © Bruce Sorrie

People all over the world rely on Canada’s wood products: a full 85 percent of the southern Boreal Forest is allocated to forest product companies for commercial use, and at least 100 million acres of Canada’s Boreal Forest (an area similar in size to California) is slated for commercial logging in the coming decade.

The role of forestry in Canada’s economy is clear. And now, as the world faces economic and environmental crises at the same time, conservation on this landscape can only succeed by accounting for the needs of humans as well as the needs of nature. The Conservancy is working to ensure the health of Canada’s Boreal Forest while respecting the importance of forestry jobs in Canada.

The Conservancy is providing science expertise to support timber companies in creating a landscape of sustainable, working forests across Canada’s Boreal. By achieving Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification across such a wide landscape, this initiative will protect millions of acres under management practices that support healthy plant and animal communities, while increasing the availability of sustainable wood and paper products in the marketplace.

Our Choice:  Sustainability or Depletion

The choice to pursue or not to pursue FSC certification represents a choice between sustaining or risking the viability of forest ecosystems across Canada’s Boreal region. However, the complexities of initiating FSC practices represent a barrier to adoption for many forestry companies. Without support from the Conservancy and our partners, unsustainable forestry could continue to threaten diverse species and habitats in Canada’s Boreal Forest.

The Nature Conservancy:  A Leader in Sustainable Forestry

As an owner and manager of many FSC-certified woodlands around the world and an active participant in the establishment of FSC certification standards, the Conservancy brings the knowledge and experience needed to help Canada’s timber industry successfully adopt FSC.

Conservancy scientists are helping timber companies identify areas of high conservation value, such as critical caribou habitat or rare forest types, that must be conserved within the working landscape. At the same time, we are developing long-term benchmarks of ecological health that will guide foresters in managing for these important characteristics.

Help Create Sustainable Economies

With your support, the Conservancy can help Canada’s timber industry manage millions of acres of Boreal Forest under sustainable practices — protecting the natural and human communities of this landscape and increasing the number of sustainable forest products on the market.