Compilation of Canadian Provincial and Federal Regulations Relevant to Forest Management Activities

July 18, 2014

 Forest companies face a complex and variable regulatory platform with respect to forest management practices. In Canada, forest management is predominantly governed by provincial governments, but overarching federal legislation also plays a role in influencing forest management.

NCASI prepared Special Report No. 14-03, Compilation of Canadian Provincial and Federal Regulations Relevant to Forest Management Activities, to offer a comprehensive overview of the Canadian federal and provincial regulatory environment as it pertains to forest management. The report examines legislation, regulation, and guidelines pertaining to forestry across all provinces and summarizes the regulatory environment and key components for each jurisdiction. The focus of the review is on forest management practices and includes information on Crown forest tenure, private forest management, forest practices and silviculture prescriptions, forest management planning, water resource management, land management, resource protection, chemical management, transportation, and timber export. Brief discussion of sustainable forest management certification programs used in Canada is also included. The report is accompanied by an Excel workbook that examines selected themes on forest management to offer more detail and facilitate comparisons across jurisdictions.