Canadian Council of Forest Ministers’ Meeting

Iqaluit, Nunavut: Canadians have taken another step toward their collective goal of sustainable forest management with the release today by the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) of the "Criteria and Indicators of Sustainable Forest Management: National Status 2000" report following their annual meeting.

"This report illustrates Canada's continued commitment and scientific approach toward the sustainable management of its forests" said the Honourable Halvar Jonson, Minister of Environment for Alberta and current Chair of the CCFM. "Canada's domestic criteria and indicators framework reflects an approach to forest management which is based on the recognition that forests are ecosystems that provide a wide range of environmental, economic and social benefits."

In support of this belief, Canada embraces a philosophy that sustainable forest management demands an informed and participatory public, as well as the best available information and knowledge.

"The understanding of what constitutes sustainable forest management and its pursuit is a dynamic and evolving process" said the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister for Natural Resources Canada. "Criteria, and especially indicators, represent the current knowledge of our forest ecosystems and remain open to revision and improvement."

Since the development and release of the Canadian framework of criteria and indicators in 1995, Canada's ability to report on progress has increased considerably due to several factors. Information system capacities and the availability of data have increased for some indicators. Advances in science have also improved our understanding of natural systems and, consequently, have influenced our concept of, and our ability to measure our progress towards sustainable forest management.

The six criteria for Sustainable Forest Management that have been identified go beyond traditional timber values to encompass values such as wildlife habitat, water quality, community stability, and Aboriginal involvement, as well as recreation and biodiversity. No single criterion or indicator is a measure of sustainability on its own, but together they can highlight trends of changes in the status of forests and forest management over time.

More work remains to be done. Future CCFM efforts will focus on maintaining and expanding current databases, developing methodologies to collect data for such areas as the social elements of sustainability, improving our capacity to monitor sustainability and enhancing our understanding of forest ecosystems. Defining target levels (or benchmarks) for indicator interpretation may also be required. A CCFM task force will be undertaking the review of the C&I framework to ensure it continues to reflect the evolving values and knowledge Canadians have of their forests.

Criteria and indicators is an effective policy tool that is being used by more than 140 countries. In Canada, some provinces have incorporated criteria and indicators either in their legislation or in their forest planning processes and some industries are now using them in their forest management planning.

"This report marks a point in time where criteria and indicators are finally being put to use to provide Canadians with a picture of forest sustainability" said Halvar Jonson. "Drawing this first picture is a crucial and necessary step toward a comprehensive understanding and assessment of our progress toward sustainable forest management."

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Contact:

Pauline Myre, (613) 947-9084            CCFM C&I Task Force            Canadian Forest Service            Natural Resources Canada