Accountability… or Advertising? A Critical Review of Canada’s State of the Forests Report
Published by:
David Suzuki Foundation and partners
Partners:
David Suzuki Foundation,
Nature Canada,
Nature Quebec,
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC),
Sierra Club of BC,
Sierra Club Canada,
Wilderness Committee
Biodiversity Boreal forest, species at risk, forests, land use, Indigenous Peoples
This report critiques Canada’s annual State of Canada’s Forests (SOF) report, which is meant to fulfill Canada’s commitments under the Montreal Process to report on sustainable forest management. The SOF selectively highlights indicators that present Canadian forestry practices positively, such as economic metrics and natural disturbances, while overlooking cumulative industrial impacts, biodiversity loss, forest degradation, and Indigenous rights violations.
Serious issues persist nationwide, including the failure to protect critical caribou habitat in Quebec and Ontario, old-growth logging in British Columbia, weakened endangered species protections in Ontario, and expanded logging in Alberta’s caribou ranges. In Acadian forests, industrial forestry has caused sharp declines in bird populations, while Quebec is considering zones with few environmental safeguards.
The report also shows how severe wildfires are amplifying these cumulative impacts. It calls for more comprehensive, transparent reporting on ecological, social, and Indigenous issues to meet Canada’s international commitments and drive meaningful forest management reforms.
