Sustainable Forestry

I've mentioned the concept of sustainable forestry in a number of past posts. Many people might be asking the question What exactly is sustainable forestry?

There is an official definition, developed by the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE). This definition has been adopted by the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It defines sustainable forestry as

"the stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfill, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions, at local, national, and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems."

Dr. Patrick Moore, who served for nine years as President of Greenpeace Canada and seven years as a Director of Greenpeace International, has written on the subject of sustainable forestry. See Moore's essays Trees are the Answer and Environmentalism for the 21st Century for some of his ideas on sustainable forestry.

Using these two sources, the official EU and UN definition and the writings of Patrick Moore, as my foundation, here is what I mean when I speak or write of sustainable forestry:

1- Forests, properly managed, are a completely renewable resource. As such, we do not need to be afraid of or avoid the use of wood and paper products or other resources derived from sustainable forestry methods.

2- Place 15% of world’s forests into permanently protected parks and reserves. The World Wildlife Fund recommends ten percent of the world's forests and Patrick Moore recommends between ten and fifteen percent. I have chosen the higher figure. These parks and reserves would not be chosen at random, but rather targeted in such a way as to best protect unique ecosystems and endangered plants & animals.

3- Sustainable management of remaining 85% to produce renewable resources. Over six billion people around the world have very real needs for food, energy and other resources. Any sustainable future must take into account those needs and provide for them in a renewable manner. Most of the substitutes for wood - such as steel, concrete and plastic for building, or fossil fuels for energy - are non-renewable and have much larger environmental impacts (such as CO2 production) than does sustainable forestry.

4- Considers the needs of other species in the ecosystem. It is not the old-style massive clearcutting of land then moving on, leaving behind a wasteland of nothing. Instead, sustainable forestry is done in such a way as to protect biodiversity, and to encourage reforestation & maintain forest cover. It also enhances biodiversity by creating various gowth-stages of forests, allowing for a wider diversity of plants and animals to fill the increased number of habitat types.

5- Sustainable forestry is held accountable. Sustainable forestry practices are certified by a number of independent agencies, among them Canada's National Sustainable Forest Management Standard (CSA), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC). Sustainable forestry certification is well established in North America and Europe, and should be expanded around the world.

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