Canada is the top exporter of forest products in the world (2008) and 71% of Canada’s total exports head to the United States.
The Boreal Forest (primarily spruce, fir, tamarack, aspen and birch) is a global endowment – and is one of the largest forest ecosystems on Earth: 50% are in Russia, 30% in Canada, 10% in Alaska (USA) and 10% in Scandinavia.
The world’s most heavily forested countries in land area are: Russia, Brazil, Canada and USA.
Forest fires and insects in Canada account for 80% of any given year’s total disturbance in the Boreal Ecosystem – far and away exceeding trees harvested for paper and timber in any given year (by roughly a magnitude of 20-to-1 since 2001).
Less than 1% of Canada’s total forest area is harvested annually.
All harvested areas in Canada, by law, must be regenerated: 53% is regenerated naturally; 2% is seeded; and 45% is replanted (with seedlings).
Canada currently has a 64.6% recovery rate for paper.
The percentage of harvested fiber that is converted to useful products is 90% (it was 61% in 1970) and the remaining 10% (bark and wood waste residue) is largely used as a biomass fuel.
More than 90% of tropical forests lost are converted to non-forest uses, primarily agriculture.
FPAC has set a goal for carbon-neutrality in Canadian forest industry by 2015, without the purchase of carbon offset credits.
Canada has 40% of the world’s certified forests – and only 10% of the world’s forests are certified.