The purpose of the Forest Issues page is to provide a convenient gateway to in-depth information on important economic, environmental, and social issues facing forests, forestry, the forest products industry, and the people who depend on them.
For up-to-date information and breaking news, we suggest that you review the latest postings on the The Week in Review feature to be found on the Forestry News page.
If you have recommendations for improving the Forest Issues page, either with additional sources of information for the issues found here or with other issues of interest to you, please send us an email with your thoughts. Email your comments
Mountain Pine Beetle
British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range - one of the principal sources of information on the mountain pine beetle infestation.
- Mountain Pine Beetle Publications - a comprehensive listing of publications available from the Ministry of Forests and Range Library
- Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan is the cornerstone of the Province's coordinated response to the mountain pine beetle infestation. The Action Plan guides provincial responses and helps coordinate all levels of government, communities, industries and stakeholders working to mitigate impacts of the pine beetle. It addresses forestry and environmental issues as well as economic, social and cultural sustainability.
- Beetle Facts - information on the response to the epidemic, beetle biology, contributing factors, beetles and cold weather, infestation information.
- Research Reports on various aspects of the mountain pine beetle infestation and responses.
Alberta Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development
- Alberta Mountain Pine Beetles - biology, maps, news, etc. including:
- Mountain pine beetle home page - information on outbreak origins, historical mountain pine beetle activity, mountain pine beetle detection, decision support systems, modeling mountain pine beetle spread and impact, direct control methods, the role and use of fire, silviculture and the mountain pine beetle
David Suzuki Foundation - BC Forests: Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak
- Salvaging Solutions - detailed information about science-based management of the beetle outbreak in British Columbia.
University of British Columbia: Faculty of Forestry
- The Beetle Challenge: An Overview of the Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic and its Implications - Kim McGarrity and George Hoberg
- Dendroctonus ponderosae (Scolytidae) - mountain pine beetle biology and photos
FORREX Forest Research Extension Partnership
International Forestry
Until recently, the CIDA Forestry Advisers Network (CFAN) maintained a website that featured the description of CIDA-supported forestry projects in developing countries and a series of papers on international forestry issues. Some of the more popular issues papers are reproduced below.
Deforestation - Tropical Forests in Decline - examines the extent of tropical deforestation in developing countries, its causes and consequences, and the prospects for more sustainable land use alternatives. The paper has been prepared as a contribution to the general public's better understanding of the complex social, economic, and environmental issues that surround tropical deforestation.
Forests, Trees, and the Millennium Development Goals - In September 2000 in New York, the Millennium Summit was held, bringing together at the UN General Assembly over 150 world leaders to reconfirm their commitment to sustainable development. At that time, the UN member states unanimously adopted the Millennium Declaration for achieving human development.
Tropical Forestry and the Environment - examines the major environmental problems facing tropical forests and looks at practical approaches to address them.
Tropical Forests and Climate Change - examines global climate change and its causes, describes climate change’s impact on forests, summarizes the Kyoto Protocol as it relates to forests, summarizes forests’ role in mitigating climate change, and provides recommendations for international cooperation in the forest sector.
These papers were prepared by John Roper while under contract with the Policy Branch of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
State of the Forest Industry
Softwood Lumber Agreement: Canada - United States
2006 Softwood Lumber Agreement - background to the issues and the details of the most recent Softwood Lumber Agreement from the BC Government's perspective.
Export and Import Controls: Softwood Lumber - background to the issues and the details of the most recent Softwood Lumber Agreement from the perspective of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.
Economic Trends and Prospects
- Canada's Forests - statistical data, topics of interest, and trend analysis for various aspects of the forest sector, including the economy.
- Forestry Revitalization Plan - outlines the actions and expected benefits from forest policy reforms being made to help revitalize the industry.
- Issues - a series of brief papers on "Competitiveness, BC Depends on Forestry, Sustainability, BC Lumber in Asia, Forestry’s Safety Challenge, Mountain Pine Beetle, Wood as a Green Choice"