Active Forest Management Can Help Reduce The Risk of Wildfires

What's This About?

In 2023, Canada experienced one of the worst wildfire seasons on record, with fires consuming 16.5 million hectares of land, more than double the previous record set in 1989 and nearly seven times more than the historical average^[37]. With Natural Resources Canada predicting that the projected rate of climate change is expected to grow even further — 10 to 100 times faster than the ability of our forests to migrate naturally — we need to be working with nature to help our forests adapt to these changing climate conditions.^[12]

Here, Active Forest Management has a critical role to play. Not only does it remove the decay and debris that can accelerate these natural disturbances but modern methods of harvesting are intended to mimic natural growth cycles, prioritizing the older, insect-damaged stands more susceptible to wildfire and regenerating those high-risk areas with trees better adapted to future climate conditions.^[23][24]

In 2023, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers took an important first step in introducing the Canadian Wildland Fire Prevention and Mitigation Strategy. But we can do more. We need to do more to reduce the risk these wildfires pose to our communities and help our forests adapt to a changing climate.