latest

As you may have seen and heard on the news, recent wildfires, such as the one in Jasper last month, have brought the role of active forest management for the forefront of the Canadian conversation.

Though wildfires are part of a forest’s natural lifecycle, they are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of climate change. Last year, Canada experienced the most destructive wildfire season on record, with high temperatures and widespread dry conditions. In 2023, there were:

• More than 6,132 active fires
• Between 15M and 17M hectares of land burned
• Nearly 200,000 people placed under evacuation orders

Active forest management can help mitigate the severity of these impacts. Tree thinning and carefully-planned harvesting not only helps remove the decay and debris that can accelerate these wildfires but adjusting harvesting schedules to favour older, insect-damaged stands can help us reduce the risk of a catastrophic wildfire starting in the first place. What’s more: Canadian foresters are working to regenerate harvested areas with trees that are better adapted to future climate conditions, helping our future forests build resiliency and better withstand the effects of our changing climate.

Want to know more about how modern forest management strategies can reduce wildfire risk? Read more about it here. And don’t forget to email your MP today, calling on them to enact the kind of policies that can help Canada’s forest sector do more to keep our communities safer from wildfires.