While our forests have a critical role to play in our collective fight against climate change, they are also affected by it. Natural Resources Canada has said that the rate of projected climate change is expected to be 10 to 100 times faster than the ability of trees to migrate naturally in Canada.^[12] Given the critical role they play as both a carbon sink and a critical driver of a greener economy, we need to be working with nature to help our forests adapt to changing climate conditions.

Canada’s forest sector is doing just that. Our certified professional foresters develop comprehensive forest management plans, guided by world-leading sustainable practices, and approved by provincial governments before a single tree is harvested.^[20] These plans not only consider what was there before, and what species of trees native to a particular area will keep our forests healthy and thriving long-term, but how we can regenerate harvested areas with trees that are better adapted to warming temperatures and future climate conditions, protecting our forests against fire, pests and disease.^[35] And because Canada leads the world in sustainable forest certification standards, Canadians can be assured that this adaptation includes commitments to reforestation, promoting wildlife habitats, maintaining biodiversity and the water & soil protection that will help keep our forests as forests forever.^[19]