The Canadian Forest Service (CFS; french: Service canadien des forêts) is a sector of the
Canadian government
The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-in ...
department of
Natural Resources Canada
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan; french: Ressources naturelles Canada; french: RNCan, label=none)Natural Resources Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Natural Resources (). is the dep ...
. Part of the federal government since 1899, the CFS is a science-based policy organization responsible for promoting the
sustainable development of Canada's
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
s and competitiveness of the forest sector to benefit present and future Canadians. Some of the research areas that the CFS is involved in include; forest fire, climate change,
silviculture
Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth, composition/structure, and quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production.
The name comes from the Latin ('forest') and ('growing'). The study of forests and wo ...
, soils, insects and disease, remote sensing and
forest management Forest management is a branch of forestry concerned with overall administrative, legal, economic, and social aspects, as well as scientific and technical aspects, such as silviculture, protection, and forest regulation. This includes management fo ...
. Since 1991 the sector has produced an annual report, ''The State of the Forest in Canada'
which describes the status of the nation's forests and the forest industry.
Establishments
The CFS operates mainly from six establishments across the country, which include five research centres, two research forests and a headquarters office in Ottawa.
* Pacific Forestry Centre in
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The ...
.
* Northern Forestry Centr
in
Edmonton, Alberta
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anch ...
.
* Great Lakes Forestry Centre in
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is at the St. Mary's River on the Canada–US border. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
The Ojibwe, the indigenous Anishinaabe inhabitants ...
.
* Laurentian Forestry Centre in
Sainte-Foy, Quebec
)
, image_skyline = Complexe Jules Dallaire.jpg
, image_caption = Boulevard Laurier in Sainte-Foy
, image_flag =
, flag_size =
, image_seal =
, seal_size =
, image_shield ...
.
* Atlantic Forestry Centre in
Fredericton, New Brunswick and
Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Research Forests
* Petawawa Research Forest (100 km²) located in
Laurentian Hills, Ontario.
* Acadia Research Forest (90 km²) located just east of
Fredericton, New Brunswick.
History of the department
* 1873: Federal responsibility for forestry resources/federal public lands given to the Department of Interior's Dominion Lands Branch.
* 1899:
Elihu Stewart Elihu may refer to:
People
*Elihu Burritt (1811–1879), American philanthropist, linguist, and social activist
* Elihú Chávez (1988), Mexican Environmental Engineer with Renewable Energies Master Degree (ITESM 2019). Safety professional and LG ...
appointed first Chief Inspector of Timber and Forestry.
* 1901: Elihu Stewart becomes Superintendent of Forestry of Forestry Branch.
* 1906:
Dominion Forest Reserves Act passed.
* 1909: Parliament establishes Commission of Conservation with responsibility over natural resources. Forest laboratories and stations created to study timber and
wood preservation
Wood easily degrades without sufficient preservation. Apart from structural wood preservation measures, there are a number of different chemical preservatives and processes (also known as "timber treatment", "lumber treatment" or "pressure treat ...
.
* 1930: Federal government transfers jurisdiction to western provinces. Federal forestry programs concentrate on scientific research in silviculture,
forest protection
Forest protection is a branch of forestry which is concerned with the preservation or improvement of a forest and prevention and control of damage to forest by natural or man made causes like forest fires, plant pests, and adverse climatic cond ...
and products and collecting information on forest resources.
* 1936: Department of the Interior ceases to exist - its components merge with Departments of Mines, Indian Affairs, and Immigration to become Department of Mines and Resources. Former "Forestry Service" (Interior) becomes Dominion Forest Service.
* 1940-1945: Dominion Forest Service expands research activities to include forest insect epidemics and tree diseases, and creates air surveys division.
* 1947: Forest Branch becomes separate unit and research activities combine with surveys and mapping to become Mines, Forests and Scientific Services Branch.
* 1949:
Canada Forestry Act grants legal authority to enter into forest resource agreements with provinces.
* 1950: The Department of Mines and Resources dissolves and functions are transferred to Department of Resources and Development. New Forestry Branch charged with forestry issues - forestry research, forest management, and forest products.
* 1953: Department of Resources and Development becomes
Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources
* 1960: First autonomous Department of Forestry is established under the
Department of Forestry Act encompassing Forestry Branch and Forest Biology Division from Department of Agriculture's Research Branch. Regional offices located in
St. John's,
Fredericton,
Sainte-Foy,
Sault Ste. Marie,
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
,
Calgary, and Victoria. Institutes created to support scientific studies into chemicals, forest fires, forest economics, and forest management.
* 1966: Federal forestry responsibility combines with rural development to become
Department of Forestry and Rural Development
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
* Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
- Forestry Branch is one of two main branches
* 1968: Forestry Branch merges with Department of Fisheries to form the
Department of Fisheries and Forestry
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
* Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
- forestry programs delivered by Canadian Forestry Service.
* 1970: Department of Fisheries and Forestry are central to new Department of Environment. All federal responsibility for the environment, including air, land, water, wildlife, fisheries and forestry were transferred to the new Department. Canadian Forestry Service forms part of the
Lands, Forests and Wildlife Service. Within two years departmental restructuring and the Canadian Forestry Service is part of the
Environment Management Service
Environment most often refers to:
__NOTOC__
* Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally
* Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...
. Following year sees creation of five regional establishments for Atlantic provinces, Québec, Ontario, Western and Northern, Pacific and Yukon regions.
* 1982: Environmental Management Services splits to form the Environmental Conservation Service and the Canadian Forestry Service
* 1984: Canadian Forestry Service transfers to Department of Agriculture
* 1985: Canadian Forestry Service transfers back to Environment
* 1988: Forestry Canada becomes a department designate
* 1989: Forestry Canada fully established as department
* 1993: Department of Forestry and Department of Energy, Mines and Resources merge to form Department of Natural Resources.
See also
*
Canadian Forestry Corps
*
Canadian Forestry Association
The Canadian Forestry Association (CFA) is Canada's oldest conservation organization. It was established on March 8, 1900 by a group of influential Canadians from government and industry, at the Canadian parliament buildings in Ottawa ON. The grou ...
*
Forestry in Canada
The Canadian forestry industry is a major contributor to the Canadian economy. With 39% of Canada's land acreage covered by forests, the country contains 9% of the world's forested land. The forests are made up primarily of spruce, poplar and p ...
*
Minister of Forestry (Canada)
*
Natural Resources Canada
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan; french: Ressources naturelles Canada; french: RNCan, label=none)Natural Resources Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Natural Resources (). is the dep ...
*
Tree Canada, an NGO
External links
Canadian Forest Service Official websiteForest Fire in Canada - maintained by the CFSElihu Stuart - TrailblazerCanada's ForestsFrom Natural Resources Canada
National Forestry DatabaseDetailed Canadian Forest Management data since 1990
{{authority control
Natural Resources Canada
Federal departments and agencies of Canada
Forestry agencies in Canada
1899 establishments in Canada