The Canadian Forest Service (CFS; ) is a sector of the

Canadian government The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes ministers of the Crown ( ...

department of

Natural Resources Canada Natural Resources Canada (NRCan; ; )Natural Resources Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Natural Resources (). is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for natural r ...

. Part of the federal government since 1899, the CFS is a science-based policy organization responsible for promoting the

sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

of Canada's

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

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, as well as quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production. The name comes from the Latin ('forest') and ('growing'). The study of forests ...

, soils, insects and disease,

remote sensing Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an physical object, object or phenomenon without making physical contact with the object, in contrast to in situ or on-site observation. The term is applied especially to acquiring inform ...

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, forest protection, and forest regulation. This includes man ...

. 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 Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

. * Northern Forestry Centr

in

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

. * Great Lakes Forestry Centre in

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in northern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of the St. Mary's River directly across from its "twin city," Sault Ste. Marie, in the state of Michigan. The city's population was 72,051 at the 2021 census, makin ...

. * Laurentian Forestry Centre in

Sainte-Foy, Quebec Sainte-Foy (; ) is a List of former municipalities in Quebec, former city in central Quebec, Canada alongside the Saint Lawrence River. It was 2000–06 municipal reorganization in Quebec, amalgamated into Quebec City at the start of 2002. Most ...

. * Atlantic Forestry Centre in

Fredericton, New Brunswick Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy), Saint John River, ...

and

Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador Corner Brook (Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population: 19,316 Census Agglomeration, CA 29,762) is a city located on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Corner Bro ...

Research Forests

* Petawawa Research Forest (100 km²) located in

Laurentian Hills, Ontario Laurentian Hills is a municipality in Eastern Ontario, Canada, on the Ottawa River in Renfrew County. It surrounds (by land) Deep River on the Ontario side of the river. The municipality was formed on January 1, 2000, when the United Townships o ...

. * Acadia Research Forest (90 km²) located just east of

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 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 preservation refers to any method or process, or even technique, used to protect the wood and extend its service life. Most wood species are susceptible to both biological (''biotic'') and non-biological (''abiotic'') factors that cause d ...

. * 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 con ...

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 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, ...

* 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 Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy), Saint John River, ...

, Sainte-Foy,

Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie may refer to: People * Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, a Native American tribe in Michigan Places * Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada ** Sault Ste. Marie (federal electoral district), a Canadian federal electora ...

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

, 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 - Forestry Branch is one of two main branches * 1968: Forestry Branch merges with Department of Fisheries to form the Department of Fisheries and Forestry - 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. 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.

External links

Canadian Forest Service Official website

Forest Fire in Canada - maintained by the CFS

Elihu Stuart - Trailblazer

Canada's Forests
From Natural Resources Canada
National Forestry Database
Detailed 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

Establishments

Research Forests

History of the department

See also

External links