Boreal Forest

The boreal (or "northern") forest is a vast area stretching through Canada, Alaska, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. It is home to the world's largest populations of caribou, wolves, grizzly bears and lynx. It is also the breeding ground for an estimated one-third of North America's land birds and 40 percent of its waterfowl. About 70 percent of the boreal forest remains undeveloped.

The Canadian boreal includes a rich variety of grasslands, tundra, rocky outcrops and extensive wetlands. In addition, three-quarters of Canada's forest is in the boreal, dominated by hardy coniferous trees well suited to the short growing season, cold winters and fire cycles.

Managing Canada's Boreal Forest is a Public Affair

Most of Canada's forests are publicly owned. Weyerhaeuser licenses forest land from provincial governments for renewable terms of 20 to 25 years. As of April 2010, Weyerhaeuser holds licenses to roughly 13.2 million acres (5.35 million hectares) of forestland in Canada. About 12.2 million acres (4.93 million hectares) is within the boreal forest. Although Canadian provinces are ultimately responsible for the management of the boreal forest, in reality, both industry and governments work together to develop forest management plans. Forest research is another area where governments and industry work together to improve and better understand the boreal forest, and in many areas the hands-on management of forests is carried out by companies such as Weyerhaeuser. Provincially approved forest management plans are prepared in consultation with others, including aboriginal and local communities, tourist outfitters, trappers, anglers and hunters, as well as other industries such as oil, gas and mining. Forest management plans represent the balancing of multiple objectives, including sustainable forest management, economic benefits and conserving ecological values.

After producing wood products for the benefit of communities and the economy for more than a century, 91 percent of Canadian land that was originally forested continues to support a growing forest. This is a higher percentage than in any other forested nation. Canada also has the largest area of protected forest in the world, including 69 million acres (28 million hectares) of the boreal forest. Approximately 8 percent of Canada’s forest is protected by legislation while roughly 40 percent of the total landbase is subject to different degrees of protection such as integrated land use planning, or defined management areas such as certified forests.

Fire is a Dominant Force in the Boreal Forest

The boreal forest is subject to frequent and large natural disturbances. These include insects and disease, but the primary force is fire, which regularly burns large areas of the boreal.

Because fire is such a common feature, few boreal forest stands reach 200 years in age. Trees in the boreal are nowhere near the size of their coastal counterparts. In fact, Taiga—the word sometimes used by scientists to describe the boreal ecosystem—is a Russian word meaning "land of little sticks." In some areas of the boreal, mature trees are often less than 6 inches (15 centimeters) in diameter. Larger trees, usually in southern areas around water, may reach up to 24 inches (60 centimeters) in diameter.

We Harvest Less Than One Percent

Weyerhaeuser’s 2009 harvest in the boreal forest was 0.2 percent of the forest area we manage. We strive to harvest in a way that emulates natural disturbances such as fire. For example, we leave variable edges and clumps of trees in harvested areas. We also leave buffer strips of trees along scenic routes and streams, lakes, other water bodies and additional ecologically sensitive areas.

After harvest, we take three approaches to reforestation: planting seedlings, spreading seed, and leaving trees to drop seed or sprout from roots. For example, black spruce and jack pine will come back quickly from seeds alone, whereas white spruce requires planting of young seedlings. White spruce seedlings are grown for a year in greenhouses before being planted in harvested areas. Birch regenerates naturally with sprouts from the stump.

Wildlife Are Considered in Forestry Planning

Most bird and animal populations in the boreal continue to thrive notwithstanding wildfires and timber harvests. Different creatures prefer different habitats. Some species move out of an area after fire or harvest, while others—preferring open areas and young plant growth—move in. Wolves, Grizzly Bear, moose and elk are examples of animals that prefer forest clearings and shrub-covered areas.

Some species require special attention. Woodland caribou, a threatened species in Canada, feed on lichen in the older-aged boreal stands and require large areas of forest. In 2004, we began a five-year voluntary deferral of timber harvest on 202,000 acres (82,000 hectares) used by caribou in Alberta. This deferral allowed time for Weyerhaeuser, governments and others to conduct research and develop caribou recovery plans. Mountain pine beetle infestations have presented a new threat, and Weyerhaeuser's revised plan to address the pine beetle continues to incorporate caribou needs. Harvesting strategies to reduce the risk of mountain pine beetle are expected to have minimal impact on important zones within caribou habitat.

Joining Forces to Conserve Boreal Wetlands

On May 18, 2010, the Forest Products Association of Canada announced a Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, a joint undertaking between FPAC members and a number of environmental nongovernmental organizations. The agreement is intended to be a nationally and globally significant precedent for boreal forest conservation and forest-industry competitiveness.

Weyerhaeuser is a longtime member of FPAC; has operations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario that are in the boreal forest; and adheres there to some of the highest forest practice standards in the world. We did not participate directly in the negotiations but support the agreement's aim of balancing the economic, social and environmental aspects of the forest and are one of the forest products companies that have agreed to sign it.

The CBFA is designed to achieve six strategic goals:

• World-leading on-the-ground sustainable forest management practices based on the principles of ecosystem-based management, active adaptive management, and third-party verification
• The completion of a network of protected areas that, taken as a whole, represent the diversity of ecosystems within the boreal region and serve as an ecological benchmark
• The recovery of species at risk within the boreal forests, including caribou
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the full life cycle from the forest to the end of product life
• Improved prosperity of the Canadian forest sector and the communities that depend upon it
• Recognition by the marketplace (e.g., customers, investors and consumers) of the CBFA and its implementation in ways that demonstrably benefit FPAC members and their products from the boreal

All of the signatories to the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, including Weyerhaeuser, have pledged to work together and with all levels of government to find a workable balance among the needs of forest-dependent communities and the social and environmental attributes of the boreal. We plan to participate fully in the implementation of this ambitious initiative in a manner that respects all interests in the boreal.

For several years, Weyerhaeuser has also been working alone and with partners such as Ducks Unlimited Canada to support habitat and wildlife conservation efforts.

Weyerhaeuser has been supporting several boreal conservation projects, such as the development of science-based tools to identify priorities for conservation. Identifying sensitive areas and adapting forest-management policies require public support and government action, so Weyerhaeuser is also working to engage governments, communities and indigenous peoples in these efforts.

In 2006, Weyerhaeuser and Ducks Unlimited Canada agreed to jointly fund and conduct research focused on waterfowl and wetland bird habitat on Weyerhaeuser-managed lands in Alberta.