Forest management and disturbances

Timber harvest

This section compares the total amount of wood harvested with the sustainable wood supply. The sustainable wood supply is defined as the potential volume of timber which can be harvested sustainably as determined by a complex analysis of ecological, economic, and social considerations. 

Annual timber harvest compared to the sustainable wood supply

Key results

In 2023,

• Canada's sustainable wood supply was approximately 210 million cubic metres (m³)
• the amount of industrial roundwood harvested was close to 115 million m³, which represents approximately 55% of the sustainable wood supply

Maximum sustainable wood supply and annual harvest of industrial roundwood, Canada, 1990 to 2023

How this indicator was calculated

Note: Sustainable wood supply data presented are for industrial roundwood only. Harvested industrial roundwood is intended to be delivered to a mill (for example, logs and bolts, and pulpwood) and also includes poles and pilings.
Source: Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (2025) National Forestry Database.

The annual harvest of industrial roundwood peaked at 208 million m³ in 2004, then steadily declined to 116 million m³ by 2009. It rebounded to 156 million m³ in 2015 but fell again to a new low of 115 million m³ in 2023. This pattern is mostly the result of economic factors, such as the collapse in the United States housing market in 2008 and subsequent global economic downturn that led to reduced demands for Canadian lumber and pulp and paper products.

Both the sustainable wood supply and the volume of wood harvested fluctuate in response to a wide range of ecological, social and economic factors. Changes in the sustainable wood supply are largely a result of adjustments in provincial forest management objectives. For example, the sustainable wood supply can be reduced to conserve animal habitat, or it can be increased to harvest insect-damaged wood. Comparing the amount of timber harvested to the sustainable wood supply is one way to track forest management.

Canada is committed to sustainable forest management, which is defined in the Canadian Forest Service's forestry glossary as "management that maintains and enhances the long-term health of forest ecosystems for the benefit of all living things while providing environmental, economic, social and cultural opportunities for present and future generations." In practice, sustainable forest management means ensuring that forests provide a broad range of goods and services over the long term. Therefore, forest managers plan for harvest levels that ensure the long-term sustainability of environmental, economic and social objectives for the managed forest.

Forest disturbances

Number of  forest fires and area burned
Area disturbed by insects
Estimated total area of annual deforestation

Number of forest fires and area burned

Key results

• In 2024, Canada experienced an estimated 5,844 fires that burned approximately 53,743 km² of  forest
• While 2023 set a record with 176,065 km² burned, the 2024 season was also severe, recording the fourth largest total area burned since the 1990s

Number of forest fires by region, Canada, 1990 to 2024

How this indicator was calculated

Note: Data include fires of known and unknown or indeterminable origin. The Territories region includes Yukon and Northwest Territories.  Nunavut was not included as they are not a part of the data sharing agreement with Natural Resources Canada. The Prairies region includes Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The Atlantic region includes New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Source: Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (2025) National Forestry Database.

Area burned by forest fires by region, Canada, 1990 to 2024

How this indicator was calculated

Note: Data include fires of known and unknown or indeterminable origin. The Territories region includes Yukon and Northwest Territories.  Nunavut was not included as they are not a part of the data sharing agreement with Natural Resources Canada. The Prairies region includes Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The Atlantic region includes New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Source: Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (2025) National Forestry Database.

Fires are a natural part of the forest ecosystem and are important for maintaining the health and diversity of the forest. Forest fires play a vital role in forest renewal, much like sunlight and rain. They release nutrients from debris on the forest floor and open the canopy to sunlight, encouraging new growth.^{Footnote 2}  However, they can also result in costly economic and environmental losses, including public health and safety concerns. Fires can directly threaten communities and infrastructure, and smoke can reduce visibility and air quality. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of wildfires due to hotter, drier conditions.^{Footnote 3}

In 2023, wildfires burned over 170,000 km² across Canada, which is more than double the previous record of 74,813 km² set in 1995. Quebec and the Northwest Territories alone accounted for nearly 85,000 km². In 2024, the area burned dropped to 53,743 km², but the threat remains high. 

Climate change makes hotter, drier weather more common, which in turn leads to more intense and longer fire seasons. The summer of 2023 was the hottest in Canada in recorded history, further contributing to the drought conditions that made forests especially prone to igniting. The fires caused over 200 communities to be evacuated, with the heavy smoke causing air quality concerns across the country. ^{Footnote 4}

The total area burned varies widely from year to year, averaging over 29,000 km² from 1990 to 2024. Although only a small percentage of wildland fires grow beyond 2 km², these larger fires account for approximately 97% of the total area burned across Canada.^{Footnote 5}  In 2024, about 2,571 forest fires across Canada, or 44%, were caused by human activity. However, this only resulted in approximately 816 km² of forest being burned, representing approximately 1.5% of the total area burned nationally. 

Area disturbed by insects

Key results

• In 2023, approximately 116,000 km² of Canadian forest were disturbed by insects

Area disturbed by insects, Canada, 1990 to 2023

How this indicator was calculated

Note: Includes beetle-killed trees. Trees that suffer moderate to severe defoliation are those on which 30% or more of the current foliage has been removed.
Source: Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (2025) National Forestry Database.

Canada's forests are home to thousands of species of native and introduced insects. Most of the time, these species contribute a vital role to the normal functioning of forest ecosystems as prey for other species or by recycling nutrients back into the forest.^{Footnote 1}  Only a small number of insect species kill trees and damage forests. This can occur when insect populations experience outbreaks over vast areas. Disturbance, or defoliation, is the removal of all or most of a plant's leaves by natural disturbance agents (for example, insects) or through the actions of humans (for example, the application of herbicides). These impacts can reduce Canada's timber supply and influence the functioning of forest ecosystems, which can in turn affect carbon stocks, increase fire risk and reduce the recreational and non-timber uses of forests.

Estimated total area of annual deforestration

Key results

• In 2023, an estimated 492 km² of forest were converted to non-forest uses
• Deforestation is due to agriculture, forestry, mining, oil and gas, built-up (for example, industrial development and golf courses), and hydroelectric sectors development

Estimated total area of annual deforestation, Canada, 1990 to 2023

How this indicator was calculated

Source: Natural Resources Canada (2025) State of Canada's Forest Annual Report.

Deforestation is the permanent clearing of forests to make way for new, non-forest land uses, such as agriculture or urban expansion. The annual estimated area of deforestation in Canada has declined from about 640 km² in 1990, to about 492 km² in 2023. Two (2) spikes in the overall declining trend occurred in 1993 and 2006. These were due to forest flooding for the development of hydroelectric reservoirs. However, agricultural expansion remains the primary driver of deforestation, accounting for approximately 43% of forest loss. 

Forest regeneration

This section presents the total area of land that was regenerated by planting and seeding, as well as the number of seedlings planted in Canada between 1990 and 2023.

Key results

In 2023,

• approximately 4,078 km² were planted with around 592 million seedlings
• approximately 71 km² were seeded

Total area planted and seeded, Canada, 1990 to 2023

How this indicator was calculated

Source: Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (2025) National Forestry Database.

Successful regeneration ensures that harvested areas return to a forested state so that they can continue to produce timber and maintain ecosystem services, such as regulating water and providing habitat for wild species. In all provinces and territories, tree regeneration is mandatory on Crown lands after harvesting activities.^{Footnote 1}   In 2023, there was an overall decrease in area planted, with British Columbia showing notably lower planting rates compared to previous years.

About the indicator

What the indicator measures

This indicator is not a single measure of the state of forests in Canada, but rather presents a series of measures that provide an overall picture of their condition. The specific measures used in this indicator are:

• Timber harvest
  • Maximum sustainable wood supply and annual harvest of industrial roundwood
• Forest disturbances
  • Number of forest fires and area burned
  • Area disturbed by insects
  • Estimated total area of annual deforestation
• Forest regeneration
  • Area planted and seeded

Why this indicator is important

Canada’s forests are vital ecosystems that hosts well over a hundred native tree species and a wide variety of plants, insects, fungi, mosses, lichens, and birds, with one-third of the country’s breeding bird species relying on them for survival. Forest characteristics such as age, composition, and structure influence which species can thrive, and these traits are shaped by disturbances. Disturbances may be natural, like wildfires, storms, and insect outbreaks, or human-induced, such as logging, land-use changes, and invasive pests.

Canadian forests are well adapted to natural disturbances, but climate change is increasing their frequency and severity, altering forest composition, and enabling the spread of pests. These changes threaten certain tree species, disrupt forest-dependent communities, and reduce sustainable wood supply, leading to greater evacuation needs and economic impacts.

Forests play a key role in the carbon cycle, storing and releasing carbon through growth, decay, and disturbance.^{Footnote 6}  Both natural events (like wildfires and insect outbreaks) and human activities (such as timber harvesting and land conversion) influence greenhouse gas emissions and removals. Managing forests and understanding disturbances is essential, as recovering forests can absorb carbon, helping offset emissions and support climate goals. For more detailed information on this specific issue see the Land-based greenhouse gas emissions and removals indicator.

The forest sector is a major contributor to Canada’s economy, producing lumber, pulp, and paper products, and providing employment across the country. Its economic role is especially significant in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, where forest-related jobs are often a primary source of income.^{Footnote 7}

Related initiatives

This indicator tracks progress on the 2022 to 2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, supporting the target: "Between 2023 and 2026, Canada's sustainable wood supply level (guided by sustainable forest management policies to reflect the current unique social, environmental and economic characteristics of managed forests), exceeds the annual timber harvests."

In addition, the indicator contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is linked to Goal 15, Life on land and Target 15.2, "By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally."

The indicator also contributes towards reporting on Target 10 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: "Ensure that areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry are managed sustainably, in particular through the sustainable use of biodiversity, including through a substantial increase of the application of biodiversity friendly practices, such as sustainable intensification, agroecological and other innovative approaches contributing to the resilience and long-term efficiency and productivity of these production systems and to food security, conserving and restoring biodiversity and maintaining nature's contributions to people, including ecosystem functions and services."

Along with 11 other countries, Canada is a member of the Montréal Process, an international working group of northern and southern hemisphere nations committed to sustainable forest management. Since 1995, the Montréal Process member countries have used a common set of science-based criteria and indicators to measure progress toward the conservation and sustainable management of 90% of the world's boreal and temperate forests.

Related indicators

The Air quality indicators track ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), ozone (O₃), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at the national and regional levels and at local monitoring stations. 

The Land-based greenhouse gas emissions and removals indicator tracks exchanges of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals between the atmosphere and Canada's managed lands.

The Land-use change indicator reports on the change in how land was used and converted across Canada south of 60° North from 2010 to 2015.

The Temperature change in Canada indicator measures yearly and seasonal surface air temperature departures in Canada. 

Data sources and methods

Data sources

The data for the Sustainable forest indicators comes from 2 main sources: the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers National Forestry Database and the State of Canada's Forest Annual Report from Natural Resources Canada.

Methods

Data from the National Forestry Database and the State of Canada's Forest Annual Report are used in this indicator. The only changes to the data are converting units to square kilometres (km²) where appropriate. There are no custom views of the data or additional data sets.

Forests in Canada include both forest land and other wooded land. These are defined according to the internationally agreed definition from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, as outlined in the Global Forest Resources Assessments.

Under this definition, forest lands refer to areas that:

• contain trees taller than 5 metres and where tree canopy covers more than 10%, or that have the capability to support trees taller than 5 metres with more than 10% canopy cover
• cover an area greater than 0.5 hectares
• are not predominantly under agricultural or urban land use

Other wooded lands refer to areas:

• where tree canopy covers 5 to 10% of the total area and the trees, when mature, can grow to a height above 5 metres, or where shrubs, bushes and trees together cover more than 10% of the area
• that include treed wetlands (swamps) and land with slow-growing and scattered trees that are not predominantly under agricultural or urban land use

Caveats and limitations

Area measurements used in this indicator are shown in square kilometers, where they may appear in hectares in other sources.

Resources

References

Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (2023) National Forestry Database, Collaborators. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (2023) National Forestry Database, Wood Supply - Background. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Canada's National Forest Inventory (2016) Canada's National Forest Inventory. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Government of Prince Edward Island (2025) Public Lands. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Natural Resources Canada (2007) Criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management in Canada, National Status 2005. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Natural Resources Canada (2020) Forestry Glossary. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Natural Resources Canada (2022) Sustainable forest management. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Natural Resources Canada (2023) Why forests need fires, insects and diseases. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Natural Resources Canada (2024) Forest fires. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Natural Resources Canada (2024) Statistical data. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Natural Resources Canada (2025) Forestry in Canada. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Natural Resources Canada (2025) The State of Canada’s Forests Annual Report. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

SGS Belgium S.A. (2014) Forest Sustainability in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada (PDF; 2.59 MB). Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

SGS Belgium S.A. (2018) Forest Sustainability in the province of New Brunswick, Canada (PDF; 1.85 MB). Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

SGS Belgium S.A./NV (2018) Forest Sustainability in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (PDF; 1.53 MB). Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

United Nation Food and Agriculture Organization (2023) Global Forest Resources Assessments. Retrieved on October 7, 2025.

Alternative format

Download the alternative format of the Forest management and disturbances indicator (PDF; 0.96 MB).