Forest management: facts and figures

Read the latest statistics and data for managed public forests.

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��’s forests

�� has 70.5 million hectares of forest. This represents:

66% of ��
20% of Canada’s forests
2% of the world’s forests

Read more about ��’s forests in the Forest Resources of �� or use this .

Forest data

Each year, forest managers report on the activities they conduct under approved forest management plans. This information is consolidated into the following facts and figures for ��’s Managed Forest. The extent of the Managed Forest is described below.

Not all statistics are updated to the same year because of the variation in data collection schedules. Each statistic shows when it was updated, in most cases the data is for a fiscal year. For example, 2022 represents April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.

Managed Forests

��’s public forests are sustainably managed under ��’s forest policy framework.

The Managed Forest is an area in the middle of the province where forest management occurs on public land. It has a large quantity of productive forest that is suitable for timber production.

It spans from Kemptville in the southeast to Pikangikum in the northwest and includes parts of the Boreal Forest and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest, encompassing:

46 million hectares of land and water
27.8 million hectares of public forest
80% productive forests

The Managed Forest is divided into administrative areas known as management units. They range in size from 300,000 to 3.6 million hectares. 

Managed Forest and management units 2024

Map showing the Managed Forest and management units within the province.

Forest management plans are prepared and approved for each management unit. The plans determine:

how much can be harvested
where roads can be built
how the forest will be regenerated

There are many uses and users of ��’s public forests. All forest uses and users are considered when we develop objectives and long-term management direction, and in planning forest operations.

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Find out how you can get involved in forest management planning and see the planning schedule.

Natural forest disturbances

Natural disturbances occur throughout the life cycle of a forest. A natural forest disturbance is when trees are damaged or killed from:

forest fire
insects
disease
weather

In 2023 approximately:

2.7 million hectares of forest was affected by natural disturbances
143,000 hectares of forest was lost to mortality from natural disturbances
14.7 million cubic metres of wood was lost to mortality from natural disturbance including:
- 13.9 million cubic metres lost to wildland fires
- 517,000 cubic metres lost to insects and disease
- 196,000 cubic metres lost to weather events

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Read the annual Forest health conditions report for more on specific forest pests, diseases and severe weather.

Find out more about how we manage forest fires.

Forest harvesting

Through sustainable harvesting, public forests support a forest industry that provides jobs and forest products. About 0.2% of ��’s forest is harvested annually.

In 2022 approximately:

112,000 hectares of forest was harvested (this represents 39% of the approved area that was available to harvest)
12.7 million cubic metres of wood was harvested
$154.2 million in timber charges (stumpage) for the wood harvested
41% of the harvested wood was spruce
26% of the harvested wood was jack pine
17% of the harvested wood was poplar
67% of the harvested wood went to the sawmill product sector
14% of the harvested wood went to the pulp product sector
11% of the harvested wood went to the composite product sector

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Forest renewal

Harvested forests are renewed (reforested) using tree planting, seeding, or natural regeneration. A forest that was harvested remains a forest. There is no change in land use.

In 2022 approximately:

117,000 hectares of forest was renewed
58,000 hectares was renewed with natural regeneration
59,000 hectares was renewed with assisted regeneration like planting and seeding
28,000 hectares of forest was site prepared
43,000 hectares of forest was tended
68.7 million trees were planted
205.2 million seeds were dispersed
$62.2 million was spent on forest renewal activities

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Forest industry

Forest industry operates under the requirements of ��’s forest policy framework to conserve the ecological processes and biological diversity of our forests, while providing economic opportunities.

In �� the forest industry generates:

$5.5 billion in gross domestic product (2022)
$22.8 billion in revenue (2022)
$7.9 billion in exports (2023)
45,800 direct forest industry jobs (2023)

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Monitoring and oversight

Oversight is a key component of ��’s forest policy framework. We monitor and audit forest management operations to check compliance and evaluate progress.

In 2022 approximately:

114,000 hectares of regenerating forest area was surveyed
96% of the area surveyed was established (met regeneration standards)
2,000 inspections were conducted on forest operations
99% of inspections showed operations were in compliance

In 2023:

4 independent forest audits were conducted
100% of audits showed forests were managed in compliance
74% of management units were certified to an international standard

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