Field Sampling

photo credit: Steve Titus

The Canadian Institute of Forestry/Institut forestier du Canada (CIF/IFC) is the national voice of forest practitioners. The CIF/IFC (formed in 1908) organized in 23 sections across Canada represent members who are foresters, forest technologists and technicians, educators, scientists and others with a professional interest in forestry. The CIF/IFC disseminates information to members through local and national meetings, and The Forestry Chronicle, the Institute's bimonthly journal. Members are active throughout their communities sharing ideas and information with others interested in forests and forest management.

In response to the public's demand for more information on how Canada's forests are being managed, the Canadian Institute of Forestry is developing a new feature on our website that will explain Canadian forestry practices.

We invite you to explore our website to find out more about forestry and Canadian forestry practices. You will find information on:

Now Available

• What is Forestry?- a brief look at the profession, who are forest practitioners, and what do they do
• Forest Values - the economic, environmental, social and cultural values that we associate with forests
• Historical Forestry Practices - the evolution of forestry in Canada seen as four eras: Aboriginal forestry, exploitation forestry, sustained yield forestry, and sustainable forestry
• Current Forestry Practices - a review of common forestry practices:

• Silvicultural Systems - descriptions of the most common methods used in forestry, some advantages and disadvantages of the clearcutting, selection, seed-tree, and shelterwood systems
• Forest Health - what is it? forest insects and disease, acid rain, atmospheric changes, maintenance of biodiversity, management practices

• Forest Regions of Canada a map displaying the 12 forest regions of Canada

• Current Forestry Practices - more information on common forestry practices:

• Fire Management - current approaches to forest fire prevention and suppression, the use of fire as a management tool
• Forest Harvesting - description of forest harvesting methods, road construction and maintenance, standards, technologies
• Forest Planning - forest inventory, mapping, growth & yield, and modelling operations
• Protected Areas - management of forests in parks, reserves, fragile landscapes, and other lands with restricted use

• Forest Sector - an overview of the forest sector from many disciplines who are involved in the management of Canada's forests: federal and provincial governments, forest industries, education and research institutions, non-government organizations, and the practitioners involved.
• Criteria & Indicators of Sustainable Forestry - the development and application of a comprehensive set of criteria and indicators for measuring sustainable forest management
• Species At Risk - the management of forested lands to address the needs of threatened and endangered plant and animal species
• Forest Policy - the essential elements of Canada's federal and provincial policies and legislation including an overview of forest tenure in Canada