What is SFM?

Well, we all know what sustainability is. And we know that forests are one of Canada's most important resources. But the use of forests generally means cutting them down because wood is a commodity, thus proving the old adage wrong that money doesn't grow on trees. In fact, growing trees equals more money.
But trees don't exactly grow fast. And forests have social and economic values besides harvesting wood. And despite the fact that trees are renewable, they can be overharvested. So shouldn't we be careful with how much we cut down? Shouldn't we take steps to ensure that trees are replaced as quickly as possible?

Sustainable Forestry Management, or SFM, is the principle behind just that. Is Canada practicing SFM? According to a recent report (19 July 2005), perhaps not.

This report is written on the topic of SFM in Canada and is an extremely informative article that compares the perspective of SFM from the government and from non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Read through the report, and summarize briefly whether you think Canada is already on track, or whether we need to get in the game.