The majority of Canada’s forests are owned by the provinces in which they are located, with just 1.6 percent being owned federally. The provincial and territorial governments are responsible for managing forest conservation, with strict laws in place to shape forest practices. These stringent laws are particularly important when it comes to halting logging practices and encouraging reforestation, as extensive deforestation was carried out by European settlers in Canada throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.
The wood product manufacturing sector is the most lucrative of the forestry industries, with a nominal GDP of approximately 11 billion Canadian dollars in 2017. Western Forest Products, a lumber company based in British Columbia, is one of the key players in the forestry industry with an annual revenue of around 1.2 billion Canadian dollars in 2018. As a result, British Columbia employs by far the most people in the forestry and logging industry, followed by Quebec.
The United States is the main trading partner of Canada when it comes to forest resources, with Canadian exports worth around 24.24 billion Canadian dollars in 2017. Lumber, sawmill and millwork products are the most traded Canadian forest products, with exports worth just over 15 billion Canadian dollars in 2018 globally.
