Sustainable Forest Management

Our Approach

We believe that sustainable forest management is an approach to caring for forests, that allows for their environmental, social, cultural and economic value to be maintained.

Where we manage forests, we are 100% certified to the voluntary SFI® Forest Management Standard and subject to stringent regulation by federal, provincial, state and local authorities. This includes industry-specific environmental regulations relating to fish and riparian management, reforestation, soil and water management and protecting endangered species and critical habitats.

 We directly manage approximately 8.2 million hectares of public forestland in Canada. We have government permits and licenses for a total Annual Allowable Cut of 12.5 million cubic metres. We adopt an ecosystem-based forest management approach that includes risk management, restoration and renewal of habitats and protection of sensitive sites. Our forestry professionals and biologists work together to monitor and manage the interconnected elements essential for healthy and resilient ecosystems.  

Silviculture & Reforestation 

West Fraser sustainably manages forests to ensure they remain healthy and vibrant and continue to provide benefits to society. Silviculture and reforestation are crucial aspects of how we responsibly and safely harvest timber while minimizing our environmental impacts

Planning

Our forestry professionals are regularly on the land, observing the trees to develop our sustainable forest harvesting plans. On an annual basis, we harvest less than 1% of our managed forest areas. Our harvest plans determine the most ecologically appropriate method of collecting the trees and reforesting the site through both planting trees and allowing trees to seed naturally.

Harvesting

When we harvest, we use site preparation techniques to ensure good growing conditions for regenerating forests. This includes retention harvesting techniques, which create conditions similar to natural disturbances. This includes openings that vary in size and shape with various amounts of trees left standing either in clumps or as individual trees. Large woody debris is left on the forest floor, where it provides habitat and decomposes to recycle nutrients into the soil.

Reforesting

We reforest harvested areas with a similar mix of native tree species by planting seedlings, supporting natural regeneration, or directly seeding the area. Healthy, young, regenerating forests pull more carbon per unit area than almost any other type of land cover.

Monitoring

Once a new forest is established, it’s monitored with surveys to determine how healthy and big the seedling trees have grown. Usually, more trees are planted than were cut from the site because trees naturally thin out as they grow older and compete for nutrients and resources, like sun and water. The goal is to build a new forest that replicates the one that was harvested.

Forest Policy

West Fraser is committed to resilient and sustainable forests. Not only is it a value that is shared across the organization—from our forestry professionals to operations, to our offices—but from a pragmatic business perspective, we need growing and healthy forests forever. 

We follow sustainable forest and climate-smart practices, adapting as we learn more about best approaches, all while responsibly balancing the need for timber with the health of the forests and the life they support.

Deforestation, conversion and forest degradation directly jeopardize the long-term sustainability of our forests, and of our business which is reliant on the renewability of a natural resource. This leads to our commitment to tracking and improving how we manage these challenges across our supply chain, aiming for transparency. We support initiatives that counter forest degradation and ensure our forests stay resilient over the long term, using methods that mimic natural disturbances and minimize the impact of climate-related disruptions.

[Our Forest Policy]

Biodiversity 

Managing for biodiversity is a core principle of our sustainable forest management approach. Our foresters and biologists work closely together to monitor and manage the interconnected elements essential for healthy and resilient woodlands, managing for all species and understanding their relationship to the land we operate on.  

We adhere to sustainable forest management practices throughout Canada. This includes managing and mitigating the direct and indirect impacts of our operations on biodiversity through applying standard environmental operating and field procedures, as well as considering traditional knowledge of the land.

We employ course-filter landscape management to manage the land in a manner that supports all wildlife. We do this by emulating natural disturbance patterns and allowing for all the habitat types that occupy the land within the natural forest cycle. We also use fine-filter species management with a focus on species that have static habitats, or that are protected, at risk, or otherwise identified by a conservation assessment program.

Our management plans—which outline our biodiversity practices and adhere to all regulations including those for specific species—are reviewed and approved by the required governmental bodies.

Species of Interest

Under ecosystem-based forest management principles, we manage for all biodiversity. However, we recognize that the public has special interests in specific species, including grizzly and caribou.

Grizzly

There are grizzly bears in most of our managed forests in B.C. and Alberta. In Alberta, the grizzly bear is designated as threatened, while in British Columbia, it is blue-listed, meaning populations are considered sensitive or vulnerable.

Overall, grizzly bears are not significantly impacted by the disturbance of harvest operations. However, the roads used to access these harvest areas are sometimes used by individuals who can cause harm to the bears. We continue to work on access management plans with governments, stakeholders and other partner organizations,  and on integrated operational planning with other industry users.

We also support ongoing research to help grizzly bears continue to be a prominent feature of the forest landscape. This includes our role as a founding member of the Grizzly Bear Research Program managed by fRI Research. The program—which began in 1998—conducts ongoing monitoring work. In its decades of operation, it has used science to provide knowledge and planning tools to ensure the long-term conservation of grizzly bears.

Caribou

West Fraser is committed to collaborative efforts to recover sustainable caribou populations. For decades, we’ve worked collaboratively to contribute to the stabilization and recovery of caribou populations in partnership with the provincial governments of B.C. and Alberta, as well as with the Federal Government.

We manage operations in a manner that supports the provincial recovery efforts and applies the best available science and information. Within our ecosystem-based forest management approach, our habitat experts and wildlife biologists study caribou populations in our operating areas. They consider the potential impacts of harvesting activity and implement practices to support the maintenance of productive caribou habitat.

West Fraser also supports innovative research to provide science-based approaches and evidence-based strategies to inform our forestry practices. This includes fRI Research’s Caribou Program, which includes a forestry research focus which provides practical knowledge and tools so that, through targeted conservation and restoration, land managers can improve their operations to benefit caribou.

Forest Values

West Fraser is focused on ensuring the forests we operate in are healthy and thriving. Active forest management includes ecosystem-based management that enhances forest resilience. 

Rather than focusing solely on timber production, our sustainable forest management approach considers a wide-ranging set of forest values including carbon, water, biodiversity, food, traditional use, wildlife and recreation. 

Active forest management ensures the long-term viability of forest ecosystems by implementing strategies that maintain ecosystem integrity, such as maintaining wildlife corridors, protecting sensitive habitats and promoting sustainable logging practices. This holistic approach fosters biodiversity, enhances ecosystem services and provides a framework for sustainable resource use, ultimately contributing to forest resilience. 

Public Involvement

West Fraser collaborates with, and invites input from, communities, regions, governments and other forest stakeholders to develop comprehensive and sustainable forest management plans. 

Public involvement in forest planning is an integral part of our process. Communities near our operations are involved in deciding what happens in the forests where they live, work and play. Sustainable forestry management can mean something different to each community and ecosystem. Having these conversations is an integral part of our forest management planning process. 

We are committed to making sure we hear your voice when it comes to forestry planning cycles and activities. That’s why we engaged with the public by hosting public events and open houses, regional planning activities and ongoing regional advisory committee work.

You can learn more about opportunities for public involvement in Alberta and British Columbia by visiting the Public Involvement section of our website, or by contacting us.

[Learn More] 

Recreation  

Forest lands are managed for many different uses. A “working forest” means more than a harvest area. It’s also carefully planned to incorporate many values—one of which is outdoor recreation, including activities such as tourism, sport, hiking, fishing and camping.

Forest recreation is highly valued by nearby communities for the lifestyle and economic benefits, and by visitors for the tourism opportunities. Our approach to sustainable forest management—which considers factors such as biodiversity and nature, forest regeneration, access, watershed planning and more—all contribute to healthy, resilient forests for people to recreate in.

From stakeholder engagement to supporting organizations like the Foothills Recreation Management Association (FRMA) in Alberta, West Fraser actively works to ensure that the lands it manages preserve and promote recreation opportunities for the public.