New national inventory for Canada: The need is now!

Canadian forestry is facing currently a concentrated attack on Its practices to the extent that our markets are being threatened. To counter this threat and deal with public environmental concerns, Canada has developed a series of criteria and indicators that will quantify those forestry practices which have an effect on the sustainability of our forests and all their attendant resources. This approach will require inventory information that is not currently available. A national multi-resource inventory designed specifically to provide information at the national level will be needed and is feasible and cost-effective. A cooperative multi-agency approach such as that used by the recent BC Resource Inventory Committee is recommended as a starting point. Technical experts from relevant and interested federal and provincial agencies should be invited to participate in formulating and expediting such a program.