Forest Caucus Report

A Newsletter of the Canadian Environmental Network Forest Caucus

Canada’s Endangered Acadian Forest
David Coon, Conservation Council of New Brunswick

While forests are under siege across Canada, the Acadian Forest is in danger of disappearing all together. Some experts contend that it has already ceased to exist in some regions of the Maritimes. In New Brunswick, the Acadian Forest is rapidly being converted to the ubiquitous boreal forest through industrial forestry practices.

The Acadian Forest contains more diversity than any other forest type for its latitude including rich tolerant hardwoods, an array of coniferous, deciduous and mixed wood types, as well as spruce-fir communities. While 32 species of trees are found here, red spruce, yellow birch, sugar maple and balsam fir are thought to be characteristic of the region.

The Acadian Forest is threatened by clear cutting, herbicide spraying, road-building and the conversion to tree farms; the introduction of exotic insects and diseases; and by the effects of acid rain and ozone. Most of the long-lived tree species characteristic of Acadian old growth forests, such as sugar maple, red spruce, eastern hemlock, yellow birch, beech and cedar are declining in abundance, distribution and age. Close to 10 percent of New Brunswick’s Acadian Forest has already been replaced by tree farms. The four pulp and paper companies operating mills in New Brunswick are requesting permission from government to convert 40 percent of the Acadian forest found on Crown land to tree farms.

It is likely that species of amphibians, small mammals, invertebrates, moss and fungi have been eliminated from the Acadian forest since European colonization, but little research has been done in this region. Top predators such as the wolf and wolverine have certainly been eliminated, as has the woodland caribou. The eastern panther and Canada Lynx are endangered. Both the marten and fisher are in decline. At least 45 forest plants are threatened or endangered.

Half of New Brunswick’s Acadian Forest is found on Crown land that is held in trust by the provincial government and subject to aboriginal title. The Crown Lands and Forests Act was passed in 1980 to provide for the conservation of timber resources but not forest ecosystems. It restricted access to timber resources to corporate entities owning mills, eliminating the ability of individuals to earn their livelihoods from the Crown lands and narrowing economic development opportunities for local communities. New Brunswick’s highest court has ruled that the Act also infringes on the aboriginal treaty right to earn a living from forest resources.

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick is working toward two goals: 1) To conserve and restore the ecological integrity and natural diversity of New Brunswick’s publicly-held forests; and 2) to provide for public and community involvement in the administration and management of Crown lands in ways that are compatible with honouring aboriginal and treaty rights.