Recent reviews of government mandates and restructuring of the forest industry are changing roles and responsibilities in forest management in Canada. Companies are increasingly responsible for operational management while federal and provincial governments are focusing more on forest-related policies and regulations, altering in turn the context for forest research.The adoption of sustainable development as a policy framework is forging stronger links among policy makers, operational forest managers and researchers. Collaboration is growing among research organizations, often in partnerships with clients, in spite of a more competitive fiscal environment. The need to bring the relevant expertise to bear on the issues of sustainable forest development is reinforcing interaction among biological scientists, economists and social scientists, often through computerized communications and information exchange.Mechanisms have been established by government to develop a common agenda for forest science and technology by all stakeholders, similar to China's Agenda 21. International agreements such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Convention on Biological Diversity are exerting increasing influence and demand for additional scientific and technological information.
Forest science and technology in Canada: Entering the new millennium