What is sustainable forest management (SFM)?

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Sustainable forest management means using forest resources in a way that meets today’s needs without compromising the forest’s health, productivity, and values for future generations. It brings together ecological health (biodiversity, watersheds, soil, resilience), social values (rights and well-being of communities and Indigenous peoples, recreational and cultural uses), and economic viability (timber and forest-based jobs) in a balanced, ongoing process. In practice, this involves careful planning of harvests, maintaining forest structure and regeneration, monitoring outcomes, and adapting practices as conditions change so that forests continue to provide multiple benefits over time. It’s not about maximizing short-term profits, it isn’t merely a labeling program for wood products, and it doesn’t require stopping all logging; sustainable management allows responsible use while protecting the forest for the future.