Forest insects are the biggest cause of tree mortality in Canada, and there is evidence to suggest that their impact may be getting worse. Canada’s two most persistent outbreaks of native species are the mountain pine beetle in Western Canada and the spruce budworm in the east. Major outbreaks of other forest insects include the Jack pine budworm of Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan; the Douglas-fir, spruce and balsam bark beetles of British Columbia; as well as foreign species such as the Eurasian gypsy moth, the European brown spruce longhorn beetle, and the Asian long-horned beetle and emerald ash borer.

Forest insect outbreaks can spread through various trade and transportation routes and are exacerbated by wildfire suppression and climate change. Ongoing outbreaks are having negative impacts on Canada’s environment, economy and forest-dependent communities. For example, they damage forest health and biodiversity, creating new pathways for more insect outbreaks; diminish the supply and quality of wood fibre, putting forest-dependent communities and businesses at risk; threaten Canada’s natural heritage (e.g., national parks and urban trees); possibly increase the risk of wildfire; and contribute to Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions by turning trees from carbon sinks to carbon sources.

While close to 90% of Canadian forests fall under the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories, the federal government provides critical research and financial support in collaboration with regional governments and stakeholders. The committee heard that governments and forest insect managers should address the following priorities in order to improve Canada’s response and adaptive capacity to forest insect outbreaks:

• Build on preventative and early intervention strategies by enhancing active surveillance, risk pathway analysis, border inspections and reporting;
• Ensure sustainable funding to support long-term action against persistent outbreaks, such as that of the mountain pine beetle;
• Eliminate knowledge gaps across jurisdictions through training/skill transfer opportunities and public awareness;
• Incorporate Indigenous knowledge in forest insect management practices, in line with the Crown’s duty to consult;
• Support Canadian municipalities in their efforts to address outbreaks in their jurisdiction; and
• Adapt forest management practices and policies to ecological and climate change.

To this end, witnesses called on the federal government to scale up Canada’s national dialogue on forest insect management, in collaboration with regional governments and stakeholders.