| INTRODUCTION
Fire is a natural and essential ecological process in most of Canada’s forests; however, as was vividly illustrated during the 2003 fi re season in western Canada, it can also have undesirable social and economic impacts. Balancing the potential benefi ts and detriments of wildland fi re is a complex and at times daunting task for land, natural resource, and fi re managers, but one that is vital to public safety and the sustainable management of forests and wildlands. Therefore, under the direction of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers and in accordance with current jurisdictional mandates, the federal, provincial, and territorial governments have been co-operating on the establishment of the Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy (CWFS). Th e CWFS will seek to balance the social, ecological, and economic aspects of wildland fi re to deal with both the root causes and the symptoms of current and potential fi re management issues. It is designed to facilitate the development and implementation of an innovative approach to wildland fi re management in Canada that will foster resilient communities and an empowered public, develop healthy and productive forest ecosystems, and incorporate modern business practices. This report describes the current state of wildland fi re and its management in Canada, a vision for a desired future state, and recommendations on how to initiate the necessary changes over the next 10 years. CWFS — A New Approach
The Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy (CWFS) will seek to balance the social, ecological, and economic aspects of wildland fi re and address both the root causes and the symptoms of wildland fi re management challenges through a comprehensive and integrated set of management activities (i.e., mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery) |