Canada has trees… But …Ottawa is at odds with a slew of environmental groups over what that means. [They] issued a critique on July 30 of how the federal government portrays the makeup of Canadian forests, calling for something far more transparent and comprehensive. The criticism comes at a moment when Ottawa is seeking to boost productivity in the country’s resource sector to counter a trade war and other economic pressure – all of which has raised concerns over the potential cost to the environment. …the focus of disagreement is Natural Resources Canada’s State of Canada’s Forests. …The latest version of that report, released earlier this month, touts Canada’s forests as a vast natural asset that covers nearly one third of the country… But those numbers are misleading, said Rachel Plotkin, with the David Suzuki Foundation and one of the authors of the critique. The problem, she said, is what the federal report leaves out. [A Globe and Mail subscription is required to access the full story]

Related coverage from David Suzuki Foundation: New report: What the government isn’t saying about forests in Canada