This year’s celebration runs from Sunday September 20 to Saturday September 26. 

The theme for National Forest Week 2009 is Strong Roots - Green Shoots, exemplified in Alberta by the province’s requirements for sustainable forest management.

Forest companies operating in Alberta are required by law to prepare forest management plans based on the principles of sustainability. The province ensures that harvesting and reforestation plans protect forest values - including clean water, and fish and wildlife habitat - and promote the growth of healthy, resilient forests

Reforestation following timber harvesting has been a legal requirement in Alberta since 1949. For every tree harvested in the province, three to four trees are regenerated - totalling more than 300 million new seedlings every year. 

Alberta’s reforestation program ensures healthy forests will continue into the future. In early 2009, the province’s program to monitor the performance of harvesting and reforestation activities was certified by the International Organization for Standardization.  Alberta is the first province in Canada to earn that distinction.