Forestry Herbicide Use in the US and Canada

In commercial forestry, herbicides are used to control competing vegetation and improve timber productivity. Before herbicides can be applied, they must be approved and registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States and by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada in Canada. In Canada, there are five herbicide active ingredients registered for use in forestry: glyphosate, triclopyr, hexazinone, 2,4-D, and simazine. In the United States, in a survey conducted by NCASI (2015), forest landowners and managers reported using 12 different herbicides on managed forest land in 2011. Imazapyr was, by far, the most commonly applied. In an effort to assist members in addressing herbicide-related questions that arise from interactions between Member Companies and their customers and other important stakeholders, NCASI developed this fact sheet summarizing herbicide use in the US and Canada by the forest products sector.