According to a TED talk I watched from a few years ago, France adopted sustainable forestry management practices hundreds of years ago in order to preserve France's oak forests. Whereas England completely clear cut forests of the British Isles and Ireland with no sustainable practices. I read somewhere that the French imported these forestry practices into the tiny short lived settlement of Akaroa in New Zealand. I am curious to know whether this was really the case in New France, and whether the British, Dutch and Spanish had similar or differing forestry practices. In terms of rate of deforestation, I have heard Canada does reasonably well by global standards with preserving its boreal forests; I am curious to know whether this has its roots in New France and if so, whether this was affected by the French and Indian War and subsequent British annexation.
I think it must be worth pointing out that France had a more cooperative relationship with the Hurons and Algonquin Native Americans, which may have led to a more co-management role of forests around Quebec, Nova Scotia etc. Populations were greater in volume and density in the 13 colonies which probably may have led to clear cutting of forests (as well as shall we say, 'problematic' relations with the native populations). However, my question still stands.