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Landmark Agreement for Forest Protection
A historic pact has been made between forest industry and environmental groups in Canada. The largest conservation plan of its kind, the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement applies to an area twice the size of Germany – 72 million hectares stretching almost from coast to coast.
The initiative will lead to large-scale protection of wilderness areas and direct preservation of the threatened woodland caribou – an immediate moratorium on logging in 28 million hectares will cover almost its entire critical habitat.
This unprecedented agreement will involve 21 member companies of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and nine leading environmental organizations. Under the agreement, members of FPAC, who manage two-thirds of all the certified forest land in Canada, commit to the highest environmental standards for woodland management. Protecting the Boreal Forest – a massive carbon store – is a key way to effect climate change.
Meanwhile, conservation groups have pledged to acknowledge and support the efforts of FPAC members. ForestEthics, Canopy and Greenpeace are suspending their boycotts on Canadian timber.
The announcement follows more than seven years of “hard fought campaigning, intense market pressure and peaceful direct action,” said Richard Brooks, of Greenpeace Canada, who hailed the deal as a step towards zero deforestation in Canada and worldwide.
The president of FPAC, Avrim Lazar, said: “The importance of this agreement cannot be overstated.” FPAC members and the environmental organizations have “turned the old paradigm on its head,” he claimed, suggesting that sustained efforts to transform the industry have culminated in “a forestry standard that will be the envy of the world.”
Through this deal, logging companies will be recognized in the global marketplace for their leadership on conservation issues. This will give the FPAC group a competitive advantage, they said, and allow them to operate in a more certain business environment. The group claimed that while benefiting the industry, it will also ensure the economic future of the country’s forest communities.
Signatory parties have begun initial meetings with First Nations, provincial governments, and communities across the country to seek their leadership and full participation in advancing the goals of the agreement. The document recognizes that indigenous peoples have constitutionally protected rights, which must be respected and engaged in order to fulfill the deal’s objectives.
“This is our best chance to save the woodland caribou, permanently protect vast areas of the Boreal Forest and put in place sustainable forestry practices,” Richard confirmed. “Concerns from the general public and the marketplace about wilderness conservation and species loss have been critical drivers in arriving at the agreement. We have a lot of work to do together to make the deal successful and we are committed to make it happen.”
Also vital to the agreement have been the efforts of Pew Environment Group and The Ivey Foundation, who worked to support the two sides coming together and facilitated the negotiations. To fulfill the Forest Agreement, progress will be regularly measured and reported on by an independent auditor.
canadianborealforestagreement.com
(613)552-7277
The initiative will lead to large-scale protection of wilderness areas and direct preservation of the threatened woodland caribou – an immediate moratorium on logging in 28 million hectares will cover almost its entire critical habitat.
This unprecedented agreement will involve 21 member companies of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and nine leading environmental organizations. Under the agreement, members of FPAC, who manage two-thirds of all the certified forest land in Canada, commit to the highest environmental standards for woodland management. Protecting the Boreal Forest – a massive carbon store – is a key way to effect climate change.
Meanwhile, conservation groups have pledged to acknowledge and support the efforts of FPAC members. ForestEthics, Canopy and Greenpeace are suspending their boycotts on Canadian timber.
The announcement follows more than seven years of “hard fought campaigning, intense market pressure and peaceful direct action,” said Richard Brooks, of Greenpeace Canada, who hailed the deal as a step towards zero deforestation in Canada and worldwide.
The president of FPAC, Avrim Lazar, said: “The importance of this agreement cannot be overstated.” FPAC members and the environmental organizations have “turned the old paradigm on its head,” he claimed, suggesting that sustained efforts to transform the industry have culminated in “a forestry standard that will be the envy of the world.”
Through this deal, logging companies will be recognized in the global marketplace for their leadership on conservation issues. This will give the FPAC group a competitive advantage, they said, and allow them to operate in a more certain business environment. The group claimed that while benefiting the industry, it will also ensure the economic future of the country’s forest communities.
Signatory parties have begun initial meetings with First Nations, provincial governments, and communities across the country to seek their leadership and full participation in advancing the goals of the agreement. The document recognizes that indigenous peoples have constitutionally protected rights, which must be respected and engaged in order to fulfill the deal’s objectives.
“This is our best chance to save the woodland caribou, permanently protect vast areas of the Boreal Forest and put in place sustainable forestry practices,” Richard confirmed. “Concerns from the general public and the marketplace about wilderness conservation and species loss have been critical drivers in arriving at the agreement. We have a lot of work to do together to make the deal successful and we are committed to make it happen.”
Also vital to the agreement have been the efforts of Pew Environment Group and The Ivey Foundation, who worked to support the two sides coming together and facilitated the negotiations. To fulfill the Forest Agreement, progress will be regularly measured and reported on by an independent auditor.
canadianborealforestagreement.com
(613)552-7277
An aerial view of the Boreal Forest of northern Ontario
© Greenpeace/Richard Brooks
