Activists hail 'historic' Canadian forest agreement

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Boreal forests

The agreement will preserve 29 million hectares of Boreal wilderness (photo © ForestEthics)

Logging companies agree to deal safeguarding an area of endangered boreal forest twice the size of Germany
 

Environmental activists and Canadian logging companies have come together in a historic agreement to conserve a large proportion of the country's Boreal Forest.

Under the agreement 21 forestry companies, which together manage two-thirds of all certified forest land in Canada, have committed to preserving 72 million hectares of forest.

They have also agreed to the immediate suspension of new logging on nearly 29 million hectares of boreal forest while conservation plans are developed for the endangered caribou that live in the habitat.

In return, high-profile anti-logging campaigns by Canopy, ForestEthics and Greenpeace will be suspended.

United front

Greenpeace Canada said the three-year agreement, the largest commercial conservation agreement of its kind in the world', was the 'best chance' to save woodland caribou, permanently protect vast areas of the Boreal Forest and put in place sustainable forestry practices.

Steve Kallick, director of the Pew Environment Group's Boreal Conservation Campaign, praised the new union of activists and loggers.

'It could not have happened without both sides looking beyond their differences... our success will be measured by how we tackle the work ahead to put this plan into practice,' he said.

The logging companies involved have also agreed to meet with the aboriginal groups and local communities to involve them in the agreement.

Useful links

The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement

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