Large Area of Canadian Forest To Be Protected Under Major Agreement

Canadian timber companies, environmental organizations, and indigenous “first nations” groups have reached a landmark compromise that will suspend logging in an area of boreal forest the size of Montana and implement more sustainable logging practices in an even larger region. Under the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement — which covers a total of 72 million hectares (278,000 square miles) — the 21 members of the Forest Products Association of Canada agreed to suspend all logging for three years in 29 million hectares of forest. The companies agreed to institute higher environmental standards, including more selective logging, on the remaining 43 million hectares of boreal forest. During the three-year moratorium on logging, the parties to the agreement will develop further plans that could lead to much of the land being permanently protected. As part of the agreement, environmental groups such as Greenpeace and ForestEthics agreed to stop protesting against the timber companies and to suspend a “Do Not Buy” campaign aimed at the companies’ forest products. The agreement will not only protect biodiversity in the forests, but will enable the boreal woodlands to continue to act as a major carbon sink.