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Global Treasure Sustained for Future Generations
We are extremely pleased to report that one of the most critical milestones towards protecting the Great Bear Rainforest has been achieved.
On Tuesday March 31st 2009, the Province of British Columbia announced formal action to realize its commitment implement Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) in the Great Bear Rainforest, to ensure the long-term health of the rainforest and its communities.
The highlight of the announcement was a new system of "lighter-touch" logging regulations that will maintain 50% of the natural level of old growth forest of all ecosystems across the region. This translates to an additional 700,000 hectares (1.7 million acres) of forest set aside from logging.
Environmental groups, along with the Province, industry and First Nations have agreed on a five-year plan that would see the long-term goals of low ecological risk and high quality of life in communities, achieved by 2014.
We are now significantly closer to making this ambitious conservation vision for the Great Bear Rainforest a reality.
Since 2006, the following key milestones have been met:
- 1/3 of the rainforest has been permanently protected from logging and new conservancies established in legislation
- Conservation financing revenues have begun to flow to First Nation communities to create sustainable business development and employment opportunities.
- First Nations and the Province have developed a new government-to-government relationship and mechanisms for collaborative stakeholder involvement.
Tides Canada applauds ForestEthics, Greenpeace and Sierra Club BC for their dedication, perseverance, vision, and commitment to work with the Province of British Columbia, First Nations and industry leaders to realize the full vision of Ecosystem-Based Management.
These groups, along with other Tides Canada projects and grant recipients, will continue their work to increase biodiversity protection in the region, including the eliminat ion of trophy hunting for bears and other activities inconsistent with conservation objectives.
The Region
The area known as the Great Bear Rainforest stretches from the northern end of Vancouver Island, across Queen Charlotte Strait, and up the central coast of British Columbia to the Alaskan border. An area the size of Switzerland, this region and Haida Gwaii is home to about 36,000 people and 27 distinct First Nation communities.
This coastal temperate rainforest and the islands of the Haida Gwaii are a magnificent and globally significant old-growth forest ecosystem that contains the highest biomass of any ecosystem on the planet.
The milestone that has been secured on March 31st 2009 has been reached following a ten year campaign to ensure this region will be preserved for generations to come.
See images of the Great Bear Rainforest or read more about the details of the fundraising campaign that helped to support the implementation of this plan.
