The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement
May 18, 2012, marks the second anniversary of the Boreal Forest Agreement.
Read our latest status report.
Status Report for Customers & Investors
Read forest product customers' response to the announcement of the First Caribou Action Plan under Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, June 28, 2012.
The World’s Largest Conservation Initiative
Canada’s Boreal Forests are vast and rich. Home to seven of the world’s remaining largest intact forests, the world’s largest freshwater reserve and part of the world’s largest terrestrial carbon sink, Canada’s Boreal Forests are truly one of our planet’s last great forest ecosystems. Today’s Agreement is the beginning of a multi-year push to make what is currently an exciting vision, a reality on the ground.
The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement helps chart a new path for the conservation of this global legacy – one that will ensure large-scale protection, a shift to sustainable forest practices and a green lifeline to participating forestry companies. Relevant to the 70-million hectares/170-million acres of Boreal forests licensed to members of the Forest Products Association of Canada, the Agreement covers 66% of the commercial forests in Canada or an area equivalent to the size of France.
As part of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement:
- Approximately 30 million hectares/70 million acres (area the size of Italy) of woodland caribou habitat is off-limits to road building and logging
- Prioritized conservation planning for woodland caribou herds across the country
- Identification of new potential protected areas with FPAC tenures
- Suspension of targeted “do-not-buy” campaigns by Canopy, ForestEthics and Greenpeace
By providing the market incentive for green products and engaging suppliers on issues of conservation concern over the past 5-10 years, many of Canopy’s publishing and print partners have been key in helping secure today’s agreement. As we move forward with implementing the initiative, these large corporate paper consumers will play a critical role in ensuring we secure the ambitious conservation goals and is ultimately rewarded in the marketplace.
Canopy wishes to acknowledge the hard work of our environmental allies and participating members of the Forest Products Association in this critical first step. We look forward to continuing our close work together over the next few years as we make the world’s largest conservation agreement a reality for conservation on the ground.
Aboriginal and First Nation Rights and Title
Canopy supports the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and believes it is essential to build a culture of conservation around the world that respects Aboriginal rights and title.
Most of the land covered under the CBFA overlaps pre-existing Treaties and traditional territories of First Nations. The CBFA explicitly recognize that “Aboriginal peoples have constitutionally protected Aboriginal and treaty rights and title as well as legitimate interests and aspirations.” It also recognizes the decision-making authority of First Nations over traditional territories. It is the responsibility of the Agreement’s signatories to ensure that this is put into practice as the process moves forward. The Agreement aims to establish a large-scale network of permanent protected areas, independently verified ecosystem-based forestry management, and recovery of species at risk.
While the Agreement lays out a roadmap to achieve shared goals between the signatories as stakeholders, it’s understood that final decisions rest with governments, including federal, provincial, territorial, and Aboriginal decision-makers. The Agreement is not intended in any way to usurp Aboriginal peoples’ efforts to resolve outstanding Rights and Title issues and does not resolve, or attempt to resolve, any outstanding issues that First Nations may have with forestry companies. Instead, the main focus of the CBFA is to try and resolve longstanding conflicts between the environmental organizations and forestry companies through the introduction of a conservation planning process that will ultimately recommend an increase in protected areas and more sustainable forest practices.
Canadian Boreal Forests Agreement 101 - download PDF
Why we must protect Canada's Boreal - download PDF
10 Years of Results: Protecting Canada's Boreal - download PDF
About Canopy and Our Mission to Protect Intact and Endangered Forests - download PDF
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