Historic Great Bear Rainforest Agreement becomes reality

In February 2006 an historic agreement was reached between environmentalists, logging companies, First Nations communities and the British Columbia government after years of protests, markets campaigns, land use planning, and negotiations. Since then, we've been pushing the government to keep their promise and implement these agreements by the deadline they set: March 31, 2009.

Three years later, we are proud to say that the British Columbia government's promise to legislate these agreements has become a reality. So what does this mean?

  • Protected areas legislated -- 2.1 million hectares, or 5 million acres, an area half the size of Switzerland, have been legally protected from logging.
  • Lighter touch logging implemented -- A new system of ‘lighter touch’ logging, based on Ecosystem-based Management (EBM), has been legislated. This system maintains 50 per cent of the natural level of old growth forest in the region. This translates to an additional 700,000 hectares (1.7 million acres) of forest set aside from logging.
These maps detail this dramatic difference in land use management over the past three years in the Great Bear Rainforest region:

Pre Agreement -- 2005
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Post Agreement -- March 31, 2009
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More major milestones achieved through this implementation include:

  • Funding for a conservation economy -- $120 million is available to First Nation communities to help kick-start a new conservation economy as an alternative to logging throughout the rainforest.
  • New governance and decision-making -- First Nations and the BC government have developed a new government-to-government relationships and mechanisms for collaborative stakeholder involvement.

The story of the Great Bear Rainforest is a story of continuing progress towards a successful and sustainable model of conservation for the world's remaining Endangered Forests. Stay tuned for more great news from the Great Bear Rainforest, including annual reports assessing the transition from a resource-based to a conservation-based economy.

This announcement is the result of over a decade of intensive work to build a model of Ecosystem Based Management that the world can look to as an example. ForestEthics—in coalition with Sierra Club BC and Greenpeace—has engaged with major logging companies, the provincial government of British Columbia, and First Nations governments to reach this landmark agreement.