Truce declared - Forest industry and environmental groups reach deal

Love it or hate hate, the Canadian forest industry has agreed to a deal with environmentalists.

The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement

Deal details:

• logging will be suspended in 29 million ha of boreal forest while a conservation plan is developed to preserve the endangered woodland caribou


• Canopy, ForestEthics, and Greenpeace will stop their "Do Not Buy" campaigns in regards to Canadian produced paper while this agreement is implemented


• Forest Product Association of Canada member companies agree to commit to the highest environmental standards of forest management and harvesting practices


• an uninterrupted fibre supply is guaranteed to the forest company's mill operations

Who is part of the deal?

The deal was made between the Forest Products Association of Canada, who was representing 21 of its member companies, and nine leading environmental organizations.

Forestry Companies Participating in the Agreement:

• AbitibiBowater


• Alberta Pacific Forest Industries


• AV Group


• Canfor


• Cariboo Pulp & Paper Company


• Cascades Inc.


• DMI


• F.F. Soucy, Inc.


• Howe Sound Pulp and Paper


• Kruger Inc.


• LP Canada


• Mercer International


• Mill & Timber Products Ltd


• NewPage Port Hawkesbury Ltd


• Papier Masson Ltée


• SFK Pulp


• Tembec Inc.


• Tolko Industries


• West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd


• Weyerhaeuser Company Limited

Environmental Organizations Participating in the Agreement:

• Canadian Boreal Initiative


• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society


• Canopy (formerly Markets Initiative)


• David Suzuki Foundation


• ForestEthics


• Greenpeace


• Ivey Foundation


• The Nature Conservancy


• Pew Environment Group's International Boreal Conservation Campaign


• Hewlett Foundation's support for boreal forest conservation has been critical to the collective efforts of these groups

Who enforces the deal?

The progress made to reach the objectives laid out in the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement will be regularly measured and reported on by a jointly agreed-upon independent auditor.

Press Release: Canadian forest industry and environmental groups sign world's largest conservation agreement applying to area twice the size of Germany