We love to give kudos to groups mapping preservation of our natural resources.  Here's a pioneering agreement that protects future generations.  Good to see such a broad partnership, bringing together diverse but common-focused groups.

Rest assured we will book them onto a future radio show.  Keep in mind you can listen in to our full time, global network off this blog by using our player on the top right of the page.

The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement

The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA) is the largest partnership of its kind in the world, bringing together 21 forest products companies and nine environmental groups to achieve the joint goal of ensuring the sustainability of the Canadian boreal forest for generations to come. Resolute Forest Products is a founding member. The signatories of the CBFA have committed to:

• Expand the network of protected areas in the boreal forest of Canada
• Develop recovery plans for boreal forest species at risk, particularly woodland caribou
• Take action on climate change
• Improve the prosperity of the communities that rely on the industry
• Openly share the environmental performance of the forest products companies in the CBFA

Early Successes in Sustainable Forest Management
Resolute committed to the agreement, spending thousands of hours in staff time to see through the following objectives:

• Determining where and how we will establish protected spaces in the boreal forest, and how we will protect caribou. To that end, Resolute made a proposal to increase the protected land in North Central Quebec to 12 percent, equivalent to 2,670 square miles (1,710,000 acres), with the main focus on protecting the best habitat for woodland caribou
• Matching funds raised by participating environmental, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to conduct research into endangered species management

Embracing the spirit of the agreement, proposals were also made for Ontario:

• Along with the Ontario Regional Working Group, Resolute proposed 3,225 square miles (2,063,000 acres) of caribou conservation area in Northeastern Ontario
• Resolute proposed an additional 785 square miles (504,000 acres) of forest in Northwestern Ontario for conservation, providing additional protection of caribou and other species

We Stand By Our Commitments
We believe that this is the time to create a more inclusive framework for protecting the boreal forest and the communities that rely on it. Specifically, it makes sense to bring into the CBFA First Nations, governments and the elected representatives of boreal communities—groups whose lives are directly affected by its outcomes. By including these communities and returning to the spirit of compromise and understanding on which the CBFA was founded, we are confident that the future of the boreal forest will be assured for generations.