Rainforest Solutions Project

Promoting conservation and economic alternatives in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest





The Grove: Campaign Blog & Newsroom

Completion of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements should be a priority in election platforms

posted by: Administrator, February 7, 2013 at 7am

February 7, 2013

Dear Premier Christy Clark / Mr Adrian Dix / Ms Jane Sterk / Mr John Cummins

Re: Make completion of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements a priority in your election platform

The Great Bear Rainforest is world-renowned for its ecological splendor, First Nations cultures and for the set of landmark conservation and human well-being agreements announced to the world seven years ago today. Those agreements were the product of years of heated conflicts, negotiations and leadership by all parties involved. The agreements pioneered a new government–to-government relationship between First Nations and the province, and a new way of finding solutions between environmental groups and forest product companies.

Significant work, through collaboration by all parties, has gone into making gains towards the goals of improving human well-being, particularly within First Nations communities, and ecological integrity. However these goals have not yet been met. Today, expectations to complete the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements are higher than ever, in British Columbia and around the world.

To do this will require leadership by the provincial government before and after the election of May 2013. Agreement on remaining steps can be achieved this spring, followed by implementation of these steps in just a few months.

The people of British Columbia want the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements completed. We are asking your party to include the completion of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements in your platform and priorities for the first 100 days after the election.

We look forward to your response and to speaking with you about the details of this letter should you want additional information.

Sincerely,

Valerie Langer
ForestEthics Solutions

Eduardo Sousa
Greenpeace

Jens Wieting
Sierra Club BC