Rainforest Solutions Project

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

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British Columbians Want the Great Bear Rainforest Conservation Agreements Finished, New Poll Shows

February 7, 2013

Vancouver, BC – On the seventh anniversary of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements, Greenpeace, ForestEthics Solutions and Sierra Club BC are calling on BC’s political parties to commit to wrapping up the agreements in their election platforms.

At a time when unsustainable logging continues in the ecologically sensitive region, the new poll also released today shows 68 per cent of British Columbians want the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements fully completed. The Agreements were widely applauded when announced to the world by the BC government seven years ago today.

“Work remains to finish the Agreements, but this is an easy win for whoever leads BC after the election because leadership on forest conservation is globally recognized and because, as clearly shown by the poll results, British Columbians adore the Great Bear Rainforest,” said Eduardo Sousa, senior forest campaigner at Greenpeace Canada.

The rainforest area currently off-limits to industrial logging falls short by more than 400,000 hectares from the scientifically recommended conservation level. According to scientific expert findings at the core of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreements, 70 percent of the natural level of old growth forest needs to be set aside to ensure that no key species, like the Spirit Bear, Marbled Murrelet and Northern Goshawk, fall through the cracks.

“The more time that passes, the more ecologically unstable the Great Bear Rainforest becomes because there currently isn’t enough conservation to sustain it,” said Jens Wieting, Forest and Climate Campaigner with Sierra Club BC.

In open letters to BC’s political parties, the environmental groups want commitments in the election platforms to complete the Agreements within the first 100 days after the May 14 election.

“The Agreements were designed to create a diversified economy with livelihoods for First Nations and local communities in a healthy forest,” said Valerie Langer Director of BC Forest Campaigns for ForestEthics Solutions. “What’s needed now, seven years later, is political will to see this through to the finish line.”

So far, 13,000 supporters have called on the BC government to fully meet the Agreements before the coming election. The environmental organizations plan to let their supporters know where parties stand on this issue as the election draws close.

The poll was conducted by Justason Market Intelligence of 600 British Columbians from January 25 to February 1, 2013. The margin of error is +/- 4.0%, 19 times out of 20.

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For more information, please contact:

Valerie Langer, Senior Campaigner, ForestEthics Solutions
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 604-307-6448

Eduardo Sousa, Senior Forests Campaigner, Greenpeace
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 778-378-9955

Jens Wieting, Forest and Climate Campaigner, Sierra Club BC
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 604-354-5312