TORONTO -- The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and nine environmental organizations recently  unveiled an agreement to conserve 72 million hectares of public forest licensed to FPAC members.

FPAC said the "unprecedented agreement" will "conserve significant areas of Canada’s vast Boreal Forest, protect threatened woodland caribou and provide a competitive market edge for participating companies."Under the Agreement FPAC members, who manage two-thirds of all certified forest land in Canada, commit to the highest environmental standards of forest management within an area twice the size of Germany. Conservation groups commit to global recognition and support for FPAC member efforts.  The agreement calls for the suspension of new logging on nearly 29 million hectares of Boreal Forest to develop conservation plans for endangered caribou, while maintaining essential fiber supplies for uninterrupted mill operations. 

“Do Not Buy” campaigns by Canopy, ForestEthics and Greenpeace will be suspended while the Agreement is being implemented.

“The importance of this areement cannot be overstated,” said Avrim Lazar, pesident and CEO of FPAC. “FPAC member companies and their ENGO counterparts have turned the old paradigm on its head.  Together we have identified a more intelligent, productive way to manage economic and environmental challenges in the Boreal that will reassure global buyers of our products’ sustainability.  It’s gratifying to see nearly a decade of industry transformation and hard work greening our operations, is culminating in a process that will set a forestry standard that will be the envy of the world.”

“This is our best chance to save woodland caribou, permanently protect vast areas of the Boreal Forest and put in place sustainable forestry practices,” said Richard Brooks, spokesperson for participating environmental organizations and Forest Campaign Coordinator of Greenpeace Canada.  “Concerns from the public and the marketplace about wilderness conservation and species loss have been critical drivers in arriving at this agreement."

Read FPAC's press release.

Also read FSC praises Canadian Boreal Forest plan