There are practical ways to preserve our boreal region
Postmedia papers and websites recently ran a major story that has drawn a lot of attention to the work of a prominent panel of Canadian and international scientists on the global significance and national value of Canada’s vast boreal region — and the actions needed to conserve it.
The challenge presented by these internationally respected scientists is enormous, but not insurmountable. This region is one of the world’s largest remaining intact forest and wetland ecosystems, comparable in ecological significance to the Brazilian Amazon and Russian Taiga.
The boreal is an abundant constellation of lakes and rivers teeming with fish, and immense forests that are home to caribou, moose, bear, wolverine and a rich variety of other wildlife.
What happens here affects populations well beyond the borders of the northern forest. The dramatic and expensive floods, storms and wildfires experienced by many Canadian cities in recent months are a reminder of our ties to the boreal. As the world’s largest storehouse of carbon, it helps mitigate the effects of climate change.
So how can we balance these critical environmental values with the wave of energy, mining and forestry activities in the boreal, and new roads, pipelines and ports being considered? The scientists’ report of- fered a bold challenge. They called for urgent action to build a truly sustainable legacy of land, water, communities and economies for Canada’s boreal.
Foremost among the solutions was the critical need to maintain at least 50 per cent of the boreal free of large-scale industrial development, with the remainder to be subjected to the most environmentally advanced development practices. Importantly, both protection and development should be planned in close consultation with the aboriginal communities whose land will be affected.
Is this achievable? There are working models from across Canada that demonstrate it is. In fact, even on a strictly economic basis, this balanced approach has shown itself to be more effective at bringing industrial projects on line, in cases such as the First Nations’ agreement at Voisey’s Bay, or eco-certified forest lands.
Aboriginal communities from British Columbia to Labrador are taking their stewardship responsibilities very seriously, creating land-use plans that allow for a balanced future for their territories — and some governments and companies are starting to work constructively with them.
Quebec and Ontario already have commitments in place to protect 50 per cent of their boreal regions, while at the same time enabling sustainable development. Manitoba is another province now undertaking substantial boreal conservation initiatives.
These efforts are not without their significant challenges, but one important lesson that has already been learned is success will require collaboration between sectors, disciplines, and interests.
A good example of this kind of collaboration is the Boreal Leadership Council, a group of leaders spanning the finance sector, forest and energy companies, aboriginal organizations and non-governmental organizations who started working together in 2003. They all committed to finding real, lasting solutions in the boreal that reflect the needs of large-scale conservation, while promoting healthy communities, aboriginal rights and responsible development.
So there is reason for hope. But to realize this potential, more leaders from federal, provincial and aboriginal government and from industry will have to join with those striving toward this vision for Canada’s boreal. The report from international scientists should be received as a welcome stimulus to refocus and redouble our efforts individually and collectively towards this worthy goal.