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Great Bear conservation plan a good startFebruary 7, 2006 - More work needed to protect wild salmon VANCOUVER - Today’s announced conservation plan for British Columbia’s central and north coast is a critical step towards protecting one of Canada’s most ecologically important areas and developing a sustainable economy for local communities, says the David Suzuki Foundation. The plan, announced by the provincial government today, lays out a protected areas strategy for the region, often called the Great Bear Rainforest, and commits government, industry, First Nations and environmental groups to continue working towards more sustainable logging practices in the area. “Everyone involved in this achievement should be very proud,” says Bill Wareham, acting director of marine conservation for the David Suzuki Foundation. “These core protected areas will serve as the backbone on which further conservation and sustainable economic initiatives can be developed.” Mr. Wareham cautions that the agreement does not mean conservation planning on the coast is finished. He points out that most wild salmon rivers, for example, are outside the protected areas and still at risk from destructive logging practices. “We have to remember that protected areas are a critical component of any conservation plan, but not the only component,” says Mr. Wareham. “To protect our salmon and other wildlife, it is vital that logging practices and other industrial activities on the land become more sustainable.” A 2005 status report from the David Suzuki Foundation found that almost three quarters of current logging in the Great Bear Rainforest is done by clearcutting, and that many small salmon streams within these cutblocks were being logged right to their banks. “That’s the kind of practice we hope to change as we work out the details of the plan over the next few years,” says Mr. Wareham. “We look forward to working with all parties to ensure that by the 2010 Olympics, B.C.’s forestry practices in this globally celebrated region are truly the best in the world.” For more information, contact: Jason Curran
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