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GLOBE-Net (April 1, 2009) — A promise made three years ago to protect one-third of British Columbia’s globally unique Great Bear Rainforest and to develop the foundations for a conservation-based economy in the region has been fulfilled.

The B.C. government has met its commitment to establish an Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) system for coastal B.C. by March 31, 2009, said Agriculture and Lands Minister Ron Cantelon. “Three years ago we announced an unprecedented collaboration and today B.C. has set an example for the world in one of the largest co-ordinated land use planning efforts on record,”� said Cantelon.

“Working hard with our First Nations partners as well as industry, environmental and community leaders, together we have achieved a holistic approach to managing human activities and protecting biodiversity. EBM represents a new foundation towards a sustainable economy, First Nations economic self-sufficiency and community well-being.”�

The strategy includes:

• A combined land use planning area of approximately 6.4 million hectares, or more than twice the size of Belgium.
    
• A total of approximately two million hectares of protected areas are now in place, or more than twice the size of Yellowstone National Park.
   
• $120 million Coast Opportunity Funds established, aimed at preserving the integrity of the Great Bear Rainforest for generations to come and promoting economic development opportunities for First Nations.
   
• One-hundred-and-fourteen conservancies have been established across the Central Coast and North Coast planning regions.
   
• A new land use zone with 21 designated Biodiversity, Mining and Tourism Areas (BMTAs) has also been established, comprising 300,000 hectares where commercial forestry and hydro-electric generation linked to the power grid are prohibited.
   
• Low-impact logging regulations that will conserve 50 per cent of the natural range of old growth forests.
   
• An Adaptive Management framework that will continually test and improve the EBM system.

“I commend the Province for working with us to build a strong government to government relationship,”� said Nanwakolas Council President Dallas Smith. “This relationship is the foundation to protecting wildlife and fostering economic opportunities that are both ecologically and culturally appropriate for the benefit of all coastal communities.”�

The Province committed to implementing EBM as part of the historic Coast Land Use Decisions encompassing the North and Central Coast plan areas, announced on February 7, 2006. The decision called for new protected areas and logging regulations in order to balance the needs of the environment with the need for sustainable jobs and a strong economic future for coastal communities.

The announcement was welcomed also by leading environmental groups, including ForestEthics, Greenpeace and the Sierra Club BC, groups that worked with the B.C. government, First Nations and industry leaders to forge the new strategy.

"If everyone remains committed to the goals and follows through, this astoundingly rich coastal ecosystem will continue to support iconic species like the Spirit bear, the conservation of massive carbon storehouses in thousand year old trees and a bright future for the First Nations communities," said Valerie Langer of ForestEthics.


More information on the Strategy is available here.

Contact Info: Frank Came
GLOBE Foundation of Canada
info@globe-net.com

Website : GLOBE-Net