Today, I am happy to share amazing news.  Ontario's government announced yesterday that it will protect nearly half of the province's vast Northern Boreal forest from industrial development! 

This is huge news(¹) -- we're talking about an area half the size of California, or six times the size of Belgium.  That's 55 million acres/22.5 million hectares of the largest intact forest remaining on Earth now protected from development.

The Boreal plays an essential role in providing clean water, storing carbon (essential for the fight against global warming), and sustaining ecosystems and communities, including 28 First Nations communities.(²)  With only two operating mines, and few roads, the Boreal is one of the few places left that has not been significantly changed by human activities.   The Boreal is also home to caribou, wolverine, lake sturgeon and polar bear -- all of which are under threat. 

This commitment couldn't have happened without the support of tens of thousands of allied organizations and ForestEthics supporters like you.  Wins this big take an enormous amount of work.  Over the last three years, ForestEthics has aggressively campaigned to raise the profile of Ontario's Boreal forest worldwide.  We've reached out to more than 500 wood and paper customers including Limited Brands, Staples, and Lowes.  We've also supported First Nations opposed to mining on their traditional territory.(³)

Thank you for your hard work and continued support.  Our work to protect woodland caribou in the Southern Boreal is not finished, and we'll need your help in the days to come.  Together, amazing things are possible.

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Bird Call to Action

Species like the gray jay (above) depend on Canada’s boreal forest for their survival.

Urge the Canadian government to protect the boreal forest. Sign the petition now.

Know someone who loves birding? Please forward this message to them and encourage them to get involved so we can reach our 35,000 signature goal before June 1!

Canada’s boreal forest spans more than 1.4 billion acres and provides vital breeding habitat for many of the world’s birds -- including nearly 40% of North America’s ducks, geese, and swans.

Each year, more than 300 species of birds, including bufflehead ducks, boreal chickadees, Cape May warblers, sparrows and more, spend time in this special place. In fact, the boreal is so important to so many birds that it is sometimes called North America's bird nursery. 

Lynx, grizzlies and wolves also make their home in the boreal forest. And it is one of the world’s largest “carbon reservoirs,” trapping carbon that might otherwise contribute to global warming.  

To protect this special place -- and the wildlife that needs it to survive -- from the threat of destructive development, Defenders of Wildlife has joined with the Save Our Boreal Birds Campaign and conservation groups from around the world. Will you join the fight?

Speak out for migratory birds and other wildlife. Sign the boreal forests petition today.

Just 8% of the boreal forest is now protected from new mining, drilling and logging. Each year, more and more of this special place is being lost in the pursuit of profits.

We can turn the tide, but we need your help. Please take action now. 

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Boreal Forest Ecoregion

Few humans inhabit the immense woods of the Far North, an unbroken green wreath extending from Alaska to Newfoundland.

Miles Canyon, near Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada

The Woods at the End of the World

The northern boreal ecoregion accounts for about one third of this planet's total forest area. It is comprised of a broad circumpolar band which runs through most of Canada, Russia, Scandinavia and parts of Northern Scotland. Compared to much of the world, this ecoregion enjoys a sparse population and thus one would think, few threats to its immense and majestic beauty. However the reality is quite different.

Although, the boreal forest conjures up images of vast pristine wilderness, an unending expanse of conifers in an area that has been left untouched by human interference and industrial development, it is increasingly threatened by a range of resource extraction and other activities.

The Largest Natural Ecosystem on Earth

In North America, the boreal ecoregion extends from Alaska to Newfoundland, bordering the tundra to the north and touching the Great Lakes to the south.

By far the most dominant tree species are conifers which are well-adapted to the harsh climate, and thin, acidic soils. Black and white spruce are characteristic species of this region along with Tamarack, Jack Pine and Balsam Fir. There are also deciduous trees which are at times mixed in among the conifers, especially in more southern areas - they may include White Birch and Poplars. Over 200 bird species breed here, as well as being home to species such as Caribou, Lynx, Black Bear, Moose, Coyote, Timber Wolf and recovering populations of Wood Bison.

Also characteristic of the boreal are innumerable water bodies: bogs, fens, marshes, shallow lakes, rivers and wetlands, mixed in among the forest and holding a vast amount of water. The winters are long and severe while summers are short though often warm.

 Report Reveals Canada’s Boreal Forest Under Siege

Environmental groups demand moratorium on industrial development in endangered forests

 A new report and map released today by Greenpeace, ForestEthics and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) slams Canada’s federal and provincial governments for their failure to protect the Canadian Boreal forest, one of the world’s largest areas of intact forest. The environmental groups are calling on Canada and its provinces to halt industrial development in the most endangered areas of the Boreal forest while conservation planning can be completed, protected areas established, and transition funding provided for affected communities.

The report, entitled Through the Trees, the Truth behind Logging in Canada, and the map show that:

• Since 1975, logging companies have cut 25-million hectares of forest, an area greater than that of the United Kingdom;
• The amount of land clearcut has increased by 40% in the last 28 years, posing a significant threat to many animals and birds;
• 431 species are listed as at risk on Canada’s federal endangered species’ list, in addition to those listed provincially;
• Few of Canada’s logging operations are certified as environmentally or socially sustainable; and
• B.C.’s Great Bear Rainforest is the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest and provides an example of how moratoria can be established that can lead to a science-based process to decide appropriate levels of protection.

Approximately 80 % of the world’s original forests are already destroyed or degraded: Canada’s Boreal forests represent almost a quarter of what’s left.

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