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Great gray owl © Duke Coonrad Last Stand in the Boreal Follow naturalist and author Scott Weidensaul into Canada’s Mackenzie Valley where an alliance of industry, First Nations and conservation groups is working to set aside half of the largest intact forest in the world before it is logged over, mined or drilled. That is, if plans for a massive new pipeline don’t outpace protection efforts.   Birds of The Boreal Forest The North American boreal forest provides breeding habitat for more than 30 percent of North America’s entire bird population. More than 75 percent of North American waterfowl rely on the boreal forest for breeding, migration and molting. One-third of all land birds in the United States and Canada (more than 3 billion) migrate to the region each summer to feed and fledge their young. Learn more >> Timber wolf © Janet Haas Boreal Forest Facts The boreal forest is named for Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind, the North American boreal forest is one of three largest frontier forests remaining on Earth. It shelters wolves, lynx, grizzly bears and rare woodland caribou. It contains nearly 1 million lakes and helps buffer the world’s climate from rapid change with its vast water resources and enormous number of trees. The Mackenzie River watershed in the Northwest Territories harbors one of the longest undammed river in North America. More than 600 aboriginal communities – called First Nations in Canada – rely on the boreal forest for food, shelter, cultural identity, spirituality and economic survival.

The Mackenzie River Delta © Fritz Mueller

Scientists Call for the Preservation of the Boreal

 

More than 1,500 scientists from around the world – including Evie Witten, the Director of the Conservancy’s Boreal Forest Program – have endorsed an open letter to all Canadian governments calling for the preservation of one of the largest (and the last) intact forests remaining on Earth.

For the long-term protection of the boreal forests and the benefits it provides to people, plants and animals, the scientists’ recommend preserving at least half of Canada’s Boreal Forest in protected areas and allowing only carefully managed development on the rest. This call is in accordance with the Boreal Forest Conservation Framework, a plan already endorsed by Canadian conservation groups, 25 Canadian First Nations, and more than 75 major businesses with annual sales of $30 billion (CDN).
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Challenges for the Boreal Forest

Until recently, the boreal forest’s vast scale, cold climate and distance from major industrial centers buffered it from commercial pressures that have destroyed other forests around the world. Today, because of pressure for resources such as timber, hydroelectric power and minerals, Canada’s boreal forest is being lost at a rate of about 1 percent a year. This rate of loss is similar to the pace of destruction in tropical rainforests.

Many conservationists believe the fate of the boreal forest will be decided in the next 10 years.

Ninety-four percent of Canada's forest lands are designated Crown Lands (government owned). These lands fall under provincial control where decisions regarding mining, oil, gas and logging are made through long-term lease agreements. In the southern boreal (below the 55th parallel) the provinces have allocated virtually all the marketable timberlands to forest product companies. Much of this demand is a direct consequence of increasing U.S. consumer demands.

At Work in the Boreal Forest

Applying scientific expertise. Conservancy scientists are working with World Wildlife Fund Canada and forest product companies who are seeking certification through the Forest Stewardship Council. Through this partnership, the Conservancy is helping to identify the most important habitats to protect through special management.

Enhancing scientific knowledge. The Conservancy is supporting boreal research by funding work at the University of Alberta to document the habitat needs of breeding bird populations in the boreal forest. The Conservancy is also supporting a project by Global Forest Watch and the Conservation Biology Institute to make boreal forest data available to scientists and communities.

Applying science-based planning tools.  The Mackenzie River watershed in the Northwest Territories is slated for construction of a 1,000-mile long natural gas pipeline. Significant land use planning is taking place in advance of the construction. The government has agreed to set aside 30 million acres of this region in protected status and the Conservancy is working with partners to identify the areas most important for the protection of plants and animals.

The Boreal Conservation Framework. The Conservancy endorses the Boreal Framework, a conservation vision developed by the Canadian Boreal Initiative and its Boreal Leadership Council. The council is a coalition of 11 partners that include First Nations, environmental groups and forestry and energy companies.