Cheer up, Yogi! You Won!

More good news, this time a little closer to home.

When I started this little project, I subscribed to several newsletters and such from various environmental groups. Many of them today are giddy following news of a victory in a lengthy battle.

Vancouver, BC — A coalition of four leading environmental groups today, along with industry leaders and indigenous groups, celebrated success after a decade long campaign to protect the globally unique Great Bear Rainforest. Today's long awaited government announcement protects one third of the Great Bear Rainforest from logging and will require the use of more sustainable logging practices for the remaining area. The agreement also sets a new precedent for decision making for local indigenous groups (First Nations), giving them the right to define what happens on their land.

The total area protected from the chainsaw equals 5 million acres, twice the size of Yellowstone Park and equal to 6300 of New York’s Central Park. This total includes new and previous protection areas, plus special no logging zones.
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ForestEthics, Greenpeace and Sierra Club of Canada, BC Chapter have worked toward this solution for almost a decade, using tactics that ranged from blockades to boycotts to boardroom negotiations, all in a bid to protect as much of the Great Bear Rainforest as possible.
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The Great Bear Rainforest Agreement means:

1. 5 million acres is protected from logging
2. The application of better, lighter-touch forestry by March 2009
3. Comprehensive First Nations involvement in management over their entire traditional territory
4. The diversification of the economy based on conservation