Feature story - March 5, 2009
With only weeks left until the March 31st deadline to fulfill the Great Bear Rainforest agreements, Greenpeace and its allies have released an important new report that draws yet another critical link between intact forests and mitigating climate change.
The Great Bear Rainforest
Landmark Agreements:
In 2006, the B.C. government announced landmark agreements that
commit to a new management regime called Ecosystem-Based Management
(EBM) by March 31, 2009. It includes protection for 2.1 million
hectares of the Great Bear Rainforest from logging. In addition,
the agreements call for new "lighter touch" logging regulations in
other areas of the forest.
New Report
The new report, entitled Ecosystem-Based Management in the Great
Bear Rainforest: Better Defense for Climate and Species, shows that
the Great Bear Rainforest stores massive amounts of carbon per
hectare. This forest can also help prevent some of the effects of
climate change because of its old growth forest and location.
The report says that an ecosystem-based approach to logging in
the Great Bear Rainforest would maintain old growth forest with
approximately 108 million tons of carbon storage.
Report's expert:
The author is Dr. Rachel Holt, an independent biologist whose
clients include the B.C. government, forestry industry and
environmental organizations. Greenpeace, along with ForestEthics
and the Sierra Club of Canada, commissioned her report.
Regular logging = huge emissions:
Logging the Great Bear Rainforest under regular logging laws
that apply elsewhere in British Columbia would release carbon
dioxide emissions equivalent to three times the province's annual
carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels.
Adaptation to climate change:
The report also found that implementing EBM in the Great Bear
Rainforest would likely allow this forest ecosystem to adapt to
climate change without a major loss of species.
The mostly intact old growth forest of the region combined with
few natural disturbances like fire or insects makes the Great Bear
Rainforest an ideal climate refuge for species.
"The Great Bear Rainforest is better positioned to handle the
impacts of climate change than many other ecosystems," said
Stephanie Goodwin, Greenpeace Senior Forest Campaigner. "This
opportunity won't last long unless the B.C. government keeps its
promise of making full ecosystem-based management a reality on the
ground."
Download the Report: