Action at Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island, Canada. Greenpeace activists from around the world blocked construction of a logging road.
1993
International outcry arises over plans to clearcut the last
intact valleys of Clayoquot Sound, the largest rainforest remaining
on Vancouver Island. Greenpeace organises a concert by rock band
Midnight Oil to perform for thousands of concerned Canadians. By
the end of the year, over 1,000 individuals have been arrested for
trying to stop the clearcutting. This is the largest act of civil
resistance in Canadian history. In November, senior officials of
Greenpeace offices from around the world, including the executive
director of Greenpeace International, go to jail for blocking the
road to the forests.
1994
After meetings with Greenpeace, customers such as Scott Paper in
the UK, cancel contracts for B.C. forest products, putting pressure
on the logging company to resolve the conflicts in Clayoquot Sound.
Customers in Austria, Germany and the U.S. echo concern over
clearcutting in Clayoquot to the logging company and the B.C.
government.
1995
The B.C. government endorses the findings of an independent
scientific committee, which recommends that clearcutting in
Clayoquot end and logging be deferred in the pristine areas of the
sound.
The leadership of the Nuxalk Nation in the Great Bear Rainforest
approaches Greenpeace requesting an alliance to halt the industrial
clearcutting of their traditional territory.
1996
B.C. government initiates the Central Coast planning table,
which will determine future land-use in a portion of the Great Bear
Rainforest. No environmental groups will participate because the
scope of the land use planning is limited to status quo approaches
to forestry and economics. They denounce the Central Coast planning
table as a "talk and log" venue because clearcut logging will
continue during the planning process.
1997
A campaign to save the Great Bear Rainforest is launched on the
Central and North Coast of B.C. with the main focus on Western
Forest Products, Interfor (International Forest Products) and West
Fraser Timber. Greenpeace activists are invited by the hereditary
chiefs of the Nuxalk Nation to help them protect one of their
sacred sites from being logged by Interfor. After a 21 day
blockade, six Nuxalk people and 18 others are arrested and jailed
for their efforts to stop the clearcutting. Customers in European
countries condemn the logging and the arrests, and begin to exert
consumer pressure on the three logging companies.
1998
Customers in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, U.K and Germany
cancel contracts with the coastal logging companies. The campaign
also begins in Japan, with the support of a Nuxalk hereditary
chief. Negotiations between Sierra Club, Greenpeace and coastal
logging companies succeed in creating a temporary moratorium on
logging in large, intact rainforest valleys in the central coast in
exchange for environmental group participation in the Central Coast
Land and Resource Management Planning process.
November 1998
Iisaak, a joint venture between Weyerhaeuser and First Nations
of Clayoquot Sound, is established, and makes commitments not to
log in key pristine valleys and to meet standards for harvesting
set by the Forest Stewardship Council. The Central Region
Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations own 51 per cent of the forestry
company; Weyerhaeuser owns 49 per cent.
1999
After months of protests by numerous environmental groups across
North America, Home Depot finally commits to phase out purchasing
wood from endangered forest areas, including Western Red Cedar from
the Canadian rainforest and instead demands FSC certified logging.
Frustrated by years of hollow promises from the B.C. logging
industry, a delegation of the German paper manufacturing and
magazine publishing industries visit B.C. on a tour of logging
sites sponsored by Greenpeace. Shocked by what they see, they
inform the B.C. government and industry that unless status-quo
clearcut logging is abandoned, and unless all the remaining large
intact, rainforest valleys are placed under a moratorium, the
German buyers will cancel contracts with B.C. companies. The
coastal logging companies begin negotiating in earnest with
Greenpeace and other environmental organizations to reach agreement
on a moratorium on logging the rainforest valleys and the
development of a process to change practices and to permanently
protect many of these threatened areas.
2000
In May, Interfor and West Fraser leave the negotiations and
continue logging in critical rainforest areas. Greenpeace launches
a campaign targeting these two companies, including a new campaign
to target their investors. Ethical Funds Inc. immediately divests
its shares in West Fraser Timber in response to its decision not to
participate in the negotiations. In December, the Royal Bank of
Canada and Friends Ivory Simes of the UK follow suit, divesting
over $11 million in Interfor shares.
2001
From January to March, protests are carried out by Greenpeace in
Europe, North America, China and Japan, with blockades of wood
shipments, and protests at embassies, retail outlets and lumber
yards, aimed at persuading investors and customers to demand an end
to the destruction. Companies globally voice concerns over
Interfor's logging and refusal to join in dialogue with key
players. Key industry players such as Amdega, (the world's largest
conservatory manufacturer), Auspine (Australian timber importer),
and the Italian supermarket chain Coop, the Belgian Timber Trade
Federation (representing Belgian timber importers) and other
companies in New Zealand, China and The Netherlands all cease
buying products from Interfor. In Japan alone over 70 companies
including Mitsubishi & Fujiya stopped buying from Interfor.
April 2001
Interfor, along with other logging companies, agree to a package
of deferrals in logging, protection of rainforest areas, and an
ongoing process to reform logging practices according to the
principles of ecosystem-based management. This comes after months
of discussions with Greenpeace and other environmental
organizations. The B.C. government endorses the agreement.
2002
Environmental groups, logging companies and government share the
cost of establishing the Coast Information Team. The Coast
Information Team was endorsed by the Provincial Government of
British Columbia, First Nations governments, the forest industry,
environmental groups, communities, as well as the Government of
Canada. This science body was tasked with providing independent and
multidisciplinary information and analysis to develop
ecosystem-based management for the Great Bear Rainforest.
2003
Meetings of the North Coast and Haida Gwaii Land and Resource
Management Table begin. Throughout 2003, three separate planning
tables at which environmental groups, the logging industry,
communities, small business, First Nations, labour, tourism,
recreation and mining are represented worked on land use issues in
the Great Bear Rainforest. Greenpeace is active in working within
this consensus based planning approach.
December, 2003
One of the tables, the Central Coast Land and Resource
Management Planning Table, reaches consensus. Recommendations are
supported by Greenpeace and include 988,000 ha of protection,
545,000 ha of biodiversity areas. In these areas, protection of
biodiversity takes precedence while logging and hydro-electric
development are not permitted although mining is
and ecosystem-based management is to be fully applied to the
entire Central Coast within five years. Greenpeace abstained on
allowing mining in the Biodiversity Areas in order not to block the
overall consensus, but remains concerned about this, as well as
strongly opposed to provincial policies on sport and trophy
hunting.
2004
Meetings of the North Coast and Haida Gwaii Land and Resource
Management Table continue. Consensus recommendations from the
Central Coast table now inform the provincial government's mandate
as it engages in negotiations with First Nations governments.
Protected areas and legal objectives for ecosystem-based management
will not be decided until these government-to-government
negotiations are complete. Despite agreements made at the Central
Coast table, the planning and implementation of ecosystem-based
management is slower than logging companies had committed to.
Environmental groups work to raise private, philanthropic and
investment funds in order to diversify the economy of coastal
communities that depend on logging.
2005
The provincial government fails to finalize the Great Bear
Agreements despite its own commitment to do so several times this
year. With the future of the Great Bear Rainforest remaining
uncertain, Greenpeace supporters send 40,000 personal messages to
the Premier urging his government to legislate the agreements.
Greenpeace visits the Great Bear Rainforest to document current
status quo logging practices. Large customers of rainforest wood
products visiting British Columbia from Europe are shown that
nothing has changed on the ground.
Late 2005
Sixteen coastal First Nations governments finalize their
negotiations with the provincial government.
2006
February - The B.C. provincial government announces the Great
Bear Agreement. The 10 years of work by Greenpeace means:
- 2 million hectares is permanently protected from logging;
- Throughout the entire Great Bear Rainforest, a better, more
light-touch way of doing forestry will be in place by 2009.
- First Nations now have comprehensive involvement in management
over their entire traditional territory
- The development of a new economy based on conservation is
seeded with a provincial commitment of $30 million and $60 million
from the environmental community. One step remains - obtaining a
contribution of $30 million from the Government of Canada.
2007
January - The $120 million economic diversification and
conservation management fund is announced. The development of a
new economy based on conservation is seeded with a federal and
provincial commitment of $30 million each and $60 million from the
environmental community.
March 31 - Greenpeace launches Stand Tall, a public
engagement website, activist toolkit and new movie "The Story of
the Great Bear Rainforest". British Columbians should be proud of
what has been achieved for its globally significant rainforest. The
groundbreaking agreement that will save the rainforest must now be
implemented. To make that happen, Greenpeace needs you to take
action today. Visit standtall.greenpeace.ca
today.
Recent
developments in the Great Bear Rainforest campaign