Grey Jones campaigning in the upper Bow Valley. Photo: Peter Abramowitz
Boreal Forests:
A Global Concern and a Canadian Responsibility.
By Gray Jones.
The boreal forest ecosystem, a worldwide belt of about 1000 km width, is an important consumer of CO2, fixing an amount of carbon in the environment just slightly less then the endangered tropical rainforests.
The boreal forest is the largest terrestrial forest ecosystem in the world, and is vital to maintaining the hydrology of northern land masses, integral in moderating the north's climate, and crucial in mitigating the effects of global warming and the melting of the polar ice caps. This forest is under attack around the planet - from the taiga of the former Soviet Union to its southern fringes in Alberta.
Research into boreal forest ecosystems has been minimal and the boreal forests have been largely neglected because until a few years ago, they had very little monetary value. With the advent of new pulp mill technology, it became possible to utilize hardwood species like poplar and aspen to make high quality pulp. Many temperate and tropical rainforests have already been depleted by logging, so the focus is now towards the northern forests. The effects of large-scale logging on the boreal ecosystem include soil destruction and erosion and species extinction. The global repercussions must be studied as they are poorly understood.
The boreal forest covers 34% of Canada's land mass. Activities that effect it will have a profound impact on individual species, forest ecosystems and all Canadian's lives. Canada's boreal forests comprise approximately 22% of the world's boreal forests, therefore as Canadians we have a global responsibility to maintain this vital ecosystem. The domino effect of massive deforestation could easily affect global weather patterns.
As a society, we have to make the decision to either accept the wholesale destruction of Canada's slow growing, climate stabilizing boreal forests, or reduce the destruction with sustainable forestry practices and protect large tracts of boreal wilderness.
People who choose to live and work in the boreal forest do so because they value the proximity of living close to nature rather than living in large, industrialized cities. Governments and large industry in their mad rush to "develop" the boreal forests, disregard the heritage of Native people, the existing economic infrastructure (trapping, small industry and tourism) and the intrinsic value of the forest.
At Western Canada Wilderness Committee, we favour community-based, bio-regionally developed, smaller-scale forest projects where the money stays in the communities. In addition, we believe many forest areas are much more valuable intact than logged. For example, the proposed park embracing Whitemud Falls and the Clearwater River system is a prime kayaking, canoeing and cross-country skiing area. The Rocky Mountain House Corridor Forest with its rich diversity of wildlife and accessible wilderness, attracts birdwatchers, photographers, hunters, hikers, and fly-fishermen. This intact forest is critical to the tourist industry of Red Deer and Rocky Mountain House.
To give you an idea of how massive the planned boreal forest slaughter is in Canada would take a whole book. The forests of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta are largely slated for clear-cutting by multinationals. Species like the Woodland Caribou face extinction. It is well documented that there are many Native people living on the streets of Winnipeg, and they are in essence environmental refugees due to the clear-cutting of Northern Manitoba.
At Western Canada Wilderness Committee, we favor community- based, bio-regionally developed, smaller-scale forest projects where the money stays in the community.
The issues in this publication range from pulp mill effluent, eloquently discussed by Dr. Schindler, winner of the Stockholm Water Prize, to the concerns of the Lubicon people expressed by John Goddard, author of "The Last Stand of the Lubicon Cree." The intricate ecology of the boreal forest is discussed by Dr. Jim Butler, Faculty of Forestry, University of Alberta.
I have not even touched upon the spiritual and aesthetic values of Canada's boreal forests, which have inspired artists like the Group of Seven and folk singers like Buffy St. Marie. I encourage all of you to take responsibility for helping to preserve these irreplaceable values. Please write your provincial MLAs and federal MPs to express your concerns about the ongoing slaughter of the boreal forests. I urge you to join an active environmental group like the Western Canada Wilderness Committee. We are working hard on your behalf and on behalf of your children - so that we may continue to experience the boreal wilderness in all its splendid array of diversity.
Gray Jones is the Western Canada Wilderness Committee - Boreal Forest Campaigner and Executive Director of Western Canada Wilderness Committee - Alberta. He has been a Greenpeace campaign coordinator and Protection Officer and insect specialist with the B.C forest service.
