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The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement

The Agreement

Changing economic realities and heightened public and marketplace concern over environmental issues have created both problems and opportunities for Canada’s forest industry and environmental organizations. From these challenges has come a unique collaboration between 21 major Canadian forest products companies and nine leading environmental organizations. This collaboration, called the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, applies to more than 76 million hectares of forest from the provinces of British Columbia to Newfoundland.

While the future of forestry and conservation in Canada’s Boreal Forest rests primarily with governments, both industry and environmentalists have a shared responsibility to help define and realize that future.

The shared challenge is to address sometimes conflicting social, economic, and environmental imperatives in a way that captures the economic opportunities that are emerging for forest products of the highest environmental quality. The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement sees both parties committed to working together in the marketplace and on the ground to support governments in the realization of a stronger, more competitive forestry industry and a better protected, more sustainably managed Boreal Forest.

The Agreement explicitly recognizes that Aboriginal peoples have constitutionally protected Aboriginal and treaty rights and titles as well as legitimate interest and aspirations. The Agreement is intended to be without prejudice to, and in accordance with, those rights and titles. The participating companies and environmental organizations believe both successful forest conservation and business competitiveness require fair, inclusive involvement of Aboriginal peoples and their governments.


Commitments of the Signatories

  • Accelerate the completion of the protected spaces network for the Boreal Forest that represents the diversity of ecosystems within the Boreal region and serves to provide ecological benchmarks.
  • Develop and accelerate implementation of plans to protect species at risk in the Boreal Forest, with a priority focus on Boreal caribou.
  • Implement world-leading, on-the-ground sustainable forest management practices that best reflect the principles of ecosystem-based management in the Boreal Forest.
  • Take action on climate change as it relates to forest conservation and forest product life cycles.
  • Take action to improve the prosperity of the Canadian forest sector and the communities that depend on it.
  • Work to achieve recognition in the marketplace for the environmental performance of the participating companies.

Work in the early stages by both parties will focus on:

  • Developing jointly supported caribou action plans that are based on leading, independent science and that provide input into relevant government processes.
  • Producing ecosystem-based management guidelines for integration into existing practices by participating companies.
  • Identifying the areas of climate and energy policy that intersect with forest management and conservation, and creating a work plan for developing joint positions.
  • Reaching out to governments and communities to seek their involvement and support for the work that is being undertaken.


To view the abstract and/or the full agreement click here.