Coast Forest Conservation
Initiative (CFCI)
The five companies participating in the Coast Forest
Conservation Initiative (CFCI) are committed to development
of a conservation plan for forests on the Central and
north coasts of British Columbia that will be credible
both locally and globally.
The forest companies involved, collectively known as
the Coast Forest Conservation Initiative (CFCI):
• Canadian Forest Products
• International Forest Products Limited
• Catalyst Paper Corporation
• Western Forest Products
• Weyerhaeuser
In order to achieve their objective, CFCI companies
are working with four environmental groups in a special
project called the Joint Solutions Project (JSP). The
purpose of the Joint Solutions Project is to generate
new solutions to old conflicts over coastal temperate
rainforests. It represents the first attempt by forest
companies and environmental groups to collaborate on
development of a model for conservation and management
of globally significant coastal forests that fully integrates
social, economic and ecological needs.
The environmental groups involved:
• ForestEthics
• Greenpeace
• Rainforest Action Network
• Sierra Club
of BC
In order to create a conflict-free
period in which to collaborate on new approaches, CFCI
companies have deferred logging in areas of concern
to environmental groups participating in the JSP and
environmental groups are not conducting market campaigns
targeting companies involved in the project. It is estimated
that the scientific and socio-economic work to be undertaken
by the Joint Solutions Project will cost in excess of
$3-4 million. Participating environmental groups have
raised an initial $1 million for the project and the
CFCI companies have matched this funding.
The forest companies and environmental groups involved
in this growing conflict believed that the path forward
lay in the creation of a broader array of information,
options and ideas than was currently available. They
believe that more options would create more flexibility,
and more flexibility would create more opportunities
for dealing with complexity.
The collaborative work between the Joint Solutions
Project and other parties contributed to the provincial
government's April 4, 2001 announcement of a consensus
agreement from the Central Coast public planning table.
The agreement included the plan for protection of significant
new tracts of the Great Bear Rainforest.
The difficult journey of moving from conflict to a
comprehensive resolution is underway on the B.C. coast,
and is being watched with interest by people around
the world. That journey is based on the conviction that
conservation, economic development, community vitality
and sustainability go hand-in-hand and that, notwithstanding
ongoing differences, it is possible for the forest industry,
environmental groups, governments - federal, provincial
and First Nations - local communities and others to
collaborate on an innovative stewardship of BC's forests.
The Joint Solutions Project is responding to this challenge,
exploring ways to meet the global marketplace's demands
for ecologically responsible wood products, ensure the
economic health of coastal communities, and conserve
a rare, natural treasure.
For more information please visit the Coast
Forest Conservation Initiative website. |
