Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA) signatories welcomed the Kenora Declaration on Forest Innovation released on Thursday by Natural Resources Canada at a forestry summit.
The declaration, which was announced at the 2015 National Forest Innovation Summit, encourages leaders in Canada’s forest sector to advance innovation in order to ensure the long-term future of the forest industry, reflects the approach of the CBFA.
“The Kenora Declaration on Forest Innovation recognizes the importance of collaborative approaches to securing the long-term future of the Canadian forestry sector in a way that protects the environment and helps forest-dependent communities,” said Aran O’Carroll, executive director of the CBFA.
O’Carroll joined Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford and other key forest sector stakeholders, including industry executives, mayors, First Nations, provinces, and academic and research representatives, at the two-day summit to discuss priorities for charting the next phase of forest innovation in Canada and participate in a Forest Innovation Fair that featured new forest industry technologies.
The CBFA, which was signed in May 2010, includes seven leading environmental organizations, the Forest Products Association of Canada, its 18 member companies, and Kruger Inc.
It directly applies to more than 73 million hectares across the country, making it the world’s largest conservation initiative.
The CBFA represents a globally significant precedent that seeks to conserve significant areas of Canada’s vast boreal forest, protect threatened woodland caribou, and sustain a healthy forest sector by laying a foundation for the future prosperity of the industry and communities that rely on it.
