Conservation organizations in Quebec, Canada and abroad say they are looking forward to Premier Jean Charest’s inaugural speech for what they expect to be an articulation of a visionary approach to balancing conservation and development, with respect for Aboriginal rights and communities interests in the Plan Nord.
According to representatives of the Canadian Boreal Initiative (CBI) and the Pew Environment Group, many of the Premiers commitments are consistent with the “Boreal Forest Conservation Framework1“, which has received the endorsement of a wide range of resource companies, conservation groups, First Nations, members of the Boreal Leadership Council, and the endorsement of more than 1,500 scientists from around the world.
The goal of the Framework is to preserve at least half of the Boreal Forest in a network of large interconnected protected areas and support sustainable communities, world-leading ecosystem-based resource management practices and state-of-the-art stewardship practices in the remaining landscape.
