OTTAWA – The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) has launched a new website – cariboufacts.ca – to share facts with Canadians about caribou herds and to urge the federal government to build caribou plans that address the many complex factors that are impacting caribou populations across the country. FPAC also wants to ensure that the government’s plans don’t unnecessarily put rural and northern jobs at risk.
“We can all agree that we want caribou populations to be around for generations to come. We are urging the federal government to ensure that it’s doing right by caribou and right by forest workers in communities across Canada by building caribou plans that are based on sound science. This will help us achieve a balanced and sustainable way forward for all,” said FPAC CEO Derek Nighbor. “We believe that if the current process is not carried out appropriately, it will jeopardize thousands of jobs in rural and northern Canada and the well-being of hundreds of communities — while not reaching the important caribou recovery goals that we all want to achieve,” added Nighbor.
Cariboufacts.ca went live Sep. 6 and provides facts based on the latest research. It includes information on how our warming climate is changing forest conditions, which is leading to changes in the caribou’s food supply and regional predator-prey relationships. FPAC also notes that regional differences should be incorporated into plans to support caribou.
Cariboufacts.ca provides a direct link for Canadians to quickly and easily write a letter to their Member of Parliament. FPAC suggests that the letters should encourage MPs to develop caribou plans that are based on sound science and to commit to study the socio-economic impacts on rural and northern communities before making any final decisions.
“We believe in a collaborative approach to supporting caribou populations and we’re asking Canadians to send a clear message to Ottawa – let’s develop caribou plans that will balance important environmental goals with economic ones,” said Nighbor. “It’s critical that the federal government take the time to get this right the first time. The future of caribou and our nearly 1 million workers who depend on forestry in our rural and northern forest communities depend on it.”
FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs.
Photo courtesy of FPAC.