A history of Greenpeace Canada’s Rainforest Campaign

1993

International outcry arises over plans to clearcut the last intact valleys of Clayoquot Sound, the largest rainforest remaining on Vancouver Island. Greenpeace organises a concert by rock band Midnight Oil to perform for thousands of concerned Canadians. By the end of the year, over 1,000 individuals have been arrested for trying to stop the clearcutting. This is the largest act of civil resistance in Canadian history. In November, senior officials of Greenpeace offices from around the world, including the executive director of Greenpeace International, go to jail for blocking the road to the forests.

1994

After meetings with Greenpeace, customers such as Scott Paper in the UK, cancel contracts for B.C. forest products, putting pressure on the logging company to resolve the conflicts in Clayoquot Sound. Customers in Austria, Germany and the U.S. echo concern over clearcutting in Clayoquot to the logging company and the B.C. government.

1995

The B.C. government endorses the findings of an independent scientific committee, which recommends that clearcutting in Clayoquot end and logging be deferred in the pristine areas of the sound.

The leadership of the Nuxalk Nation in the Great Bear Rainforest approaches Greenpeace requesting an alliance to halt the industrial clearcutting of their traditional territory. B.C. government initiates the Central Coast planning table, which will determine future land-use in a portion of the Great Bear Rainforest. No environmental groups will participate because the scope of the land use planning is limited to status quo approaches to forestry and economics. They denounce the Central Coast planning table as a “talk and log” venue because clearcut logging will continue during the planning process.

1997

A campaign to save the Great Bear Rainforest is launched on the Central and North Coast of B.C. with the main focus on Western Forest Products, Interfor (International Forest Products) and West Fraser Timber. Greenpeace activists are invited by the hereditary chiefs of the Nuxalk Nation to help them protect one of their sacred sites from being logged by Interfor. After a 21 day blockade, six Nuxalk people and 18 others are arrested and jailed for their efforts to stop the clearcutting. Customers in European countries condemn the logging and the arrests, and begin to exert consumer pressure on the three logging companies. Customers in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, U.K and Germany cancel contracts with the coastal logging companies. The campaign also begins in Japan, with the support of a Nuxalk hereditary chief. Negotiations between Sierra Club, Greenpeace and coastal logging companies succeed in creating a temporary moratorium on logging in large, intact rainforest valleys in the central coast in exchange for environmental group participation in the Central Coast Land and Resource Management Planning process.

November 1998

Iisaak, a joint venture between Weyerhaeuser and First Nations of Clayoquot Sound, is established, and makes commitments not to log in key pristine valleys and to meet standards for harvesting set by the Forest Stewardship Council. The Central Region Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations own 51 per cent of the forestry company; Weyerhaeuser owns 49 per cent.

1999

After months of protests by numerous environmental groups across North America, Home Depot finally commits to phase out purchasing wood from endangered forest areas, including Western Red Cedar from the Canadian rainforest and instead demands FSC certified logging. Frustrated by years of hollow promises from the B.C. logging industry, a delegation of the German paper manufacturing and magazine publishing industries visit B.C. on a tour of logging sites sponsored by Greenpeace. Shocked by what they see, they inform the B.C. government and industry that unless status-quo clearcut logging is abandoned, and unless all the remaining large intact, rainforest valleys are placed under a moratorium, the German buyers will cancel contracts with B.C. companies. The coastal logging companies begin negotiating in earnest with Greenpeace and other environmental organizations to reach agreement on a moratorium on logging the rainforest valleys and the development of a process to change practices and to permanently protect many of these threatened areas.

2000

In May, Interfor and West Fraser leave the negotiations and continue logging in critical rainforest areas. Greenpeace launches a campaign targeting these two companies, including a new campaign to target their investors. Ethical Funds Inc. immediately divests its shares in West Fraser Timber in response to its decision not to participate in the negotiations. In December, the Royal Bank of Canada and Friends Ivory Simes of the UK follow suit, divesting over $11 million in Interfor shares.

2001

From January to March, protests are carried out by Greenpeace in Europe, North America, China and Japan, with blockades of wood shipments, and protests at embassies, retail outlets and lumber yards, aimed at persuading investors and customers to demand an end to the destruction. Companies globally voice concerns over Interfor's logging and refusal to join in dialogue with key players. Key industry players such as Amdega, (the world's largest conservatory manufacturer), Auspine (Australian timber importer), and the Italian supermarket chain Coop, the Belgian Timber Trade Federation (representing Belgian timber importers) and other companies in New Zealand, China and The Netherlands all cease buying products from Interfor. In Japan alone over 70 companies including Mitsubishi & Fujiya stopped buying from Interfor.

April 2001

Interfor, along with other logging companies, agree to a package of deferrals in logging, protection of rainforest areas, and an ongoing process to reform logging practices according to the principles of ecosystem-based management. This comes after months of discussions with Greenpeace and other environmental organizations. The B.C. government endorses the agreement.

2002

Environmental groups, logging companies and government share the cost of establishing the Coast Information Team. The Coast Information Team was endorsed by the Provincial Government of British Columbia, First Nations governments, the forest industry, environmental groups, communities, as well as the Government of Canada. This science body was tasked with providing independent and multidisciplinary information and analysis to develop ecosystem-based management for the Great Bear Rainforest.

Meetings of the North Coast and Haida Gwaii Land and Resource Management Table begin. Throughout 2003, three separate planning tables at which environmental groups, the logging industry, communities, small business, First Nations, labour, tourism, recreation and mining are represented worked on land use issues in the Great Bear Rainforest. Greenpeace is active in working within this consensus based planning approach.

December, 2003

One of the tables, the Central Coast Land and Resource Management Planning Table, reaches consensus. Recommendations are supported by Greenpeace and include 988,000 ha of protection, 545,000 ha of biodiversity areas. In these areas, protection of biodiversity takes precedence while logging and hydro-electric development are not permitted although mining is and  ecosystem-based management is to be fully applied to the entire Central Coast within five years. Greenpeace abstained on allowing mining in the Biodiversity Areas in order not to block the overall consensus, but remains concerned about this, as well as strongly opposed to provincial policies on sport and trophy hunting.

2004

Meetings of the North Coast and Haida Gwaii Land and Resource Management Table continue. Consensus recommendations from the Central Coast table now inform the provincial government’s mandate as it engages in negotiations with First Nations governments. Protected areas and legal objectives for ecosystem-based management will not be decided until these government-to-government negotiations are complete. Despite agreements made at the Central Coast table, the planning and implementation of ecosystem-based management is slower than logging companies had committed to.

Environmental groups work to raise private, philanthropic and investment funds in order to diversify the economy of coastal communities that depend on logging.

2005

The provincial government fails to finalize the Great Bear Agreements despite its own commitment to do so several times this year.  With the future of the Great Bear Rainforest remaining uncertain, Greenpeace supporters send 40,000 personal messages to the Premier urging his government to legislate the agreements.

Greenpeace visits the Great Bear Rainforest to document current status quo logging practices.  Large customers of rainforest wood products visiting British Columbia from Europe are shown that nothing has changed on the ground.

Late 2005

Sixteen coastal First Nations governments finalize their negotiations with the provincial government. 

2006

February — The B.C. provincial government announces the Great Bear Agreement.  The 10 years of work by Greenpeace means:

• 2 million hectares is permanently protected from logging;
• Throughout the entire Great Bear Rainforest, a better, more light-touch way of doing forestry will be in place by 2009.
• First Nations now have comprehensive involvement in management over their entire traditional territory
• The development of a new economy based on conservation is seeded with a provincial commitment of $30 million and $60 million from the environmental community.  One step remains – obtaining a contribution of $30 million from the Government of Canada.

2007

January — The $120 million economic diversification and conservation management fund is announced.  The development of a new economy based on conservation is seeded with a federal and provincial commitment of $30 million each and $60 million from the environmental community.

March 31 — Greenpeace launches Stand Tall, a public engagement website, activist toolkit and new movie “The Story of the Great Bear Rainforest”. British Columbians should be proud of what has been achieved for its globally significant rainforest. The groundbreaking agreement that will save the rainforest must now be implemented. To make that happen, Greenpeace needs you to take action today. Visit standtall.greenpeace.ca today.

Recent developments in the Great Bear Rainforest campaign