‘Joint Solutions Project’ Receives Forest Leadership Award
March 1, 2005
The Joint Solutions Project, a British Columbia-based cooperative initiative formed by nine environmental groups and forestry companies to collaborate on finding new solutions to longstanding environmental disagreements in the Great Bear Rainforest, received the 2005 ForestLeadership Partnership Award for commendable teamwork between different organizations to further sustainable forestry.
Environmental groups involved in the project include: ForestEthics, Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network and the Sierra Club of Canada, BC chapter; companies include: Canadian Forest Products, International Forest Products (Interfor), NorskeCanada, Western Forest Products and Weyerhaeuser.
“It has been an amazing transformation to see two divergent interests find a way to partner together on land use recommendations in Coastal BC that makes sense for both the environment and forestry. I am delighted that the Joint Solutions Project and its nine member organizations have been recognized by the first ForestLeadership Partnership Award,” said Ric Slaco, Vice-President and Chief Forester, Interfor.
“We came together because we all recognized that change in the Great Bear Rainforest was essential. Yet, the real award will be when the rainforest is protected, logging practices have changed, and we see a truly diversified coastal economy.” stated Merran Smith, ForestEthics, Catherine Stewart, Greenpeace, Lisa Matthaus, Sierra Club of Canada, BC Chapter, and Michael Brune, Rainforest Action Network.
The awards were unanimously decided upon by an independent jury and were presented on March 1 at a special ceremony held on the occasion of the 2005 ForestLeadership Conference gathering 300 delegates in Toronto.
ForestLeadership is a non-profit initiative focusing its activities on critical areas of leadership development, with the aim of improving sustainable forestry policies and practices.