Subject: Boreal Forest Hotspots *********************************************** *********************************************** Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises http://forests.org/ 1/1/97 OVERVIEW, SOURCE & COMMENTARY by EE The following article from the Taiga Rescue Network details 14 hotspots for boreal forest conservation efforts. The Taiga Rescue Network web site < http://www.sll.fi/TRN/ > is our featured forest conservation link on the Gaia Forest Conservation Archives Forest Links page at < http://forests.org/forsite.html >. This item is from their site < http://www.sll.fi/TRN/TaigaNews/News19/hotspot.html >. Each forest has a brief description including threats, and contacts are given for campaigns to conserve the forests. TRN has consistently highlighted the fact that it is a forest crisis (rather than a rainforest crisis) which now faces the planet. g.b. ******************************* RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE: Taiga Rescue Network http://www.sll.fi/TRN/ 12/1/96 Hotspots in the Taiga http://www.sll.fi/TRN/TaigaNews/News19/hotspot.html HOTSPOTS IN THE TAIGA 1. Karelia 2. Yugyd-Va National Park 3. Priobskoye 4. Norilsk 5. Bikin and Samarga River Watersheds 6. Headwaters of the Anui River 7. Bystrinskiy National Park 8. Stora, Nova Scotia 9. Christmas Mountains 10. Nitassinan 11. Lac Barriere 12. Owain Lake Ancient Pine Forest 13. The Lubicon Cree 14. Slocan Valley 15. Clayoquot Sound 16. The last old-growth forests in Scandinavia and Finland 1. Russian Karelia The green belt of Russian Karelia reaches along the Russian-Finnish border, from Lake Ladoga in the south to the shores of the White Sea, some 900 kilometres north. The average width is 20-30 km. This vast and largely unfragmented forest area may be regarded as one of the most important biodiversity centres in Europe. Under the Soviet era the entire border zone was closed, and virtually no forestry operations were allowed. Today, large scale clear-cutting operations are being carried out, both by Finnish and Russian companies. Most of the timber is delivered on the Finnish side of the border and used by the Finnish forest industry. A large proportion of the timber originates from old-growth forests. There are even a number of known cases where timber from logging in existing or projected conservation areas (such as the Kalavala park) has been exported. This far, the increased forestry activities in Karelia seems to have had very limited positive impact on the local economy. Russian NGO's call upon consumers in Europe not to buy forest products containing wood from old-growth forests in Karelia or other parts of Western Russia. The participants of the 3rd TRN conference adopted a resolution, calling upon all exporters of timber from northwestern Russia to withdraw from logging and refuse any timber from the areas that have been designated by Russian NGO's as potential old-growth, in effect announcing a moratorium in the region until independent inventories can be carried out. The moratorium should be made permanent in areas eventually recognized as old-growth. The resolution points out, that the Green Belt would be well qualified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Further information: Socio-Ecological Union, Russia, e-mail: soceco@glas.apc.org Dima Aksenov, Biodiversity Center, e-mail: biodivers@glas.apc.org Jarmo Pyykk", WWF Finland, e-mail: pyykko@sll.fi Matti Ikonen, Greenpeace, e-mail: matti.ikonen@diala.greenpeace.org 2. Yugyd-va National Park, Komi In spite of the fact that the two million hectare Yugyd-Va National Park in northen Komi republic is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the government of Komi is planning to allow extensive mining in the park. The plan might affect 25 % of the park area. The participants of the 3rd TRN conference adopted a resolution, calling upon international financial and industrial bodies, as well as national investors, to refuse funding for projects that would facilitate exploitation in this area. Further information: Save Pechora Committee, Vladimir Chuprov, fax (+7) 82142 52507 or through TRN Russia, e-mail: grig@glas.apc.org 3. Priobskoye oil field The major oil-producing region of Russia covers a large part of the central and northern areas of Western Siberia. One of the biggest undeveloped oil fields in this area is Priobskoye. It has a proven reserve of 500 million tonnes. Currently two foreign companies, Shell and Amoco, have received permission to operate in this region. There are several social and ecological problems connected with the restructuring of the energy sector and the exploitation of oil in Siberia. A major part of the Priobskoye oil field is located below the flood plain of the Ob River. A main reason why the field has remained unexploited thus far is because of environmental considerations related to this situation. Any large oil spill will most likely affect down stream areas of this important river. There is also an obvious risk that oil pollution will impact the sea and shores of the Arctic. The development of the Russian oil and gas fields in Western Siberia, facilitated by among others the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, does not only represent a severe threat to boreal forests and fragile arctic ecosystems. Furthermore, the Oil Rehabilitation Projects means that donor nations will invest money to promote greenhouse gas emissions. This direct investment in global warming will be much larger than the investments by the same donors and taxpayers to prevent global warming (for example in support of Global Environmental Facility (GEF) projects, also managed by the World Bank). Further information: Alexei Grigoriev, e-mail: grig@glas.apc.org 4. Norilsk, Krasnoyarsk The three smelters of the Norilsk Nickel Combine is the biggest single source of sulphur emission in the world. In 1992 the total sulphur dioxide emissions were 2,300,00 tonnes - more than, for example, 20 times the entire emissions in Sweden. As a result of this enormous pollution more than 4,000 square kilometres of larch forest around Norilsk has died over the last 20 years, and another area of the same size is seriously affected. In addition, the poisonous air in Norisk causes severe health problems, including greatly reduced life expectancy for the population. All in all, this is by far the largest area in the world damaged by one single source of air pollution. The Norilsk combines produces 25 - 50 % of the world supply of platinum. Platinum is, among other things, used in catalytic converters for automobiles. It is estimasted, that about 40 % of the world consumption of platinum is for car converters. Mitsubishi, Toyota and Nissan are trading with and/or using platinum from Norilsk. There are problably links between Norisk to most other car producers as well, even if this has not been possible to confirm. Further information: TRN Russia, e-mail: grig@glas.apc.org 5. Bikin and Samarga River Watersheds, Primorsk Krai The Bikin watershed contains the largest intact, western-slope forests along the Sikhote Alin mountain range. It has the greatest remaining stands of Korean pine and is habitat for the Amur tiger. The Bikin is not fully protected. The South Korean company Hyundai has been logging on the eastern slopes of the Sikhote Alin (estimated 200 000 to 300 000 cubic meters/year) and have been trying to get access to the Bikin basin. The Samagara is threatened by the Nelma-Supkai logging road which is currently being built and will open up ancient forests and indigenous people's lands to exploitation. 6. Headwaters of the Anui River, Khabarovsk Krai In the south just above the Samarga River in Primorskii Krai. This pristine and picturesque area supports a high diversity of animal life and is under threats from logging and mining. Global Forestry Management Group (GFMG), consortium of US Pacific Northwest forest- product companies is logging near Vysokogorniy in south-eastern Khabarovskii Krai for export to Japan. GFMG is also looking for potential logging sites. In general road building is a big threat which is opening up the taiga in both Primorskii and Khabarovskii Krais. There are plans to develop the Siziman-Vysokogorniy, Udinsk-Bogorodskoe, Lidoga-Vanino, and Dolmi-Katen Rivers. The expansion of the Vanino and Sovetskaya Gavan Ports in the process which will greatly expand the capacity to export timber from the region. 7. Bystrinskiy National Park, Kamchatka The proposed Bystrinskiy National Park in Central Kamchatka has valuable salmon spawning rivers, is habitat for brown bear, sable, white-tailed sea eagle, and other endangered species. Parts of the proposed 1 580 000 ha area are under threat from mining. There are many mining joint-ventures operating in Kamchatka that want to begin large scale industrial gold mining an the peninsula. Canadian, US, Australian, and Russian companies are working together in different joint ventures of gain control of the resources. Further information on the Russian Far East Hot spots: Andrei Laletin, Friends of Siberian Fores, e-mail: laletin@fsf.krasnoyarsk.su Alexei Grigoriev, TRN Russia, e-mail:grig@glas.apc.org Friends of the Earth, Japan, e-mail: : foejapan@igc.apc.org David Gordon, Lisa Tracy or Sarah Lloyd, PERC, e-mail: perc@igc.apc.org, percvostok@glas.apc.org, slloyd@igc.apc.org 8. Stora, Nova Scotia In Nova Scotia, a subsidiary of Swedish forest corporation Stora uses forest management practices that the company abandoned long ago on its own land in Sweden. Large areas of deciduous Acadian forests have been replaced by plantation-like softwood stands. This summer 2,400 hectares of leased Nova Scotia crown lands were sprayed with herbicides and insecticides. Local groups have critizised Storas double standards for several years and call for a halt of pesticide spraying. The participants of the 3rd TRN conference adopted a resolution, demanding that Stora conduct all overseas operations in accordance with currently accepted Swedish standards regarding forest pesticide use, henceforth rejecting any further use of pesticides on all lands, both public and private, that are used to provide timber to Stora owned mills. Further information: Charles Restino, Canada's Future Forest Alliance, e-mail: restino@atcon.com 9. Christmas Mountains, New Brunswick Unless clearcutting is stopped now, the last remaining old growth forest ecosystem in New Brunswick - a 4,500 hectare area in Christmas Mountains - will be gone within 20 years. The participants of the 3rd TRN conference adopted a resolution calling for permanent protection of the remaining 4,500 hectare core area of old growth forest in the Christmas Mountains and the Logan Lake Study area to the south, and the creation of a wilderness corridor extending from Mt Carleton Provincial Park to the core area. Further information: Amelia Clarce, Friends of Christmas Mountains, e-mail: siera@mail.web.apc.org Also, see article in Taiga-News no 19. 10. Nitassinan, Labrador The Newfoundland Timber Service and commercial timber companies continue to carry out clearcut logging on traditional Innu Land (Nitassinan) in Labrador, in spite of commitments to ecosystem-based forest use. In addition, the Innu nation is under assault from low level military training flights and development of the Voisey Bay nickel mine, which threatens Innu culture and ignores Innu land rights. The participants of the 3rd TRN conference adopted a resolution in support of the Innu Nation in their ongoing work for cultural, social and ecological justice in Nitassinan. Further information: Innu Nation, e-mail: innuenv@web.net Web-site: http://www.web.apc.org/~innu/index.html 11. Lac Barriere, Quebec On October 21 the Algonquins of Barrier Lake went on a road blockade to prevent Domtar and other logging companies of the Algonquin territory, which they intend to clear-cut. The blockade is the result of a decision taken by the Minister of Indian Affairs about 10 months ago, not to recognize the administration of the Algonquins anymore. This meant the end of a long and very promising process under atrilateral agreement between the Algonquind and the governments of Canada and Quebec, aiming at developing and implementing sustainable management of the traditional Algonquin territory. By recognizing a dissident group as the legitimate leadership of the Algonquins, the government in fact abandond the trilateral agreement, thereby opening the road once again to clear-cutting of Algonquin land. The Algonquins have tried to solve the conflict by codifying their customs regarding leadership. and are now urging the government to respect the outcome of this process, and thus the will of the majority of the band. This would make it possible to restore the process under the Trilateral Agreement. The participants of the 3rd TRN conference adopted a statement in support of the Algonquins, expressing their concern and manifesting their solidarity for those who stand up for their rights and for a socially and ecologically sustainable forest use. For an extensive background on the Algonquin case, See article in Taiga News no 16. Further information: Algonquins of Barriere Lake, Kitiganik, Rapid Lake, Quebec J0W 2C0. Fax: +1 819 4496413 Russel Diabo, e-mail: algonkin@sparky.inasec.ca 12. Owain Lake Ancient Pine Forest, Ontario The Owain Lake Ancient Forest ecosystem. located in the Temagami district of Ontario, is currently under siege by the logging company Goulard Lumber. Only 1% of ancient red and white pine ecosystems remain in North America, and one half of these are located in the Temagami district. The Owain Lake Ancient Forest is the largest remaining ancient pine ecosystem in North America. Earthroots, an Ontario based environmental action group, initiated an ongoing action camp on August 30th in the area to stop the destruction of this rare and irreplaceable ecosystem. Earlier this fall, 40 activists have been arrested in defence of these ancient stands. Further information: Earthroots, tel. (+1) 416 599-0152. E-mail: eroots@web.net Web site: http://www.web.net/~eroots 13. The Lubicon Cree, Alberta The Lubicon Cree Band in northern Alberta is in a desperate situation. The Japanese forestry corporation Daishowa has been given a logging concession that covers the entire trditional lands of the band. Because of resistance from the Lubicons and pressure from environmental groups, Daishowa has so far declined from logging in the area. However, this summer, a Toronto court ruled that the ongoing boycott against Daishowa was illegal. The Lubicons fear that the logging operations might start this winter. The massive oil and gas exploitation in the area has been developed without any consent of the Lubicons, and the Lubicon community has not been given any share of the enormous profits. In 1994, a sour gas plant was established close to the settlement, in spite of Lubicon protests. The hunting grounds of the Lubicons have largely been destroyed, depriving the band of the basis for their livelihood and making it impossible for them to maintain their traditional lifestyle and culture. This has in turn caused severe social problems in the community. In addition, the Lubicons are facing a new and maybe even bigger threat. An array of oil company consortiums and corporate investors are planning to invest 25 billion US dollars into the mining of oil sands in the northern Alberta. Most of the 10,000 square kilometres of unceeded traditional territory of the Lubicon Cree is included in the plans. Further information: Lubicon Lake Indian Nation, P O Box 6731, Peace River AB T8S 1S5, Canada. Tel: +1 403 629 3945, fax: +1 403 629 3939. 14. Slocan Valley, BC Environmental groups and residents of Slocan Valley in southwestern British Columbia are prepares to go on blockade to protect their community watersheds. The logging planned by Slocan Forest Products on the New Denver Flats would fragment the only accessible ancient forest in the main Slocan Valley corridor. Further information: Valhalla Wilderness Society, e-mail: vws@web.apc.org. See also article in Taiga-News no 19. 15. Clayoquot Sound, B.C. Logging has slowed down in the rainforests of Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island, but watersheds that are still intact are being damaged by logging and road construction. The recommendations of the Scientific Panel has lead to marginal improvements of the logging practices in the area, but it has also in fact increased the threat to the remaining pristine areas, as a consequence of restrictions on annual allowable cut in the areas that have been logged earlier. The Friends of Clayoquot Sound is calling for full protection of all remaining pristine rainforest areas. Further information: Friends of Clayoquot Sound, e-mail: focs@web.apc.org Web-site: http://diane.island.net/~focs 16. The last old-growth forests in Scandinavia and Finland In all three Fennoscandian countries, only small fragments of old- growth forest remain. Forest protection programmes are insufficient. None of the big forest companies in Scandinavia have made clear committments to renounce from using wood from old-growth forests, including habitats for endangered species are still being logged, and many areas are under threat. Environmental organisations in Scandinavia ask consumers of Scandinavian paper and sawn-wood to demand old-growth free products. Further information: Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, tel. +46 8 7026500, e-mail:per.larsson@snf.se Web-site: http://www.snf.se Friends of the Earth, Norway, e-mail: noa@sn.no Nature League, Finland, e-mail: juho.pennanen@helsinki.fi --------------------------------------------------------------------- This map and list was also published in Taiga-News no 19, December 1996. In the future Taiga News will regularly publish hot-spot map, at least twice a year. Help us keep it up-to-date! Our aim is to provide an opportunity to inform NGO's, media and others all around the world about the hot-spot in your part of the boreal forest or about your campaign. Send a short text giving the basic facts and a contact address to the editor. ###RELAYED TEXT ENDS### You are encouraged to utilize this information for personal educational and campaign use. All efforts are made to provide accurate, timely pieces; though ultimate responsibility for verifying all information rests with the reader. Check out our Gaia Forest Conservation Archives at URL= http://forests.org/ Networked by: Ecological Enterprises Email (best way to contact)-> grbarry@students.wisc.edu