NAN calls for termination of forest agreement

Nishnawbe Aski Nation is calling for termination of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA), which was unveiled by 21 forest companies and nine environmental organizations last May.
“The CBFA violates the Aboriginal and treaty rights of the people of NAN, as well as their long-term social and economic interests,” said NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy. “The agreement was negotiated in secret, without any form of involvement or even notice for First Nations. This is not acceptable.”
Beardy sent an open letter Feb. 16 to the signatories of the CBFA calling for its termination by March 18.
The CBFA applies to 72 million hectares of public forests across Canada, including about 11.8 million in Ontario. The CBFA would conserve significant areas of Canada’s boreal forest, protect woodland caribou and provide a competitive financial edge for participating companies.
The CBFA also calls for the suspension of new logging on nearly 29 million hectares of boreal forest to develop conservation plans for endangered caribou, while maintaining essential fiber supplies for uninterrupted mill operations.
“NAN communities are the number one victims in Canada of the radical boreal forest agenda by the CBFA signatories,” Beardy said. “It is essential that the signatories go back to the drawing board and engage First Nations in a respectful dialogue consistent with the domestic and international obligations ... .”
Article 32 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples states First Nations are entitled to free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands or territories or resources.