| Canada's
long-term commitment to woodlands is important
to global forest resources. Canada's role in forestry
management has taken center stage especially after
the United Nations Environment Programme released
a report this week, "An Assessment of the
Status of the World's remaining closed Forests."
The
report was welcomed August 27 by David Anderson,
Minister of the Environment of Canada and President
of the Governing Council of the United Nations. The
fact that 15 countries control 80 percent of the
world's forests makes cooperation essential, Anderson
said. "Canada's ongoing stewardship of its forest
resources puts it in the forefront in this group
of countries, with a correspondingly key role to
play in conserving global forest resources," he
said.
Healthy woodlands are critical to maintaining
global biodiversity by housing animals and
plants, regulating water cycles and absorbing
excess carbon dioxide. Rising global temperatures
and dangerous weather systems can all be held
back by managing forests well. By hosting 10
percent of the world's forests, Anderson underscored
Canada's importance in any international decision
regarding the industry.
Canada led the way at the Global Change Conference
in Bonn, Germany this July in developing an
agreement to give credit to countries that
protect their forests. Canada depends on forestry
for its economy and controls 20 percent of
the global trade in the area. The industry
creates 373,000 Canadian jobs in 300 communities
and the industry is clearly a top priority
for maintaining a stable economy.
A conference
in The Hague, Netherlands scheduled for April
2002, will seek to work out a program
focusing on forest biological diversity. In
outlining Canada's role at the conference,
Anderson said, "I am also looking forward
to discussing the state of Canada's forests,
among other pressing issues, with UNEP Executive
Director Klaus Topfer, who I hope will have
an opportunity to visit Canada in the near
future."
International recognition of the importance
of managing forests is the goal of the UNEP
report. With global climate change the biggest
environmental threat facing the planet, the
protection of forests is essential, Anderson
said.
"Nearly 10 years after Rio, Canada is
well-positioned to make a real difference in
the preservation of the world's vital forests,
while maintaining our economic objectives," he
said.
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