ACTION
ALERT
***********************************************
WORLDWIDE
FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS
Temagami,
Canada Wilderness Threatened by Logging and Mining
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Forest
Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises
http://forests.org/
4/15/97
OVERVIEW,
SOURCE & COMMENTARY by EE
I had
missed the newest Taiga News on the Taiga Rescue Network's very
informative
web page at http://www.sll.fi/TRN/ .
Threats to temperate
and
boreal forest ecosystems are every bit as pernicious and
persistent
as rainforest loss. One of the most
significant remnants
of the
red and white pine forests which cloaked much of Eastern North
America
is threatened in the Temagami wilderness of Northern Ontario,
Canada. Following is an appeal for letters from the
Carleton Forestry
Working
Group to save this important bioregion from further industrial
forestry
induced decline. This alert goes out
with an extra bit of
urgency
in my heart due to this being my bioregion.
g.b.
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TEXT STARTS HERE:
From
Taiga-News 20 (March 1997)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Canada
TEMAGAMI
WILDERNESS THREATENED BY LOGGING AND MINING
A
couple of centuries ago, a large part of eastern North America was
covered
with red and white pine forests. Many years later, there are
only a
few fragments left, and now even these last remnants are
endangered
by logging and mining.
One of
these last wilderness areas is Temagami, in Northern Ontario.
For
many visitors from all over the world, Temagami is a place to go
canoeing
in the calm waters of its lakes and rivers, or hiking under
towering
pine trees. Ontario's new government seems to have a
completely
different perspective. It has thrown out restrictions
against
development, and it has opened up the area to intensive
logging
and mining.
Background
The
Temagami wilderness contains some of the last remaining old-growth
red and
white pine forests in Ontario, and the world. The white pine
is
Ontario's official tree, but ironically, less than 1% of the
province's
original pine forests are left. These forests are the
habitat
for many endangered species such as the eastern cougar, golden
eagle
and aurora trout. Temagami is also the homeland of the Teme-
Augama
Anishnabai and the Ma-komin-Ising Anishnabeg, who have
inhabited
the area for thousands of years. They have been struggling
for
over a century to regain control over their land. Successive
provincial
and federal governments have chosen to ignore their rights,
giving
control of the forests to logging and mining companies instead.
Logging
and mining began earlier this century, and clearcutting
started
in the 1960s.
In 1973
the Teme-Augama Anishnabai succeeded in slowing the
destruction,
by filing a land-claim caution which prohibited mining.
Later,
in 1983, local residents succeeded in persuading the provincial
government
to establish Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Park, which protects
part of
the region. In 1988-89, with the help of concerned people from
all
over Canada, they blockaded logging roads in an effort to stop
clearcutting.
Over 300 people were arrested in those blockades,
including
then-opposition leader Bob Rae.
Biased
Planning Council
As a
result of these protests, the Ontario government intervened to
slow
down the logging, and in 1990, it established the Comprehensive
Planning
Council (CPC) to decide Temagami's future. The CPC included
local
residents representing a variety of conflicting interests. It
originally
included representatives from the Teme-Augama Anishnabai,
but
they left after they became dissatisfied with the process.
It is
worth noting that the CPC was biased towards resource
extraction,
if only because it was forbidden to consider adding any
new
parks. Inherent in its flawed process was the belief that it is
possible
to protect the environment, and accommodate recreation, and
industrial
activities such as logging and mining.
In
April 1996 the CPC finally unveiled its land-use plan, after six
years
of deliberations, and uninterrupted logging. The plan calls for
78% of
the region to be opened up for logging and mining. Only a few
isolated
stands of old-growth are protected as "tree museums".
Ontario's
Neo-Conservative Government
Since
being elected in 1995, Ontario's Progressive Conservative
government
has dismantled social programs and environmental
legislation.
It has completely ignored public opinion. According to an
opinion
poll conducted last year, 81% of Ontarians favour government
action
to protect wilderness areas. This widespread concern for the
environment
has been dismissed as the concerns of "a few special
interest
groups". Premier Mike Harris has chosen to ignore public
opinion,
declaring the Temagami wilderness "open for business".
In
September 1996, Goulard Lumber started logging the Owain Lake old-
growth
pine forest, the third largest stand of old-growth red and
white
pine left in North America. The Harris government also threw out
the
land-claim caution which protected Temagami from mining - and
Temagami
was invaded by hundreds of prospectors looking for gold,
copper
and other metals.
The Harris
government has also continued a long tradition of Canadian
indifference
towards, or outright genocide of, indigenous peoples. In
1929,
the Ontario government of the day asked the Teme-Augama
Anishnabai
to pay rent to stay on their land. Many years later, little
has
changed. The Harris government has broken off land-claim
negotiations,
and has handed over the Teme-Augama Anishnabai's land to
logging
and mining companies.
Opposition
from Environmental Groups
Environmental
groups have responded in a number of ways. From
September
to November, a Toronto-based group, Earthroots, organized
blockades
of logging roads to try to stop the Owain Lake old-growth
forest
from being logged. They succeeded in slowing the logging down,
and
attracted some media attention.
Some
groups have taken a more conservative approach. The Wildlands
League
and other groups came up with an alternative development plan
for
Temagami. Like the CPC plan, it allows for logging and mining, but
there
are more protected areas, and control is given to local
citizens.
A
number of environmentalists have also joined the gold rush, staking
claims
in the headwaters of rivers flowing into Lady Evelyn-
Smoothwater
Provincial Park. By staking claims, they are hoping to
keep
these areas away from the mining companies.
Consumer
pressure needed
OPIRG-Carleton's
Forestry Working Group (a student group based at
Carleton
University in Ottawa) has focused on consumer pressure, and
other
alternative strategies.
One of
Canada's most powerful corporations is George Weston Limited, a
transnational
which conducts food processing, food distribution and
resource
operations. Most Canadians know about stores such as Loblaws
and
Zehrs, and products such as G*R*E*E*N, President's Choice, Clover
Leaf
canned tuna and salmon, and Brunswick sardines. What most people
don't
know is that George Weston Limited controls a number of forest
products
companies, including E.B. Eddy Forest Products Limited, Agawa
Forest
Products Limited and Grant Lumber. All of these companies are
using
wood from wilderness areas with old-growth forests, in Temagami,
Algoma
Highlands and even Algonquin Park.
OPIRG-Carleton
has been trying to raise public awareness of the
connection,
by distributing pamphlets, postcards, and petitions. And
starting
January 26, we have been organizing information pickets at
Loblaws
stores to bring the message directly to the public.
Because
a lot of Weston products are exported, international pressure
is
crucial. Seafood products such as Cloverleaf canned salmon and
Brunswick
sardines are available in over 30 countries around the
world.
And much of E.B. Eddy's timber and paper is exported to the
United
States, with a smaller fraction going to Europe. We are looking
for
groups in Europe and the United States to join us, to help put
pressure
on this company.
Ban
Imports of Old-growth Wood Products
We are
also calling on legislative bodies such as the European
Parliament
to pass resolutions banning imports of wood products from
Temagami
and all other old-growth forests in Canada threatened by
logging.
In
October last year, the European Parliament passed a resolution
calling
for the protection of the rainforests in the State of
Amazonas,
Venezuela, after the Venezuelan government proposed to lift
a ban
on logging and mining there. The resolution also asked the
Venezuelan
government to reform its policy towards indigenous peoples,
whose
health and land rights are threatened.
The
situation in Temagami is quite similar. Like the rainforests of
Venezuela,
the ancient forests of Temagami are now in danger because
the
Ontario government has opened up the area to logging and mining.
The
health and land rights of indigenous peoples are also threatened,
for
similar reasons. International pressure to stop the logging and
mining
in Temagami would be of great assistance, and is urgently
needed.
MIKE
BUCKTHOUGHT
OPIRG-CARLETON
----------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT
YOU CAN DO:
1.
WRITE TO THE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT. Ask for a halt to all logging,
mining
and road construction; the preservation of all old-growth
forests;
and recognition of the rights of the Teme-Augama Anishnabai.
* Chris
Hodgson, Minister of Natural Resources, 99 Wellesley St W, 6th
floor,
Whitney Block, Queen's Park, Toronto, ON M7A 1W3 Canada
*
Premier Mike Harris, Rm 281, Legislative Bldg, Queen's Park,
Toronto,
ON M7A 1A1 Canada
2. On Tuesdays,
PHONE Natural Resources Minister Chris Hodgson (416)
314-2301
and Premier Mike Harris (416) 325-1941, and ask them to save
Temagami.
Broke? Call collect. When asked for your name by the
automated
operator, say "SAVE TEMAGAMI". They'll get the message.
3. BE A
CONCERNED CONSUMER! Write to George Weston Limited, and tell
them
you're concerned about logging in Temagami, the Algoma Highlands
and
Algonquin Park. Let them know you prefer to do business with
companies
that care about the environment.
*
Richard J. Currie, President, George Weston Ltd, 22 St. Clair Ave E,
Toronto,
ON M4T 2S8 Canada
4.
WRITE TO MINING COMPANIES
Temagami
has been invaded by multinational mining companies such as
Falconbridge
and Battle Mountain Gold. Ask them to leave Temagami
alone!
* Alex
Balogh, President & CEO, Falconbridge Ltd, Suite 1200, 95
Wellington
St West, Toronto, ON M5J 2V4 Canada
* Karl
E. Elers, Chair of the Board & CEO, Battle Mountain Gold, 42nd
floor,
333 Clay Street, Houston, Texas 77002 USA
5. HELP
BAN IMPORTS OF UNSUSTAINABLE WOOD PRODUCTS
Write
courteous letters to members of the European Parliament, calling
attention
to logging in Temagami. Ask them to ban imports of wood
products
from Temagami and all other old-growth forests in Canada
threatened
by logging.
* Klaus
Hansch, President, European Parliament, 97-113 rue Belliard,
B-1047
Bruxelles, Belgium
* Ken
Collins, Chairperson, Committee on the Environment, Public
Health
& Consumer Protection, European Parliament, 97-113 rue
Belliard,
B-1047 Bruxelles, Belgium
*
Georges Berthu, Chairperson, Delegation for Relations with Canada,
European
Parliament, 97-113 rue Belliard, B-1047 Bruxelles, Belgium
*
Pauline Green, President, Party of European Socialists, European
Parliament,
97-113 rue Belliard, B-1047 Bruxelles, Belgium
*
Claudia Roth, President, Green Group in the European Parliament,
European
Parliament, 97-113 rue Belliard, B-1047 Bruxelles, Belgium
FOR
MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
OPIRG-Carleton
Forestry Working Group, 326 Unicentre, Carleton
University,
1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6 Canada +1
613
520-2757 (phone) +1 613 520-3989 (fax), co841@freenet.carleton.ca.
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