Truce between forestry and conservationists stymied by bureaucracy

OTTAWA – A group of forest industry executives and conservationists are quietly forging agreements that will increase logging while protecting endangered caribou and fragile ecosystems.

But they say they’re being stymied by bureaucracy.

The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement has reached an agreement for northeastern Ontario, winning the support of mayors, First Nations, forestry executives and environmentalists.

But the Ontario government, while saying it is supportive, has spent six months on technical issues.

The federal government is quietly expressing concerns the deal won’t be compatible with Species At Risk legislation, while heavy-hitter Greenpeace has pulled out of the accord.

Now, the proponents of the Ontario deal are pressuring government to just sign off on the arrangement so that they can get started, and so that other negotiations elsewhere in the country might follow.