December 12, 2006
I’d like to congratulate Limited Brands (Victoria’s Secret) on their decision to shift to recycled and sustainably harvested paper sources for its catalogues, and strongly encourage other retailers to follow suit.
By choosing not to use paper derived from clear cutting forests critical for survival of woodland caribou, Limited Brands and its significant purchasing power can act as a catalyst for change in Canada’s pulp and paper industry. Species like caribou act as a barometer for health in the boreal forest, and the decline in their populations across Canada’s boreal forest is a clear indication that this forest is in trouble.
In Manitoba, the province estimates that we have lost 50% of our woodland caribou population since 1950. This is largely due to intensive industrial activity that fails to plan for the caribou’s needs. The good news is that Manitoba has a great opportunity to stop the decline in caribou populations. We still have large, intact boreal forests that we can choose to protect, such as on the east side of Lake Winnipeg.
To its credit, the province took a step toward halting this loss earlier this year by listing woodland caribou as threatened under the Manitoba Endangered Species Act. At that time, the province stated it wanted to ensure caribou were given the opportunity to not only survive but also thrive in our province. It’s now time to make that vision a reality by honouring First Nation requests for land protection on Manitoba’s east side, and to work toward creating a network of large protected areas in the region through community land use planning.
Mark Cohoe
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Manitoba chapter