1,500 highly respected scientists from more than 50 countries around the world call for protection of Canada's boreal forest. The scientists identify the 1.4 billion acre Canadian boreal forest as one of the largest intact forest and wetland ecosystems remaining on Earth. The scientists' letter recommends preserving a minimum of half of Canada's boreal forest in protected areas while allowing only carefully managed development on the rest, in accordance with the Boreal Forest Conservation Framework, a plan already endorsed by Canadian conservation groups, 25 Canadian First Nations, and more than 75 major businesses with annual sales of $30 billion.