Ontario Announces 225,000 Square Kilometers of Boreal Forest Protection

On Monday, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a landmark commitment to protect 225,000 square kilometers – 55 million acres – of Boreal Forest in the northern area of the province. Covering more than 20 percent of Ontarios' total land base, the area to be protected is roughly the same size as the United Kingdom. McGuinty also announced a sweeping mining reform package that is unprecedented in North America in recognizing the role of First Nations and the need to share resource benefits with local communities.

Ontario's Boreal Forest is home to hundreds of millions of birds, among them Gray Jays, Boreal Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, Tennessee Warblers, Swainson's Thrushes and the iconic Boreal species White-throated Sparrow, with its "Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada-Canada" song.

We at the Boreal Songbird Initiative support these visionary plans in Ontario. This is one of the most significant conservation commitments on Earth, and stands as an example for the rest of Canada.

Dr. Jeff Wells' Boreal Bird Blog: 300 Million Birds Say “Thanks” >
Premier McGuinty: Area 1.5 Times Size of Maritimes Set Aside for Permanent Protection >
Montreal Gazette: Ontario Moves to Protect Boreal Forest >
Toronto Star: Ontario to Protect Vast Tract >

Encourage Canada to Protect More Boreal Forest

Have you signed the petition to Save Our Boreal Birds? If not, join more than 40,000 signers from 62 different countries who support protection in the Boreal on behalf of its billions of migratory birds. If you've already signed, thank you! You can help us by letting all your friends know about the petition and asking them to sign too!

Sign the petition today >
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Boreal Songbird Initiative E-Update, July 2008