In July 2008, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced a world-leading commitment to conservation-focused land-use planning for Ontario's Great Boreal Forest, including protection for more than 50% of the area. To make this bold commitment a reality, we need a strong Boreal legislation that:

1. Creates a well-resourced joint Planning Board to allow First Nations and the Province to work together and share implementation of planning.

2. Details how Ontario will work in partnership with First Nations to determine the location, use and management of the 50% or more of the region that the Premier has committed to protect as conservation lands.

3. Sets out how community plans will be developed and integrated with regional objectives.

4. Describes how communities will realize long-term benefits from development and their role in management.

5. Provides a clear role for a Science Advisory Committee, including objectives for how it will inform land-use planning.

6. Sets clear rules for the development of roads, corridors and industrial activity outside of protected areas.

Demand for FSC-certified products grows

• In 2007, all six major Canadian banks used FSC-certified paper for their annual accountability reports;
• Major companies, institutions and governments have put in place procurement policies stating a preference for FSC-certified products. Government of Ontario, Dell Inc., Victoria Secret, Williams Sonoma, Alberta Ministry of Environment, Home Depot, Ikea, Kodak, LL Bean, Lowes, Nike, and Norm Thompson to name a few.
• As of November 2008, over 400 print locations are FSC-certified, and over 250 lines of FSC-paper are available;
• Domtar, manufacturer of the EarthChoice® line of papers, experienced a 100% growth in FSC-certified paper sales from 2006 to 2007;
• In 2007, Scholastic Inc. made the largest commitment ever to FSC-certified paper for the printing of the final Harry Potter book, 10 million kilograms of paper.

For more on the FSC forest certification system, see the FSC Canada website.