Canada declares 85% of Great Bear Rainforest fully protected
The Canadian government announced that 85% of the Great Bear Rainforest will be designated as a fully protected area.
The Canadian government announced that 85% of the Great Bear Rainforest will be designated as a fully protected zone. The decision covers the majority of the coastal temperate rainforest in British Columbia, one of the world's largest remaining tracts of old‑growth forest.
The protected area will be managed under strict conservation rules, limiting commercial logging, mining and other extractive activities. Indigenous communities and environmental groups have welcomed the move, citing the region's ecological importance and its role in carbon storage.
Officials said the new status aims to preserve biodiversity, including species such as the Kermode (spirit) bear, salmon and numerous marine mammals. The government plans to monitor the zone to ensure compliance with protection standards.
The protected area will be managed under strict conservation rules, limiting commercial logging, mining and other extractive activities. Indigenous communities and environmental groups have welcomed the move, citing the region's ecological importance and its role in carbon storage.
Officials said the new status aims to preserve biodiversity, including species such as the Kermode (spirit) bear, salmon and numerous marine mammals. The government plans to monitor the zone to ensure compliance with protection standards.