The Great Bear Forest Carbon Project covers more than 14 million acres in British Columbia and is home to the largest remaining intact coastal temperate rainforest in the world.

 

The project aims to increase carbon capture and storage through improved forest management practices that balance timber harvesting with the overall health of the forest in an ecosystem based management regime.  Forests that were previously available for logging are now protected cultural heritage sites, thereby preserving existing carbon stocks, reducing emissions caused by harvesting, road building and other forestry operations, and increasing the carbon stocks as the forest continues to grow.

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In addition to sequestering carbon, this unique landscape protects the habitats of many species that cannot be found anywhere else on the planet, such as the Kermode bear—fully white black bears that hold a prominent place in the oral histories of the indigenous peoples who live in the project area. The project also protects the Western Red Cedar, which is known as the “Tree of Life” and preserves important coastal and fresh water habitats for marine life.

 

The Great Bear Rainforest project is a landmark project in Canada and represents the first project in North America on First Nation territory with unextinguished land rights and title. Great Bear balances human wellbeing with the improved management of the land, distributing carbon credit revenue among the Coastal First Nations group, a groundbreaking organization that brings together the 9 First Nation communities who inhabit the area.