Great Bear markets

The Great Bear Rainforest (GBR) conservation project, on the west coast of Canada, has been described as "the most complex conservation effort ever undertaken". In 2009 the provincial Government of British Columbia announced the protection of the largest area of coastal temperate rainforest in the world. The unique sanctity, ecology and cultural history of the GBR combined with a challenging political situation combined to make it a high profile showcase for potential future conservation projects. The key socio-political characteristic of the GBR situation is the prevalence of First Nation communities. First Nations have unextinguished rights and title on their traditional lands. Their traditional territories, where they hunted, fished, gathered wild berries and created cultural sites, were taken over by the Crown following the colonial invasion in the late 19th century and many areas were heavily logged with associated environmental degradation. The GBR agreements in 2006-2009 was a chance for them to establish government to government processes and joint management decisions over lands where First Nations have lived for 10,000 years. The GBR agreements gave formal and legal recognition to First Nation governments to negotiate directly with the provincial government on matters pertaining to resource use and extraction within their traditional territories. The GBR agreements were a paradigm shift in not only their political standing but also their influence on natural resource use in BC.