Huge New Protected Areas in Canada's Carbon Rich Boreal Forest

The Paper Planet would like to join the Canadian Boreal Initiative (CBI) and other organizations in congratulating the Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador on their intent to establish two new protected areas in Canada’s Boreal Forest.

On February 5th the Government of Canada announced it would move ahead with the establishment of the Mealy Mountains National Park, encompassing 10,700 km2 (2.65 million acres), and by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to designate 3,000 km2 (700,000 acres) of the adjacent lower Eagle River watershed for inclusion in a new provincial water park, will create a total protected area of nearly 14,000 km2 (3.3 million acres) in central Labrador.

“This is an outstanding boreal landscape with a rich and diverse ecological and cultural history. These parks represent an exceptional legacy for present and future generations,” said Larry Innes, executive director of Canadian Boreal Initiative. “We are very pleased to recognize the achievement of the governments, the Aboriginal peoples and local organizations who came together to advance a common vision for the protection of this important region.”

Together, the federal Mealy Mountains National Park and the provincial Eagle River waterway park will be one of the largest protected areas in Eastern North America, about equal in size to the protected lands in New York’s Adirondack State Park. It is an area bigger than Yellowstone NP and Yosemite NP in the United States, combined!

For a slideshow of the incredible beauty of this area, CLICK HERE.