In an agreement ten years in the making, the Great Bear Rainforest, the world’s largest remaining swath of coastal temperate rainforest, now contains five million acres of land closed to all logging. The rainforest, in British Columbia, is home to the rare “spirit bear” – a white version of the black bear – as well as hundreds of other species and spectacular old-growth trees.

The Canadian government planned to announce the deal today, capping a decade of intense negotiations between environmentalists, politicians, corporations, and native groups. Five million acres – a third of the total area – are protected from logging, and the remainder will be subject to tightly controlled, conservation-oriented logging practices, according to Forest Ethics, a conservation group that played a role in brokering the arrangement.

The Great Bear Rainforest contains key habitat for grizzly bears, salmon, wolverines, several species of threatened bats and birds of prey, wolves, and many other species. More than 80 companies, including Ikea, Home Depot, and Staples, agreed to stop buying wood products from ancient forests like the Great Bear, a move that was instrumental in protecting the area.

Photo credit: Forest Ethics