Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government is working with 17 First Nations in British Columbia as well as the provincial government to expand protection for marine ecosystems off the coast of the Great Bear Rainforest. He says the initiative will add about 14,000 square kilometres of newly protected areas, while supporting sustainable development for the waters off the rainforest on B.C.’s central and northern coast. The federal government is committing $200 million to the initiative, while the B.C. government is contributing $60 million and $75 million is coming from philanthropic investors, for a total of $335 million to create an ongoing fund. The initiative builds on the Great Bear Rainforest model, which has protected large swaths of old-growth forests while supporting job creation and economic diversification for communities along

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