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THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELLING SUSTAINABILITY IN SAVING THE GREAT
BEAR RAINFOREST

By

Denise Dennis

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS
Public Relations
2010

ABSTRACT

THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELLING SUSTAINABILITY IN SAVING THE GREAT
BEAR RAINFOREST

By

Denise Dennis

This is a case study of The Great Bear Rainforest conservation campaign, which is the
largest successful conservation effort in North America. Specifically, this paper
addresses what public relations strategies were used during the decade long campaign for
the Great Bear Rainforest? How did the environmental organizations leverage
relationships with the customers of the logging companies to persuade them to support
their conservation goals in the campaign? How did the environmental organizations use
framing in the campaign? How was an international political advocacy campaign used in
The Great Bear campaign? Why was the conservation economy created and what
significance did it have in the success of The Great Bear conservation campaign? In the
mid (1990)’s, the Sierra Club of British Columbia, Greenpeace British Columbia and

F orestEthics joined forces to launch a campaign to stop logging in The Great Bear
Rainforest. This campaign used relationship management, framing and international
advocacy campaigning. Relationship management scholars argue that relationship
management should use two-way communication that seeks solutions that are mutually
beneficial for the organization and stakeholders. The Great Bear Rainforest campaign
illustrates how relationship management can be used to reach mutually beneficial
solutions that are based on common interests and shared goals. The result of reaching a

mutually beneficial solution was the creation of a conservation economy.

Copyright 2010 by

Denise Dennis

All rights reserved.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... .1
Research Questions .......................................................................... 4
Literature Review .................................................................................................... 5
Relationship Management ......................................................... 5
Framing .............................................................................. 7
International Political Advocacy Campaign .................................... 9
CHAPTER 2
METHODS ............................................................................................ 9
CHAPTER3
RESULTS ............................................................................................ 11
Relationship Management ................................................................... 12
Framing ...................................................................................... 1 5
International Political Advocacy Campaign ............................................ 18
Conservation Economy .................................................................... 19
CHAPTER 4
CONCLUSION ..................................................................................... 22
BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................. 2

Chapter 1

On March 30, 2009, a final agreement was reached to conserve the Great Bear
Rainforest in the Canadian Province, British Columbia. The conservation of the Great
Bear Rainforest is the largest successful conservation in North America (Greenpeace,
British Columbia). The Great Bear Rainforest is mainly an undeveloped region of the
Canadian Province of British Columbia’s North and Central Coasts, consisting of nearly
320 miles of intact forest. This is a region of global conservation significance
comprising 25% of the remaining coastal temperate rainforest in the world. The
environmental impact of conserving a forest the size of the Great Bear Rainforest is
enormous (Rainforest Solutions Project, 2008).

In the mid (1990)’s, the Sierra Club of British Columbia, Greenpeace British
Columbia and ForestEthics joined forces to launch The Rainforest Solutions Project,
which is a campaign to stop logging in The Great Bear Rainforest. The Sierra Club
British Columbia created a map that showed the extent of the remaining old growth
forests in North America. This map showed that the Northern Coast of British Columbia
still had a huge intact old growth forest, or what is now known as The Great Bear
Rainforest. This was a very important contribution for the environmental movement to
focus and maximize their efforts on protecting large areas of rainforest.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the campaign strategies that were used in
The Great Bear Rainforest conservation campaign that spanned a decade and ultimately
led to a solution that was mutually beneficial for all parties involved: the government of

First Nations, the government of British Columbia, environmental groups and the logging

industry. The environmental organizations realized that blockading wasn’t going to be
enough in The Great Bear rainforest because of the isolated geography of the forest.
Initially, conservationists stood on logging roads and blocked trucks and loggers from
getting into the forest on different islands but, while they were stopping activity from

happening in one area, on the other side of the island, trees were going down.

When The Great Bear campaign initially started, back in the 1990’s, the forest
was called the central and north coast, or the mid coast timber supply area. The Great
Bear rainforest was previously known as British Columbia’s Central and North coast, but
was renamed by the environmental with the Spirit Bear becoming the symbol of the
environmental campaign to stop logging in British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest.
This forest is now known globally as The Great Bear Rainforest.

Greenpeace and the indigenous culture First Nations formed a strategic alliance
and continue to rely on each other for conservation, community empowerment and
economic development goals. Greenpeace and First Nations traveled to the United
States, Europe and Japan, informing the governments and citizens of these countries
about the harmful logging practices in British Columbia. This international political
advocacy campaign created awareness of logging practices in British Columbia and
globally embarrassed and pressured the Provincial Government of British Columbia to
change the practices in The Great Bear Rainforest.

Market action campaigns aimed at the customers of logging companies persuaded
the lumber retail corporations to publicly announce a discontinuance of purchasing from
companies in British Columbia that were logging in The Great Bear Rainforest. In 2001 ,

Greenpeace blockaded wood shipments at retailers of British Columbia’s lumber and

held protests at embassies in Europe, North America, China and Japan aimed at
persuading investors and customers to demand an end to the destruction of The Great
Bear Rainforest. The result of the market action campaigns was that over 100 companies

canceled their contracts with logging companies in The Great Bear.

According to The Globe and Mail Press Release (2001), Greenpeace organized
celebrity advocacy events that featured U2, The Dave Matthews Band and Pierce
Brosnan, which created enough awareness to elevate British Columbia’s Great Bear
Rainforest campaign to the international stage. In 1999, The Dave Matthews Band, while
on tour, campaigned against Home Depot, the largest buyer in the US. of old-growth
wood fi'om British Columbia. Shortly after the tour, Home Depot publicly announced
that they would discontinue purchasing wood from The Great Bear by 2002. Lowe's, a
competitor to Home Depot, also announced an immediate ban on wood from the Great
Bear Rainforest. Bronsan became the Forest Stewardship Council’s celebrity spokesman,
and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. got involved by featuring in a National Geographic TV
special. Also, in an effort to stop logging, Warren Buffet, an investment millionaire,
donated $lmillion to Ecotrust Canada to buy a large piece of land on the central coast to
be given to the First Nations band, the Heiltsuk Nation, to stop logging (The Globe and

Mail (Canada), 2001).

The environmental group and the logging industry were encouraged by the
Provincial Government of British Columbia and First Nations Turning Point to seek
mediation so that a solution could be reached that included the two stakeholder’s
interests. Mediation is a form of dispute resolution that is sought between two or more

parties who are unable to reach a solution to a given dispute (Wall, et al., 2001).

3

The ultimate success of the Great Bear Conservation campaign was the result of
negotiating mutually beneficial solutions that met the interests of the environmental
group, logging industry, First Nations and Provincial Government of British Columbia.
The agreement reached is based on a conservation economy with 5.1 million acres
protected and governed through ecosystem-based management, which is an adaptive
system that seeks to simultaneously secure high levels of ecological integrity and
community health. The establishment of legal requirements will govern forest activities,
establishing ecological thresholds and environmentally conscious forest products that are
recognized internationally. The $120 million Coast Opportunities fund is the seed money
established by environmental groups to support economic development for local
communities, First Nations, the lumber industry and environmental groups (Canadian
Corporate Newswire, 2009).

Research Questions
RQl- What public relations strategies were used during the decade long campaign for the

Great Bear Rainforest?

RQ2- How did the environmental organizations leverage relationships with the customers
of the logging companies to persuade them to support their conservation goals in the

campaign?
RQ3- How did the environmental organizations use flaming in the campaign?

RQ4- How was an international political advocacy campaign used in The Great Bear

campaign?

RQS- Why was the conservation economy created and what significance did it have in

the success of The Great Bear conservation campaign?
Literature Review
Relationship Management

Ledingham and Bruning (1998), use quantitative and qualitative research to
identify characteristics of relationships of an organization-public relationship that
influence consumer behavior. The foundation of this research is based on Grunig’s
model stating that the goal of public relations should be to build relationships that are
mutually beneficial for the organization and their key publics. The findings of this
research were that trust, commitment and investment were valid relationship indicators
for customer retention. The authors highlight the need for an actual definition of the term
relationship in application to public relations, as well as, further research on relationship
dimensions such as, antecedents and consequences of those relationship dimensions. A
definition of an organization-public relationship is given, “An ideal organization-public
relationship, then, would be the state which exists between an organization and its key
publics that provides economic, social, political and/or cultural benefits to all parties
involved, and is characterized by mutual positive regard” (Ledingham, Bnming, 1998, p

62).

Ledingham (2003) argues for relationship management as a general theory of
public relations. Organization-public relationships are based on interpersonal
relationship principles with a guideline for improvement and maintenance that will

change over time requiring two way communications. Measurement of public relations

effectiveness is most appropriate through the relational perspective because these
indicators act as predictors of public perceptions and choice behavior. The desired
outcome of relationship management is mutually beneficial outcomes developed through
shared interests and understanding of problem resolution. Through successful
relationship management organizations can create economic, social, and political benefits
for all parties. A theory of relationship management is provided, “Effectively managing
organizational-public relationships around common interests and shared goals, over time,
results in mutual understanding and benefit for interacting organizations and publics”

(Ledingham, 2003, p 190).

Hung (2005), explores the antecedent of organization-public relationships that
determines relationship outcomes. Prior research has identified exchange, communal,
mutual communal and contractual relationships. Exchange relationships are based on
economics where an exchange of equal value occurs. Communal relationships are one
sided and one gives to the other expecting nothing in return. In contrast, in mutual
communal relationships, both sides openly and fieely exchange with each other.
Contractual relationships begin when there is consensus on the role that will be played by
each side, similar to a contract. Covenantal relationships are characterized by reciprocity
and are committed to common good through open exchange. Additional relationships
that were found are exploitative, manipulative and symbiotic relationships. The ability to
use power effectively in relationships plays a significant role in relationship outcomes.
Exploitative relationships happen when one does not fulfill their side of the obligation.
Manipulative relationships use power to manipulate others through one sided

asymmetrical communication. Symbiotic relationships occur when an organization

realizes, based on their environment, that they need to work with their public for survival

(Hung, 2005).

Public relations considers the use of two way dialogue and the creation of
relationships to further trust, ethics, and cooperation between concerned parties essential.
Stakeholder management effectively manages power in relationships through coalition
building and negotiation. Combining stakeholder management and ethical initiatives
advocacy campaigns simultaneously and mutually benefit both the organization, and the
stakeholders with whom they share the responsibility and power of creating policy

(Bowen, 2010).

How do you sell rights or the environment like milk? Got rights?

Framing

The sociological construct of “flaming” is essential to analyzing communication
strategies used in The Great Bear conservation campaign. Merry (2006) researched
activists uses of flaming and established an analytical framework. Appropriation means
taking the programs, interventions and ideas developed by activists and replicating them
in another setting. Translation is the process of adjusting those messages to fit different
audiences. The process of flaming messages to reach different audiences requires the
adaptation of specific local, cultural narratives and conceptions that are based on familiar

images, symbols, and stories to present the program (Merry, 2006).

Hallahan (2009) examined specific applications of flaming used in public
relations. Framing of situations happens through metacommunication, which is the
language that guides cognitive processing of information in daily life events. Situational

7

flaming happens in bargaining and negotiation, which use two-way communication that
encourages open dialogue. Framing of attributes is when particular aspects of something
are accentuated and biases processing of information. Framing of choices works to
motivate individuals to make decisions, and research has found that most people prefer to
minimize loss, rather than to maximize gain. Therefore, arranging an argument in a way
that suggests that acting in a particular manner will minimize loss is most effective.
Framing of issues controls how people view and cognitively process an issue by slanting
an argument. Framing of responsibility involves victim, villains, or environmental
occurrences, and shifting responsibility to one of the two latter. Episodic flaming of

responsibility occurs in the form of storytelling of events by peeple.

Five rhetorical devices that have been used in message creation to flame issues
are metaphors, catch phrases, exemplars, visual images, and depictions. Metaphors are
used to associate an event with emotions through the comparison of one event to another.
Catch phrases are advertising slogans that are witty and occasionally humorous, at times
using a play on words. All are characterized by repetition that becomes associated with a
product, service, or in this case, an idea. Exemplars are personal experiences or examples
given by an individual in regard to an event that draw on similarities with the audience.
These can be either a hypothetical or an actual account. Visual images can be
photographs, video, or animated. Depictions can be a celebrity endorsement, statistics or
diagrams, or language that is impressionistic (Zoch, Collins, Sisco, Supa, 2008).
Through the process of flaming these ideas into a specific cultural form, they operate on

shared beliefs that will motivate collective action.

International Political Advocacy

8

Keck and Sikkink (1998) found that transnational networks operate effectively
together through developing a common flame of meaning. When NGOs operate in
transnational advocacy networks they function, in relation to each other, no different than
if they were operating independently in domestic campaigns. Information technology has
increased the transnational global activism network. The current world political stage
involves many non-state actors that interact with each other, with states, and with
international organizations. Transnational advocacy networks are networks of activists
distinguished by similarly principled ideas and values that motivated their formation.
These transnational advocacy networks connect groups to each other, plan activities, and
conduct public relations just like they would within the same borders. They also found
that transnational networks coordinate efforts to forcefully persuade a government to act.
Domestic NGOs bypass their state and directly search out international power holders to

bring pressure on their countries flom the outside (Keck & Sikkink, 1998).

Chapter 2

Methods

This type of exploratory research is best analyzed through the use of a case study
approach. The exploration of a social phenomenon requires the prerequisite qualitative
research that a case study offers. Studying a single case or an array of cases remains
indispensable to the progression of the social sciences (Orum, Feagin, 1991). Secondary
research will predominately be used for this thesis because the exploration of a social

phenomenon requires the prerequisite qualitative research that a case study offers.

Interviews of key campaign participants and industry insiders will provide original

research.

Through the interview process, this study will examine the complex social
interactions and processes that occur in environmental advocacy. Currently, our society
is in a state of flux and change as we move toward a global society, making exploratory
research such as a case study and interviews the only logical research method. A
thorough review of available academic articles, news articles, newsletters, government
documents, and a video documentary was conducted prior to interviewing environmental
campaigners. The line of questioning was looking for information such as, what are the
most important strategies in a successful campaign, how was the concept of the
conservation economy created, and what kind of relationship the NGO’s had with the

indigenous First Nations tribal community.

Two interviews have been conducted with key campaign participants and industry
insiders providing original research and useful insights. The first interview was with Jens
Wieting, Coastal Forest Campaigner with the Sierra Club British Columbia, and the
second interview was with Stephanie Goodwin, the Director of Greenpeace British

Columbia. These interviews were conducted by telephone and were audio recorded.

This case study will examine strategies used in the environmental movement now
on the foreflont of current global debate. Drum and F eagin argue that random-sample
surveys allow little understanding of how respondents relate to one another, assessing
people as though they lived, acted, and believed in isolation flom one another. In

contrast, a case study and interview can permit the researcher to examine the

10

complexities of life in which people fimction, as well as the impact of their functioning

on beliefs and decisions in the complex web of social interaction (Orum, Feagin, 1991).

Qualitative research interviews allow a researcher to find in-depth information
about a participant’s experience with a specific event or topic. The underlying meaning of
a particular event can surface and shed light on a subject that was previously unknown.
Interviews allow a researcher to probe or ask follow up questions for further
understanding. Sometimes during an interview, interesting and unexpected information

might develop out of a question that would have never surfaced otherwise.
Chapter 3
Results

The environmental group, Greenpeace, Sierra Club and Rainforest Action
Network, used relationship management, flaming and an international political advocacy
campaigr during the decade long campaign. The definition that will be used for
relationship management for this research is the following: relationships that an
organization creates with key publics that further the organization’s goals. The different
relationship types that Hung (2005) identified in the literature review will be used for
analysis. The definition for flaming will use the different types of flaming flom the
previous literature review. The definition that will be used for international political
advocacy campaign is: advocacy campaigning in different countries to create awareness
and international political allies that further the organizations goals. This research will
provide an analysis of how each of these tools was used. Specifically, the tools that were

successful and unsuccessful and what can be learned flom their use in the campaign. The

11

limitations of this research are that there were only two interviews conducted, and both of

these interviews were with individuals within the environmental group.

Relationship Management

The environmental group created manipulative relationships with the customers
of the logging companies in British Columbia. The environmental group used power to
manipulate the customers of the logging industry through one sided asymmetrical
communication. Specifically Greenpeace, was creating a public relations nightmare for
the Provincial Government of British Columbia and the logging companies, but was still
unable to create enough pressure to bring the parties to negotiations. Goodwin states,
“So, what do we do, what do they think is really important? Well, they think money is
really important.” The organizations identified large corporations with brand
vulnerability that were customers of the companies that were logging in The Great Bear
Rainforest and approached them with their concerns about the forest. If the corporations
were unwilling to stop buying flom the logging companies, they would start market
action campaigns focused on the customers of the logging companies. “We applied
market pressure to them, which was in the form of boycotts or direct actions, like

blocking log barges that were destined for their companies,” said Goodwin.

The environmental group was known for executing market action campaigns and
because of that, they were able to leverage that power and create an exchange
relationship with the customers of the logging industry to influence and apply pressure to
the companies and government to stop unsustainable logging practices. This exchange
relationship was leveraged through power that environmental group wielded. The group

agreed to not execute market action campaigns in exchange for the customers of the

12

logging companies pressuring the logging industry and the Provincial Government of
British Columbia to stop logging in The Great Bear. The environmental group realized
that the companies could exert no more leverage once they canceled their contract. So,
they had the companies not cancel their contracts, and instead go to the logging
companies and the British Columbia Government and say unless you change your ways,
we are going to cancel our contracts. The environmental goup held a consortium of
German magazine and newspaper publishers that represented $600 million annually to
the British Columbia economy. During a consortium for The Great Bear Rainforest that
had in attendance the Premier of British Columbia, the CEOs of the offending logging
companies and the environmental group, the president of the consortium stood up during
the meeting and said, “you told us that your logging practices are like a black Mercedes
top of the line, but what we have seen is a red Dotson because we took them on a tour of
the forest, if you don’t change your ways and sit down with the environmentalists we are

going to pull $600 million annually to the economy”, said Goodwin.

First Nations and the environmental organizations were strategic allies in The
Great Bear campaigr. First Nations and the environmental groups had a covenantal
relationship because both groups were committed to furthering a common good for each
other that was characterized by reciprocity and open exchange. Because of this
covenantal relationship, they were able to further each other’s causes by joining forces
against the government and logging industry. “I would say that we always had a strategic
alliance with the First Nations and with Turning Point, because the interesting thing about

environmental organizations and First Nations is that when you get right down to the

13

interests, both of us either seek to rest power, or change the direction that power holders

are going in” Goodwin explained.

During the same time that the environmental organizations were creating a lot of
conflict for the forest industry and the Provincial Government of British Columbia, the
government was in a land use planning process. The land use planning process was
essentially determining where there is going to be new protected areas, industrial activity
and if and where there would be any parameters on the industrial activity. As part of this
process, the government was bringing all of the stakeholders together to create a series of
recommendations that the government would either then, accept or not accept. First
Nations at that time were being invited as stakeholders, but First Nations have unsettled
land claims in British Columbia, which are asserted rights and title asserting that First

Nations are owners and governors of their land and resources.

First Nations had brought several law suits to the Canadian Supreme Court
asserting their rights and title for a number of years, and the Provincial Government of
British Columbia continually lost those court cases. First Nations started self organizing,
and nine different bands came together, because they shared common goals on land
management and governance rights, to create a consolidated negotiating block. This new
consolidated negotiating block is now known as Turning Point. Turning Point was
created to be a representative of a number of First Nations on land use issues. British
Columbia now has to recognize First Nations Turning Point as a government. The
relationship between Turning Point and the Provincial Government is now considered a
government to government relationship that requires the Provincial Government of

British Columbia to consult with First Nations on land use in their territories.

14

The environmental movement was supporting First Nations gaining further
governance rights, and First Nations was supporting environmental conservation. An
interesting statement was made about the strategic alliance during the interview with
Stephanie Goodwin, “Turning Point themselves shared a common vision around the need
for long term resiliency in their territories, whether that meant logging or no logging,
protected areas or no protected areas, that was just the tool for carrying out that vision.”
What Turning Point was able to receive was recognition flom the government of British
Columbia that they would be dealt with as governments. The environmental groups
wanted conservation, and First Nations wanted governance rights. So, both groups
utilized stake holder management to further their own agendas through a strategic
alliance that gave both groups more power.

Framing

The renaming of The Great Bear Rainforest is an example of flaming that was
involved in the environmental organizations conservation campaign. This type of
flaming is metaphorical, associating the forest symbolically with the rare white Spirit
Bear that is only found in that particular forest. Stephanie Goodwin ,Director of
Greenpeace British Columbia Canada stated, “We wanted to name the area for the vision
we were creating for it by capturing the imagination, and that would instantly give people
the idea that this is something worth protecting.” The Great Bear Rainforest is a
relatively inaccessible area, which not many people could go to. To get to The Great
Bear Rainforest would require a boat or airplane. So, capturing the beauty of the forest

for their audience was an essential part of the campaign. “It was simply a desire to

15

accurately capture the beauty and the vision and the big bears that are there,” said

Goodwin.

Market action campaigns weren’t always necessary, and the environmental group
was able to create relationships with the customers of the logging companies in British
Columbia through flaming of attributes. The environmental group flamed the attributes
of the animals, people and environmental integ'ity. For example, when Greenpeace
talked to the large companies in Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan who buy
flom the Great Bear Rainforest, one of the tactics they used was bringing decision makers
in those companies to The Great Bear Rainforest. Goodwin states, “We knew that if we
could give them an experience that they can go back home to their dining room table and
talk to their children about and show them pictures of these bears, and these trees, and
these amazing people that the chances of them working with us would go up

exponentially.”

The environmental goups also used flaming of attributes to persuade the
Provincial Government of British Columbia to work with them to conserve the forest.
Goodwin states, “We realized that the BC. government stopped responding to our
aggressive negative tactics, and we could actually flame the conversation as - if you did
this, you would be taking an incredible leadership step for the environment.” Positively
flamed messages that focus on the positive attributes of a situation have been found to be
much more effective than negatively flamed messages. Also, the environmental g'oup
realized that they needed to create a solution before the government created one for them.
Again, moving flom negative to positive the environmental group switched their message
flom what they didn’t want to happen to what they did want to happen, “by changing to

16

what we did want to have happen, we were able to give the BC. government solution to

work with”, said Goodwin.

The celebrity advocacy events that Greenpeace organized with U2 and Dave
Matthews are an example of depiction flaming with a celebrity endorsement. This form
of flaming worked particularly well and was able to create enough pressure that Home
Depot and Lowe’s discontinued buying wood flom the logging companies in The Great
Bear Rainforest. This is also an example of how the environmental group was able to use

power in relationships to further their goals.

Facilitated third party mediation was sought by the environmental organization
and logging industry to try to reach a solution, which is an example of situational flaming
found in bargaining and negotiation literature using two-way communication to
encourage open dialogue. The environmental organizations were able to leverage power
and relationship management with the customers of the logging companies and First
Nations in British Columbia, but the environmental organizations and the logging
companies were still unable to negotiate satisfactory resolution. During the land use
planning process, the biggest challenge for the Provincial Government and First Nations
government to arrive at a solution was the two dominant stakeholders, the environmental
organizations and the logging industries, inability to negotiate. According to Jens
Wieting, coastal forest campaigner Sierra Club British Columbia, “The BC. government
and the First Nations told the two -- you better get out of here and start negotiating and
discussing your conflicts because we can only invite stakeholders to our table that are in

the position to provide input.”

17

International Political Advocacy Campaigrs

Greenpeace executed international political advocacy campaigrs that brought an
international perspective by raising consciousness through campaigring in Japan, the
United States, Belgium, England, the Netherland, Germany, and Italy. Again, the
definition of international political advocacy campaign is: campaigning in different
countries to create awareness and international political allies that further the
organizations goals. When Stephanie Goodwin was asked about her perspective of this
concept she stated, “I would almost call Greenpeace itself a transnational advocacy
network.” The environmental organizations, specifically Greenpeace, were able to create
international political allies through international campaigning. According to Jens
Wieting, “First Nations and the environmental group traveled to Europe together; to let
citizens of these other countries know about logging practices in British Columbia.”The
Government of Canada and British Colombia were pressured on a provincial scale,
national scale and then embarrassed internationally. According to Goodwin, “The
Government ended up spending millions of dollars sending delegations of forest
companies and government representatives to European countries trying to convince
those European countries that they weren’t, in fact, bad players.” Similar to Keck and
Sikkink’s (1998) research on transnational advocacy networks, Greenpeace bypassed the
Provincial Government of British Columbia and sought out international power holders

that brought political pressure on the Government and logging companies.

Also, Keck and Sikkink’s (1998) research on transnational advocacy networks
found that activists on different levels will form a network of coordinated efforts. “In

Germany, grass roots organizations took up the cause; in the United States, the Rainforest

18

Action Network played a huge role; in British Columbia, Sierra Club and Forest Ethics
were strong partners. There was a lot of cooperation between groups to make sure our
collective goal was met,” said Goodwin.

Conservation Economy

The total population of The Great Bear rainforest consists of 31,000 people living
in this region, of which almost 15,000 live in the City of Prince Rupert. Another quarter
of the total population lives in dispersed First Nation communities. The environmental
goup realized that an alternative economy was needed to replace logging jobs in 2001,
after the environmental groups and the lumber industry went through mediation and an
agreement was reached to have more protection, less logging, and more governance
rights. During an event hosted by Greenpeace to celebrate their victory, the leaders of
First Nations and Turning Point brought up some of theconcems that they had to the
environmental goups. According to Goodwin, the Turning Point leaders stated to her,
“You say that you care about First Nations governance and ownership rights, you say that
you care about wanting to reduce unemployment and have healthier communities, now
we have committed to increasing conservation in our territories, so are you guys actually
going to put your money where your mouth is?”

The logging industry was the main employer of the First Nations community, and
the decline in logging meant that many jobs would be lost as a result. The environmental
organizations realized that this would be a consequence of their successful campai g1.
Since British Columbia’s colonization, the region’s economy historically has been based
on fishing and logging and a small amount of mining. The majority of the economic

benefits that have resulted flom these industries have flown out of the communities. As a

19

result, The First Nation Communities have suffered flom sigrificant social and economic
challenges specifically, high poverty rates, high unemployment rates, poor social and
health conditions, troubled young people, inadequate housing, and lack of access to

education and skills (Pacific Analytics Inc. and Don Harrison, P. Geo., 2004).

Unfortunately, the community that would be most affected by the decline in
logging were The First Nations. So, the environmental organizations needed to replace
the lost logging jobs with new jobs, which meant that totally new employment sectors
needed to be created. A solution was needed that would satisfy the environmental
conservation goals, replace the lost logging sector jobs and allow the logging industry to
continue logging in a way that would not be harmful to the forest. The environmental
organizations hired third party economic business consultants and environmental

researchers to seed and engineer a conservation economy.

Economic business consultant Don Harrison, P. Geo with Pacific Analytics Inc.
was hired by Greenpeace to develop an alternative economy to the forest industry that
would be oriented towards the vision that the environmental organizations were flying to
create for the forest. Goodwin states that they asked Pacific Analytics Inc. to address the
question, “If we wanted this coast line to not be reliant upon the forest industry as their
primary driver, and we wanted to have a more comprehensive economy based on
conservation, what would have to be the initial input into that to actually seed something
different?” Pacific Analytics Inc. came back with $120 million to create an economy that

was conservation based and not dependant on the logging industry.

The economic business consultant’s report concluded that in 1995 British
Columbia created the fewest jobs per quantity logged than in all of the industrialized

20

countries. The unsustainable logging industry’s practices are not economically viable
because of resource inefficiency. The old growth forests are being cut down at such a
high rate, and processed so inefficiently, that neither the forest, nor the workers, will be
left standing; automation is replacing the wood processing workers. Due to the lack of
efficiency, which in turn creates a lack of industry competitiveness, the mills in the Great
Bear Rainforest are consolidating to try to capture economies of scale and to become
more efficient. As the mills consolidate, jobs are lost. Sustainable logging requires more
careful practices, requiring more loggers per timber logged. Abfam, one of the BC. mills
employs substantially more employees per quantity of processed lumber than its larger

competition and over time will be faced with declining market share.

Under the new conservation economy, First Nations local community will have a
collaborative partnership with the logging industry and the community forestry
department. Value added processing is another key component to the conservation
economy, which is expected to create approximately 150-170 new jobs with the
assumption that there are new jobs created through the processing of the lumber, versus
shipping the lumber before it is processed (Pacific Analytics Inc. and Don Harrison, P.
Geo., December 2004). Several new employment sectors have been created and the
economic effects of the conservation economy will result in a net increase of jobs
because of the new forestry practices, value added processing, tourism, shellfish

aquaculture, and other conservation jobs.

The conservation economy became a solution that was mutually beneficial for the
environmental organizations, First Nation’s community, the Government of British

Columbia, and the logging industry.

21

Chapter 4
Conclusion

In the end, mediated negotiation was required for the Provincial Government of
British Columbia and First Nations Turning Point Government to be able to reach a final
agreement. Mediation was used for negotiations between the logging industry and
environmental goup, but eventually a compromise was reached through a conservation
economy that included sustainable logging practices. First Nations wanted more
governance rights and jobs for their communities, the logging industry wanted conflict
flee economically viable logging, and the environmental organizations wanted
conservation. “1 think this whole story is about how people that don’t get along figure

out a best solution that is going to encompass everyone’s needs,” said Goodwin.

If each organization that was involved in The Great Bear campaigr had
affectively used relationship management flom the beginning, a resolution would have
been found sooner. The definition that was used for relationship management for this
research is the following: relationships that an organization creates with key publics that
further the organizations goals. Stakeholder management effectively manages power in
relationships through coalition building and negotiation (Bowen, 2010). Ledingham and
Bruning (1998) argues that, “An ideal organization-public relationship, then, would be
the state which exists between an organization and its key publics that provides
economic, social, political and/or cultural benefits to all parties involved, and is
characterized by mutual positive regard” (Ledingham, Bruning, 1998, p 62). Ledingham

(2003) argues further that, the desired outcome of relationship management is mutually

22

beneficial outcomes developed through shared interests and understanding of problem
resolution. Through successflrl relationship management organizations can create

economic, social, and political benefits for all parties (Ledingham, 2003).

The different forms of flaming that the environmental group used during the
campaigr were successful for creating messages that helped further their goals. This
campaign successfully used positively flamed messages that focused on the positive
attributes of the situation, and the possibilities, rather than on limitations. In addition,
the use of metaphorical flaming changed the name of the forest and created an image that

could evoke an emotional response globally.

Greenpeace has several international branches and used international political
advocacy campaigrs to bring an international perspective by raising consciousness
through campaigring in Japan, the United States, Belgium, England, the Netherland,
Germany, and Italy. The definition of international political advocacy campaign is
campaigning in different countries to create awareness and international political allies
that finther the organizations goals. The Government of Canada and British Colombia
were pressured on a provincial scale, national scale and then embarrassed internationally

as a result of international political advocacy campaigrs.

The Great Bear rainforest campaign illustrates how mutually beneficial solutions
can be reached that are based on all parties’ interests being met. Logging practices will
continue and are expected to benefit flom the new approach that will ensure that the part
of the forest that will still be logged will be done in a manner that guarantees that more

trees will be replaced for future logging. The previous process that the logging industry

23

was using was eliminating trees so fast that eventually there would have been none for
logging or any other purpose. The conservation economy enabled the First Nations to be
eligible to benefit flom a fimd worth up to $120 million that will go for seeding the new
conservation industries. Sustainability and the conservation economy were necessary for
the success of the campaign, “I call it the three legged stool which is healthy forest,
viable economies, and healthy communities, and unless you satisfy all three, the thing is

going to tumble down on itself,” said Goodwin.

How do you sell the environment like milk? In this case, the environment was
sold as a result of negotiating mutually beneficial solutions that met the interests of the
environmental group, logging industry, First Nations and Provincial Government of
British Columbia could benefit flom taking the form of a conservation economy. Got

sustainability?

24

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