Mr. Speaker, I share the hon. member's concern for old growth forests as they provide rare and important habitat for wildlife, especially migratory birds and species at risk, like southern mountain caribou, spotted owl and many others.
While the provinces and territories have jurisdictions over the vast majority of our forests, the conservation and biodiversity is a shared responsibility. ECCC, Environment and Climate Change Canada, takes this responsibility very seriously. With our provincial and territorial partners, we have identified the forest sector as a priority to improve conservation outcomes for our species at risk.
Through our priority sectors initiative, we have recently launched a process to develop a species at risk conservation action plan with provinces, territories, indigenous communities, the forest industry and environmental groups. When complete, this action plan will identify and prioritize opportunities for the alignment of conservation and forest sector policy and practice with positive outcomes for species-at-risk conservation and sector sustainability.
Further, Canada is co-operating with the provinces and territories to protect 25% of our lands and waters by 2025. Our intent is that this will include more old growth forests as protected areas. The process will involve engagement with indigenous partners, provinces and other interested partners and organizations.
B.C. and Canada are looking forward to pursuing co-operation on old growth forest-related conservation opportunities under the recently announced bilateral nature agreement that is currently being negotiated by federal and provincial partners.
Finally, the government is working with provinces and stakeholders to develop robust land use and biodiversity criteria as part of the clean fuel standard to ensure that there are no adverse land use impacts or loss of biodiversity from growing and harvesting biofuel feedstock. Only biofuels made from feedstock that meets these criteria will be eligible for credit under the clean fuel standard. Under the proposed regulations, forest feedstocks must be harvested according to a management plan that prevents negative impacts to old growth forest stands or forests.