Populations of Woodland Caribou and other large mammals are declining across Canada. Hundreds of "problem bears" are killed each year on government orders. Salmon stocks in BC are in danger of going the way of the East Coast cod. The quality and quantity of Canada's fresh water, one of our most precious resources, can no longer be taken for granted. Our forest products, which once commanded the highest prices in the world, can barely compete in today's global markets. Can we solve these problems without compromising our forests or our economy?

Ben Parfitt argues that we can. In this book, he explores the interrelated practices and policies that have damaged the forest, from logging, milling, cattle ranching and oil-and-gas industry practices, to modern land-use planning processes, to the shift in world demand from nothern wood to fast-growing southern pulp. He then argues for a more flexible and diverse approach, and he presents inspiring examples of communities that have abandoned rapacious resource extraction in favour of alternatives that sustain our natural species - including us.