The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) ( was founded in 1963 to help protect Canada's wilderness. Overview CPAWS was initially known as the National and Provincial Parks Association (NPPAC), which was formed in 1963 with a focus on revitalizing Canadian's appreciation of wilderness parks. For many years, NPPAC published the Park News: The Journal of the National and Provincial Parks Association of Canada—an "outlet for a variety of articles on Canadian parks that will be of interest to the general public." For more than 50 years it has championed the protection of Canada's forests, waters, and parks with a focus on protecting large, connected areas. To date, CPAWS has succeeded in helping to protect over 50 million hectares. CPAWS vision is to keep at least half of Canada's public land and water wild – forever. As a national charity with 13 chapters, over 50,000 supporters, and hundreds of volunteers, CPAWS works collaboratively with governments, local communities, industry, and indigenous peoples to protect Canada's public land and water. CPAWS has submitted reports to the federal government related to a number of its key program areas. Their 2016 report subtitled, "Protecting Canada's National Parks a Call for Renewed Commitment to Nature Conservation", was submitted as evidence to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. The CPAWS parks program director, Alison Woodley and Sabine Jessen, CPAWS' national director of their oceans program, were invited expert witnesses in discussions at a May 5, 2016 meeting of the House of Commons of Canada. Program Areas Forests From the vast northern Boreal forest to the temperate forests stretching across Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, Canada is home to some of the largest unbroken tracts of forest on the planet. CPAWS' goal is to conserve at least half of Canada's Boreal forests, and to create a network of large conservation areas within the temperate eastern woodlands of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario. Campaign Examples Helping protect Alberta's Little Smoky Caribou Implementing the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement Keeping the Restigouche Wild Parks and Protection Areas Canada has one of the oldest and most extensive parks systems in the world. CPAWS advocates for new parks and acts as a watchdog to ensure that existing ones are well-managed. With pressures on Canada's wilderness growing, creating more parks and ensuring existing ones are well-funded and protected is more important than ever. Campaign Examples Stand