The world's largest intact forest is getting smaller by the day.

The Canadian boreal forest -- a vast, ancient ecosystem teeming with life -- is shrinking at a rate of 1 million acres per year. Trees that have stood for centuries are being chopped down to make toilet paper we use once and flush away.

We can help protect Canada's boreal forest from right here in the U.S. Tell Costco to only sell tissue products made from recycled materials.

The Canada lynx, the wood bison, the snowshoe hare and countless other species make their home amid the forest's trees. Owls, woodpeckers and finches are among the birds that nest in its branches -- and nearly half of all birds in North America rely on the forest at some point during the year, stopping to breed or passing through on their migration.

The forest also protects our climate, removing 24 million cars' worth of carbon emissions from our atmosphere each year.

It would be a tragedy to lose Canada's boreal forest for any reason, but we're chopping it down to make throwaway tissue goods such as toilet paper, facial tissues and paper towels. These are items that can be made from recycled paper or alternative materials such as wheat straw or bamboo.

There's simply no reason to keep destroying an irreplaceable ancient forest.

That's where Costco comes in. Costco sells more than a billion rolls of toilet paper a year. If it required its tissue products to use recycled materials, it could make a major impact on the market.

We're calling on Costco to take two steps to help save Canada's boreal forest:

Make its Kirkland Signature tissue products from at least 50 percent recycled materials.

Refuse to sell other brands of tissue products until they implement the same change.

Tell Costco to stand up against the logging of Canada's boreal forest.

We will make sure that your petition is placed directly into the hands of Costco's leadership. By leading the way on recycled tissue products, Costco can help preserve one of our planet's last great forests.

Thank you for standing with us.

Sincerely,

Wendy Wendlandt

Acting President