(Quebec) The Legault government is talking about another decline in permitted forests just weeks before presenting its caribou protection strategy.
It has limited the timber harvest in 2023 after large fires destroyed the Quebec forest.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Natural Resources and Forestry Minister Maite Blanchette-Vezina acknowledged that the measure had an impact “on the regional economy.”
A decrease in permitted logging will result in billions of dollars in losses, Quebec Liberal Party interim leader Marc Tanguay announced during question period Wednesday.
He added: “What this represents is a two-by-four loss of a number sufficient to build 23,000 housing units.”I The main one. He said it threatens 2,700 jobs.
The minister, who has set up a ministerial committee, says she is aware of the consequences and has promised to “support” the sector as it begins major reflection on the future of the forest.
At the same time, the government will develop a long-awaited caribou forest protection strategy, which will have “another impact on the potential of the forests,” the minister admits.
The status quo is not possible. Climate change is forcing us to reconsider our ways of doing things in and around the forest.
Mighty Blanchett Vezina
Last fall, Chief Forester Louis Pelletier asked, “Are our management options adequate in the face of recurring fires?” »
He suggested a preference for species that are less sensitive to fire or more suitable for post-fire regeneration, and planning patterns in crop deployment and infrastructure that are less fire-friendly.
“We can do better to be more efficient. […] I know people are ready to think about that,” says M.I Blanchett Vezina, which launches discussion tables on the future of the forest.
Five themes will be addressed: reconciliation of uses, timber supply, economic development and regional benefits, sustainable forest management and local partnerships.
Quebecers who want to participate online will be able to do so from February 13 to April 12. A series of regional meetings will culminate on April 11 with a national table.
First Nations and Inuit are invited to participate at all discussion tables.
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