Sakâw Askiy staff prepare maps at a public meeting last year (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Environment

Community groups look to engage forestry industry

Oct 2, 2019 | 5:48 PM

Some community groups are looking to raise concerns about the forest industries logging plans.

Members from The Council of Canadians, Renewable Power Intelligent Choice and Protect Our Forest are looking to bring their concerns to Sakâw Askiy Management, which holds the forestry license for the Prince Albert Forestry Area. The groups are looking to bring their issues to the forefront at Sakâw Askiy’s meeting Wednesday evening in P.A, where the industry group will solicit feedback on their most recent plans.

One of the people planning to attend is Rick Closs, a member of Renewable Power Intelligent Choice (RPIC), which is an environment group focusing on sustainable energy and climate change. Closs said he wants to see what the industry’s plans are, along with what they are taking into consideration.

“In particular maintaining intact boreal ecosystems, which has been recommended by a number of bodies in the world,” he said.

Specifically, Closs said the ecosystems need to be left in place so species like the boreal forest song bird and the northern caribou herd can survive.

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Along with these concerns, Closs said he is interested in brining up the removal of trees and how this effects carbon sequestration. He added he was especially concerned about plans to harvest older growth, which are major absorbers of carbon.

“The northern forests of Saskatchewan, sequester carbon much more successfully than man made carbon capture,” he said.

Closs remarked the planning which he has seen does not properly address environment concerns, or some social concerns. In particular Closs said it needs to be remembered that there are people who make regular use of the forests.

“Much of the boreal forest is still used by Métis and First Nations people to gather forest products as well as trapping and hunting,” he said.

Closs said he is not against logging, but however believes it needs to be done in a more sustainable manner.

Royalties also a concern

Val Drummond, who is a member of Protect our Forest and RPIC said there needs to be a rethink about how the forest industry does business. She said she is especially concerned with plans which are being authorized across the boreal forest and what industry is being allowed to take.

“I am witnessing 20-year plans being signed off, many of them for a huge amount of removal of trees,” she said.

Drummond explained she is worried about what the large removal of trees will mean when it comes to dealing with climate change and sequestering carbon.

Along with environmental concerns, Drummond said the current royalty regime, which was brought in 2014 is one she finds to be very generous to industry.

Drummond added in the southern zone there are triggers which will come in if certain thresholds are crossed but that in the northern zone royalties are locked in. Some trees in the northern zone, specifically those that are under 10 centimeters in diameter under the bark can be taken without paying a fee.

Industry responds

Diane Roddy, general manager of Sakâw Askiy Management said the organization takes steps to make sure they are working in a sustainable manner and are updating their plans on a regular basis.

“That includes monitoring the growth of the trees when you calculate sustainable harvest levels,” she said.

In regards to concerns about taking older growth forests, Roddy said harvesting a tree can be better than other possible outcomes.

“Do you want these really old forests, that could, when they become decadent, they start releasing carbon on their own, but then their more susceptible to fire and then you will have a huge release of carbon,” she said.

Roddy said her organization does want to hear from people and get their thoughts on the harvesting plan. She said in the past changes have been made to accommodate people like trappers and cottage owners.

“We do make hundreds of changes based on what we hear at these meetings,” she said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn