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Forest Regime Modernization Bill Sparks Concern Among Quebec's Forest Sector

Minister Maîté Blanchette Vézina has proposed a reform to modernize Quebec's forest management regime, Bill 97. The proposal aims to create a forest zoning system and delegate responsibility to companies through sustainable forest management licenses. However, it's not as simple as it seems.

The proposed system bears a striking resemblance to the pre-2010 forest supply and management contracts regime, which was abolished due to its inability to ensure sustainable management and forest regeneration. Albert Einstein's quote on insanity seems eerily applicable here – we risk continuing the same mistakes and expecting a different result.

The Inevitable Wall

One significant issue is the proposed mechanism of sustainable forest management licenses. Critics argue that this mechanism has proven incapable of guaranteeing the appropriate regeneration of harvested forests, far from promoting more wood production.

Without an effective means of intensifying forest management, we're bound to collide with the same obstacles, but faster. In the new framework, a temporary reprieve for the industry is expected, but massive plant closures within a decade or so seem inevitable.

Sustainable Forest Communities: A Better Path

To foster a thriving forest sector, what we need are management societies. We have a positive example in Solifor, a company managed by the FTQ Solidarity Fund, which manages large private forests while ensuring biodiversity protection, access for outdoor enthusiasts, and providing significant revenue streams beyond wood sales.

Established back in 2008, Minister Claude Bechard proposed the creation of such management societies, but the idea was never fully realized. With the challenges facing the industry today, now might be the ideal time to revisit this proposal.

Navigating the Transition

While our forests grow and improve, we'll enter a transition period where wood production will be reduced. To make the most of this period, we need to develop secondary processing industries. With the potential for building more housing and updating aging public infrastructure, we can seize this opportunity to establish a prefabricated wood construction industry.

Moreover, we should also deploy an industrial policy supporting the development of biorefining and the energetic valorization of lower-quality woods, turning them into high-value products.

In the context of climate transition, healthy and rapidly growing forests are crucial carbon sinks. By investing in the forest sector, we can not only secure a better future for the industry but also contribute to climate action through sustainable forest management practices.

Let's Talk

What do you think about Bill 97 and the future of Quebec's forest sector? How can we ensure a sustainable future for forest workers and communities while promoting economic growth? Join the conversation!

Insights

The concerns and proposed solutions surrounding Quebec's forest sector revolve around achieving balance within the natural resource economy, addressing economic pressures and trade challenges, preparing for potential sector slowdowns, and advocating for clearer governance and policies. Adopting management societies, investing in industrial transition, and balancing resource use across sectors form the core of proposed solutions. The sector's future rests heavily on navigating external pressures, developing resilience, and adapting to the realities of the current economic climate.

The proposed system in Bill 97 resembles the pre-2010 forest supply and management contracts regime, raising concerns about sustainable management and forest regeneration, echoing Albert Einstein's quote on insanity.
The mechanism of sustainable forest management licenses, if not effectively implemented, may lead to the swift collisions with the obstacles faced earlier in the forest sector, ultimately causing massive plant closures within a decade.
To foster a thriving forest sector, the establishment of management societies similar to Solifor is proposed, which prioritizes biodiversity protection, outdoor enthusiast access, and revenue streams beyond wood sales.
During the transition period, we should focus on developing secondary processing industries such as prefabricated wood construction and biorefining, valorizing lower-quality woods into high-value products, and supporting climate action through sustainable forest management practices.
The future of Quebec's forest sector and its workers depends on achieving balance within the natural resource economy, addressing economic pressures, trade challenges, sector slowdowns, and adopting clear governance and policies. The core of proposed solutions lies in adopting management societies, investing in industrial transition, and balancing resource use across sectors to navigate external pressures, develop resilience, and adapt to the economic climate.