With the heated debate on the subject of woodland caribou, we must hear the cry from the heart of the regions in the face of the fears raised by the decisions to come. However, denial is not a viable solution. The time has come to get into solution mode to chart a course. We believe that it lies in preparing a plan for a just economic transition that will put the fate of workers at the center of concerns.
Scientific knowledge is unequivocal, the caribou will not be able to survive without a reduction in cutting pressure in its habitat. We can no longer ignore this fact. The political context hardly offers more exit doors. Governments, both provincial and federal, must respect their own laws and international commitments. The desire for reconciliation with the First Nations is also part of these commitments. It cannot be achieved without recognizing the place that caribou occupy in Aboriginal culture.
Ignoring these realities can only allow an endless controversy to continue. This situation is detrimental to caribou. It is probably just as harmful to the economy by creating a constant climate of uncertainty.
At the same time, reducing harvest levels will have unfortunate economic consequences for some communities. We must deal with both problems simultaneously and find a common path. In our view, this lies in an economic response that will put the fate of workers at the center of concerns. It is in the just economic transition.
A plan for a just transition
Faced with such a societal choice, the regions concerned do not have to bear the consequences alone. They must receive all the support necessary to make the transition to a more diversified and vigorous economy. To achieve this, we are proposing a transition plan that has three components.
1. Short-term mitigation measures
First of all, measures must be put in place in the very short term to mitigate the immediate consequences that certain groups of workers could suffer. Many figures (sometimes unnecessarily alarmist) have circulated so far. To properly direct the efforts to be deployed, the government will have to rely on an analysis of the impacts on the supplies of each of the factories concerned. Depending on the results, mitigation measures can then be tailored to the groups of employees affected. Reorganizations in the supply structure of factories can be envisaged as has already been seen in the past. Special silvicultural programs can also be developed to temporarily mitigate the effects on forest workers. All stones must be returned.
2. Economic diversification more than ever on the agenda
The central element of a transition plan consists in undertaking a vast project of regional economic diversification. This should be based on two main axes: modernization of the timber industry and diversification of the economic fabric of the communities.
With the decline of the pulp and paper sector, the modernization of the wood industry is in any case on the agenda. Why not take advantage of the opportunity to develop, in weakened communities, secondary and tertiary processing, which is not very present in certain places?
Why not improve industry’s ability to contribute to the fight against climate change by increasing the proportion of wood products that can substitute for products with a high carbon footprint?
The government is in the process of setting up a vast energy transition project. Future investments should include a social concern that takes into account communities at risk. Finally, drawing inspiration from the experience of the Bécancour region in 2010, a regional economic diversification fund should be set up. Quebec and Ottawa will have to invest the necessary sums so that the plan produces the results that the regions are entitled to expect.
3. Corrections to be made to ensure a sustainable supply of quality wood
To be efficient, the next industrial structure will have to be able to count on a wood supply that will be durable and of high quality. In this regard, it seems to us that corrections must be made to supply management. Investment choices must be able to be based on a fair assessment of the timber supply. For example, taking into account risks such as fires is essential to ensure predictability. Moreover, current silvicultural efforts will have to be better supervised if we want the expected results to be truly achieved.
Channel the energies
We firmly believe that the announcement of the caribou protection strategy must be accompanied by a structured plan for a just transition. Such a plan is essential to reassure the communities. It is also the best way to channel energies towards the search for a constructive, realistic and above all sustainable solution.
* Co-signatories: Louis Bélanger, Marie-Ève Desmarais, Jean-Pierre Jetté and Gérard Szaraz, forest engineers