Concerned by the “extremely precarious situation” of the woodland caribou and the absence of a plan to rescue this endangered species in Quebec, the federal Minister of the Environment, Steven Guilbeault, is calling for the publication of the strategy promised for several years by the Legault government by 1er may. In the event of refusal, Ottawa could decree protective measures.
In a letter dated March 14 and addressed directly to the Quebec Minister of the Environment, Benoit Charette, Minister Guilbeault underlines that the submission of a plan to save the deer in decline has already been the subject of “several postponements” of the part of the CAQ government.
“I am very concerned by these additional delays given the extremely precarious situation of this species and the need to quickly implement concrete and ambitious conservation measures,” insists Steven Guilbeault in this two-page letter.
Unable to obtain sufficient commitments from the Legault government to stop the fall of the various forest caribou herds in Quebec, the federal Minister of the Environment had warned as early as April 2022 that he was ready to directly decree the necessary measures to protect the “critical habitat” of the species. Such a gesture, unprecedented on the part of the federal government, could add more than 35,000 km2 of protected habitats for deer.
1er may
In his letter, Mr. Guilbeault also reiterates his desire to act, in the event of inaction on the part of Quebec. “In the event that I recommend an emergency decree, I remind you that a published strategy, or the absence of such a strategy, could influence the deliberations of the Governor in Council in its decision whether or not to accept my recommendation “, he argues.
“Given the urgency to act in the face of the continued decline of boreal caribou in Quebec and the consequences of the absence of a Quebec strategy, I strongly encourage the government of Quebec to publish its Strategy for forest and mountain caribou no later than 1er May,” adds the minister.
For the moment, we still do not know when the government plans to table a strategy to prevent the disappearance of the woodland caribou in Quebec. Last December, Minister Charette announced that the strategy would be presented in 2024, almost five years after the first postponement by the CAQ government.
Meanwhile, industrial logging carried out in Quebec over tens of thousands of square kilometers has seriously disrupted the habitats necessary for the survival of the woodland caribou, according to an international scientific study published in December 2023, which concludes that 11 of the 13 populations of the province are today at “risk” of disappearing.
It thus reports cuts which affected a little more than 82,000 km2 only in Quebec, mainly in what was previously the oldest forests in the province. The disappearance of these forest stands, usually over 100 years old, causes a decline in habitats considered essential to the survival of the caribou, by increasing the rate of disturbance of these habitats.
“With the deadline of 1er May, the sad waltz of postponements that we have been witnessing for several years is coming to an end. The Quebec government now has every advantage in quickly publishing its caribou strategy to avoid the inevitable federal intervention if the status quo persists. Its publication would also make it possible to accelerate negotiations on a collaboration agreement with a significant transfer of federal funds used to implement the strategy and take concrete action towards an economic transition for certain impacted communities,” the CEO of the Company argued on Monday. for nature and parks in Quebec, Alain Branchaud.
“Urgency to act”
In its report published in 2022, the Independent Commission on Forest and Mountain Caribou — set up by the Legault government — raised the “urgency to act” in the matter and recommended the creation of new protected areas.
A recognized caribou specialist and professor at the University of Quebec at Rimouski, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent was not consulted in the development of the Quebec strategy.
In interview at Duty, he has already said he fears that the government will adopt the approach – repeated many times by political decision-makers – which means that by authorizing a maximum of 35% of habitat disturbance, we can hope to have a 60% chance of maintaining a stable population. “If we set ourselves the objective of limiting disruptions to 35%, we are on the wrong track. This rate of 35% represents the maximum uncertainty. If I ask you to stand on the edge of a cliff in the Grand Canyon with 35% of your shoes in the air and tell yourself that you have a 60% chance of not falling, you are not going to do it,” -he said to illustrate his point.
Mr. St-Laurent instead insists on the need to protect the last forest massifs located south of the northern limit of forests attributable to industry, but also to restore forest environments around these massifs, so as to create areas of essential “connectivity” for caribou.
The scientist adds that the preservation of entire sections of the boreal forest also promotes the survival of several other wildlife species, in addition to constituting important carbon sinks for the fight against the climate crisis.