The Independent Commission on Woodland and Mountain Caribou, responsible for finding solutions to limit the socio-economic impacts of protecting the species, announced Thursday that it will begin its work in mid-April.
The consultations will begin on April 12 in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, in Gaspésie, and will end on May 17 in Baie-Comeau, on the North Shore. Stops are also planned in Alma, Baie-Saint-Paul, Chibougamau, La Sarre and Val-d’Or. Hearings are expected to be held in person, but the Commission will closely monitor the evolution of the epidemiological situation and may modify its plans if necessary.
For each of the cities visited, the Commission will organize public hearings with the citizens of the regions concerned. “They will then be able to prepare and submit a brief or simply share their opinions by filling out a form on the Commission’s website,” added project president Nancy Gélinas in a press release.
Across the province, the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs (MFFP) estimated that there were 6,000 to 8,500 woodland caribou in Quebec when it was last assessed in 2012. In 2019, more than 140,000 people career in the forestry industry.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com