Thank you, Madam Chair. We have forests and we know there is an indication that entire forests have literally burnt to the ground. Then there has been new growth. We now have new forests. With human activity increasing, we are obliged to look at a way in which we could manage these resources in order to make sure that our forests never burn in huge quantities the way they have. We have fire fighting capabilities that would minimize such an occurrence. For instance, in the Liard Valley, we know the entire valley is a mature timber stand and that at some point or other it could potentially go up in smoke, given the right conditions. We try to have a fire fighting capability that would minimize such an occurrence. We also try to put a management plan in place and are requesting that management plans be developed between our department, with the help of researchers and other work with local people at the community level and regional level. We would put together a plan, do inventories of harvestable timber, and give us a plan on how much timber they think could be harvested under what type of harvesting conditions that would allow for the forest to still be there for the people today, with regrowth for people tomorrow and for future generations. That is what we are talking about when we say sustainable, that there is no erosion or loss of forest habitat, growth or top soil as a result of harvesting. Thank you.
Stephen Kakfwi on Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on February 27th, 1997. See this statement in context.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 26th, 1997
Page 940
See context to find out what was said next.