Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault issued an ultimatum Monday for the protection of Quebec’s woodland caribou. He will recommend an emergency decree if the file is not resolved by the summer.
Published on May 16, 2022
Source : Agence QMI, Le Journal de Montréal
Guilbeault is encouraged by the resumption of negotiations between the federal government and the government of François Legault to stop logging in some areas in order to protect the woodland caribou in Quebec.
Aware that time is running out to ensure its protection, the Minister is giving himself until the summer to obtain this agreement between the governments.
“I am hopeful that in the next few weeks, maybe the next few months, we will come to an agreement. If not, I will continue to work at the federal level so that I can go to the cabinet, to the council of ministers and ask for an emergency decree to protect the species.”
said the minister, Monday, in an interview with Qub radio.
Under the Species at Risk Act, the federal government has an obligation to intervene.
Otherwise, the federal government could be sued for not respecting its own laws. Until now, Quebec has said it wanted to find the right balance between the 5,000 or so woodland caribou still alive and the forest industry, which would suffer from the addition of new protected areas.
