The
Alward Government's new provincial forestry plan won't take its toll
overnight, but it could spell environmental disaster down the road.
That's
according to Margo Sheppard, who has spent more than 30 years working as
an environmental planner. She tells us conversations on job
growth and the economy are overshadowing those on environmental
sustainability when we're facing a climate crisis of unknown
proportions.
The plan
would decrease the amount of protected old growth forest from
30-percent to 23-percent while allowing 20-percent more softwood to be
cut on public land annually.
The
government saying the strategy was created to create and maintain new
jobs and manage forests in a sustainable way. Sheppard counters, saying
it will impact wildlife, erosion control and more.