Forestry survey discussed
A series of meetings in connection with a Natural Resources Department forestry survey is going ahead independently of the government.
The department funded the survey by research specialists from N.B. Natural Resources, the University of New Brunswick, Natural Resources Canada and the Universite de Moncton in an effort to get a better idea of what information is available on forest use, and the public’s view on forest management in New Brunswick.
The first meeting in the independent series was held March 19 at the Miramichi woodlot Owners’ Association facility in Miramichi.
Originally, the government was to have held nine public meetings itself throughout the province, but after the first one in Fredericton, Natural Resources Minister Donald Arsenault scrapped the remaining eight, announcing information would be available on the department’s website instead.
“We will take [the] survey information into consideration when decisions are made on the new forest policy for New Brunswick,” said Arsenault.
That decision did not sit well with the survey’s researchers, said Dr. Tom Beckley, professor with the faculty of forestry and environmental management at the University of New Brunswick and one of the researchers on the project.
Beckley was joined at Wednesday’s meeting by another of member of the research team, Dr. Solange Nadeau, a sociologist with Natural Resources Canad“We decided the public had a right to know what the result of this survey was, since they were the people who agreed to take the survey and it was their input we were discussing. We are here to present these results to you,” said Beckley.
Of the 2,500 people surveyed, 62 per cent responded. Results indicate the public sees maintaining the province’s forests for future generations as a priority.
“Forests are an important feature of New Brunswick’s landscape and the backbone of a key sector of the province’s economy. We worked in partnership with DNR to compile this information,” Beckley said, adding it is important to note the survey was never intended to be a formal consultation.
“Many previous discussions focused more on stakeholders and not the public and this is designed to specifically address the views of the general public,” he said.
Four groups targeted The survey targeted four groups within the province:
1. People from urban areas.
2. People from areas of low forest dependence (coastal areas).
3. People from moderate area.
4. People from high areas (more forest dependent economy).
“Amazingly ... the return rate from the four groups was quite similar. It really helped in getting realistic results,” he said.
The key findings of the survey indicated:
• The public has a strong environmental orientation.
• Support for DNR and the department of environment (DOE) is strong, but there is an interest for change in Crown land management.
• There is a need to address perceived shortcomings in opportunities for public participation’ • There is low support for many mechanisms currently being used.
• There is interest in simple but meaningful mechanisms for individual involvement.
• There is a desire for meaningful ways to engage the environmental community in forest policy and forest management.
“Environmental values received the strongest support from all four groups. To a lesser degree, respondents also supported economic and utilitarian values, showing higher support in areas with high forest dependencies,” said Beckley.
A low level of satisfaction was indicated in areas regarding forest management on Crown land and industrial freehold land. Results of the survey indicated the public would like more engagement in decisions made in these areas.
Local marketing board pleased Northumberland County ForestProducts Marketing Board president and local woodlot owner Jean Guy Comeau said it was great to have Beckley and Nadeau deliver their message to the approximate 50 people attending the Miramichi meeting.
“It takes a lot of gall for these two people to be here this evening and to present the results of this survey when the government had requested a cancellation of these public meetings,” said Comeau. He added he and others present would like to see a more open dialogue with the public, stakeholders and government in relation to the management of the forest industry.
Budget cuts not discussed The meeting came on the heels of budget announcements Tuesday regarding the provincial private woodlot silviculture program.
The announcements indicated the silviculture budget would be reduced and the woodlot owners would have to pay for of the program.
Beckley said these latest issues would not be addressed during the presentation of the survey results.
“We are here to provide results on the public survey. We are not bureaucrats. We are researchers sharing data with the public and cannot address issues relating to bureaucratic decision making,” said Nadeau.
Jean Guy Comeau said they would need to be addressed at the time of public consultations scheduled to take place with the government following the publication of the results of two other studies currently underway.
“This is purely an information session,” said Comeau.
Nadeau and Beckely reassured those present the information from the two studies — one on International Forest Analysis, expected to be released in May or early June, and the other conducted by the N.B.
Forestry taskforce, expected to be released within the next month or so — will be followed up with public consultations in June.
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