A mining official says a federal draft recovery strategy for woodland caribou could effectively “shut down” economic and social development in northern Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan Mining Association executive director Pam Schwann says Ottawa has concluded that the boreal caribou are not self-sustaining in parts of the province’s north — and that forest fires and human activity can only impact a maximum of 35% of the species’ critical habitat.
Schwann says it appears the federal government wants northern Saskatchewan to essentially become an “incubation ground” to support caribou herd development in other areas of the country.
She says Ottawa is potentially withdrawing 25-million hectares of development opportunity from the province — so the stakes are “incredibly huge”:
“Development, by their definition, would be anything from mineral exploration through to new mine developments through to infrastructure developments — including roads, power lines. So this is not really a mining issue — this is an economic development issue, it’s a social issue. Because if they’re not going to allow any more development, this affects more than the mining community.”
Schwann says the SMA and the province feel the science that was used in the draft document has several flaws, and they’re hoping Ottawa’s stance can be challenged on that front:
“Under the Species At Risk Act, they are not actually allowed to look at economic and social considerations, is my understanding, and so there’s no argument to be made under the Species At Risk Act, you know, in terms of economic development — which is why we are really looking at what is the model and what is the data that informed the model.”
According to Schwann, the province is looking at potential legal recourse if Ottawa can’t be swayed.
She says the mining association has started to contact communities and chambers of commerce to inform them about this issue. She is not sure how many northern communities realize what is in the federal government’s draft plan:
“People don’t believe it, because there is nothing in the recovery strategy — you know, a sentence — that says ‘this is what the results will be’. But what happens is once you start piecing together the puzzle of what they’re saying in the recovery strategy, that you realize what the implications are. And we’ve actually had an opportunity to speak with Environment Canada officials and asked them point blank with examples, ‘Does this mean that you would not allow a new mineral exploration program or a new road to be developed?’ — and they say ‘yes’, right to your face. There’s no hesitation.”
Meanwhile, Saskatchewan Environment official Lyle Saigeon says the proposed plan might also force the province to abandon its current approach to fighting forest fires:
“But the level that would be required in the proposed report is really beyond the capacity of the province to undertake. It would be too costly and logistically impossible to fight fires at that scale. We’re not convinced that more fire suppression necessarily will translate into better habitat than we have now.”
Environment Canada spokesman Henry Lau says “it is not known” if the province’s fire management approach will have to be changed, but he says “it is possible that some development may be impacted”.
Woodland caribou have been classified as a threatened species since 2003.
Ottawa has extended the public comment period another four months.
Schwann says it is important that citizens and communities send letters opposing the plan to the federal government before the February 22nd deadline.
Submissions can be sent to saskmining@sasktel.net, and Schwann says they will be forwarded to the government.