2024-05-01 19:30:00
Editor’s note The following text is part of a file written as part of the thematic notebook whose theme is: The changing forestry sector, published in our April issue.
SAINT-PRIME – More than 4 million hectares of forest burned in Quebec in 2023, according to the Society for the Protection of Forests Against Fire (SOPFEU). With spring coming early in 2024, how have foresters learned from the previous year and how are they preparing for the next season?
“As entrepreneurs, there is only so much we can do. Most of the solutions are in the hands of our customers and the Department of Natural Resources. We must have forest planning so that we can act in the event of a fire. We have problems with effective harvest planning in a normal situation, when there is a fire, we have an unbalanced schedule which we already had difficulties in getting, emphasizes Stéphane Dufour, general manager and co-owner of the group.
Record year
Several main contractors in the forestry sector were forced to suspend their operations for a few weeks due to fires in some areas. This is particularly the case with Groupe Val, which interrupted harvesting and road construction for almost three weeks in the summer of 2023.
“Every year we know it’s a risk, but almost three weeks off work was a record. We still kept our employees working by diverting them to other related tasks. This interruption of activities presents several challenges; this equates to nearly a million dollars in sales, not to mention turning our summer 2023 planning on its head. We had to take care of fires and quickly recover the burnt wood instead of respecting our usual obligations, says Dufour.
The manufacturing sector was also strongly affected by the cessation of business. According to Resolute Forest Products, it is essential to have a diversification of sectors to be able to resort to a contingency plan B, C or D, given that all depend on weather conditions.
– The weeks when harvesting was interrupted were very problematic for the production sector, despite our wood reserves. Delays in the utilization of burned areas resulted in significant waste. Around 10% of burnt wood is downgraded even if it meets standards. We use a mixture of green wood and wood burned during sawing to limit defects in the packages sold,” illustrates David Boivin, director of human resources for Resolute Forest Products and Petit Paris Forestry Cooperative.
Adapt to preserve
The early thaw in recent weeks is causing concern among forestry contractors. Although there is still a small snow cover in the forest, Sébastien Dufour is still scared and hopes that the conditions will be less extreme than last year.
“We expected the harvest to cope with the weather conditions. Fortunately, our staff are very understanding, which is crucial considering the uncertainty of the season. It is important to maintain access to the territory. Although it is often overlooked, it is of crucial importance. The wider access we have, the quicker and more effectively we can intervene, adds Groupe Val’s managing director and co-owner.
– The problem with forest fires is above all that they repeat themselves in the same territory. Fires are natural and necessary to regenerate the forest, but subsequent fires deplete the territory, making it more difficult to rehabilitate. We want increased forestry work to put these forests back into production, adds David Boivin.
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