DIn the coming weeks, the government must make its final decisions concerning the place of the forest in ecological planning. We, scientists, players in the forest-timber sector, community leaders, are calling for an overhaul of our forestry policy to adapt it to the challenges of climate emergencies and the preservation of biodiversity. Our forests are suffering from the first effects of climate change, but, beyond this shared observation, the government is struggling to set a clear course.
In a context where uncertainty is becoming the norm, there are two main types of strategies: betting on drastic measures, at the risk of aggravating the crisis by creating maladaptations, or adopting measures ” without regret “ more cautious, which, even if they do not completely achieve their objectives, will not have negative effects. The first elements revealed by the government concerning the place of the forest in ecological planning are worrying.
While the forest carbon sink is falling, this trend could be aggravated by the objective, which remains central, of massively increasing wood harvesting. It will not be possible to satisfy all biomass energy needs without a strong policy of reducing consumption. We must not put forests to work without clear decisions on new energy uses, such as replacing the coal in our thermal power plants with wood or making planes fly with wood-based biofuels.
“All forestry is not equal”
The shift to take is not to harvest more wood, but to harvest better by relying on the contributions of science and the experience accumulated by field managers. What we expect from ecological planning is to move away from denial: not all forestry is equal. Some practices should be abandoned, others should be changed and others should be encouraged.
Large clearcuts, in particular, are the subject of increasing questioning. Almost a year ago, a collective scientific expert report was submitted to the government, calling for better regulation of this controversial practice which can be damaging to the proper functioning of ecosystems and soils. Recommendations which remained unanswered. Worse, faced with increasing dieback, the change of species by clear cutting then planting seems to overshadow all other possible adaptation measures.
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