Dear candidates,
In the name of Boisés Est, I congratulate you for volunteering your services to the community.
Among the many issues of concern to our citizens, and which you will find on the agenda of your municipal council if you are elected as mayor or councillor, I wish to bring to your attention developments regarding the region’s forest cover.
To help you answer questions from concerned voters, I’d like to suggest that you review two reports, both publicly available on the South Nation Conservation’s website (http://www.nation.on.ca/status-forest-cover):
— 2016 Forest Cover – Overview and Recommendations. This rapport summarizes a detailed scientific study documenting the loss of forest cover in the South Nation watershed between 2008 and 2014, and draws some conclusions and recommendations.
— Protecting and Increasing the Forest Cover in the South Nation Conservation Jurisdiction. August 2018. This document reports on the findings of a working group tasked by the 16 municipalities of the South Nation watershed with making recommendations to protect and expand the area’s forest cover.
The search for solutions to forest cover loss has also been addressed though consultations held in 2017 by the South Nation Conservation with representatives of the farming community (Agricultural Forest Cover Committee).
The recommendations in these reports have been developed by people who share an understanding of forest cover issues. They are not binding on municipalities but reviewing them will give you, as a candidate and potential councillor or mayor, the advantage of not wasting your time and energy covering ground that’s already been covered. You’ll be better equipped to make the right decisions and make them faster.
Yours truly,
Jean-Claude Havard
Boisés Est
