New Brunswick needs a modern forest plan for nature and communities

New Brunswick needs a modern forest plan to conserve and manage the forests that surround and support us all. We want government to commit to a transparent forest management strategy rooted in nature conservation, Indigenous co-stewardship, and ecological forestry practices.

Forest experts have found that birds that need mixed forests in NB are struggling to maintain breeding populations. Even common forest birds have become less plentiful. Salmon and trout will only thrive in the cold water that comes from streams shaded by dense canopies of trees. Flooding is more of a problem as climate change worsens, and we need forests to have strong and deep root systems to absorb these waters.

In recent polls, 75% of New Brunswickers asked said they want the forestry management system changed to include more ecological forestry and significantly less clearcutting.

Other provinces, such as Nova Scotia and British Columbia, have made ecological forestry a priority in law. If they can make it happen, so can we!

Ask the provincial government to take action now before it’s too late! We need a plan that halts and reverses nature loss, protects more diverse forest and wetlands, and promotes a sustainable forest-based economy.

Join us in the push to protect NB forests!

Send a message to the Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development with this easy form.

You can learn more about our recent calls for better forest management here.

Reminder: Our template letter is a good start, but if you personalize it, you can make sure it has a lasting impact on your government representatives. Please consider a change to the subject line and include a few sentences about why forests are important to you.

Hon.

Mike

Holland

Government of New Brunswick

Dear {contact_data~firstName}{contact_data~lastName},

I am writing to ask that the government commit to a transparent forest management plan rooted in nature conservation, Indigenous co-stewardship, and ecological forestry practices.

Since the last public forest report in 2015, my community and I have become more concerned about the forest’s ability to  protect us from flooding, provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and provide us with clean air and water.

Forest experts have found that even common forest birds are much less abundant. Salmon are struggling in NB rivers because streams surrounded by clearcuts don’t have the dense canopies they need to keep the water cold enough for salmon to thrive. Flooding is getting worse, and we need the forests to have strong and deep root systems to hold the soil and help absorb rain from storms. New Brunswick needs a modern forest plan that halts and reverses nature loss, protects more diverse forest and wetlands, and is fair for Indigenous communities, private woodlot owners and recreational forest users.

A timber industry that produces a wide array of products and works with the unique diversity of the forest should be the output, rather than the driver of the plan.

We need leadership that values forests for nature, resilience to climate change, and a variety of jobs and economic products.

Along with other supporters of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – NB Chapter, I am asking you to: 
-Establish co-stewardship relationships with Indigenous communities for forests, 
-Significantly reduce clear-cuts in size and number,  
-Legislate targets to increase selective cutting and ecological forestry,   
-Create new protected areas to safeguard wildlife habitat, in line with Canada’s goals to protect 30% of the country by 2030,  
-Eliminate glyphosate-based herbicides in forests,    
-Provide more fairness and opportunity for private woodlot owners to help take the pressure off wood from unceded Crown forests, and  
-Routinely include the public in decision-making that guides how forests are conserved and managed – every year.

I look forward to the government taking swift and strong action on forests, because they are so important to the well-being of New Brunswickers.

Kind regards,
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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