Maïté Blanchette Vézina

Quebec’s goverment, led by the minister of Natural Resources and Forests, Maïté Blanchette-Vézina, introduced Bill 97 to modernize its forest regime. The legislation, presented in the National Assembly on Wednesday, addresses forest zoning, licensing, and wood auction oversight. This strategic move aims to improve sustainability, offering longer-term licenses. For more on this, watch our upcoming coverage. The proposed legislation focuses on several key areas to streamline and enhance forest management practices across the province. …The bill introduces a zoning system that divides public forestry territory into three distinct zones: Priority forest development zones; Multi-use zones; and Conservation areas. The bill also introduces Sustainable Forest Development Licenses (supply guarantees for forestry companies would be replaced with sustainable forest development licenses, extending the duration from five to ten years.); eliminates the wood marketing office; and provides for administrative criminal sanctions to ensure compliance.