Pat Mackasey

MADGE LAKE — During a forest plan meeting held at the Duck Mountain Recreation Hall on Oct. 12 to discuss forest management strategies, with a particular focus on aspen harvesting in Duck Mountain Provincial Park. Paul LeBlanc, a district forester with Louisana-Pacific (LP) Building Solutions joined Pat Mackasey, a Park Forest ecologist based in Prince Albert to contribute to the meeting. The meeting’s agenda included an overview of aspen harvesting in Duck Mountain Provincial Park over the past few years and the direction for the coming year. A key point of discussion was the necessity of forest harvesting due to issues related to forest health. Old and variable forests, insufficient natural regeneration, and susceptibility to wildfires, insect infestations, and extreme weather events were highlighted as primary concerns. The depletion of forest biodiversity and wildlife habitat loss were also mentioned as significant factors.