Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is preparing to implement an emergency order under Section 80 of the Species at Risk Act in an attempt to protect struggling caribou populations in Quebec. Supporting caribou populations is something we can all get behind but this “made-in-Ottawa” plan that uses selective science will do little for caribou, while running roughshod over provincial jurisdiction, ignoring the serious concerns of local workers and community leaders, and most certainly devastate many rural Quebec towns — killing jobs, depressing property values, and bringing about all the family and social stresses that are sure to follow. As community leaders in environmentally conscious, resource-dependent parts of northern Ontario and Alberta, we share the deep concern of our municipal counterparts in Quebec. Their situation is a cautionary tale, and we stand with them because we know our communities could be next. …Beyond its wobbly scientific foundation, fire-shed risk assessments show the proposed emergency order could also increase catastrophic fire risks by taking forest management off the land base.