They may have a lease for the timber but they do not own the Forest.
Not all Forestry is created equal. Though Saskatchewan is a global leader in sustainable forestry, some of the companies operating in the province are lagging far behind. The Map below shows the logging completed up to 2017 in Pink & proposed logging for the next 5 years in red, pale pink, maroon and blue within the Prince Albert Forest Management Area. This FMA is operated by Sakaw Askiy, a Forestry Conglomerate whose operations extend into critical habitat for federally listed species at risk like Woodland Caribou and free roaming Plains Bison. After the Saskatchewan Government released its Draft Caribou Range plan outlining areas of critical habitat, operators working for Sakaw Askiy began rushing to log as many trees as they can before these critical areas become protected.
Their operations also impact dozens of communities who call the forest home and rely on it for food, leisure and income. These communities are often ignored or at best granted small concessions that barely hide the devastation.
Sakaw Askiy is not a member of the Forest Stewardship Council, the highest standard available for forestry worldwide. As you read this, their operations are impacting the landscape for untold generations to come and contributing to the decline in Saskatchewan's Woodland Caribou.
