Released on November 12, 2014
Two Lloydminster men were recently fined a total of $5,500 in Pierceland provincial court for illegally harvesting trees in the Pierceland area.Patrick and Reagan Racette of Lloydminster, pleaded guilty to one count each under the province’s Forest Resources Management Regulations, for unlawfully harvesting forest products without a permit. Patrick Racette received a $5,000 fine, while Reagan Racette received a $500 fine.
The charges against the men were laid as the result of a call to the Turn In Poachers line in June 2014. Conservation officers investigated the call and found that the men were transporting small spruce trees in the back of their truck in the Pierceland area. The men admitted that they didn’t have a permit authorizing them to harvest the trees and were subsequently charged. It was also determined that they were selling the trees for ornamental purposes.
“The public has an expectation that individuals and companies harvesting in publicly-owned forests will follow the regulations and obtain a permit,” Ministry of Environment Compliance and Field Services Executive Director Kevin Callele said. “The public also trusts that the ministry will hold them accountable and we take this trust very seriously.”
If you suspect environmental, fisheries, wildlife or forestry violations, call your local Ministry of Environment office, Saskatchewan’s toll-free Turn In Poachers line at 1-800-667-7561 or #5555 for SaskTel cellular subscribers, or report a violation online at www.saskatchewan.ca/conservation. You may be eligible for cash rewards from the SaskTip Reward Program.
The Ministry of Environment provides science-based solutions, compliance and mitigation measures aimed at protecting the environment, safeguarding communities and helping to ensure a better quality of life for all Saskatchewan residents.
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For more information, contact:
Jamie Gibson
Environment
Regina
Phone: 306-798-3900