INDEPENDENT EXPERTS TO REVIEW FOREST COMPANIES' 20-YEAR PLANS

Released on February 19, 1998

Environment and Resource Management Minister Lorne Scott today

announced a panel of internationally-recognized forest management

specialists and ecologists will conduct an independent scientific

review of the 20-year forest management plans and Environmental Impact

Statements (EIS) submitted by Saskfor MacMillan Limited Partnership

and by Weyerhaeuser Canada Limited.



"The reviewers include some of the most respected forest scientists in

the world," Scott said. "I'm very pleased to have the benefit of

their expertise brought to these important review processes."



A Forest Management Agreement or FMA is a legal contract established

between a forest company and the province which allows the company to

harvest timber in a specified area. The 20-year management plan is an

integral part of the FMA describing proposed harvesting and forest

renewal commitments and other integrated forest management practices.

The reviewers will evaluate the plans in a number of areas, including

sustainable forest management, timber supply analysis and public

involvement.



The reviewers include: Dr. Hamish Kimmins, University of British

Columbia, Vancouver; Dr. Jim Beck, University of Alberta,

Edmonton; Dr. Peter Duinker, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay;

Dr. Tom Erdle, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton and

forestry consultants Arborvitae Environmental Services Ltd. and

associates, and Timberline Forest Inventory Consultants.



Under the province's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

process, the public will have 60 days to review and comment on

both forest company's management plans and the reports prepared

by the review panel.



The EIA process is a new requirement for forestry companies and

reflects the government's commitment to using an ecosystem

approach to enhance its management of the provincial forest

resource. This process was formally established under the Forest

Resources Management Act, passed in 1996 and expected to be

proclaimed in early 1998.



Scott noted that the EIA completed last year on NorSask's 20-Year

Forest Management Plan was the first to have been undertaken in

Saskatchewan and one of the concerns identified in that process

was the length of time it took to complete the review. By using

these forestry experts to assist in the review process the time

required to complete an assessment should be reduced.



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For more information, contact:



John Thompson Brent Bitter

Forest Ecosystems Branch Environmental Assessment Branch

Prince Albert Regina

Phone: (306) 953-2343 Phone: (306) 787-6354