Update on the Proposed by-law to Ban
Clearcutting in the Municipality of Miramichi
In the last few months, the Municipality of Miramichi was contemplating adopting a new by-law to ban clearcutting within the municipal boundaries. The by-law was voted down when stakeholders raised concerns and the Municipality realized adopting such a by-law was going to have negative impacts on the local economy and the current 400 private woodlot owners within the municipality. The implications were also noted by many in other new local government entities in the region as concerns with any by-law that impedes the ability to manage and harvest their resources on private lands within the municipality of Miramichi, practices which have been a mainstay of rural life in New Brunswick for generations.
The Farms & Forests Coalition (including Forest NB) continues to raise awareness along with other stakeholders. There remains a real risk for all private landowners, particularly those who operate farms, woodlots, and other resource-based businesses on their properties. While local governance reform is necessary, increasing the powers for municipalities and other local governance entities to implement land-management planning and by-laws risks having unintended – or intended – consequences for private landowners. Municipal planning and by-laws must take a broader perspective into consideration, including natural resources utilization like forestry and agriculture, which are mainstays of regional and provincial economic well-being.