REGINA — The government of Saskatchewan is developing a forest resource inventory project by the Ministry of Environment.
With an additional $400,000 from the 2022-23 provincial budget, the ministry is investing in an updated forest resource inventory for Saskatchewan's commercial forest zone, that includes approximately 15 million hectares of forest south of the Churchill River. The information allows industry to develop economically and ecologically sustainable long-term harvest plans, according to a ministry press release.
Using remote sensing data and up-to-date technology, areas of the forest can be mapped more quickly than in the past. To date, the Ministry of Environment has completed the forest resource inventory for more than five million hectares and anticipates completing the entire commercial forest within five years.
Forestry is northern Saskatchewan's largest sector, supporting families and northern communities with nearly 8,000 jobs and another 2,600 on the way with $1 billion in planned capital investments, the ministry states. Last year, Saskatchewan had $1.8 billion in forestry sales.
Indigenous people make up more than 27 per cent of Saskatchewan's total forestry sector workforce. Additionally, 30 per cent of the provincial timber supply is allocated to Indigenous businesses.
