PRINCE ALBERT — If you want to harvest trees from the provincial forest to sell, you need to get a licence. If you don't, it can cost you, as three Prince Albert-area men learned.
On April 17, Terry Thoms, Reginald Cook and Jose Madariaga pleaded guilty in Prince Albert Provincial Court to offences under The Forest Resources Management Act and received fines totalling $8,229.
In October 2022, a truck carrying a load of birch travelling along Highway 916, north of Prince Albert National Park, attracted the attention of a conservation officer, who pulled the vehicle over. The driver, Reginald Cook, was transporting the wood to Terry Thoms to be sold as firewood, but did not have the required shipping and receiving reports. Further, Thoms had no permit to harvest the birch. The officer travelled to where the wood was being harvested, finding Jose Madariaga in the process of loading two more loads of birch. All the wood was seized and the three were charged.
Thoms and Madariaga both pled guilty to possessing forest products without a licence. Thoms was fined $4,130 and Madariaga was fined $4,099. In addition to the fines, they were required to deliver the timber to Great Blue Heron Provincial Park, where it will be used as firewood for visitors.
Cook pled guilty and received a Notice of Violation for transporting forest products without shipping and receiving reports.
Resource laws, including the requirement for a licence to harvest Crown timber, are in place to ensure that Saskatchewan's forests remain sustainable and healthy for future generations, states Sask. Environment in a press release. The dues and fees paid ensure the people of the province receive a fair return from those who use public resources and that funds are available to renew the forest.
If you suspect wildlife, fisheries, forestry or environmental violations, please call Saskatchewan's toll-free Turn In Poachers and Polluters (TIPP) line at 1-800-667-7561 or report violations online at saskatchewan.ca/tipp. You may be eligible for cash rewards from the SaskTIP Reward Program and don't have to give your name.
