Since time is short, I'll simply say hello and thank you to all. Kwe, Chief Dominique.
We have provided the clerk with three briefs that we feel are essential, which are intended to introduce you to the Quebec Forest Industry Council or QFIC. As you'll see, in addition to being the voice of the industry, it's also the overall impact on the industry. You'll also see the extent to which the forest industry contributes to the economic vitality and support of the Canadian and Quebec social safety net.
Let me get straight to the point.
I want to be clear about QFIC's position on protecting the caribou, which is shared by its members. We are and always have been in favour of protecting the caribou. However, a federal decree is not the solution. This decree is nothing more than a ban on management and harvesting, a glass dome aimed solely at the forestry industry, while carefully avoiding to inform recreation and tourism enthusiasts that no one will maintain forestry or multi-user roads to get to resorts and outdoor activity sites.
To ignore the various factors impacting caribou and single out just one, without considering the socio-economic risks that future decisions could represent, is deplorable. Unfortunately, that is the path taken by the government with its decree. The decree is far from being the solution. What's needed to protect caribou, but also biodiversity, are concrete restoration measures, adapted silvicultural approaches, active management of predators and alternative prey, monitoring of caribou populations, protective enclosures, bumping, if necessary, as well as greater involvement of land occupants, particularly members of Indigenous communities and the forest industry.
Forestry management is an integral part of the solution. Recent fires in major national parks demonstrate this. Jasper National Park serves as a reminder. In our view, we must stop pitting forestry against biodiversity protection. What's needed is a pragmatic balance. We believe that it is not only possible to reconcile protection, biodiversity and forestry, but that it is imperative to do so.
Mr. Seto mentioned that the federal decree only targets 4% of the territory accessible to industry, and that this is negligible. By the same logic, one might also say that the 1998 ice storm was not a serious event, since it affected only 2% of Quebec's territory. You'll agree with me that it's not so much the affected surface area that matters, but rather its position on the territory, its strategic importance and the number of people and activities affected.
This decree defines provisional zones, zones of interest and buffer zones. In the zone of interest alone, nearly 12,000 square kilometres, generating 1.4 million cubic metres per year, are frozen for industry. One important aspect has been completely overlooked by analysts. I feel sorry for the minister, because it's a fundamental aspect. There are certain forest certification holders who have now seen the maps and won't be able to go into the affected areas, whether it's the very strict perimeter or the much broader one, because it could irk certain customers and call their forest certification into question.
According to the forestry regime in place, these mills will have to get their volume from the auction system. This will greatly increase demand, in a system that is already short on supply following the 2023 fires. The measures already taken by the federal government are having an impact on the industry's competitiveness.
The price will therefore be pushed up and, at the end of the year, this price will be reflected throughout Quebec. There's only one equation. All Quebec mills are going to pay more for their wood, because there's a scarcity and because the bids are in. The price will go up for everyone. Does the decree affect only a few nearby mills? The answer is no. As of today, the decree affects the entire Quebec forest industry.
That's where we stand today. For us, for the industry, it is essential to ensure that a solution can be found. That means finding a way through. For us, that requires a dialogue, a forum in which industry and governments are present. The decree cites section 80 of the Act, but is silent on section 64, which provides for compensation for affected individuals and companies.
The people and companies affected are all those involved in the value chain. We're talking about 130,000 families and billions of dollars in revenue.
I'd be happy to discuss this further with everyone. From our perspective, what's needed is a forum that brings together the federal and provincial governments, First Nations and industry.