Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First, I want to thank committee members for hearing the representatives of Quebec's 130,000 forest owners.
From the outset, I entirely share the concerns of the people who are here with me around this table. However, I would like to emphasize the concerns of forest producers who have been some of the most forgotten players in this crisis.
First of all, I would like to introduce our organization. The Fédération des producteurs de bois du Québec represents 130,000 forest owners, who own 10% of all of Quebec's forested land, the majority of which is located near the processing plants on the most fertile sites in Quebec. Of that number, with the incentives in place, some 35,000 owners have land use plans for their woodlots, actively cultivate those lands and already represent 20% of the supply to forest products plants. The Fédération des producteurs de bois du Québec is a member of the Canadian Federation of Woodlot Owners, which is the mouthpiece of the 450,000 woodlot owners in Canada who own 7% of all forested land.
The federation has, on many occasions, asked the federal government to use the tax system to promote investment in the development of private forests. This is forested land with the greatest development potential located closest to plants.
Today, with the crisis severely affecting the activities of thousands of families and their rural communities, the federal government must intervene soon to assist them. The government must stimulate investment in private forest development. The measures that should be adopted quickly will have a twofold advantage: first, they will immediately create economic activity, as a number of families are facing significant revenue losses, and, second, help develop forests that will—and this is a major benefit—provide more high-quality wood in future near processing plants, with positive environmental impact.
I will focus on a few measures that we would like to see implemented soon. First, we are seeking a targeted transfer to the provinces for private forest sylvicultural programs. As you know, Quebec already has a private forest development program managed by regional agencies. The federal government withdrew in 1994. We think that, during this crisis, it is important to re-establish high-quality and highly productive forest land. It is time for action, since these programs are currently inadequate in Quebec.
Like our colleagues, we would like a policy promoting the use of wood in institutional and commercial construction. Quebec adopted such a policy 2008. More specifically, we would also like to see a registered sylvicultural savings plan that would enable forest owners to accumulate tax-sheltered funds that could subsequently be reinvested to develop their woodlots. This measure has been introduced elsewhere in the world, and we think it is high time that Canada established this kind of tool.
In addition, there is a major irritant in the tax system that we would like to see disappear, and that is the tax on forestry operations. Those dealing with this kind of red tape, which generates millions of dollars of additional revenue for the Quebec government, know what I'm talking about. I'm sure it costs two to three times that amount for administration alone. It would therefore be a good idea to establish, together with the provincial governments, that of Quebec in particular, a new way of cooperating to eliminate that tax, which is a major irritant for the big wood producers.
In a longer-term perspective, the federal government must ensure greater investment in forest development in order to position itself to respond to the global population's growing need for forest products. We know that global forest product demand should double within 20 years. It is therefore important to position Canada accordingly. In so doing, Canada will be assisting in the struggle against climate change by means of more productive and healthier forests.
In conclusion, rapid intervention by the federal government is desired to enable forest owners to step up development of private forests. The introduction of additional measures for owners will assist families coping with the current crisis, which has hit them very hard.
Thank you.