These are Lambert Peat Moss's proposed peat moss harvesting areas. (submitted photo/Ministry of Environment)
industry proposal

Lambert official believes concerns about peat moss project can be addressed

Apr 22, 2021 | 12:27 PM

A representative of Lambert Peat Moss believes opinions and decisions about the company’s proposed project have been made based on incomplete and preliminary information, as well as speculation as to the final project design and operations process.

The statement was made in an email to larongeNOW from team lead Michael Taylor. He explained studies and assessments have only recently been concluded, noting those studies will address many of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band’s concerns and provide rigorously, defensible conclusions that would help to better inform opinions and decisions.

“Without the opportunity to conduct meaningful and thorough engagement, and share the information from these studies, the full picture of potential effects and the opportunity to address those effects through agreeable mitigation strategies or design alternatives has not been conveyed,” Taylor wrote. “Lambert believes that, given the opportunity to continue discussions with the LLRIB, concerns can be addressed in a manner that benefits all parties.”

On Tuesday, the LLRIB released a public notice proclaiming council is opposed to the Lambert La Ronge Area Peat Harvest Project within the traditional lands of the First Nations. It adds the LLRIB Traditional Lands and Resources Advisory Committee reviewed the proposal and received letters from land users with concerns about the project.

The letter mentions the proposed sites would include the removal of all vegetation and require the areas to be drained. It’s believed the drainage of wetlands will have a harmful impact on fish and wildlife habitat including Woodland Caribou.

“The proposed roads and potential harvest locations will interfere with the traditional uses of land resources such as the gathering of food and plants used for medicinal purposes,” the notice states. “The proposed peat moss project will impact ceremonial and spiritual events/gatherings, infringing on our Treaty and Inherent rights.”

In response, Taylor wrote Lambert is still in the early stages of consultation and engagement with all affected Indigenous communities and stakeholders. He mentioned the process has been substantially held back and limited because of COVID-19 restrictions and the uncertainties around conducting activities during this time.

Taylor also stated Lambert has respected the wishes of the community not to schedule in-person meetings and has had to revise their approach to consultation and engagement activities, meaning delays in providing adequate and thorough information for discussion purposes.

“We have only recently begun to reconvene our engagement activities and are now able to address many of the questions and concerns posed by the greater community,” the email states. “Because of these delays, we have not yet been able to provide the findings of our baseline studies and assessments of the environmental and socio-economic effects.”

Taylor noted the resulting information and resulting recommendations from qualified environmental professionals will help alleviate many of the concerns, as well as foster positive discussions on how to remove or mitigate any potential or perceived adverse effects and inform alternative design options that will be more amenable to the LLRIB council.

Find out more about Lambert’s plans for peat moss harvesting here.

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno

View Comments