Small-scale cutting advocated

A lobby group wants a forest management plan for central Labrador to do more to encourage wood harvesting on a small scale.

The provincial Forestry Department and the Innu Nation held a public meeting Thursday night in Happy Valley-Goose to hear public comments on a draft plan.

An advocacy group, Third Signatory, argues selective logging is the best way to harvest Labrador's boreal forest. It wants the trees cut individually instead of clear cutting entire stands.

Robin Goodfellow Baikie is the group's chair. She says 10% of the total allowable cut should be set aside for traditional harvesting techniques.

Third Signatory says that would benefit local operators who harvest using only chains saws and snowmobiles.

The Innu Nation and forestry planners will be taking public comments for the next couple of weeks. They hope to have a revised draft plan ready for the end of September.