As a proud Conservative who also considers himself a Green Tory, I believe that the essence of conservatism lies in its root word: to conserve. This principle is not limited to preserving our institutions that function well but extends to our natural environment. Unfortunately, the current Liberal government’s narrow focus on climate change is neglecting critical issues like clean air, clean water, and, as we recently learned the hard and devastating way, sustainable forest management.
The catastrophic events in Jasper, Alberta, have highlighted the consequences of this oversight. As a woodlot owner, I am deeply troubled by the federal government’s mismanagement of the forests, notably those directly under their jurisdiction within national parks. The neglect of overmature forests, allowing them to fall and rot, or be overrun by insect outbreaks, turned them into fire hazards, and now it is too late. This is a colossal failure of the federal government.
Liberal Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, an environmentalist with a passion for radical change, is so focused on his long-term fixation to destroy Canada’s oil and gas sector in the name of fighting climate change that he has missed the immediate issues at hand. While his concern for the Earth’s future might be commendable, I disagree with his stance against Canada’s ethical oil. More importantly, he is neglecting the pressing concerns that impact us today, such as sound and robust forest management.
This is not just a critique of Guilbeault’s vision; it’s about the practical failures that are affecting our environment and communities right now. Jasper National Park, a federal park, has seen years of warnings from locals and experts about the risks posed by neglected overmature forests. Yet, these warnings have gone unheeded. The 2018 Parks Canada report clearly outlined the dangers, but it seems to have been completely ignored.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has faced unfair criticism for the Jasper fires as her critics accuse her of denying climate change. In reality, this issue stems from the federal government’s failure to implement proper forest management practices. Effective forest management requires forward-thinking and science-driven forecasting—areas where the current federal approach has been woefully inadequate.
Minister Guilbeault doesn’t see the forest for the trees. His focus on headline-grabbing issues like the carbon tax and dismantling the oil and gas sector has led to the abandonment of many other critical environmental concerns. This approach can be termed “pop-environmentalism”—trendy, attention-grabbing, but not rooted in the reality of comprehensive environmental stewardship.
One has only to look at this federal government’s own “Parks Canada Carbon Atlas Series: Carbon Dynamics in the Forests of National Parks in Canada,” released in 2023. The report concludes that between 1990 to 2020, the forests within Canada’s national parks system are acting as a net source of greenhouse gases, owing largely to their vulnerability to wildfire. A report that Minister Guilbeault has never publicly acknowledged while he continues to recklessly set aside more and more forests without any plan to properly manage them.
True environmental conservation encompasses a wide range of issues beyond climate change. It includes ensuring clean air and water and managing our forests sustainably. The neglect of these fundamentals has left our national parks and forests vulnerable to ruin. Conservatism, at its core, is about conserving and protecting these invaluable resources.
We must advocate for a balanced approach that addresses both long-term climate goals and immediate environmental needs. We cannot afford to let our forests fall into disrepair and become fire hazards. Policies must reflect the full spectrum of environmental conservation, rooted in practicality and scientific evidence.
It is time for a shift in perspective. Conservatives need to reclaim their leadership in environmental stewardship. We must move beyond the Liberal’s narrow focus on pop-environmentalism and embrace a holistic approach to conservation. Let’s conserve not just our traditions and institutions but also our natural environment, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
