Bill 97: Christian Messier in the media to denounce the instrumentalization of his Triad research by the Quebec government

Christian Messier, principal investigator of the DIVERSE project, has been in the media since early May, highlighting the flaws in Bill 97.

The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Maïté Blanchette Vézina, refers to the Triad concept as the scientific basis for her bill, but Christian Messier, who tested the Triad approach in his studies of forest ecology, disagrees.

Read the following newspaper articles and radio interviews to understand why Bill 97 will not lead to better management of Quebec’s wood resource:

May 1, 2025, Article in La Presse by Christian Messier: https://www.lapresse.ca/dialogue/opinions/2025-05-01/reforme-du-regime-forestier/la-triade-une-bonne-idee-mal-recue-par-plusieurs.php

May 29, 2025, Article in La Presse by Charles Lecavalier :https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/2025-05-29/nouveau-regime-forestier/repudie-par-le-chercheur-qui-l-a-inspire.php

May 29, 2025, Opinion letter in La Presse signed by researchers from the Centre d’Étude de la Forêt: https://www.lapresse.ca/dialogue/opinions/2025-05-29/projet-de-reforme-du-regime-forestier-quebecois/une-occasion-manquee-pour-le-quebec.php

June 2, 2025, Interview on the ICI Première program Au coeur du monde: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/au-coeur-du-monde/segments/rattrapage/2086118/entrevue-avec-christian-messier

June 3, 2025, Interview at CBC News: Quebec’s proposed forest management plan sparks tensions with Indigenous communities (in English): https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6784138

June 9, 2025, Article in Le Devoir by Alexandre Shields: https://www.ledevoir.com/environnement/889141/caq-recule-projet-loi-exploitation-forestiere-temps-ajuster

If you want to better understand the state of scientific knowledge behind the triad concept, you can also consult this recent scientific article published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management in 2022 entitled: Perspectives: Thirty years of triad forestry, a critical clarification of theory and recommendations for implementation and testing. The article, written by Austin Himes, Matthew Betts, Christian Messier and Robert Seymour, is available here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120103