Banff-Cochrane MLA Cam Westhead says UCP leader Jason Kenney is unfairly labelling people who have expressed concerns over forest harvesting practices in watersheds as a "special interest group" and believes Kenney hasn't taken the time to understand the issues at stake.

"Of the people that I speak to, nobody wants the forestry industry to stop operating," says Westhead. "We all need lumber and we know it's an important part of our economy. What people really care about is that they want to know that the practices are sustainable and won't have a negative impact on things like wildlife and water."

"He's labelled these people that are expressing concerns as a "special interest group"  that is trying to derail the forestry industry. I think that's a really unfair label. These are people who care about wildlife habitat, tourism and water and those things aren't special interests. Those are interests we all share. Our wildlife and wild spaces are part of something that belongs to all of us and really the interest there isn't special, we just want to know that it's being managed in the best interest of the public."

Westhead says he wants to see Spray Lake Sawmills continue to succeed and values their role in the area.

"I want to be clear that I'm trying to represent all sides of the story. I know there are people that have concerns about the practices but there are also jobs that Spray Lake Sawmills creates. They have an important role to play in our economy and we want to see them succeed."

Westhead rose in the Legislative Assembly last week to ask a series of questions of Oneil Carlier, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry Minister, on public consultation and to also stress the importance of Spray Lake Sawmills in his constituency. He says he commonly hears concerns over the consultation process when it comes time for a forest harvesting operation to begin.

"It's a similar theme every time a project comes up," says Westhead. "Residents voice displeasure about the public consultation process."

There are various stages to the public consultation and some are well in advance of a forest harvest.

"I often hear they are too far apart from the time they are first announced. When the more refined consultation takes place just prior to a harvest, there's not necessarily a consultation in which people feel they can have a meaningful role."

Still, those consultations have had an impact, he points out. In the Ghost Valley, some cutblocks were made smaller, a larger buffer zone was created for Trumpeter Swan and the bluff block was removed from the harvest plan. In the Highwood Pass, the retention rate was increased to 10 per cent from one per cent and larger buffers were created. Whether any changes will be made for the upcoming Mustang Hills harvest, in the Bragg Creek area, has not yet been determined. 

"For the Mustang Hills, I'm not sure of changes, but there has been a response from minister and the sawmill company has expressed a willingness to adjust some of their plans in response to the concerns being expressed."

The government has contractual obligations associated with existing forest management areas and as new contracts are signed he hopes there is the opportunity to improve the consultation process.

"People kind of feel they have to get out the torches and the pitchforks to make change happen. They're telling me they don't want to have this anger and feel upset every time. They want a more robust process so they have a little bit more certainty that their concerns are being heard and that they're being addressed before they are coming down to the 11th hour."