A sneak peek of Atlantic Forestry September 2011

Well-worn path
I recently had the pleasure of tagging along for part of the Atlantic Teachers’ Tour, presented by the Canadian Woodlands Forum at various locations in the Maritime provinces over the past 10 years. It’s hard to say whether participants represent a true cross-section of teachers. Some of my acquaintances in the profession would be pretty cynical about any kind of industry-led public-awareness program offering free . . .



Crown land: Its future and ours
AFR: Often we fail to see the forest for the trees and as a result we fail to understand how this wonderful ecosystem affects our daily lives. This is especially true regarding Crown land. My own small mixed-wood woodlot includes 12 acres of reclaimed gravel pit and another 40 in various stages of regrowth. I live close to the mouth of the. . .



NewPage closes its doors
NewPage Corporation has announced that it will shut down both paper machines at its Port Hawkesbury, N.S. mill; September 10 for the mill’s PM1 newsprint machine and September 16 for the PM2 supercalendered machine. The decision was based on unfavorable exchange rates between the U.S. and Canadian dollars and high utility and shipping costs, which have rendered the Port Hawkesbury. . .



Living in interesting times
by David Palmer
May you live in interesting times.” That old Confucius saying can be a curse or a blessing. Yes, these days are interesting, which makes for excitement but not necessarily fun. Interesting means change, and change involves uncertainty, and uncertainty can drive people to despair. Whether the topic is global geo-politics, the Greek and American economies, the ever-changing climate, or the forest industry, every day brings new twists and . . .



N.B. biomass pilot project
Wood pellet boiler to heat new school
A new public school for Fredericton North will be heated by a wood pellet-fired hot water boiler, a pilot project for the New Brunswick government as it fulfills a campaign commitment to use bio-fuels to heat provincial buildings. The contract to build the school was awarded Maxim 2000 Inc. in June of this year, with a completion date. . .


Fair price stumpage?
Maritime wide survey underway
A new consultant’s report to the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources is examining stumpage agreements on private lands throughout the Maritimes as a way to determine a fair price for stumpage on Crown lands. In the past, the Department has hired a consultant to collect private land data in New Brunswick. Data collected this year will be compiled from. . .



Teachers venture outside their natural habitat
Forestry industry the focus of four day educational tour
There was some lighthearted banter about certain members of the group being a little less perky than others at morning role-call, but all the participants in the 2011 Atlantic Teachers’ Tour worked hard for their grub. The Canadian Woodlands Forum (CWF) presents this crash course in forestry annually, and this year’s tour, running August 9-12, took place on Nova Scotia’s South Shore. Classroom sessions were conducted at the. . .



Northern Peninsula timber savior
Transportation subsidy to help pay shipping to Nova Scotia
by Lance Futcher
Timber harvesters on Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula know all too well about hard times. The annual attrition rate climbs at a sharpening rate. “It hits home when you see people, your friends, who can no longer stick it out and after a lifetime working in the industry have to move to Alberta or wherever to find work,” says Ralph Payne, vice-president of the Northern. . .



Downey Thompson sick? Never happen!
Forest industry salutes a remarkable worker
by Terry Stanislow
I know I speak for many when I say that I cannot imagine what it would be like to work for the same company for 65 years. In fact, on the evening of June 10, 2011, I found myself in a packed room at the Legion Hall in Enfield, Nova Scotia, where a special dinner was held to recognize such an achievement. For the past 65 years, Downey Thompson has reported to work at Elmsdale Lumber Company (ELCO) in central. . .


Levy for Christmas trees?
New Brunswick growers seeks agency status
The New Brunswick Christmas Tree Industry Association is seeking agency status and New Brunswick Christmas tree producers will be given the opportunity to vote in an upcoming plebiscite on the issue. Agency status would allow the association to raise funds by collecting a check-off levy on marketed trees. Sophie Cyr, president of the association, explained that gaining. . .



Coating coup
N.S. hardwood flooring plant set to launch region’s first pre-finish line
by David Lindsay
As value-added products go, hardwood flooring is a pretty good way to get the most benefit from the forest resource. It makes use of several different species, in a range of sizes and grades. Best of all, it doesn’t go out of fashion, with demand remaining strong in a number of domestic and export markets. But there’s been a shift in the industry that has presented a challenge for small and mid-sized. . .



Budget cuts threaten INFOR
Chris Dickie, executive director of INFOR Inc., was shocked this June when the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources told him the company’s budget would be cut in half. The cuts will essentially reduce INFOR to a one-man show, according to Dickie, drastically affecting its ability to provide information and extension resources to its clients. After the proposed cuts were. . .



Putting a cap on carbon
Growing trees could help – and pay
by Terry Pearson
In times of weak markets, woodlot owners’ thoughts often turn to sources of revenue beyond the usual logs and pulpwood. Wreaths, fungi, maple products, conifer seeds, and even the rental of land to commercial interests such as wind farms are all potentially viable choices. Now, there is an increasing interest in carbon credits and carbon. . .



Can you credit it?
Carbon trading holds promise for forest industry, in theory
by David Lindsay
Though it’s an abstract concept that still causes some head scratching among those accustomed to dealing in tangible commodities, the trading of carbon credits is no longer a merely hypothetical proposition. There is now some money to be made, and a recent study suggests there are opportunities for the forest products sector, though in Nova Scotia the industry. . .



At work in the woods, and field station
Woods-related workshops prove popular
The popularity of three back-to-back workshops at the Harrison Lewis Centre in mid-summer demonstrated a strong interest on the part of many landowners in putting their forests to greater, multi-faceted use. Workshops on mushroom identification (and growing), low impact forestry, and the skillful operation of chainsaws brought together very. . .



Association for Sustainable Forestry
Truro, N.S.
Renewed funding from NSDNR to ASF has spurred silviculture on small private woodlots across the province. As in previous years, fill planting, pre-commercial thinning of natural stands, commercial thinning, and Category 7 work is being funded. Interest in Category 7 treatments (selection management, crop tree release, and crop tree pruning) remains high, and at least. . .