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Welcome to the June edition of my e-Newsletter.
Following the government's
re-election, Premier Campbell announced his new cabinet. I was honoured to accept the Premier's call to continue as the Minister of Forests and Range, as well as the added duty of Minister Responsible for the Integrated Land Management Bureau.
The government's recent election platform set a number of forestry-related commitments aimed at putting forest workers back to work and developing new uses for wood, new markets and new value in growing trees, including the:
- addition of $30 million to expand the $129-million
Community Development Trust;
- expansion of the provincial "Wood First" Policy for
new public facilities;
- creation of a Wood Innovation and Design Centre
in Prince George;
- establishing a Commercial Forest Reserve to ensure
continued protection of harvest lands;
- creation of a Value for Wood Secretariat;
- continued focus on the new $35-million
Bioenergy Strategy;
- increase of B.C.'s marketing budget in China
by 50 per cent;
- creation of a new tenure specifically designed
for growing trees; and
- continued investment in the Mountain Pine
Beetle Action Plan.
I am excited and look forward to working with industry, communities, First Nations, forest workers and my cabinet colleagues to fulfill these committments that will build a strong sustainable future for forestry in B.C.
Pat Bell
Minister of Forests and Range
and Minister Responsible for the
Integrated Land Management Bureau
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BUILDING WITH WOOD
Given its strength, versatility, and climate-
friendly attributes, British Columbia
is promoting greater use of wood in
commercial and institutional construction.
PROFILED DECKING PRODUCT NEW TO MARKET
The new amabilis fir profiled decking product created by FPInnovations will maintain its colour and will not crack over time, re-inventing solid-wood decking. The new product is gaining praise and interest from companies and the public all over B.C.
CAMPBELL PRAISES KOOTENAY SAWMILL FOR OLYMPIC EFFORT - Premier Campbell toured Kalesnikoff Lumber, the company that supplied the wood for the Richmond Olympic Oval, and thanked employees for their contribution to the success of this project - a true olympic icon.
STRUCTURLAM RAISES THE ROOF ON BUILDING WITH WOOD - Penticton-based Structurlam Products Ltd., developers of the Richmond Oval's beetle-wood roof, has been awarded the contract to supply custom-arched glued-laminated (glulam) timbers for a second Olympic venue, Phase 2 of Surrey's $10.5 million games preparation centre for training Olympic volunteers. Next year the company also plans to complete the largest structural wood roof in North America, part of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport upgrade in North Carolina.
BEETLE WOOD USED FOR TIMBER FRAME CONSTRUCTION - Amarok Timber and Log Construction, located in Barriere, is using timber from pine beetle-attacked trees to build a log home for a local client, proving that beetle wood has all the necessary qualities required for this type of construction.
STUDENTS WORKING WITH PINE BEETLE WOOD - Through a community program designed to turn destruction into construction, Grade 11 students at a Kamloops high school are using pine beetle wood to build furniture and construct an on-site sawmill building.
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GROWING TREES
By becoming a world leader
in growing trees, British
Columbia aims to maximize
the growth potential of its
forest resource.
VOLUNTEERS PLANT TREES IN CRANBROOK - To kick off the 2009 planting season 45 volunteers from the Kootenay Advertiser and the First Baptist Church planted 2,280 trees on the Booth Creek Salvage Block, doing their part to ensure our forests are here for future generations.
SQUAMISH-LIL'WAT-WHISTLER CELEBRATE COMMUNITY FOREST – A joint community forest agreement issued to the Lil’wat First Nation, Squamish First Nation and Resort Municipality of Whistler will allow the partners to manage the landbase, protect culturally significant areas and help diversify the local economy.
COMMUNITY TRUST EXTENDS KOOTENAY ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION - $810,000 in funding will employ 46 forest workers to continue to restore natural grasslands in the Kootenays and reduce the risk of forest fires in Kimberley.
$92,000 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST TO BATTLE BEETLE IN CARIBOO - Fourteen forest workers are cutting and burning approximately 325 Douglas fir trees to reduce the spread of the Douglas-fir Beetle near Big Bar, Canoe Creek and Canim Lake.
$3.5 MILLION TO TACKLE INVASIVE PLANTS – The Ministry of Forests and Range is joining forces with five other ministries to ensure B.C.’s valuable land base will be better protected from noxious weeds and invasive plants.
$289,230 TO IMPROVE FOREST HEALTH IN GOLDEN - This funding will employ 12 forest workers to improve silviculture practices and forest health by removing trees invested with mountain pine beetle larvae, as well as younger and smaller trees on Crown land.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
TEMBEC RE-OPENS TWO MILLS - Tembec's Canal Flats and Elko sawmills resumed operations on May 19, putting approximately 360 forest workers back to work. Mill production will focus on higher value and specialty lumber products such as lumber graded for the Japanese market.
PRINCE GEORGE WOOD FIRM ADDS 11 JOBS - All-Wood Fibre Ltd. is expanding its purchasing, chipping and grinding operations to supply the growing bioenergy sector. New positions include a wood-fibre purchaser, a forester and nine machine operators.
HARMAC ATTRACTS INTEREST FROM CHINA - Almost half of Harmac's 20,000 tonnes of pulp it produces each month is being shipped to China, for use in everything from writing paper to tissues and surgical gowns.
CANFOR TO REOPEN MACKENZIE MILL – Canfor Corp. announced that in early July it will restart one of its sawmills in Mackenzie putting 60 unemployed forest workers back to work.
QUESNEL COMPANY RECEIVES AWARD FOR HIGH STANDARD - At the 38th Annual Conference of the Western Wood Truss Assoc. of B.C., Cariboo Truss Ltd. was honoured with a Winners Circle award for producing quality wood trusses throughout 2008.
NEW BIO-ENERGY PLANT TO BE BUILT IN PRINCE GEORGE - P.G. Interior Waste to Energy group announced they will start construction of the $50-million project next month and expects the plant to begin producing electricity by spring 2010. The project made a short list four months ago in BC Hydro's call for bio-energy and is expected to create at least 70 jobs.
ADAMS LAKE MILL BEINGS TRIAL OPERATION - Interfor's Adams Lake mill, the Province's newest mill, has begun its trial operation putting approximately 50 forest workers back to work. The mill is designed to handle beetle-killed timber to alleviate sawmilling problems and higher costs.
TOLKO REOPENS WILLIAMS LAKE MILL - More than 200 forest workers are back to work thanks to the reopening of Tolko Industries' Lakeview mill, one of the company's three mills located in Williams Lake.
WEST FRASER TIMBER NOW WORLD'S LARGEST LUMBER FIRM - Wood Markets International, a monthly Vancouver publication, says B.C.'s West Fraser Timber is now the world's largest lumber producer after maintaining productivity in 2008 while other global giants faltered.
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OTHER MINISTRY NEWS
FIVE FOREST WORKERS PREPARING CHRISTINA LAKE ARTS SITE - Preparation of a site for the Christina Living Arts Centre, including spacing and pruning, is possible through $12,600 from the Community Development Trust.
$690,000 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST TO IMPROVE PRINCE GEORGE RECREATION AREAS - This funding will employ six forest workers to begin a new phase of the Cranbrook Hill Greenway Trail project, including fuel management work and invasive plant removal, as well as improving Beaverly Community Park.
$282,000 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST TO IMPROVE RECREATION - Fifteen forest workers are improving recreation in and around Kitwanga by building a 3.2-kilometre loop trail and upgrading some facilities along other existing trails.
TERRACE RECEIVES ADDITIONAL $300,000 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST - The City of Terrace received this funding to employ up to 13 forest workers to complete trail construction, fire abatement and highway brushing projects.
$534,000 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST RESTORING HISTORIC KWADACHA TRAIL - Twenty-two forest workers will reclaim, restore and upgrade sections of the Kwadacha First Nation's historic Aatse Davie Trail that extends from Fort Ware to the Yukon border.
COMMUNITY TRUST SUPPORTS FUTURE EMPLOYMENT IN MACKENZIE - A number of projects and work activities are under consideration in the Mackenzie area thanks to a commitment in the range of $600,000 to potentially employ more than 70 forest workers.
FUNDING EMPLOYS UP TO EIGHT FOREST WORKERS, SUPPORTS SENIORS - Senior citizens will benefit from $287,500 in funding from the Community Development Trust for the Kamloops Cares Home and Yard Care Assistance Program, including assistance with painting, fence installation, and yard care.
19 FOREST WORKERS IMPROVE SUNSHINE COAST TRAILS - $360,000 from the Community Development Trust is improving recreation sites and trails on the Sunshine Coast, including spacing and pruning, and making up to 20 sites fully wheelchair accessible.
$22,700 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST SUPPORTS LANDFILL UPGRADES - To improve the local landfill in Port Clements, four forest workers will repair fences to protect the site from high winds, construct three storage sheds and de-valve propane cylinders.
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INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
British Columbia is working to expand its overseas exports, particularly into the rapidly growing China market.
WENCHUAN EARTHQUAKE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT UPDATE #1 - The Beichuan Leigu Town Central Elderly Care Centre is the third reconstruction initiative under this project. The Care Centre designs have been approved by local authorities and construction is scheduled to start late this summer.
WENCHUAN EARTHQUAKE RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT UPDATE #2 - Construction of all wood frame building structures at the Xiang'E primary school project in Dujiangyan are near completion. The construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.
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IMPROVING UTILIZATION
British Columbia is working
to maximize the economic
opportunities from wood
fibre previously considered
waste or debris.
COMOX AREA BUSINESS UTILIZES FIBRE PREVIOUSLY CONSIDERED WASTE - Woodland Flooring and Millwork Ltd. is using beetle-wood, salvage logs and blow-downs to produce flooring, door and window mouldings, and solid wooden doors, showing the industry this fibre has many uses and aesthetically pleasing design qualities.
UNBC RECEIVES $14.8 MILLION FOR BIOMASS PLANT This investment by the federal and provincial governments allows the University of Northern B.C. to build a biomass gasification system that will provide heat to the core campus buildings using wood waste, such as bark, sawdust and branches. UNBC's Bioenergy Program website
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FOREST SAFETY
The ministry is committed to
maintaining high safety
standards to protect
both forest workers
and the public.
PUBLIC ENCOURAGED TO PLAY IT SAFE WITH FIRES - The ministry is urging British Columbians to be vigilant with campfires and other opening burning during this year's fire season. Fires are starting earlier and lasting longer, making it more important than ever for the public to help prevent fires.
PLANS PROCEED FOR NEW FIRE COORDINATION CENTRE IN KAMLOOPS – Tender for construction of the new Provincial Wildfire Coordination Centre building has now been issued. Government has budgeted in excess of $3 million to construct the new building which is planned to be ready for occupancy by the 2010 fire season.
$320,000 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST TO IMPROVE KOOTENAY FIRE SAFETY – To reduce the risk of forest fires near Slocan, Winlaw and Burton, six forest workers are conducting fuel management work, including pruning and the removal of brush and small trees.
$20 MILLION TO IMPROVE FOREST SERVICE ROAD SAFETY IN B.C. - The ministry is providing $20 million to improve travel and safety conditions on forest service roads that serve as crucial transportation links to rural communities and recreation sites. Announcements to date include:
$1.5M TO IMPROVE CARIBOO-CHILCOTIN ROAD NETWORK
$1.5M TO MAKE SHUSWAP FOREST SERVICE ROADS SAFER
$700,000 TO MAKE WALKER CREEK FOREST SERVICE ROAD SAFER
$665,300 TO IMPROVE THOMPSON-NICOLA FOREST ROADS
$573,300 TO IMPROVE WEST KOOTENAY FOREST ROADS
$550,000 FOR NORTH ISLAND FOREST SERVICE ROADS
$523,000 TO IMPROVE FRASER VALLEY EAST FOREST ROADS
$518,200 FROM COMMUNITY TRUST TO IMPROVE PEMBERTON AREA FOREST ROADS
$400,000 TO IMPROVE SUNSHINE COAST FOREST ROAD NETWORK
$400,000 TO IMPROVE ELK RIVER FOREST SERVICE ROAD
$375,000 TO IMPROVE OKANAGAN FOREST SERVICE ROADS
$328,000 TO IMPROVE FRASER VALLEY WEST FOREST ROADS
$315,000 TO IMPROVE SOUTH ISLAND FOREST ROAD NETWORK
$270,300 TO IMPROVE EAST KOOTENAY FOREST ROADS
$200,000 TO IMPROVE MORESBY FOREST SERVICE ROAD
$112,500 TO IMPROVE FOREST ROADS AROUND QUESNEL
$80,000 TO IDENTIFY PEACE FOREST ROAD IMPROVEMENTS
$55,400 TO IMPROVE FOREST ROADS IN 100 MILE HOUSE AREA
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FORESTRY FACTS
- As of April 2008, approx. 650,000 hectares in B.C. are managed as community forests.
- B.C.’s forests are 82 per cent softwood, 13 per cent mixed wood and 5 per cent hardwood.
- Forest products are among B.C.’s most important exports.
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WEB RESOURCES
The ministry's website provides a wide range of services and a wealth of information regarding B.C.'s forest sector.
The Weekly B.C. Timber Sales (BCTS) Offical Notices e-mail service contains a summary of notices released by BCTS during that specific week, providing opportunities for customers to purchase timber in an open and competitive market.
The Research Branch is part of the ministry's Forest Sciences Program and focuses on program leadership and conducting research. The Branch's website includes information on ministry publications, key topic areas, research projects and software.
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For information on ministry announcements and events, visit the Ministry of Forests and Range Media Room.
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