Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Minister Doug Donaldson leads over 30 senior executives into China and Japan this week for a forest sector delegation. Many of the delegates are from Northern B.C., much to the delight of Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad. “The largest production certainly comes from our area of the province, in the interior and up into the north,” says Rustad. “So having delegates from our area partaking in this is an important part of continuing to support what we have as an industry.” …The trade mission runs from November 12th – 17th.
Last week, the U.S. Commerce Department announced what the final duties would be on softwood lumber imported from Canadian producers. Although the rates decreased from the high preliminary rates that were announced earlier this year, the duties still remain high. Canfor Corporation saw its rate drop from 27.98% to 22.13%, while West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. remained saddled with the highest duty of 23.70%, which is down from 30.88%. Aside from a few companies, Canadian softwood lumber producers did see the final duties come in lower than the preliminary ones. The U.S. International Trade Commission ultimately will have to approve these duties, and a decision is expected mid-December.
British Columbia’s largest-ever forestry trade mission to Asia has focused on strengthening ties with the powerhouse economy in China and further diversification of markets for the province’s high-value wood products. The China leg of the trip concluded with four stops in Jiangsu Province following participation in the third-annual Sino-Canada wood conference in Shanghai. “This trade mission is a key way for our new government to help strengthen B.C.’s rural economies and protect family-supporting forestry jobs,” said Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development Minister Doug Donaldson, who is leading his first trade mission. “I’ve been encouraged to hear that government officials, builders and developers in China want to continue our favourable trade relationship in wood products.”
Vancouver, BC – A new international forest management technology conference is set to bring all of the latest inventory and harvest planning technologies from around the world to Canada’s premier forestry city in March 2018. “We’re bringing together the world’s leading technology experts in forestry metrics for our new conference, ForestTECHX in March 2018″ says conference organizer, Anthony Robinson, associate publisher of Logging & Sawmilling Journal. “From Europe and across the Asia Pacific, emerging technologies in forest measurement and management are bringing big advantages to early adopters,” says Robinson, “and our focus groups here in Canada indicated to us the time was right to bring the world’s experts here to showcase the leading edge innovation and technology.” In partnership with long-time tech transfer specialists from New Zealand and Australia the ForestTECHX conference coming to Vancouver next March builds on a great track record in the Pacific basin.
The Province and the Houston Snowmobile Club signed a stewardship management agreement today to protect caribou in the Skeena Region. The agreement addresses the influence of recreation on northern caribou in the Telkwa Mountains. Recreation has been identified as a threat to caribou populations, as it could displace caribou from high-quality habitat and increase predator access to caribou range. “One of the best ways to achieve lasting conservation outcomes is for groups to get together and find common ground by creating innovative solutions to protect wildlife,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “Staff in my ministry and the Houston Snowmobile Club are demonstrating the value of a collaboration-based approach.”
A hemlock tree-destroying pest has turned up in Nova Scotia and don’t count on frosty temperatures to kill the tiny beasts. The hemlock woolly adelgid attacks eastern hemlock trees by feeding on the nutrient and water storage cells at the base of the trees’ needles, killing them. Ron Neville, a plant health survey biologist with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, is investigating how far the pests have spread throughout the province since they were first detected here in mid-July. So far, the hemlock woolly adelgid — or HWA — has been found in five counties: Digby, Yarmouth and Shelburne and a few sites in Annapolis and Queens. “In Digby and Yarmouth County, it’s fairly widespread and less so in Annapolis and Queens,” Neville told CBC’s Information Morning. 
