Crown Lands Network

Public hearings Select Committee on Wood Supply, Legislative Assembly

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Day Four Petitcodiac November 21, 2003 1) Jean Goguen, representing Goguen Lumber, Cocagne, began with an overview on the Jaakko-Poyry report, stating that it favoured the licensees rather than the sub-licensees (ie.the medium and small sawmills). Private woodlots are a key source of wood for local sawmills and funding for silviculture should be fairly apportioned to private and public wood. Rhщal Goguen asserted that there is no more room for mistakes in attempts to keep wood industry alive, also noting that private lands were already overcut. The brothers described the unbalanced costs for the production of a cord of studwood: $135.00 paid for a cord of studwood from private woodlots, $105 for the same from Crown Lands - big companies cost is $105 - therefore the costs are lower for big companies to produce wood. 2) Bob Eastwood, manager for JD Irving, Sussex area, told of the payroll and economic benefits of the company, as well as the benefits to the province, mentioning that the forest industry was bigger that the fishery, agriculture and mining sectors put together. He indicated that in order to meet the global competition, plants were upgraded every 5 years. The company's desire is to set a tone for the next 25 years, if we want forestry to be part of the solution. When asked by MLA L. Armstrong if there is a place for the small contractor on Crown Land in the future, Mr. Eastwood responded with no clear answer. 3) David (Tony) Benson, President of the Forests Products Marketing Board, stated he is a private woodlot owner and that he supported 100% what James McCrea and Rick Murray had already said. With that, he began by emphasizing that there needs to be a balance with the way things are done for all New Brunswickers, from Crown Land and private land. Presently, Crown Lands are in direct competition with private woodlot owners. Industry owns mills and manages Crown Lands and are presently buying up private lands: this is not a balanced landscape, we need to rectify this. He put faces and personalities to some of the people he had worked with over the years, managing woodlots for them. Finally, he recommended changes in taxation so that private woodlot owners could build roads and upgrade their woodlots and be able to declare those improvements. He also said incentives to properly manage woodlot owners would go a long way in helping to keep (some) property in private hands. He concluded by saying that industry can buy up private land but the citizens cannot go on Crown Lands. The greatest resource in NB are our people and not to accept the Jaakko-Poyry report at face value. 4) Stephanie Coburn, farmer and woodlot owner with her husband, from Sussex and President of the Conservation Council of NB. Mrs. Coburn emphasized to the panel that Crown Lands are held in trust, by the government and that control, according to J-P report, would go to industry - for 50 years, a long time compared to the length of time a government serves. Does this report work to maximize jobs for New Brunswickers, she asked, noting that jobs in the forestry sector were shrinking yearly. Mrs. Coburn recommended 1st- more community forestry, with local focus, stating that the J-P report emphasis is on multinationals whose interest is on their bottomline leaving people disenfranchised, with no input. Her 2nd recommendation was to put energies into the job pool in NB by investing in value-added ventures, requiring government vision and support. 3rd point was binding targets, guaranteeing a wood supply or pay the multinationals, stating this was a reductionist model of monoculture, requiring propping up with pesticides and herbicides, that this agreement would bar the government from preventing activities on lands held in trust by them. Her 4th point addressed the idea of cutting in buffer zones along watercourse for a short term wood supply. What was the point of having buffer zones, she asked? To protect the safety of the water supply, fish and animals which now live in the special management zones. She stated that the J-P report is not progress - that forests provide people need clean air, oxygen and clean water. She finished by asking that forest management systems be for the people, not industry. (Applause) 5) Roger Jenkins, Vice-President of Technology for Majesta, Dieppe noted that this is a value-added industry of the forestry industry, and that they were a generous supporter of the community. He responded no in answer to whether there was any recycled fibre in their products, it was all virgin fibre. 6) Dennis MacLeod, Union President of Fawcett's Lumber Mill and Judy Wortman, Vice-President, each gave a brief presentation on the good employment and wages at the mill. We all know it will decide the future, Mr. MacLeod stated, "don't let the industry fall apart". He said the youth of tomorrow need a choice and that there is room there for both sides. Mrs. Wortman confirmed that "we are here to keep this alive for future generations" we shouldn't be taking away from future generations, we should be giving to them". 7) John Ramsay, logging contractor from the Petitcodiac region, stated that small logging companies are very important to small communities. He described the many ways that small business distributes the money they make locally and they are good training ground for youth. 8) Werner Bock, farmer and woodlot owner in Petitcodiac area, described a study on woodlot production done by UNB Forestry Dept. over a 43 year period, from 1946-1989. The study took a plot of land, divided it in 3 lots. They did an inventory of the standing wood, which averaged 24 cords per acre throughout. No. 1 Lot, no cutting 1946 ЕЕЕЕ.. 24 cords per acre 1989 ЕЕЕЕЕ 24 cords per acreЕ Total=24 cords per acre No. 2 Lot, clear cut 1946 ЕЕЕЕЕ 17 cords per acre 1989 ЕЕЕЕЕ. 17 cords per acre Е Total=34 cords per acre No. 3 Lot, Selective cutting 1946, first cutЕЕ 12 cords per acre Е Total=12 cords per acre second cutЕ. 5 cords per acreЕ Total=5 cords per acre third cut Е 11 cords per acreЕ Total=11 cords per acre Total=28 cords per acre 1989 Final inventory -30 cords per acre +30 cords per acreЕ58 cords/acre Increased yield from selective cutting, compared to clearcuttingЕ24 cords per acre. Imagine the increased yield if this had been done on Crown Lands. Mr. Bock also stated that $400-$500 per acre are spent by us (DNR has a deficit on $23-25 Million annually) on replanting - if we began selective cutting now on Crown land, within 8-10 years time there would be a gradual increase in the wood supply, while new plantations proposed in the J-P report won't produce anything for the next 40 years. He also spoke of investing locally - that equipment for forestry should be manufactured here, and that we should be promoting all other services necessary to the forestry industry be developed here. He concluded by saying that as a society, we should be putting something in the common pot for our children, putting in a bit more than we take out, for the sick, the elderly and the children - the same should be done with our Crown Lands. 9) Greg Adams, Manager of Silviculture for JD Irving, Maritimes, gave a presentation on studies done on promoting the growth and resiliency of plantations. The conclusions of the studies suggested: a) reducing the use of jack pine in continental lowlands and southern uplands of NB b) increasing red pine by natural regeneration and planting c) a broader mix of planted species across the forest, in place for a number of years d) more mixing of planted species at site Е. e) Better matching of plant and site with respect to ecoregions. Conclusion: NB needs to maintain a diverse mosaic of forest typesЕ! 10) Mark Connell, for the Sussex Society of Public Interest, is a geologist who travels all over. Mr. Connell began by asking where are the studies done to show what we are losing by converting forests to plantations?! He categorically stated that the Jaakko-Poyry report, if ever implemented, would be an unprecedented giveaway, completely untenable and would bring sweet misery to NBers. He offered other alternatives by describing different types of tenure (holding and managing) licenses in other provinces: a) individual licensed tenure: of 500-1000 Hectares, using basic common ground rules, with a 5 year management plan - for different activities such as ecotourism, non-timber uses, giving the example of the Bas St. Laurent Forest Tenant Project. b) Municipal tenure: adjacent municipal boundaries for community forestry. Revelstoke BC does this, providing an additional 6-7 million dollars annually to the local economy. c) First Nations tenure - there has to be a place for our First Nations people, perhaps in community forestryЕ Mr. Connell described the 40% of people 'sidelined from the formal economy in NB' emphasizing it is time to get them involved! 11) Maynard Murray, owner of a silviculture business, out of Chipman area, indicated that small businesses are important, people need work and we need to do something to keep the youth in the province. 12) Richard Perron est un membre actif de Les amis de la nature, р Dieppe. De son avis, les Terres de la Couronne pourraient ъtre beaucoup plus productives. Il trouve que les compagnies qui gшrent actuellement les terres ont une vision simpliste. Aprшs une coupe р blanc, le paysage ressemble р un sol lunaire, que le sol s'apauvrit, que les contribuables paient pour les jeunnes pousses et que nous allons payer pour les engrais. Cachщ dans cette ressource sont 66 espшces d'oiseaux dщjр vulnщrables ou mщnacщs. Il faut donner prioritщ р la diversitщ et l'abondance naturelle. Il faut aussi assurer les pratiques forestiшres pour protщger le sol, l'intщgritщ naturel et au fait que le gouvernment est le fiduciare des terres de la Couronne pour le bien public. 13) Alain Clavette, biologiste, est dans l'entreprise d'щcotourisme. M. Clavette a d'abord fait le commentaire que si on pense que la forъt est bien gщrщ par les compagnies prщsentement, il s'agit de prendre un avion et aller voir pour soi-mъme que la gestion ne va pas bien. Actuellement, le rideaux d'arbres le long des routes cache un horreur et il faut arrъter de traiter la forъt comme une manne sans fond. La prщsence d'oiseaux dans la forъt est un indicteur de la santщ de la forъtЕil a offert d'emmener les gens du panel dans la forъt et dans une plantation (qui n'est pas une forъt) le mois de mai ou juin pour observer la diffщrence. Il a expliquer qu'en Finlande, au-dessus de 600 espшces sont mщnacщs, que la forъt existe et pousse grтce р une interdщpendence de tout ce qu'on trouve dans la forъt. Il a conseillщ de regarder pour demain et de penser р ce qu'on va laisser р nos enfants. 14) Bart Bransfield, manager of the Steadmans store in Petitcodiac noted that if the lumber industry suffers setbacks, the peripheral industries will suffer them too. 15) Clarine Craig, owner and operator of a B&B in Fredericton began by reminding the panel that trees are beautiful, that trees offer beauty, shade, medicinal and other useful products and that only God can make a tree. Clearcutting is a polite way of saying raping the land. Since the advent of cars, trees absorb carbon monoxide and CO2. It takes 3 generations to grow a tree and even now, one can go 30 yards beyond many roads to find no trees. Yes, our forests need to be culled and there are different ways to achieve this by putting people to work. Our tree lands need caretakers! She stated she wants future generations to enjoy the presence of trees - which are essential to a healthy life cycle for us all.