Decision on Babine Sawmill Within 30 Days Says Hampton CEO
Wednesday, August 15, 2012 @ 4:00 PM
Prince George, B.C. – Hampton Affiliates, owners of the Babine Forest Products sawmill in Burns Lake, says it will make a decision within 30 days on whether or not it will rebuild the sawmill in that community.
As has been the case since the explosion and fire destroyed the mill in late January, Hampton’s CEO Steve Zika says the decision hinges on having a secure mid-term timber supply. The company has issued a release in the wake of the release of the Timber Supply report released by a special committee earlier today.
In the release, Zika says “We appreciate the efforts of the Committee in addressing the pine beetle situation and the attention that has been given to restoring the Burns Lake Community. We realize thee are no easy answers to this crisis. We believe the Committee correctly identified through short term actions, how the Lakes TSA harvest levels can be set at 1 million cubic meters indefinitely with no adverse effects on the environment. However, immediately lowering the Annual Allowable Cut from its current level of 2 million cubic meters without reducing harvest levels on non-Lakes TSA sawmills, will consume much of the timber needed for mid term timber supply security for the community of Burns Lake.” Zika goes on to say how sawmills from adjoining TSAs have already consumed millions of cubic meters of logs from the Lakes TSA, saving the mid-term supply in their own districts “It is now time for them to return to their own mid-term timber supply” says Zika.
He says Hampton Affiliates will continue to engage with the B.C.Government “on practical ways to ensure mid-term timber supply security without negatively affecting neighbouring sawmills. Our intent is to make a decision on rebuilding the Babine sawmill in 30 days, based on the discussions and direction from the B.C. government.”
Minister of Forests, Steve Thomson has already indicated his Ministry will start talks with Hampton within the next few days. Thomson has also said his team will produce an action plan with a time line, for the implementation of the 22 recommendations contained in the Timber Supply report.
Comments
Fingers crossed for Burns Lake!
On the heels of a string of news stories about a lack of timber supply…
Is that 30 working days or 30 calendar days? I always ask that.
The Government still has no idea how much forest inventory of productive forest lands they have. When you start moving into other areas of the forest base the risk of impacting other users ofthe land creates more problems for Farmers, Ranchers, wildlife. Rustad is not being truthful when talking about logging dead pine, the wet areas limited the use of dead pine to 5 years or less dry areas you may get some value up to 10 years. We have also been high grading the logging of fir and spruce over the passed 10 years so whats the real picture look like? They really don’t know which is the scary part. All the changes to the forest act in 2002 and cuts to the forest service throughout BC while giving forest companys a free hand to manage the forests has really put us in a box and the out come won’t be pleasant for forest communities its to little to late.
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