COFI Says Forest Has Room For All

By 250 News

The Vice President of the Council of Forest Industries - Northern Operations, Doug Routledge, says "I don’t look at Bio Energy being the silver bullet that will replace the forest industry in this region. It is simply one of several ingredients to securing a buffering effort in this region's economy."

The Council of Forest Industries will hold its annual Convention this Thursday and Friday in Prince George.

Keynote speakers of the event are:

•  Premier Gordon Campbell
• Forest Minister Rich Coleman 
• John Knubley the Associate Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Canada  
• West Fraser Timber President and CEO  Hank Ketcham
• Deputy Minister of Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources, Greg Reimer 
• Minister Of  Natural Resources Canada, Gary Lunn
• CEO of the First Nation’s Pine Beetle Initiative, Dan George, and
• Michael O’Halloran , President and CEO of the Western Wood Products Association , who will speak on the USA perspective

Routledge says the meeting will start off with a report card on the state of the BC forest industry and then quickly move into the effects of the Mountain Pine Beetle. On Friday morning the convention will hear about, the first six months into the soft wood lumber agreement as well as an industry  market outlook followed by a look at the future of the industry.

"The new players of the industry are the people hoping to move into the Bio Energy field" adds Routledge. "There are new elements of energy that the forest industry has never looked at before and they are coming into play." This does not necessarily mean competing for the same fiber “Tenure isn’t the issue here . See a new kind of fiber permit in which new players will be able to take materials from the forest that formerly were not used. There is a significant supply of products out there and we are hoping for a business to business relationship."

The Companies hold about 50% of the forest tenure says Rutledge "But the Province has the remaining 40 to 45 % so there is lots of opportunity out there for everyone."

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