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--Apple-Mail-23--794200026 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; delsp=yes; format=flowed Mary's notes make it sound like it's too late? to get in her good =20 suggestion, i.e., possibly amending this proposed act (Bill C-429) to =20= mandate sustainable harvesting for the timber. We should all be =20 talking to our MPs about the issues, and Mary has stated the case =20 very well for older forests and biodiversity they support plus all =20 the ecological services they provide for us. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville (temporarily in B.C. until Monday). Begin forwarded message: > From: Mary Macaulay <marymacaulay@hotmail.com> > Date: November 4, 2010 2:18:57 PM ADT > To: Nature Nova Scotia <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > Subject: RE: [NatureNS] is anyone else concerned about the "wood =20 > first" act before parliament - seems like biomass issues redoubled =20 > if these moves across canada > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > I guess what you are saying doesn't comfort me. It means that they =20= > will need to cut vastly more acreage to get the good quality that =20 > they'll need for the increased lumber demand. You're right that on =20 > the surface having the feds building with wood may appear like a =20 > small thing - but Public Works spends several hundred million =20 > dollars a year so that's not peanuts. Renovations needed for =20 > Parliament=92s West Block alone are estimated at $800 million. Again =20= > not small potatoes. Also the intent is to use this act as a =20 > marketing tool to increase sales of canadian wood internationally. =20 > Strangely, the Bloc Quebecois, who introduced the bill, have the =20 > addled notion that building with wood will help reduce green-house =20 > gases. How on earth does it do that? It takes upwards of 50 years =20= > to regrow a good lumber tree up here so cutting them down hurts; =20 > especially when you add in accelerated soil oxidation caused by the =20= > clear cutting you'll need to do to get enough high quality timber =20 > to feed this new market. Anyway I have little sympathy for the =20 > industry. Apparently the government has spent about $1.5 billion in =20= > the past several years propping it up. It would be a different =20 > thing perhaps if the bill stated that the wood used must be =20 > harvested sustainably. I worry about old growth and near old =20 > growth stands that will be targeted if this is passed. > > From: dwebster@glinx.com > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] is anyone else concerned about the "wood =20 > first" act before parliament - seems like biomass issues redoubled =20 > if these moves across canada > Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2010 21:37:23 -0300 > > Hi Mary & All, Nov 3, 2010 > Briefly, forestry is a primary industry and primary industries =20 > generate the wealth that pay all bills. Sort of like photosynthesis =20= > in the traditional Biological economy. So it is in everyone's =20 > interest to have a prosperous forestry industry. > > Currently, for a host of reasons that are beyond the scope of =20 > Naturens, it is far from prosperous. An economic study of world-=20 > wide pulp production (about 2005 I think and expressed as cost per =20 > unit round wood landed at the mill) showed Atlantic Canada to have =20 > higher costs than any other pulp producing area. > > To access good quality timber it is usually necessary/desirable =20= > to cut the low grade wood as well and it helps generate profit if =20 > there is a market, such as pulp for this wood. > > As you may have noticed, pulp mills have been closing or =20 > threatening to close unless they get power breaks etc. The =20 > implosion of Abitibi Paper [where 100 shares had a market value of =20 > about $1000 in 2003 and, after giving effect to the Abitibi-Bowater =20= > amalgamation where one Ab share became 0.06261 AB share in 2007, =20 > the resultant 6.261 shares now sell, at $0.035/share for, ~$0.22; =20 > a rather dramatic loss of 99.978% over 7 years] is one measure of =20 > the perfect storm that has hit the pulp industry. > > In addition the financial meltdown of 2008 has decreased the =20 > demand & price for lumber so the forest industry has had some very =20 > tough years on the heels of tough years and I expect many have had =20 > to sell their equipment for a song & move on. > > Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Mary Macaulay > To: Nature Nova Scotia > Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 4:16 PM > Subject: [NatureNS] is anyone else concerned about the "wood first" =20= > act before parliament - seems like biomass issues redoubled if =20 > these moves across canada > > the "wood first" act - Bill C-429 has already gone through it's =20 > first reading and through committee and looks like it may become =20 > law very soon: > > It mandates government to prefer wood for any and all projects: > > "amend the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act =20 > (use of wood) by adding the following after subsection (1): > (1.1) Despite subsection (1), before soliciting bids for the =20 > construction , maintenance or repair of public works, federal =20 > immovables and federal real property, the Minister shall give =20 > preference to the concept that promotes the use of wood, while =20 > taking into account the cost and greenhouse gas emissions." > > This started in BC where it is now law and is beginning to be =20 > adopted and/or looked at by other jurisdictions. > > Can this be good - interested in other people's opinions. I just =20 > feel our forests are being threatened on every level. > > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.864 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3233 - Release Date: =20 > 11/02/10 04:34:00 --Apple-Mail-23--794200026 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> Mary's notes make it sound like it's too late? to get in her good = suggestion, i.e., possibly amending this proposed act (Bill C-429) to = mandate sustainable harvesting for the timber. We should all be = talking to our MPs about the issues, and Mary has stated the case very = well for older forests and biodiversity they support plus all the = ecological services they provide for us. = <div><br></div><div>Cheers from Jim in Wolfville (temporarily in = B.C. until Monday).<br><div><br><div>