Approvals and policies for clearcutting in the east coast maritime province of Nova Scotia have been raising the ire of residents and environmental groups. A recent decision by the provinces Natural Resources Minister, Lloyd Hines, will allow clearcutting of almost 100 hectares of forest bordering Kejimkujik National Park. The decision on six hectares directly touching…
In the fight to save one of Northern Quebec’s last untouched boreal forests from logging, the Cree’s latest ally could be a group of fashion labels. Mandy Gull, deputy chief of the 2,000-member Cree community of Waswanipi, spoke to a gathering of 81 clothing companies in New York City on Oct. 26 in an effort to…
The Biomass North Development Centre acknowledged 10 key contributors to advancing the use of biomass across the province during its annual general meeting and inaugural conference in North Bay this week. From Oct. 24-26, stakeholders gathered for three days of workshops, lectures and plenary sessions to network and share best practices with the goal of…
On October 31, at the Forum Innovation Bois, the Quebec government will announce recommendations, probably accompanied by new programs, for encouraging innovation and investment in the forestry sector. Yet it is the government itself that is in large part responsible for the lack of investment in this industry and should review its practices before announcing…
The massive wildfire that destroyed much of Fort McMurray last May is under control and contained, but will likely burn underground throughout the winter. According to Lynn Daina of Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, the flames have long been extinguished, but embers are still burning across an area estimated to be 589,552 hectares in size, including…
The Forest Practices Board has issued a report on the 2014 Cooke Creek landslide east of Enderby when Dale Lake spilled its banks, dragging debris and tearing a hole in Mabel Lake Road. There was extensive damage done to the area. The independent watchdog launched an investigation after a public complaint about road maintenance on the…
It’s been a brutal forest fire season in California. But there’s actually a greater threat to California’s trees — the state’s record-setting drought. The lack of water has killed at least 60 million trees in the past four years. Scientists are struggling to understand which trees are most vulnerable to drought and how to keep…
Domtar beat expectations as it recorded higher profits in the third quarter despite weaker overall revenues. The Montreal-based maker of pulp, paper and personal care products said it earned US$59 million, or 94 cents US per diluted share, for the three months ended Sept. 30. That compared to US$11 million, or 17 cents US per share, a…
The Canadian government is warning U.S. politicians about the consequences of a possible new softwood-lumber dispute. A letter from International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland and David MacNaughton, the Canadian ambassador to Washington, went out today to two dozen senators — with a copy to President Barack Obama. The letter says American lawmakers are being misled…
A Kirkland Lake entrepreneur is discovering new green uses for what was once thought to be an industrial waste by-product. Brian Coghlan has the only licensed wood ash landfill in Ontario where he has stored more than 300,000 cubic metres of the material from the nearby Kirkland Lake Power co-generation plant. The former Kirkland Lake…