Minister: forest industry can overcome economic hardship
Feature Story posted on November 5, 2007
‘Industry well-positioned to recover and thrive’
Alberta’s forest industry is receiving support from Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) in its fight to overcome difficult economic conditions.
“It’s crucial that we maintain healthy forests in Alberta – and that includes healthy forest communities and a healthy forest industry,” SRD Minister Ted Morton said at the Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA) annual general meeting held September 26-28 in Jasper.
“I’m serious about moving forward to provide the framework needed to ensure Alberta’s forest industry is competitive, locally and globally,” the Minister said.
Minister Morton announced formation of a committee of three MLAs and three forest company representatives to examine market and competitiveness challenges affecting forestry in Alberta, and to recommend measures to improve the industry’s outlook. The recent slowdown in U.S. housing starts, rising value of the Canadian dollar, competition from lower-cost offshore producers and escalating energy and labour costs are among the factors causing economic hardship for Alberta’s forest industry.
Government MLAs on the committee include:
- Frank Oberle (Peace River), a Registered Professional Forester who served as Diashowa-Marubeni International Ltd’s serior forestry advisor for 16 years prior to his election to the Alberta Legislature;
- Doug Griffiths (Battle River-Wainwright), who led development of the Alberta’s rural development strategy; and
- Dr. Neil Brown (Calgary-Nose Hill), co-chair of the Alberta Forestry Research Institute and the holder of a PhD in biology.
Committee members from the forest industry include:
- Joe Costantino, Senior Vice-President of Edmonton-based Millar Western Forest Products Ltd., whose 35 years of forest industry experience includes terms on the boards of the Pulp and Paper Technical Association of Canada and Forintek, the forest research body;
- Wayne Clogg, Vice-President of Woodlands for West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd., a Registered Professional Forester since 1979; and
- Ken Higginbotham, Vice-President of Forestry and Environment at Canfor, whose career also includes service as Director of Alberta’s Forest Research Branch, Assistant Deputy Minister in Alberta’s former Land and Forest Service and an Associate Professorship with the University of Alberta’s Department of Forest Science.
Despite its current difficult economic conditions, Alberta’s forest industry is well-positioned to recover and thrive in global markets, Minister Morton said.
“The world economy needs lumber products,” he said. “We have what it takes to grow those lumber products. We have the land, we have the water, we have the energy and we have a stable political and regulatory regime.
“We also have the environmental record that says we can go to the markets and say that if you buy our lumber, you’re buying from environmentally responsible producers.”
Minister Morton noted that Canada’s forest industry has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 44 per cent since 1990 while increasing production, and that the country’s deforestation rate is zero.
Minister Morton also pledged to continue Alberta’s aggressive plan to manage mountain pine beetle infestations in the province’s forests. Recent surveys indicate beetle populations are growing more slowly than had been expected, thanks in part to a timely cold snap last winter and control actions taken by SRD and industry.
“We’ve made some progress, but this is not a time to sit back and rest on our laurels,” the Minister said. “Just because we’ve won one round doesn’t mean the fight is over. We’re prepared to continue this fight until we win.”
