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By Dylana Milobar

BC FORESTRY

Forest industry seeking solutions for ‘broken system’

Aug 17, 2019 | 12:41 PM

KAMLOOPS — After curtailments, indefinite closures, and short-notice downtime announcements for many mills in British Columbia this year, workers in the forest industry are looking for answers.

Local 1-417 USW President Marty Gibbons says earlier this week (Aug. 13 & 14), a stakeholders’ meeting was held in Kamloops to discuss the future of the Forest Act in BC.

“What a lot of the stakeholders were talking about is how we need to build a system that doesn’t leave waste sitting in our forests,” He stresses, “(A system) that efficiently uses these resources that we’re actually supposed to be bringing out. The present system actually penalizes employers that bring out any sort of recovery or lower end wood based on their allowable cut. The system is broken.”

Gibbons says given the recent mill closures throughout BC, the amount of residual material going to pulp mills like Domtar in Kamloops has been greatly reduced.

“That pulp mill is crucial for the business plans of surrounding foresty industry,” explains Gibbons, “And we’re very concerned that if we don’t do something about this waste wood just being abandoned or burnt in the forest, it’s only a matter of time before things are going to get worse.”

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That being said, Gibbons says those within the forest industry know that solutions are not cheap.

“It’s not economical to bring this wood out. Everyone is aware of climate change and the carbon tax, and other things going on, and yet we continue to burn residual products that could be utilized in the forests.” He says, “We understand that it’s not economical. It’s time for the federal government or the provincial government to step up to the plate and figure out how to get this material out of the bush. We cannot be burning logs in slash piles with the market we have right now, and the scarcity of logs for these mills.”