FROM PAGE TEN

“FOREST POLICY"

(vii) Species or stock should be of high
quality. The selection of species where the
options are available should be as follows:

(viii) High value species on good and
medium sites.

(ix) Fast growing species on good and
medium sites.

(x) Other coniferous mixtures on good
and medium sites.

(c) Reforestation Backlog

The I.W.A. proposes that the huge backlog
of inadequately stocked forest land be made
the responsibility of provincial forest
services.

The following basic principles are
proposed:

(i) The backlog of unsatisfactorily re-
stocked forest land to be fully stocked over
the next 10 to 15 years.

(ii) Priority for planting backlog areas
should consider the following factors:

(1) potential crisis areas in the provinces
where negative growth in the industry
is a possibility;

(2) close to conversion plants;

(83) on sites that offer future reduced
(relative) harvesting costs;

(4) stock and species selection would be
the same as in reforestation.

(d) Juvenile Spacing
(i) An immediate program of juvenile
spacing be implemented in the provinces.

(ii) Careful consideration must be given
to areas of the provinces where disruption in
the industry is forecast because of mature
timber deficits. Programs that will speed
immature timber to commercial size will
assist in alleviating industrial disruption
and the associated economic and social
consequences.

(iii) Investments in juvenile thinnings be
directed to sites that will provide the highest
rate of return.

(iv) Factors affecting priorities when
selecting stands for thinning include tree
species, site quality, slope, access and
location relative to utilization plants. The
priorities are:

(1) high value species on good and

medium sites;

(2) fast growing species on good and

medium sites;

(3) other coniferous mixtures on good and

medium sites;

(4) any other young stands that would

benefit from spacing.

(e) Aforestation

(i) An immediate program to be imple-
mented to reclaim forest land from aban-
doned farm and other areas.

(ii) Priority for scarce reforestation dol-
lars should not be considered on these areas
until these areas are:

(1) zoned as forest after being removed

from the agriculture zone;

(2) classified as commercial forest;

(3) additional priorities should be consist-

ent with stock selection in reforesta-
tion section (vii), (viii) and (ix).

INDUSTRIAL INCENTIVES
Intensive forest management is essential
if Canada is to maintain or expand its forest
industry and reconcile the consumptive
versus non-consumptive use of forest land.
The provinces have primary responsibility
for implementing intensive forestry pro-

grams. The Federal government must play a
funding and supportive research role.

The private sector of the industry must
play a more important role than it has.
However, private sector confidence in the
long term opportunities in the forest sector
is not strong. Unless there is a Federal-
Provincial initiative to create a favourable
investment climate for intensive forestry
there will be little chance that provincial
timber production objectives will be met.
Critical to intensive forestry programs and
for short term needs is a comprehensive
development of access roads on commercial
forest.

(a) Prior to the implementation of any
incentive system the I.W.A. believes that the
following points must be considered:

(i) The land base on which intensive
forestry programs are to beinitiated must be
made secure as commercial forest land for at
least one rotation.

(ii) Industry must be involved in estab-
lishing the minimum acceptable level of
management and should participate in
monitoring programs.

(iii) Contracts and financial commitment
must be of long term duration.

(iv) There must be clear statements of
performance standards and treatment
standards by broad timber type and bio-
geoclimatic zones.

(v) It is essential that realistic allowable
harvest be determined for each timber
supply area and for each licensee.

(vi) A system of evaluating the total
benefits of intensive forestry operations
against the cost of operations must be
determined in order to priorize projects.

(b) Incentives

(i) The most effective incentive is that of
an increase in annual allowable cut equal to
the increase resulting from the work. It is
quite possible that in many instances the
increase in allowable cut will not mean an
increase in absolute terms but will assist in
minimizing reductions in harvest.

(ii) The appraised cost of an intensive
forestry project must be rebated to the
licensee.

(iii) The development of a sense of pro-
prietorship is a valuable complement to the
above incentives.

FOREST PROTECTION

It is estimated that the volume of timber
lost to fire, insect and disease approaches
that volume which is annually harvested
and utilized by industry. As the volume
limits of growth in the forest industries has
been searched and, in fact, negative growth
is a real possibility, improved forest protec-
tions becomes increasingly important.

In addition the enormous financial
resources that must be committed to inten-
sive forestry dictates that improved forest
protection measures be implemented.

(a) Fire

The I.W.A. proposes that:

(i) All fires in Canada’s forested areas be
fought.

(ii) Fire detection systems in the commer-
cial forested zones be improved.

(iii) Minimum response periods be estab-
lished by responsible agencies.

(iv) Integrated response capabilities be
established by district, region and the
provinces as a whole.

(v) In periods of high fire hazard recrea-
tionists must be allowed to use only estab-
lished and controlled campsites.

(vi) Forest closures be made mandatory
in extreme fire hazard periods.

(b) Insects and Disease

' (i) Wherever possible diseased and
infected trees should be removed from the
forest and utilized.

(ii) Biological methods of control of
insects or pests be used where it is impracti-
cal to harvest diseased or infected forests.

(iii) The judicious use of chemical insecti-
cides be approved for use in isolated areas to
control epidemics that could result in wide-
spread devastation of forest resources.

(iv) Chemical insecticides be used only
when safer methods of control prove
ineffective.

(v) Approval for use of chemical forms of
control, even in isolated areas, not be given
until adequate study indicates that risk to
human life and the environment is
minimized.

(vi) Further research into methods of
application of chemical control agents and
development of agents that are specific in
their attack on pests is to be encouraged.

FOREST UTILIZATION
(a) The I.W.A. proposes that:

(i) There be a more complete integration
of the forest industry.

(11) Corporations holding harvesting
rights on Crown owned forest land must
harvest the approved annual allowable cut.

(iii) Companies that do not on a periodic
basis balance their harvest with the
approved allowable cut lose their rights to
harvest that portion which is equal to the
shortfall.

(iv) The volume of wood that a company’s
annual allowable cut is reduced by must be
made available on a competitive basis to
wood-short companies capable of utilizing
additional wood.

(v) Companies harvesting their annual
allowable cut but having wood in excess of
their conversion capacity must make the
excess available on the open market in
grades that reflect the natural profile of the
forest.

(b) The I.W.A. insists that from any given
supply of timber a maximization of value
must be achieved.

(i) Logs of peeler quality must flow to
plywood plants.

(ii) Sawlogs must flow to sawmills.

(iii) Pulpwood must flow to pulpmills.

(iv) Pulpmills using peelers or sawlogs as
roundwood furnish should be penalized.

(v) The trading of wood among compan-
ies should be encouraged and if necessary
directed.

(vi) In the absence of price agreements
among companies with respect to wood
trade then third party intervention should
be mandatory.

(vii) Pulpmills and other chip using
processes must become more reliant upon
chips from the waste material of sawmills
and less reliant upon roundwood furnish.

(c) The I.W.A. insists that conversion
plants must be brought up to efficiency
standards in terms of productivity and
resource utilization.

(i) For a given supply of wood aminimum
output of primary product should be stipu-
lated and attained.

(ii) The norms that are established for
mills should consider the technology that is
available in the world, capital requirements
and production costs.

(iii) Public funding to assist in moderni-
zation should be considered for selective
sectors of the industry in selective regions of
the country.

(iv) Canadian capital that is being used
for overseas development should be redi-
rected to modernize Canadian industry.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
The I.W.A. proposes that:
(a) A Federal Department of Forestry be

established with its own minister.

(b) A Deputy Minister of Forestry for
Canada be appointed.

(c) The Canadian Forestry Service be
rejuvenated.

The responsibility of the Canadian
Forestry Service should be:

(i) Coordinate the role of the federal
bureaucracy related to forestry and forest
industry matters.

(ii) Develop a national forest policy and
industrial strategy in consultation with
industry and the provinces.

(iii) International forest relations.

(iv) Funding of intensive forest manage-
ment programs in the provinces.

(v) Research.

RESEARCH
Forest and forest products research
requirements are greater now than at any

SEE “FOREST POLICY” — PAGE TWELVE

Lumber Worker/September, 1980/11