In an Op-ed titled “A contractor’s perspective on forestry”, Calvin Archibald, president of Next Generation Forest Management Ltd. argues that while forestry in Nova Scotia is high risk (“We have been a supplier to StoraEnso, Julimar, MacTara and New Page, all of which failed to survive in Nova Scotia.”), professionally managed, it is valuable, diverse and sustainable.
He has an interesting perspective on Pulp and Paper in spite of the failures: “Until the pulp market started in 1961, the two main community income sources were seasonal. The arrival of a pulp mill enabled the marketing of forest product year-round. Prior to the pulp mill, markets were limited to harvesting the biggest and best trees. Currently, quality trees are cloned as seed-tree sources for nurseries, providing quality trees over larger areas.”
Mr. Archibald concludes that “Our industry’s contribution to our health care system and our schools and universities is too critical to lose.” View Op-ed in CH (Nov 14, 2016)
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Mr. Archibald might have mentioned the support the wood fibre industry has had from government (us).
Woodlot owner Tom Miller has another perspective: “Papermaking in the northeast of North America has run the gamut. It’s no longer economic without serious concessions from the people and our forest.”
It sure would be nice to see a true accounting of the costs and benefits of the wood fibre industry today.
Posted Nov 14, 2015 |Modified Nov 15, 2016