Ken,
I personally view certification as environmental terroism. What rights do
European who have less than 2% Virgin timber and less than 15% total forest
area have in telling us how we should manage our forests? If they don't
want our wood products, let them wipe their butts with their high-horse
ethics: 1) they continue to pour raw sewage into rivers, lakes, and oceans;
2) they continue to ignore most international fishing and migratory bird
treaties; 3) they continue to burn high sulfer coal and leaded gas.
The powers that be in this province view jobs and companies more important
than the individual. I want no government to tell me what I can and cannot
do on my land. Besides, if I have 1000 ha and I want to cut it all this year
and then plan on managing it so that I can cut it again in 60 years, is that
not sustainable management? What if my neighbor does the same thing? And his
neighbor? Etc. Is sustainable a continuos flow of wood, jobs, or money? Or
does it have ecosystem implications whatever that means?
North Americans have long enjoyed the freedom of property rights, ineffiecencies
are created only when government or greedy (and not all are) businesses foul
things up. Perhaps this province and this country would move ahead faster if
they let free interprise and market price drive things instead of trying for
status quo. Managing for an sustained flow of wood is the same thing as
managing for an ever declining NPV, and managing for maximum NPV produces
a continual step down flow. If we strive to continuously increase growing
stock we can maintain a high NPV and a higher level of flow than either of
the other two methods; however, we give up both $$$ and wood in the short term
and, perhaps most importantly in this province, jobs.
Timber companine have and continue to make a fortune off public timber sold at
below cost. The cost of timber makes up less than 12% of the final product cost
on average in Canada and less than 10% in NB. Instead of timber licenses why not sealed bid stumpage salees?
If the price of timber rises, then so be it.
JAK
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