Shortchanged: Tallying the Legacy of Waste in BC's Logging Industry

A short video featuring CCPA resource policy analyst Ben Parfitt discussing findings showing that startling numbers of usable logs are being left to rot or burn at logging sites, at a potential cost of thousands of forestry jobs and big increases in greenhouse gas emissions.

Read the policy brief and open letter to the BC Forest Practices Board at: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/reports/2009/03/woodwaste/

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• wood waste
• lumber
• logging
• selective logging
• BC
• British Columbia
• Ben Parfitt
• CCPA
• sustainability
• greenhouse gas emissions
• Forest Practices Board
• mountain pine beetle
• clearcut
• mill closure
• forestry
• sawmill
• carbon
• oversight
• interior
• coast
• environment
• environmental
• trees

[badluckIII]

Put your knowledge to good use and work with the mills to see if they can use this material without penalizing the loggers. I can't speak for every logger but if I go to the trouble and expense to cut and skid it out rest assured I am going to do everything possible to get to the mill. The narrow profit margin leaves little room for error. Was this wood left by the loggers because of the spring thaw out and by the time they could get back it was too late? Chip for biomass? Find real solutions!

[badluckIII]

The first place to start would be to find out if the dead wood and slash piles you had us view do in fact have any markets. I can't speak for your area, but in the southeast U.S. if you send dead wood or wood that does not meet minimum specs then you will either be culled severely or have loaded trucks sent back to the woods. In either case it becomes a losing situation not to mention fuel burned for no good reason and by the way adding to the pollution of the atmosphere.

[stephenfavell]

why don't they just cut down less trees but take more from what theyve cut? same amount of trees, but less destroyed

[churchill1945]

Its scary to think someone actually pays this guy! I assume the wood is left behind for a reason because there is no market for it. I've never worked a 16hr day in the bush and I guess Ben hasn't either, the guys that do deserve our respect.

[cullenequipment]

Where were the facts?

[Royalhighlander]

Spotted Owl tastes just like chicken if its cooked just right.. dam tree huggers..

[maxhole2]

I would like to see this man leave his comfy government pay check where he passes fail policy onto businesses, and make a sizable personal investment in this area. Maybe HE can find a buyer for this wood, and pay 500 semi trucks to haul it to them , and make a profit. Or just break even ! Not a chance ! But he wants to force someone ELSE to try ! We have to deal with idiots like this in the States too ! We call them Dumbacrats !

[ggggjjjjcccc]

Thats a great idea, turn it from a profitable industry into a government funded make work project. Dumb ass.

[treekiller66]

Where are these so called facts?Seems to be based on personal opinion or job rectifying stance since forest waste in B.C. is scaled and the contractor faces a waste assesment penalty.

[phreak3189]

another retarded tree hugging numb skull that has no idea of the real life economics behind the forest products industry