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President’s Memo
The Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic is an environmental and economic disaster. We are in a salvage mode, maximizing the return from the damaged pine stands while they retain some value. A by-product of these salvage operations has been increasing amounts of volume that is not suitable for consumption in sawmills being left as waste on the forest floor or at roadside. Stand as a whole pricing (and some other ancillary changes) will eliminate disincentives to the utilization of this material and go a long way to supporting a tremendous economic opportunity for the use of this waste for bioenergy production. In turn our greenhouse gas emissions and fire risk will be greatly reduced. This is a sound public policy move by Victoria.
John Allan |
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BC Forest Industry Contributes Innovative, Green Building Technology to 2010 Winter Olympic Venues All eyes will be on one of British Columbia’s largest and most vital industries when athletes from around the world compete in the new venues built for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, being held in Vancouver, BC, Canada February 12-28, 2010. By way of its unique, world-renowned innovations in green building technology, BC’s forest products industry is a significant contributor to the building of key facilities for the 2010 Games.
The venues incorporate architectural wood use, with innovative and creative applications of BC coastal and interior wood species, dimension lumber and glulam beams. The BC forest products industry represents more than 64,900 directs jobs, more than $22.3 billion in annual revenues, and is the foundation of British Columbia’s economy, accounting for seven per cent of employment and 15 per cent of all economic activity. BC is home to responsible producers who harvest legally; regenerate promptly; reduce waste and support recovery and recycling; reduce greenhouse gases and help fight climate change; and welcome independent scrutiny of how forests are managed. For more information on BC forest products and new innovations in green technology visit: www.naturallywood.com. |
BC Forest Safety Council is Addressing Industry Concerns About SAFE Companies Audits The BC Forest Safety Council is responding to industry concerns that the current audit system is too process-oriented and needs to be changed in order to:
All audits will be reworked to:
The Safety Council plans to release all the reworked audit protocols in the second quarter of 2010. At that time, the Council will:
For more information go to the Safety Council website: www.bcforestsafe.org or contact: Steve Chaplin, Director of SAFE Companies by phone at (250) 739-5175 |
BC GHG Reporting Regulations Now in Effect A new provincial regulation which came into effect Jan. 1, 2010, will require all facilities in British Columbia that emit over 10,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHGs) annually to publically report their emissions. Those reporting operations with emissions of 25,000 tonnes or greater are required to have emissions reports verified by a third party. It is expected that approximately 200 facilities will be required to report annually under this regulation. The regulation has been designed to allow for a single reporting window with Environment Canada and for reporting simplicity for industry stakeholders. B.C. is the first province to require reporting of GHGs at a threshold of 10,000 tonnes. The Ministry of Environment has prepared a Methodology Manual and Emissions Estimator (for the purpose of taking a first step in evaluating registration requirements) which can be accessed at the MOE website: www.env.gov.bc.ca/epd/codes/ggrcta/reporting-regulation/index.htm. The Ministry is presently developing additional guidance and information material to support understanding and implementation of the regulation. The Ministry is making presentations that provide an overview of the regulation and answers to questions and answers available. If you have any questions regarding the Reporting Regulation please contact the Ministry of Environment at: dennis.paradine@gov.bc.ca. |
ExpoFor 2010 Registration is Now Open Register now so you don’t miss out on any of the dynamic panels and breakout sessions at ExpoFor 2010 in Kelowna! In addition to the professional development activities, ExpoFor will feature the Minister’s Lunch, the Inductees’ Recognition Luncheon, the President’s Award Reception and BBQ, and lots of time for networking with your peers. John Allan, COFI President and CEO will be a speaker for theTenure Reform panel session on April 9th. The Early Bird rate of $450 (plus tax) is available until March 5th and includes all meals and activities on April 8th-9th as well as the public forum on April 7th. The optional pre-conference workshop on April 7th is the popular Ethics and Obligations course delivered by ABCFP staffers Brian Robinson, RPF, and Mike Larock, RPF. There is an additional charge for this workshop but you can save $25 when you sign up for both the workshop and ExpoFor. Register now to take advantage of the early bird rate! For more information and registration go to the website: |
BC Wood Use in Olympic Venues Richmond Olympic Oval 
Credit: www.naturallywood.com The roof panel system was conceived and engineered by Fast+Epp, a local firm. The V-shaped wood trusses are made from standard 2x4 lumber structurally designed to span the large glue laminated trusses. Roof sheeting is made from Douglas fir plywood. 19,000 sheets; a number that would cover nearly 14 acres (5.6 ha) if individually laid out. Structurlam Products Ltd. (www.structurlam.com) produced 112 Douglas-fir glulam sections for the roof system superstructure, each almost 75 feet in length. More than 30 Douglas-fir struts were fabricated to support the building’s exterior canopy and to partially support the roof over the main entrance of the facility. Where the roof extends beyond the building, the glulam posts are made from yellow cedar originating from British Columbia’s coastal forests. http://www.richmond.ca/discover/2010-Olympics/oval/oval.htm Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre 
Credit: www.naturallywood.com The VCEC is a showcase for architectural wood use, with innovative and creative applications of coastal and interior species, dimension lumber and glulam beams. There is extensive use of local Douglas-fir and hemlock wood-finished surfaces. Clear glazing means the wood can be seen from both within and outside the building. Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park (Whistler Nordic Village) 
Credit: www.naturallywood.com Project managers used glulam products from Edmonton-based Western Archrib for the building superstructures. The initial design specified structural steel members. Western Archrib (www.westernarchrib.com) has a 50-year history in the structural wood systems industry. A leader in the design, manufacture, and custom fabrication of glued-laminated structural wood systems, the company is certified to manufacture in accordance with the national standards of Canada, the United States and Japan. Western Archrib works closely with architects, engineers, general contractors, and building designers to provide cost-effective solutions to unique and distinctive designs, while maintaining their integrity. Instead of burning wood residue from site development, the project team:
Trout Lake Arena The Trout Lake Community Center ice facility will be a very visible wood showcase with approximately $2.5-million worth of wood products incorporated into the facility. This includes extensive use of glulam beams and columns. Structurlam Products (www.structurlam.com) has been awarded the glulam contract. The company is a wood specialist, providing engineering expertise and design, and structured wood packages that offer the warmth of wood as an alternative to steel and concrete. A portion of the glulam beams and paneling used in the lobby ceiling will use wood from trees blown down in Stanley Park during the 2006 windstorm. Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre & Percy Norman Pool The curling centre, located next to Queen Elizabeth Park, will feature aboriginal art. After the 2010 Winter Games, the curling venue will become a multi-purpose community recreation centre that will include an ice hockey rink, gymnasium, library and six to eight sheets of curling ice. 2010 Commerce Centre (Robson Square) 
Credit: www.naturallywood.com The centre has a unique ceiling crafted from wooden planks donated by Spirit Committees from communities across the province. The ceiling panels were sourced from Live Edge Design in cooperation with RONA. The centre has Interior Douglas-fir and larch flooring, donated by British Columbia manufacturers. Other unique applications include use of wood from submerged Douglas-fir logs for custom decorative applications and chips from trees killed by the mountain pine beetle as aggregate in concrete countertops. Lecterns for the 2010 Commerce Centre were carved by one of B.C.’s best carvers, David Cartwright Compton (www.davidcartwrightcompton.com). The log was reclaimed from the bottom of the lake. As a result, the fish and rest of the podium are different colours without being stained—this is a phenomenon that characterizes wood that has been immersed in water for a significant period of time. www.2010commercecentre.gov.bc.ca/default.aspx. (Cont'd below) |
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BC Wood Use in Olympic Venues (Cont’d.) Cypress Mountain Day Lodge All wood waste generated from site-clearing activities was chipped and reused on-site for revegetation purposes. UBC Winter Sports Facility (UBC Thunderbird Arena) The main entrance features reclaimed/refurbished glulam beams from a previously UBC Thunderbird Arena – Olympics venue UBC Thunderbird Winter Sports Centre Vancouver Athletes Village and Community Centre The Vancouver Athlete’s Village on the southeast side of False Creek in Vancouver uses wood for interior applications, including cabinets, doors and trim, and flooring. Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler Structurlam is supplying glulams for this project, and there is potential for wood to be used for cladding (cedar and beetle-killed pine siding) and sidewall shingles as well as doors, trim and cabinets. Britco Structures (www.britco.com) will design and build a 100-room lodge and a 20-unit townhouse complex, both to be permanently located in the Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Village. Britco is also supplying, in modular form wood-frame based buildings, temporary rooms to accommodate up to 700 team officials staying at the Whistler venue. For more information go to:  WSCA Annual Conference in Prince George Despite the serious problems and issues confronting BC’s forest sector, this year’s Western Silvicultural Contractors’ Association and Trade Show will be discussing and identifying the vitality and opportunities still existing in silviculture. Topics at the conference will touch on continuing efforts to improve worker safety, new opportunities in forest stewardship, silviculture opportunities presented by the bio-energy market and a review of responses to the mountain pine beetle epidemic among other important issues. The Annual Conference and Trade Show will be held Wednesday to Friday, January 27 to 29, 2010, with safety training courses offered before and after the conference at reduced rates in conjunction with conference registration. Register now for both the Conference and Safety Training courses and take advantage of great early bird and combined registration discounts! Courses on ATV Safety Training, SAFE Resource Road Light Truck Driver Training, Supervisor Training and a Professional Development Workshop are all being offered. For more information go to the website: www.wsca.ca. |
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Minister of Forests & Range Pat Bell’s recent announcement that interior timber pricing will soon move to a “stand as a whole” stumpage system is welcome news. Not only is this much needed provincial policy but is particularly helpful for the developing bioenergy sector.