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  • New Brunswick Federation of Woodlot Owners Inc.
    819 Royal Road
    Fredericton, New Brunswick
    E3G 6M1
    Phone: 506-459-2990
    Fax: 506-459-3515
    Email: please use our form

    Bouteau 140X300

Federation News

Our monthly newsletters are available for download as PDF files. To read the files you will require Adobe Reader. Most computers have it already but if you need a copy it can be downloaded free here. If you have any problems getting Reader or downloading the files, please let us know.

The current newsletter is shown in full text and also available for download in PDF format below in the Archives section.

Current Newsletter

Spring 2010


Silviculture Program: Now that spring is nearly here again and thinning saws will soon be buzzing in the woods, it is time to reflect on the silviculture season that has just passed.

Going into the 2009 season we were cautiously optimistic after the very difficult season in 2008 as a result of the government budget cut and funding formula changes to the program (2008 is a silviculture season we choose to forget).

And forget about 2008 we did. If you can remember way back to spring 2009, we negotiated a new funding formula with DNR that is tied to private wood sales. There was also the great announcement on the 14th of May by ACOA to provide $3.5 million to private woodlot silviculture over a two-year period. We went into the season on a high.

By all accounts, this season was a resounding success. All told, we spent $7,467,156 or 96% of the combined budget. This translated into planting 3,188,000 trees, site preparation of 1,560 hectares, pre-commercial thinning of 5,190 hectares, and 470 hectares of plantation cleaning. Overall, the program created 409 seasonal jobs.
The Federation and Boards would like to extend a special thank you to Minister Keith Ashfield and Senator Percy Mockler for their assistance in seeing the ACOA project materialize.

Stantec Study: The Federation in conjunction with Fundy Model Forest and the Department of Energy developed an independent analysis of small-scale thermal and combined heat and power plants (CHP) for the production of energy utilizing biomass from woodlots as a feedstock.

The study looked at three case studies. Each case was fully assessed regarding potential boiler size, site layout, building general arrangement drawings and process diagrams. It included a component related to biomass sourcing and pricing. While each of the studies suffered from economies of scale, the report identified options to improve the viability of such projects.

Key findings included the need to seek out high capacity heat loads with non-seasonal fluctuations. Power production will only be economical in high capacity ranges, greater than the 3 MW thresholds in the current embedded generation policy. District heating suffers from the seasonal nature of heat loads and generally requires a high density of users. Conversion costs are high for existing buildings therefore effort must be put in to identifying new construction or situations with end of life appliances.

The use of biomass in individual buildings is a challenge based on economies of scale.

The study provides very valuable information as we look forward at the obstacles to overcome to promote the conversion and use of biomass from woodlots for heat and power. Those involved in the steering committee view the completion of this study as a first step of many on the road to future successes.

Recent Meeting with Government: On Thursday March 18th the Federation Board of Directors met with Minister Wally Stiles, Deputy Minister Phil Lepage, Assistant Deputy Minister Paul Orser and Director of Forest Management Tom McFarlane.

Federation President Andrew Clark opened the meeting by thanking the Minister for the cost share changes to our just completed silviculture program. These changes assisted in the Boards having a successful year utilizing all the funding available.

The Minister reported that the Department of Natural Resources has cleared budget estimates in the Legislature. Therefore our funding ($6 million) is in place for this year and Boards will be able to start silviculture April 1, 2010.

Discussion then centered on the Equitable Market Access (EMA) agreement. The department recognizes that the current agreement has not produced the results we had all hoped for. On a go forward basis, DNR is committed to rework the agreement. The Deputy indicated it would have legitimate targets for woodlot sales. This will require accurate data compiled by the department to monitor the flow of private wood and make the necessary adjustments, something the department has not done currently.

The Deputy also indicated there will be a framework for determining wood prices. The details of this framework are not complete but the framework will be scrutinized carefully when presented. The department indicated they would use temporary allocations, export permits and transfer wood as a key management tools. The draft will also be shared with industry for comment.

The Minister was asked what would be fallback position if this proposal were not accepted; he said he would have to make "some tough decisions".

Federation Annual General Meeting: We are in the early discussion stages of planning this year's Federation AGM. Last year the AGM was held in Fredericton at the YSC/Maritime Fibre & Energy facility with a meeting and BBQ. Any suggestions for this year are welcome.

Federation Website: Once again a reminder, the Federation website is http://www.nbwoodlotowners.ca . The site is intended for woodlot owners; we want to hear what you like about the site and what you would like to see.

Contact the Federation for any additional information on the stories in this newsletter or any other queries.

Archives

Federation News Spring 2010 (PDF; 187KB)

Federation News Summer 2009 (PDF; 57KB)

Federation News September - October 2008 (PDF; 202KB)

Federation News June - August 2008 (PDF; 198KB)

Federation News - Annual Report on Activities (PDF; 139KB)

Federation News January-February 2008 (PDF; 212KB)

Federation News November-December 2007 (PDF; 106KB)

Federation News August-October 2007 (PDF; 123KB)

Federation News - Special Edition (PDF; 56KB)

Federation News June/July 2007 (PDF; 129KB)

Federation News May 2007 (PDF; 126KB)

Federation News April 2007 (PDF; 50KB)

Federation News March 2007 (PDF; 182KB)

Federation News February 2007 (PDF; 108KB)

Federation News November 2006 (PDF; 152KB)

Federation News October 2006 (PDF; 104KB)