The provincial government’s Commercial Cutting Permit Allocation policy will come into effect January 1, 2019.
In a news release issued Thursday afternoon by Fisheries and Land Resources, it said the measures are aimed at increasing timber allocations and harvest levels by 20 per cent by 2020, as outlined in The Way Forward.
It’s designed to increase the amount of commercial volume harvested and to provide more opportunities to promote forest industry growth, the release states.
“These upcoming changes…will ensure better use of our valuable timber resource when the policy comes into effect in the new year,” minister Gerry Byrne was quoted saying in the news release.
According to the statement, about 90 per cent of the province’s commercially available forest is allocated every year but less than 60 per cent of that is harvested.
“Under the new policy, traditionally underutilized timber will be available to new entrants and contractors who are able to meet the increased capacity,” the news release states.
Fisheries and Land Resources staff will make recommendations on future permit volumes by evaluating the previous two years of logging activity.
Newfoundland and Labrador Forest Industry Association executive director Bill Dawson was also quoted in the news release.
“The Newfoundland and Labrador Forest Industry Association looks forward to the implementation of the Commercial Cutting Permit Allocation policy in 2019. This progressive change will ensure our province’s renewable timber resource is utilized in a sustainable, progressive manner that will continue to strengthen Newfoundland and Labrador’s forest economy,” Dawson was quoted saying in the release.
The release went on to state that other measures to increase timber allocations which were announced in March are already in place, such as Timber Sale Agreements (TSA) and Five-year Commercial Cutting Permits.
So far, one TSA has been awarded for Red Indian Lake. There are still TSAs available in Forest Management Districts 19, 8, 2, and 5. Details are on the department’s website.
Two Five-year Commercial Cutting Permits have been awarded so far in Springdale-Baie Verte and Roddickton.
