In This Issue:

• Message from the CEO
• Corporate News
• Aircrane
• Log Harvesting
• Forestry Engineering
• Environmental Mgmt. & Fire
• Mill Works
• Mill Report
• Safety Stats
• Information Systems
• Calendar

Download PDF version

Adobe Acrobat Reader is
required to view PDF files.

• News Top

By Ken Matthews, Forestry ManagerForestry & Engineering

Engineering Update

Our engineering work this summer is solidly focused on TFL 54. Wayne has asked us to have 400 000m3 engineered and approved in cutting permits by the end of September 2008 to allow us to plan and complete harvesting on the current program in TFL 54 over the next eighteen to twenty four months.

To date, we have six cutting permits approved, three at Stewardson and three at Kennedy Lake. Three of these permits have now been logged and crews are busy working on the remaining approved areas including Block K4 (CP 123) at Kennedy Lake (helicopter block) and CPs 117 and 119 at Stewardson. Existing permits cover about 130 000m3.

We have submitted an application for additional conventional logging at Kennedy Lake and expect an approval any day for blocks SB7, T1 and SB8. Blocks SB 7 and T1 are now roaded and ready to go when we get the permit (CP 122). Block SB 8 is a small helicopter block. These blocks should generate another 19 000 m3.

Zolie will submit several additional cutting permits over the next two months covering the following volumes. These volumes are projections.

• 50 000m3 more in and around Kennedy Lake
• 40 000m3 of wood near Fortune channel for dumping at Rankin Inlet.
• 30 000m3 of wood to be helicopter logged in the near Gunner Inlet and Fortune Channel
• 45 000m3 of wood to be conventionally logged at Stewardson
• 30 000m3 of wood to be helicopter logged at Stewardson
• 30 000m3 of wood to be conventionally and helicopter logged at Cypre River
• 30 000m3 of wood to be helicopter logged at Bedwell Sound

This is a very ambitious deadline, but if we are successful, Gary will then have some flexibility to plan out the logging and road building operations over the next 18 months with some breathing room.

This program does not include working in the disputed areas that are the subject of media attention in the newspapers this week. If decisions are made to move into those areas in the short term, we will have additional options in our plan for this planning period. In any case, those areas will be needed for the next period.

The bottom line is that we believe we can achieve these objectives and if we do we will have wood ready to log in TFL 54. Of course, to be able to log, we need to have log and lumber markets and prices and reasonable stumpage rates.

The focus is on TFL 54, but we are also planning the next blocks and roads we will need for our return to Toquart and Cataract Lake. We will begin to do that engineering field work later this fall and next summer for logging there in the fall of 2010 to 2012.

On the forestry side, Ron is reviewing our fire weather indices, watching the our fire fighting preparedness, keeping an eye on some salvage work on our tenures, and doing surveys to keep up on our reforestation responsibilities.

As we continue to work through the hot part of the summer, we all need to review responsibilities for taking action if we discover a wildfire. Be sure you know where the tools are, where the water is and who to call. Often minutes can make the difference between success and disaster.

I hope you all get a break to enjoy some of this summer weather with your families