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Europeans Embrace Eco-certification Andy Shaw’s prime red cedar is headed for Holland. The lumber, exported under the “FSC greentree” label, is worth $1.5 million. When Shawood Lumber owner Andy Shaw was trying to sell British Columbia cedar in Europe this fall he met stiff resistance until he told his clients he had ecocertified wood. Shaw is the first BC sawmiller to get a supply of rainforest logs certified to the most stringent world eco-standard — the Forest Stewardship Council. He was shocked at the response from his client. “They wanted to buy everything I had,” he said of the Netherlands customer he was dealing with. And not only did they buy his wood, they paid him a five-per-cent premium. It’s a $1.5-million deal for 300,000 board feet of prime BC cedar and the first truckloads with the FSC greentree logo stapled on the side have begun rolling out of Shawood’s Langley sawmill. It is this province’s first major shipment of rainforest lumber that even Greenpeace agrees is okay. “In terms of the kind of vision and commitment they are showing in moving quickly on this, clearly they should be supported,” said Tamara Stark, forest campaigner for Greenpeace and a veteran of anti-logging campaigns from Clayoquot Sound to the central coast. Shaw’s value-added mill is the final link in a chain of certification that stretches from the front gate of the Langley operation to a Fraser River primary sawmill where the logs are cut in large planks, to the towboats that haul the logs down the coast, and finally to a small logging camp on Knight Inlet, where the timber is harvested selectively, leaving behind a complete forest eco-system. FAST KAYAK GROUP TRANSPORT Access remote Grey and Orca whale areas, from Johnstone Strait to Village Island, Cape Scott to Cape Caution. 12 passengers plus kayaks and all gear. 36 foot aluminum, fully equipped twin diesel. 15 years guiding, 6 years commercial kayak group transport. NEW ‘ORCA WATCH’ ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE BLACKFISH SOUND AREA. The lumber is prime western red cedar, selling for $3,000 for 1,000 board feet. It is the best lumber BC produces, cleargrained and durable. It sells for almost 10 times the value of construction lumber. Shaw was not a strong believer in the certification movement until he bought the eco-logs from Timfor Contractors, an FSC-certified logging operation run by long-time forester Esmond Preus. Shaw quickly converted, however, when he saw the enthusiasm among Europeans for his new product. When he looked further, the size of the market and the determination of the Europeans to use eco-certified wood took him by surprise: He was contacted by one consortium in the United Kingdom representing companies with annual sales of $7.7 billion. They are committed to using eco-certified wood by 2003 and they prefer the stringent FSC system over other industry-initiated systems. “It’s a $7.7 billion market. That’s billion —not million,” he said, as if he was still trying to convince himself as much as his listener that eco-certification is for real. Shawood has cracked the door open to that market but Shaw said his customers want assurances they can continue to buy FSC-certified wood. Promising a dependable supply is still an open question. Timfor is BC’s only major logging operation to have the FCS seal of approval. Office ph/fax: 250/956-3431. Cell: 250/974-8088 Box 113 Port McNeill, BC VON2RO www.capescott.net/~vikingwest BROUGHTON ARCHIPELAGO Gordon Hamilton The company has a non-replaceable forest licence for 175,000 cubic metres of timber. They have already logged half of it and expect to log the remaining 80,000 cubic metres in 2001. Once that is gone, there are no guarantees the province will provide them with more timber. And there is no certainty other operators will achieve FSC-certification. The BC forests ministry has no policy recognizing FSC wood and it is costly to operators like Timfor to operate without the certainty of supply. Forests Minister Gordon Wilson says he recognizes the dilemma BC operators face when they are seeking new markets for eco-wood. “Obviously there is a challenge to government now,” he said. Wilson said the forests ministry intends to make more timber available through open-market bidding to companies that become eco-certified but there are several hurdles to overcome first. Specifically, major licensees who control most of the province’s timber must be willing to give up some of their tenure to make timber available to independents like Timfor, he said. Also, there is still a dispute among BC producers over which eco-certification system will ultimately win out in the global marketplace. But FSC is generally considered to be more environmentally stringent. Shaw said he is convinced that is the system the European buyers want. The issue, he said, is clearcutting. “It seems highly unlikely they would buy from someone who clearcuts. That is the whole thing they are trying to stop,” he said. ❏ This article appeared in the Vancouver Sun, Dec. 5, 2000 and is reprinted here with permission. © Bowen Island Sea Kayaking OPEN ALL WINTER Tours • Rentals • Lessons Call to reserve 604-947-9266 www.BowenIslandKayaking.com Openings for Assistant Day Guides for 2001 Fax resumé to 604-947-9717 or email kayakbowen@telus.net 26 WaveLength FEBRUARY • MARCH 2001
From the Rainforest Tragedy and Opportunity Dan Lewis Ten years ago I circumnavigated Vancouver Island by kayak. It was the trip of a lifetime, moving slowly by the landscape, with lots of time to observe and reflect. Several things made a lasting impression on me. First, the intact natural landscapes were incredibly wild and beautiful places. Second, these natural areas were rare, and the clearcuts separating them were unbelievably big and bad. And finally, if things didn’t change soon, those precious few wild areas would be destroyed by industrial logging. A lot has happened on the Island since then. For one thing, the unsustainable rate of logging has continued, largely unabated. In fact, the rate of cutting has actually increased! Also, a lot of public scrutiny has been focused on the issue of clearcutting the remaining bits of globally rare coastal temperate rainforest on Vancouver Island. Most of the response to this scrutiny has been in the form of window dressing. In response to public outcry, the BC government set up commissions, created new parks, and even passed a Forest Practices Code that was supposed to impose stringent penalties against any malpractice in the forests. In fact, most of this has had little effect. The negotiation table set up failed to meet consensus—they never even really dealt with the substantive issues before them. The new laws governing logging have not yet been fully implemented. Even so, the logging companies complained about economic hardship when the Asian markets collapsed a few years ago. In response, the government gutted the already-feeble legislation. Don’t get me wrong, some very good things have happened. It’s important to celebrate positive changes. But mainly the government staged a PR coup. The household-name contentious areas were made into parks. To the extent that this has stopped logging in these areas, this is a good thing. But in a world of ␣ ten-second sound bites, not many of the Island’s wilderness areas were known to the average citizen. And the unknown areas have been harder hit during the last decade, now that the new parks are off-limits. Some of the government’s revenue from logging companies was made available to try to repair the damage caused by past logging. Salmon stream restoration was a 2001 FEBRUARY • MARCH WaveLength big recipient of this funding. But the total effort so far is a mere drop in the bucket compared to how much damage remains to be healed. The mountains are still bleeding topsoil down into salmon spawning beds. And meanwhile new scars are being inflicted on the landscape. Recent developments are threatening the fate of Vancouver Island's old growth forests. Government officials recently signed a management plan for the Island which calls for almost half of the area to be logged to standards lower than Forest Practices Code—legally. More than a third will be logged according to the standards of the now-gutted Code. Less than a tenth will be “specially” managed—if it hasn’t already been stripped bare, like Mt. Paxton and Red Stripe Mountain near Kyuquot. All of this will have a direct effect on the many paddlers who come to Vancouver Island from far and wide seeking solitude, peace, and renewed connections with Nature. It’s tragic that the BC government has declined to implement any sort of progressive vision for the new millennium. They have failed to provide a landbase for the Island’s thriving ecotourism industry, and this is endangering rural communities trying to diversify their economies. If you enjoy visiting Vancouver Island’s wild places, take a moment to let BC Premier Ujjal Dosanjh know your views. (Ph: 250-387-1715 Fax: 250-387-0087) Always ask. Netcage salmon farming pollutes the environment and threatens the survival of wild salmon. Georgia Strait Alliance: 250-753-3459 www.GeorgiaStrait.org Photo: Wild BC spring salmon by <strong>Alexandra</strong> Morton © Paddlers should especially express concerns about the potential for destruction of the west coast of Nootka Island and the northwest coast of Vancouver Island from San Josef Bay to Quatsino Sound. But environmental battles are increasingly being fought in the marketplace. Informed consumers of wood products are having a huge influence on the policies of logging companies by demanding oldgrowth-free products. If these companies can’t sell ancient rainforest products, they won’t cut them. Whether you’re buying paper for the office photocopier, or wood for your next kayak, please take the time to source out wood that is certified oldgrowth-free. This is the only way to help these companies understand that they must stop logging in ancient rainforests and start producing wood on the millions of acres that have already been cut over. Consumer action can make the crucial difference—but time is of the essence. If you’d like more information, you might want to check out www.oldgrowth free.com. This site discusses alternatives and includes info on suppliers. ❏ Dan Lewis lives in Clayoquot Sound where he operates Rainforest Kayak Adventures with Bonny Glambeck. Toll free: 1-877-422-WILD or mail@rainforestkayak.com Web: www.rainforestkayak.com © Is it wild or farmed? Eat Wild 27 Photo Mark Hobson
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Page 12 and 13: The Greenland Paddle Adam Bolonsky
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Page 20 and 21: calculate performance factors such
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Page 24 and 25: Woodworking Safety Safe woodworking
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Page 30 and 31: Sea Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of of
Page 32 and 33: NEW CHART—HAKAI The Canadian Hydr
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Page 36 and 37: Books Qayaq: Kayaks of Alaska & Sib
Page 38 and 39: Ph/Fax: 250-539-5553 RENTALS, TOURS
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