The Forestry Industry
NOT SEEING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES
by Cassie (Ledwidge) Turple, 3rd Generation Sawmiller
T he media has recently taken an interest in promoting the Environmental group’s side of the long-standing argument about whether forestry is bad or good. Twenty years ago, my grandfather put ads in the paper promoting the cycle of a forest. How trees grow to be mature and then are harvested before they die to create the many wood products society desires. The forest then regenerates on its own or is helped along through planting and thinning and over the years a beautiful stand of trees grows again. This cycle mimics fire or insect infestation, which happen naturally, and is why forestry is renewable. Our industry is providing you, the consumer, with the various wood products you need. Again, and again and again. Professional forest techni- cians and foresters plan and manage the supply so we can make the products you, the consumer desire and in some cases need. This argument about whether what we do is sustainable or not has been talked about for as long as we’ve been doing it. We own thousands of acres of land
where we practice forest management and many areas have been harvested by us twice over. Many of these areas are also used by fisherman, hunters, hikers, geocachers and even a road rally race group. Now please don’t get it twisted and state we cut every last tree because we don’t. Actually, many areas are not harvested at all because we know there is a balance to keep, and biodiversity is in everyone’s best interest. We love our province. We love what we do. We love the forest. We love to watch it grow. We love the products it provides you with. Globally, we are moving towards wood products being a sustainable, biodegradable resource replacing plastic, steel, and concrete - all of which create harmful carbon emissions when manufactured. Building with wood, online shopping, the gum you chew, the clothes you wear, the furniture in your home; I could go on and on about wood and the opportunities it presents to society for a renewable resource, but I’ve said it all before and my father and grandfather, they’ve said it all before and still so many won’t listen.
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APRIL 2021 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • APRIL 2021
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