June 14, 1996
(Forest Resources and Agrifoods)

The following statement was issued today by Beaton Tulk, Minister of Forest Resources and Agrifoods. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

I would like to inform the Honourable House of Assembly of the forestry resource road contracts that have been awarded to private contractors throughout the province. To date, $378,000 has been awarded for resource road construction involving the construction of four bridges and road upgrading, plus the construction of approximately 12 kilometres of new roads. These resource roads provide critical access to both commercial and domestic timber harvesting operators. I would also stress, that these roads are used for silviculture purposes, as well as by recreational users such as cottage owners, hunters, and ecotourism operators.

The Resource Road Program is now completely funded by the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. As a result of these contracts, approximately 66 jobs will be created scattered across the province in areas where forestry harvesting and forest management work is under way. This will result in 375 weeks of employment.

The following list outlines the project locations and weeks of employment created:

     Baie Verte                         20 weeks of employment
     Bonavista North                    24 weeks of employment
     Bonavista South                    50 weeks of employment
     Conception Bay East/Belle Isle     12 weeks of employment
     Humber Valley                      25 weeks of employment
     Lewisporte                         48 weeks of employment
     Straits-White Bay                  23 weeks of employment
     Terra Nova                         49 weeks of employment
     Windsor-Springdale                 21 weeks of employment

In these times of economic uncertainty these jobs are of great value to the families living in rural Newfoundland. Moreover, the work being carried out provides for the continued viability of our forest- based industries and for the long-term management of our forests.