Domestic wood cutting permits for FMD 14 can now be obtained at St. George�s forestry office

Officials with the Department of Forest Resources and Agrifoods are advising the public that domestic wood cutting permits for Forest Management District (FMD) 14 on the west coast can now be obtained at the department�s St. George�s district office, instead of through Corner Brook Pulp and Paper.

The change is the result of an agreement earlier this year between the department and Corner Brook Pulp and Paper where cutting rights for all hardwood trees in FMD 14 were transferred from the company to the Crown. Corner Brook Pulp and Paper does not use hardwoods to manufacture paper and, therefore, transferred its timber cutting rights to the Crown in support of the province�s value-added lumber industry.

The agreement provides a mechanism to better manage the hardwood resource, such as protecting and enhancing current and future hardwood sawlog supplies. This will be achieved through the implementation of various silviculture and management programs.

The general public can obtain their domestic wood cutting permits for FMD 14, which extends from the community of Gallants to Port aux Basques, starting September 22.

For more information, contact:

Hubert Smith
District Ecosystem Manager
St. George�s Forestry Office
(709) 647-3761

Media contact: Sonia B. Glover, Communications, (709) 729-6183

2003 09 19                                         9:00 a.m.