New Areas Available for Harvesting of Fuel Wood in Central Newfoundland

The Department of Natural Resources is opening 27 new areas to harvesting of fuel wood for personal use on lands formerly licensed to AbitibiBowater in central Newfoundland. Permits from the Department of Natural Resources are required for harvesting in these areas.

�We are pleased to be able to provide access to these new areas for domestic cutters for the purposes of personal consumption in heating their homes this winter,� said the Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency. �Once this land was returned to the Crown, we put in place a process to identify how best to issue domestic cutting permits in these areas beyond those already approved. We needed to ensure the best use of this resource was considered, as well as a proper forest management approach.�

The domestic Crown permits originally issued starting May 1, 2009, were confined primarily to areas previously harvested by earlier commercial operations and the amount of fibre available for domestic cutters was limited. The permits for these new areas are for hardwood and non-commercial species only. The harvesting of spruce and fir softwood is not permitted as a result of commercial operations for these species.

�This is the approach we have identified to balance our domestic and commercial operations in these areas,� said Minister Dunderdale, �We anticipate that once our new Forest Management Plan is implemented in 2011, areas will be identified that allow domestic harvesting of spruce and fir.�

A Crown domestic cutting permit is required under the Forestry Act to harvest and transport fuel wood from Crown or public land for personal use. Conservation officers with the Department of Natural Resources conduct regular patrols to check permits and assess illegal activity.

Harvesters with Crown permits purchased since May 1, 2009 can have their permits amended to include these new areas at no charge. New permits are valid until April 30, 2010 and can be purchased at a cost of $21 from District Forestry Offices in Bishops Falls (709-258-5334) and Lewisporte (709-535-2706). Permits are also available at the Botwood satellite office by calling ahead (709-257-3596) as hours of operation vary.

For more information or to view maps of these new areas, please visit: www.nr.gov.nl.ca/forestry/permits/licence.stm#cutting 

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Media contact:
Tracy Barron
Director of Communications
Department of Natural Resources
709-729-5282, 690-8241
tracybarron@gov.nl.ca 

2009 10 28                                                    11:00 a.m.