The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources, met with members of the Canadian Institute of Forestry – NL Section and the Association of Registered Professional Foresters of Newfoundland and Labrador today, followed by a tour of the Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Development. The former Wooddale Tree Nursery has been re-profiled and is now the centre of innovation for forestry and agriculture in central Newfoundland with a new, strengthened mandate for research and innovation in both forestry and agriculture.

Minister Byrne and forest practitioners from across the province viewed and discussed a variety of research projects, including the Provincial Government’s tree improvement program and ongoing projects focusing on fruit and vegetable crop varieties and propagation. These initiatives will advance and diversify the forestry and agriculture industries in Newfoundland and Labrador.

More information on the work taking place at the Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Development can be found in the backgrounder below.

Supporting research and growth in forestry and agriculture delivers on commitments in The Way Forward to strengthen the province’s economic foundation and deliver better services and better outcomes for residents. The Way Forward outlines all actions the Provincial Government is taking to achieve a strong, diversified province with a high standard of living and can be viewed at thewayforward.gov.nl.ca

Quotes
“Forest practitioners represented by Canadian Institute of Forestry – NL Section and the Association of Registered Professional Foresters of Newfoundland and Labrador have long been serving our province in a variety of roles, and provide national leadership in forestry as members of these respected organizations. I am pleased to share our range of exciting forest ecosystem and agriculture research projects with them and to discuss the interesting and innovative commercial opportunities underway at the newly re-profiled Wooddale facility.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Fisheries and Land Resources

“The forestry and agriculture sectors have been a vital part of central Newfoundland’s heritage for generations, and the facility at Wooddale has played a crucial role in our forest sector since it opened in 1974 to provide seedlings for reforestation. The transformation of the former tree nursery to the Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Development will continue that legacy as it evolves to meet the needs of both the forestry and agriculture sectors.”
Jerry Dean
MHA for Exploits

“Professional foresters in Newfoundland and Labrador are committed to the advocacy, promotion and professional practice of forestry in the province, and we are encouraged by the innovative research underway at the Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Development. We look forward to continuing our strong working relationship with the Provincial Government and supporting its commitment to diversifying and strengthening the forest sector.”
Colin Carroll,
President, Canadian Institute of Forestry

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Learn more

The Way Forward on Diversifying the Forest Sector

The Way Forward on Food Self-Sufficiency

Canadian Institute of Forestry – NL Section

Association of Registered Professional Foresters of Newfoundland and Labrador (RPFNL)

Follow us on Twitter: @GovNL and @FLR_GovNL

Media contacts
Linda Skinner
Fisheries and Land Resources
709-637-2284, 632-8167
lindaskinner@gov.nl.ca

Beatrice Baker
Constituency Assistant to Exploits MHA Jerry Dean
709-258-2519
beatricebaker@gov.nl.ca

Colin Carroll
Canadian Institute of Forestry
709-637-2410
ccarroll.rpf@gmail.com

BACKGROUNDER

Details of work taking place at the Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Development:

Tree improvement program: The tree improvement program is creating trees with favorable genetic combinations that are genetically superior and perform consistently better when planted, therefore producing greater merchantable volume per tree and per hectare through improved height growth. This will increase volume and value in the province’s planted forests. All seeds are from native black and white spruce stock and seedlings are being established and grown the Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Research at Wooddale in central Newfoundland. Approximately seven million seedlings were produced at the facility in 2018.

Fruit and vegetable transplants: The center is providing support to all current and established vegetable and berry producers throughout the province. For the first time in 2018, 255,800 vegetable transplants were produced at the facility and made available to Newfoundland and Labrador’s farmers. Research trials focusing on increasing food and livestock feed self-sufficiency include wine grape, asparagus, blueberry, lingonberry, cranberry, advance-release potato, faba bean and high moisture grain corn are underway at the Western Agriculture Centre: Agriculture Research Station in Pynn’s Brook and will expand to the Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Development in Wooddale.

Supports for the forest industry in central Newfoundland:

The Department of Fisheries and Land Resources is working with industry to build partnerships and identify innovative ways to best utilize the forest resource in central Newfoundland. The department is working with:

• Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Ltd. on a fibre exchange in Forest Management District 10 to give the company the opportunity to complement its existing harvesting operations to reduce fibre costs and improve its competitiveness;
• Sexton Lumber to secure fibre to produce an additional 20-30 million feet of lumber and diversify its product line;
• Cottle’s Island Lumber to secure fibre for expansion into the commercial firewood market; and
• Harold Sheppard Limited to secure fibre to expand production and to relocate the company’s sawmill to Botwood.