Day 073 - 13 Jan 95 - Page 24
1 of aspen.
2
3 Q. You visited that?
4 A. I visited that in November, yes. I saw the stuff going
5 in, which actually I would like to raise a point there; the
6 idea of a tie-up between the location of pulp and chip
7 mills and paper sources. The mill in Athabasca, which is
8 in northern Alberta and is taking virgin, old growth
9 forest, does not produce paper. It produces paper pulp
10 which it then exports to other places.
11
12 Again, talking about the old growth, in the west coast of
13 the United States I have personally seen piles of wood
14 chips ready for export, a pile which I would estimate has a
15 base area of 20 acres, and, looking at the machinery, I
16 would say has a height of 80 feet. That is the sort of
17 scale of the thing.
18
19 For instance, going on to the idea that things are just
20 done locally, McMillon Blodel, who are forest owners in
21 British Columbia, sell paper pulp to Scott International --
22 it used to be Bowater Scott in this country, now Scott
23 International -- an American company. They do a regular
24 run from British Columbia, or did do a regular run from
25 British Columbia, stopping in Oregon at Coos Bay and ending
26 up in Gillingham in Kent where they make Andrex toilet
27 paper. I am just saying that the location of paper making
28 plants is often different than the location of pulp making
29 plants and chip mills.
30
31 In fact, Scott paper, let me just raise Scott paper, Scott
32 paper have said now they will not take any more material
33 from British Columbia. They have stopped taking old growth
34 material from British Columbia. They have decided, because
35 of public pressure, or the threat of public pressure --
36 they have announced they will not take paper pulp, paper
37 chips, from British Columbia. So, your Andrex toilet paper
38 which they make in this country has a certain guarantee
39 that it is not using old growth from Canada.
40
41 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do you actually know yourself, or do you have
42 any particular suggestion of a mill in what you would say
43 is a vulnerable area? This is not just your general
44 comment as to managed or plantation forests where you say
45 timber is cut which goes to pulp which goes to paper
46 products which goes to McDonald's?
47 A. I cannot specifically quote on mill.
48
49 MR. MORRIS: Do you want to continue with the quotes from the
50 Finnish Forestry Association?
51 A. Yes, yes. Going on: "As symbols of continuity,
52 exceptionally old trees possess a special emotional value.
53 They also assure nesting success for birds of prey - the
54 relatively flimsy branches of even 'middle-aged' pines
55 cannot support the load imposed by the nest of an eagle or
56 an osprey."
57
58 Q. Unless there are any more strong quotes, what is your
59 general opinion of what they are recognising there?
60 A. What they are recognising is that forestry as practiced
