A new report claims a sharp increase in wood-pellet exports is fuelling the loss of primary forests in B.C., but Forests Minister Bruce Ralston says that is not the case.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives released a 40-page report Tuesday (April 23), which tracks the surge in B.C. wood-pellet exports. It says B.C.含羞草研究社檚 forests are in crisis after decades of 含羞草研究社渋ntense logging含羞草研究社� that has 含羞草研究社渄epleted and fragmented含羞草研究社� the forest industry, and now the demand of wood pellets is adding to the loss of B.C.含羞草研究社檚 primary forests.

Authored by Ben Parfitt, a resource policy analyst and former journalist, it includes six policy reforms from 含羞草研究社渄ramatically含羞草研究社� increasing the protection of remaining and primary old-growth forests to zoning the province含羞草研究社檚 forests and existing plantations into three broad categories to requiring by law that all timber-processing 含羞草研究社� includin g wood-pellet mills 含羞草研究社� must submit annual reports.

In the report, Parfitt says that unless there are significant changes in forest policy, 含羞草研究社渢he likelihood is that even more of the shrinking stock of primary forests in BC and Canada will be logged to supply bioenergy companies with wood pellets.含羞草研究社�

However, Ralston told reporters Wednesday (April 24) that 含羞草研究社渇orests are not being turned into pellets,含羞草研究社� adding that the source material for making pellets is sawmills, shavings, chips and forest residues.

He said all of those materials, which are taken to the Drax mills and made into pellets, would otherwise be burned in slash piles that 含羞草研究社渞eleases a lot of carbon and it wastes a lot of valuable forest products.含羞草研究社�

The report notes that B.C. produces more wood pellets than any other Canadian province, and production is 含羞草研究社渄ominated含羞草研究社� by U.K.-based company Drax, which owns the world含羞草研究社檚 single-largest wood-burning facility. Drax also owns, or partially owns, eight of B.C含羞草研究社檚 12 pellet mills and is responsible for 80 per cent of the province含羞草研究社檚 exports.

B.C.含羞草研究社檚 wood-pellet exports are mainly driven by Japan and the U.K. which both burn millions of tonnes of pellets each year in thermal plants to generate electricity.

The report says B.C.含羞草研究社檚 trade in wood pellets has doubled in the past decade, led by massive increases to Japan following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The country switched to increase energy production from other sources, including thermal electricity plants that burn wood pellets after being faced with the loss of nuclear reactors that were damaged by the tsunami.

In the last decade, Japan has imported nearly 1.7 million tonnes of wood pellets, up from 61,700 tonnes in 2014, the report says.

But the report adds that in the same decade that Japan含羞草研究社檚 demand for wood pellets soared, logging rates in B.C. fell by 38 per cent 含羞草研究社� and are expected to decline further.

The report includes six 含羞草研究社渆ssential含羞草研究社� policy recommendations:

含羞草研究社� Increase dramatically the protection of remaining primary and old-growth forests

含羞草研究社� Zone B.C.含羞草研究社檚 forests and existing plantations into three broad categories: fully conserved primary and old-growth forests, forests and plantations managed specifically to enhance key non-timber resources such as water and wildlife and a portion of previously logged lands be managed for timber production and forest products with ecological guidelines that must be met

含羞草研究社� Require by law that all timber-processing, including wood-pellet mills must submit annual reports detailing all wood used at their facilities, and break down what form the wood takes

含羞草研究社� Strictly prohibit pellet mills from converting trees logged in primary or old-growth forests directly into wood pellets and require that producers only use the residual waste from sawmills, verifiable wood waste from logging sites, or thinnings from tree plantations as sources of raw material for pellet production

含羞草研究社� Apply the carbon tax to all emissions associated with logs or wood waste that is currently burned as 含羞草研究社渟lash含羞草研究社� at logging operations

含羞草研究社� Enact a solid-wood-first strategy and penalize all companies that convert logs or portions of logs to wood pellets that could be used to make other forest products

When asked about the report, Ralston said the what the writers 含羞草研究社渄on含羞草研究社檛 seem to focus on is that the economics含羞草研究社� of using whole logs are much more valuable. He said the premise of the report is to use whole logs and instead turn those into pellets.

含羞草研究社淭he price difference is huge and so it含羞草研究社檚 just way more valuable to trade those logs for the kind of sawdust, chips, bark that is used for pellets.

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