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Industry recovery revives key B.C. forestry event

Organizer says enthusiasm has returned to province’s hard-hit resource sector
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Forestry sector will converge on Prince George on Thursday

It’s yet one more sign that forestry is back on its feet. After a two-year hiatus, the Council of Forest Industries (COFI) conference is back this week in Prince George.

While the conference once attracted approximately 1,000 delegates to a two-day annual event, organizers were forced to cancel the event in 2009 when they could not find enough sponsors or delegates.

“We decided to put the convention into a hold mode until the recession eased a bit,” said Doug Routledge, vice-president of forestry for COFI. “That of course has been a longer period of time than we had hoped.”

With lumber prices now rising, the U.S. housing market beginning to recover and sustained demand from Asian markets, Routledge said there’s now more enthusiasm within the industry. Five hundred delegates have signed up so far for this year’s event.

Topics will cover hot-button issues for the industry, such as timber supply in the wake of the mountain pine beetle infestation and how to recruit and train the next generation of forestry workers. And in the aftermath of deadly explosions at two mills in early 2012, safety is also on the agenda.

The conference will also explore new developments for the industry, such as the increasing importance of bioenergy.

“There are many other elements of using what up to now has been debris fibre, there hasn’t been a market or a product,” said Routledge. “What’s coming at us that way that will create market opportunities.”

Routledge said the event is aimed at the CEOs and vice-presidents of forestry companies and has been tailored to those strategic thinkers.

“Those people are most interested in looking out way in front, what’s coming at us in not just one or two years but in five, 10, 20 years,” said Routledge.

Peter Woodbridge, president of Woodbridge Associates and a Business in Vancouver columnist, will be providing some of that long-term thinking in a macroeconomics session.

“I think a lot of people will be looking for discussion around the lumber price supercycle, and looking for insights of how long it’s going to go on for,” said Woodbridge.

While high prices are mostly good news, forestry companies need to be prepared to meet the challenges that come with a tight timber supply.

“We have to go further and further these days for quality wood and quality sawlogs,” said Woodbridge. “That’s adding significantly to the trucking costs and the stumpage is higher as well.”

COFI’s conference takes place April 4 and 5 in Prince George.