'Nova Scotia' in Timberland Investment

Nova Scotia long-term Crown timber harvest leases still on hold | Timberland Investment | Scoop.it

From www.cbc.ca - August 24, 2018 7:00 AM

Nova Scotia will maintain a moratorium on long-term leases for timber harvesting on Crown lands until it "digests" a new forest practices review.

The report from University of King's College president Bill Lahey calls for a drastic reduction in harvesting on Crown land and a shift to more cutting on private woodlots.

The recommendation poses tough questions for the Liberal government.

It ordered the review in part after persistent complaints that increased harvesting on Crown land in western Nova Scotia drove down demand for wood from private woodlots.

On Thursday, Premier Stephen McNeil and Lands and Forestry Minister Iain Rankin sidestepped any commitment to reduce harvesting on lands owned by the province.

Rankin said the freeze on long-term leases to harvest on Crown land will stay for now. "Until we are fully able to digest the report and each recommendation we are not prepared to sign any long-term leases until we actually consider all those recommendations," Rankin said.

McNeil said an initial response will be delivered this fall.

The most recent Crown lease for Pictou-based Northern Pulp expired in July and was renewed for one year.

From novascotia.ca - November 6, 2017 10:26 AM

Nova Scotia has learned it will be excluded from U.S. import measures on softwood lumber. The United States Department of Commerce issued the ruling, today, Nov 2.

“We are pleased the United States government has recognized the legitimacy of our long-standing exclusion,” said Premier Stephen McNeil, who is also Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. “While this is welcome news for Nova Scotia, we recognize that this is a difficult time for Canadian industry as a whole as many are faced with duties.”

Provincial officials have collaborated with industry, federal and U.S. officials since the expiry of the previous Softwood Lumber Agreement to explain why the exclusion should be maintained.

The Canada-U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement expired in October 2015. It prevented any fees or quotas on lumber harvested from the Atlantic provinces.

On Nov. 25, 2016, the United States Lumber Coalition filed petitions with the United States International Trade Commission and the United States Department of Commerce alleging that certain provinces in Canada illegally subsidize lumber producers and that certain producers dump products into the U.S. market. There were no allegations of subsidy relevant to Nova Scotia sawmills.

A preliminary ruling on countervailing duties by the Commerce Department this spring temporarily imposed duties of 19.88 per cent on Nova Scotia producers.

The U.S. Lumber Coalition subsequently requested that the Commerce Department exclude softwood lumber products produced in Nova Scotia from the ongoing anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations.

In June, the Commerce Department issued preliminary anti-dumping duties of 6.87 per cent. This preliminary ruling also acknowledged that softwood lumber products produced in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island should be excluded from the ongoing investigation. Producers have been paying duties in the form of cash deposits while waiting for the final ruling.

Nova Scotia long-term Crown timber harvest leases still on hold

Nova Scotia Softwood Lumber Excluded from United States Duties