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Sustainability the key to local forestry
A LONG WAY DOWN
ATCO certified for practices BY SHERI REGNIER Times Staff
GUY BERTRAND PHOTO
Competitors in the Canadian Open freeskiing championships at Red Mountain Resort on Saturday look down the steep incline from the start gate at the top of Granite Mountain to a crowd of spectators awaiting their arrival at the bottom of the Link’s Line run. See story on Page 11.
Teck earns international accolade again BY LIZ BEVAN Times Staff
For the third year in a row, Teck Resources have been internationally recognized for its efforts in sustainability. The company earned the highest spot for any mining operation
on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations list, put together by Corporate Knights, an investment research and media company. Companies around the world are judged on 12 different factors to determine a ranking and right here in Trail, Teck is doing all it can to keep the
international company on the list. “Teck scored well on our performance in a number of areas such as water, energy, carbon productivity and safety performance,” said Catherine Adair, community relations leader at Teck Trail Operations. See SAFETY, Page 3
There's no getting around the fact that tree stumps look less appealing than a healthy forest. But Trail made a lot of green from Violin Lake logs last year, so it's unlikely the city will cut future financial gain through forestry. Sustainability is key for the local industry and a must for the family-owned business that has logged the area for more than 60 years. “The timber that is harvested supports many hundreds of direct and indirect jobs in our communities,” says Mark Semeniuk, ATCO Wood Product's chief operating officer. “And ultimately becomes a myriad of products that can be found in our homes and in lumber stores around the world.” Recognizing that everyday decisions directly affect the health and future of forests, ATCO has been certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) since 2006. The Fruitvale-based company remains committed to environmental stewardship and responsible forestry on both crown and private lands– because after all, they also live, work and play here. With aggressive and successful silviculture, otherwise known as sustainable forestry management, the city lands will support a healthy stand of trees in 30 years, much like the reforested hectares that ATCO logged in the early 2000s. While a newly harvested site looks less appealing than a healthy green forest, Semeniuk maintains that stage is a necessary part of the renewal process. “We are proud of our efforts to minimize the negative aspects of the harvesting process,” he said. “And the ultimate results of a healthy, diverse new forest only a few years after harvest.” The company was recently certified for another five years under the voluntary SFI program, which uses guiding principles of sustainable forestry to enhance the link between healthy forests, responsible purchasing and sustainable communities. Every five years SFI standards are revised to update forest research data and to address emerging issues such as conservation of specific species, water protection and the minimization of chemical use. See LOGGED, Page 3
The Waneta Terrestrial Compensation Program is now accepting applications for 2015. Visit columbiapower.org/WTCP to learn more about this program and to find the application package.
Contact the Times: Phone: FineLine250-368-8551 Technologies 62937 Index 9 Fax:JN250-368-8550 80% 1.5 BWR NU Newsroom: 250-364-1242 Canada Post, Contract number 42068012