Waiting for wood

News — 15 December 2010

The province put out a wood supply competition last winter to attract applications to apply for wood rights in their respective communities. Applications came with a spring deadline, and were to be reviewed and awarded by the fall.

“We’re working very hard to move the wood supply competition forward, all the applications came in by the end of March, and it’s a process that’s very complicated,” says Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, Michael Gravelle.

A “fairness commissioner” was brought in to oversee all the applications, said Gravelle, and ensures that all fairness is being used when selecting the lucky recipients.

“We have actually made a handful of conditional offers to a number of companies,” says Gravelle. “When indeed the conditional offers are accepted, we will certainly be making a public announcement about that. We will also, in the next upcoming weeks, be making considerably more conditional offers as well.”

Although the minister would not give an exact number to attach to “a handful”, he does report that they are hoping to have the next round of conditional offers sent out by Christmas or early in the new year.

Gravelle says the process is unfolding, although taking longer than he wanted it to. He defers reason for the delay to the detailed evaluation necessary for each application and such a determination to have it handled properly as far as fairness is concerned. Gravelle himself has not been involved with the applications and selection process, although when the recommendations come forward, Gravelle is the one to sign the conditional offers.

“We’re hoping to hear back from those people who have received those (conditional) offers in the very near future, and once the offers are in place and accepted, we’ll look forward to making some public announcements and other conditional offers going out in the near future,” reiterates Gravelle.

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