FORESTRY
The forest industry is one of the largest employers in the region. The Rocky Mountain Forest District, headquartered in Cranbrook, oversees all planning, harvesting and silviculture activities. It encompasses 2.6 million hectares. The district’s Annual Allowable Cut (AAC) is 1.57 million cubic metres.
Tembec is the primary forest company in the region and operates three sawmills at Canal Flats, Cranbrook and Elko and a pulp mill at Skookumchuck.
The $1 billion Skookumchuck mill also features a co-generation plant that it uses for energy, with the excess exported to the BC Hydro grid. This feature has enabled it to remain open during these harsh economic times, thanks to a deal worked out with the B.C. government.
Tembec also sends a significant portion of its product overseas.
Along with Tembec’s mills and Canfor’s mill at Radium Hot Springs, the Kootenay Rockies area has about 70 other forestry-related companies, according to forestindustry.com. The main end product is finished dimensional lumber for the U.S. housing market.
However, a diverse field of businesses exist in conjunction with forestry, including specialty product operations such as Brisco Wood Preservers and Golden’s Louisiana Pacific mill.
Specialty lumber producers and shippers are becoming more evident as the need to branch out into value added products grows.
In addition, forestry provides jobs in logging, trucking, silviculture and repair/supplies, such as Finning in Sparwood and Great West Equipment in Cranbrook.
Photo: Diana Scott