There are at least a couple of BC foresters lurking here so I thought I would offer a couple of clarifications from my perspective.

: If a tree falls in the forest it stays there, so does it energy. If it is
: logged and removed it does not. I wonder how many generations of 'usable'
: forest can be removed from an area before it can't really grow any more.

In Europe they may be on their "n"th rotation. On the BC Coast 2nd growth is beginning to be harvested. In the Interior we are continuing to selectively log some of our dry Douglas-fir sites that were first harvested in the early 1900's.

: I wonder how they are re-seeded, In Ontario, the trees are removed and faster
: growing species are often replaced so they can be harvested earlier. I
: assume in BC it would be with Cedar again, but is it the same species?
: Just wondering, out of pure ignorance.

In BC over 90% of the harvested areas are replanted within 2 years of harvest. We normally plant more trees than we expect to harvest next time around. It may have been true that once upon a time planting on the Coast was restricted to Douglas-fir and in the Interior to either pine or spruce. In recent years we have been much more selective in the species that are planted. Species are selected for their appropriateness for the site. The biggest clue is what species existed on the site before harvesting? In many cases that is what we will replant. In the West Kootenays it is common to plant 5-6 different species on one cutblcok. On many blocks a mix of species is planted and the planters themselves may be responsible for selecting the microsite and the tree planted.

: One picture in the article showed a small cut patch, if viewed from the Sea,
: it would not be seen. Traveling the High ways in BC, you will not see much
: Clear cutting comparied to if you just walked up over one of the ridges
: next to the Highway. (Try looking down from a plane, flying from Vancouver
: to Calgary)

This is part of the balance with social interests. In BC, since the terrain is so extreme, we have become very effective in not "hiding" our activity but blending it in with the natural landscape in major corridors. The concept is simple, a diverse economy that includes forestry and tourism and other activites benefits us all.

By the way did you notice the agricultural fields modified outside Calgary, urban sprawl, conversion of desert ecosystems in the Okanagan to orchards and vineyards on your flight to Vancouver? How about Vancouver itself? It is carved out of the rainforest and shows no sign that the expansion will stop. In fact I think the largest Douglas-fir ever recorded came from Lynn Valley ~100 years ago.

: There are much better sources of Fiber for Paper. Hemp grows much faster, and
: requires less energy to do so.

And hemp is an imported species that would either have to displace food crops or forests would be cleared to allow for planting. What fits better into the natural system, young trees consistent with the native species or another exotic species?

: I definatly support reasonable measures to reduce waste of wood.

No argument with that. All of our choices have impacts. I am building a S&G made out Okoume, a plantation species from Africa, and the plywood was glued together in France. So did the Okoume plantation displace another species? How much fuel was burned in shipping the Okoume to the Okanagan? What harm do the fumes from epoxy have on the environment.

Now that I have built some confidence in my boat building skills my next boat will be made out of local materials, even some recycled stuff from our house renos.

grant