Southem Online 224

SOUTHEM ONLINE Southern Hemisphere Forest Industry Journal Online news briefs SOUTHEM Online - Issue 224 – 30 July 2009 Welcome to Southem Online Issue 224. You will notice that we are using tiny urls to assist with accessing news items. If you have any problems, please feel free to contact me. REGISTRATION FOR SOUTHEM ONLINE SOUTHEM Online is sent out to 14,000 recipients worldwide, including those involved in forestry and forest industries as well associated services and agencies. You can register for this free e-news headlines service. Send an email to [email protected] or Go to Subscribe. Forward to a Friend: Want to send this edition to a friend? Just click Forward to a Friend. If you would prefer not to receive further issues of this service, please reply to me at email [email protected] with the word ‘Remove’ in the subject. If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to contact me. Kind regards Mike Smith Editor and Director Email: [email protected] URL: www.southem.com SPONSORS’ MESSAGES Help keep this publication free – please visit our sponsors today! Contact [email protected] for sponsorship details. TREE BREEDER/GENETICIST POSITION WITH FORESTRY PLANTATIONS QUEENSLAND Great opportunity to join a highly professional organisation committed to sustainable forestry, delivering value, providing leadership, directing development and innovation. This role requires an experienced Tree Breeder/Geneticist to join our Forestry Plantations Queensland (FPQ). This position is located in South East Qld (either Gympie or Brisbane). Contract is negotiable for a period of up to 3 years. Closing date: 10 August 2009. For further information or a copy of the Role Description please contact Dr Ken Bubb on (+617) 5482 0898 or visit our website at www.fpq.net.au See more detailed information on this position in Southem Employment notices below. HELI HARVEST LTD PROVIDING AERIAL HEAVY LIFTING SERVICES Heli Harvest is New Zealand’s leading heavy helicopter operator. The company has vast experience in heavy lifting tasks, including timber harvesting, firefighting, disaster relief, construction, vineyard frost protection and cellphone tower installation. Heli Harvest operates two Mi-8 heliopters. For more information, go to: http://www.heliharvest.co.nz/index.cfm/ CONTINUING EDUCATION IN FOREST FINANCE AND ECONOMICS COURSE The Department of Forest and Wood Science, Stellenbosch University, will again present the “Continues Education in Forest Finance and Economics Course” in 2009. This two week block course will cover the theory of discounting and financial analysis procedures, financial decision tools, land valuation and relevant contemporary South African forestry economic topics. For more information see www.sun.ac.za/forestry or contact Cori Ham at

[email protected] FOREST BUSINESS MASTERS DEGREE ASSISTANTSHIP The University of Georgia Center for Forest Business announces the availability of a Master of Forest Resources Graduate Assistantship in Forest Business beginning January 2010. For details please contact: Bob Izlar, + 1.706.542.6819, [email protected] For more information about MFR, MS or PhD degree programs in Forest Business see: http://www.forestry.uga.edu/h/centers/cfb For University of Georgia Graduate School admission requirements, please see: http://www.gradsch.uga.edu **************************************** COPYRIGHT NOTICE Items headlined in SOUTHEM Online are drawn from a number of sources. The source of the item is quoted, either by publication or organisations in line with the practice of fair reporting. Items originally published in Spanish are translated by TMS Ltd. Every effort is made to ensure use of paid wire service material is avoided at all times. Should users wish to utilise SOUTHEM Online on their own web sites, we request that this is done to accurately reflect the current layout to ensure attribution is appropriate. ************************************************ PODCAST: TIME IS RIGHT FOR NEW LOOK AT NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT A leading biological science academic highlights a number of anomalies in the way forests and other resources are managed in New Zealand. http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=991&Itemid=1 or http://tinyurl.com/southemnatural PODCAST: BRAZILIAN RESEARCHERS SEEK GLOBAL WOOD PRODUCT NETWORK TO MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE The latest edition of the Southern Hemisphere Forest Industry Journal includes an article from a group of Brazilian researchers on the need to expand networks to promote the role of woodbased products in mitigating global climate change. http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=996&Itemid=1 or http://tinyurl.com/southemeder PODCAST: NZ PINE MANUFACTURERS GO OUTSIDE INDUSTRY FOR ANSWERS The theme of the New Zealand Pine Manufacturers Association conference this year is Global Storm Clouds – Identifying Silver Linings. PMA chief executive Lawrie Halkett says companies outside the industry can help members find new ways to blaze pathways to export markets. http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=995&Itemid=1 or http://tinyurl.com/southempma ************************************************ CHILE USES SECURITY LAW TO COMBAT MAPUCHE ATTACKS The Chilean Government has announced heightened coordinated approach in order to control

a conflict involving indigenous Mapuche groups. The Mapuche conflict is based around concerns involving forest land and other issues and the government latest move, which includes utilising a stiff Security Law, comes after an attack on a bus near Temuco. ************************************************ FINLAND’S UPM-KYMMENE TAKES FULL CONTROL OF URUGUAY PULP MILL Finland’s UPM plans to take over the Uruguay pulp mill and forest operations of its Finnish partner Metsäliitto Cooperative in an asset swap deal. The deal will see a restructure in the ownership of the Botnia pulp company that operates the plant at Fray Bentos in Uruguay. ************************************************ SAPPI RAISING $800M, STRIKE ENDS South African paper and pulp-maker Sappi has announced that it had successfully priced a bond offering to raise about $800-million of new senior secured notes, due in 2014. Sappi, which this week reached agreement to pay paper sector workers 9% more to end a strike, said it would use the proceeds from the bond issue to extend the maturity of debt by repaying shorter term debt. ************************************************ ARAUCO GAINS BBB+ FROM FITCH FOR US$500M NOTES Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings has assigned a 'BBB+' rating to Celulosa Arauco y Constitucion S.A.'s (Arauco) US$500 million, 7.25% notes due July 29, 2019. Proceeds from this debt issuance will be used to repay upcoming debt amortizations and for general corporate purposes, a Fitch statement said. The rating takes into consideration the Chilean company’s solid business position globally and its strong financial profile. ************************************************ CORRUPTION, FORESTRY AND ILLEGAL LOGGING Corruption in forestry leads to uncontrolled illegal logging as well as to land grabs and related forest degradation, according to a new report by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). GTZ, which has links to the German Federal Government, promotes sustainable development worldwide, including many developing countries in the southern hemisphere. ************************************************ MINISTER DEFENDS ETS AS SUPPORT FALLS An Australian Government Minister has defended progress on implementing a planned emissions trading scheme in the face of an apparent fall in public support. Assistant Treasurer Nick Sherry also defended plans to compensate the coal industry. ************************************************ ENERGY COMPANY SEALS LARGE-SCALE CARBON FOREST SINK DEAL Australian power company, Origin Energy Ltd, has sealed what is believed to be the largest deal under the government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS). The agreement will see Origin and Carbon Conscious Ltd plant large-scale areas of native Mallee eucalypts in the wheat belt of Australia. ************************************************

INDUSTRY RAISES CONCERNS OVER NEW ENVIRONMENT AGENCY Industry groups in Chile have raised concerns about the potential for “excessive” powers available to a planned new environmental Ministry. Diario Financiero reported that Sofofa, Sonami and construction sector agency raised concerns when they made submissions to a Senate committee. ************************************************ SAWMILL CLOSURE HIGHLIGHTS HIGH NZ DOLLAR IMPACTS News that Winstone Pulp International is closing its Prime Sawmill in Gisborne highlighted the devastating impact of the volatile New Zealand dollar, Wood Processors Association chief executive, Peter Bodeker said in a statement. ************************************************ MONDI SHARE FALL AFTER PROFIT WARNING The listed South African paper producer Mondi has warned shareholders that earnings a share for the six months ended June would drop sharply. Engineering News reported news the company’s earnings by more than 15 cents per share, saw Mondi shares drop 2.6% on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. ************************************************ BRAZIL CREATING FUND TO IMPROVE NATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT Brazil’s Development Bank (BNDES) is developing an investment fund to finance the improved management of native forests and degraded areas, SBS has reported. ************************************************ WEAK PRICES WILL HURT NZ FORESTRY THROUGH 2009 Weak international prices are expected to continue to hurt the New Zealand forest industry through the remainder of 2009, a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry update report has reported. Some uncertainty remained over Russian log export taxes but the outlook for international prices depended on many variables. TIMBER TOPS ‘GREEN’ BUILDINGS Meanwhile a new MAF study has found that increasing the amount of timber used in largescale commercial buildings can decrease some environmental impacts of the building. The research project, Environmental Impacts of Multi-Story Buildings Using Different Construction Materials, modelled the life cycle energy use and carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions of four similar office building designs that used different materials as their main structural element: concrete, steel, timber and ‘timber-plus’. The latter also used wood-based nonstructural elements. ************************************************ IMPROVE REGIONS’ PERFORMANCE, OECD TELLS CHILE The OECD has recommended strengthening Chile’s regions to help boost the economy. A recently released OECD Territorial Review of Chile recommends that Chile adopt a stronger regional approach to economic development in order to better exploit opportunities and improve the country’s overall performance. ************************************************ INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE TO HEAR URUGUAY PULP MILL CASE The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will

hold public hearings in the case concerning Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay) from Monday 14 September to Friday 2 October 2009, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court. ************************************************ MINISTER DASHES HOPES FOR NEW ZEALAND PLANTING BOOST New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister Nick Smith has been accused of “badly misreading commercial and economic realities” if he thinks the Government’s planned changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will lead to the private sector resuming tree planting. The Kyoto Forestry Association (KFA) made the accusation in a statement following Dr Smith’s recent comments that New Zealand needed new trees and that he hoped changes to the ETS would restore confidence to the forestry sector. NZ TO DUCK TOUGH EMISSION CUT TARGET TO PROTECT ECONOMY Meanwhile, the New Zealand Government has announced a 2020 target for greenhouse gas emissions far below the expected 40 per cent level, saying it had to protect the economy. The 2020 target for greenhouse gas emission cuts will be about 15 per cent, stuff.co.nz reported Prime Minister John Key as saying. More than 77,500 Kiwis have signed up to a Greenpeace campaign calling for a 40 per cent reduction, on 1990 levels, in the country's greenhouse gas emissions. The Government's public consultation had not finished when Mr Key made his statement, but it had already ruled out the tough target. ************************************************ COMMISSION RELEASES GUIDELINES ON BUSINESS CARBON CLAIMS The Commerce Commission has released guidelines which inform New Zealand businesses about their obligations surrounding carbon offset and neutrality claims and how they are affected by the Fair Trading Act. “These carbon claim guidelines will supplement the green marketing guidelines released by the Commission last year. Together these guidelines will provide valuable resources to assist businesses to understand their obligations under the Fair Trading Act,” Adrian Sparrow, Commerce Commission Director of Fair Trading said in a statement. ************************************************ A LITTLE WEATHER GOES ALONG WAY IN CLIMATE CHANGE The El Niño−Southern Oscillation weather pattern might have more to do with climate change than mankind, according to recently published research by a New Zealand and two Australian scientists. The article, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Atmospheres, points to the southern oscillation, or El Nino, as accounting for more than 80% of the variance in tropospheric temperature anomalies in the tropics. ************************************************ BRAZIL REGULATOR TREATING CARBON CREDITS DIFFERENT TO DERIVATIVES Meanwhile, Brazil’s securities regulator (CVM) wants carbon credits to be treated differently to derivative products as their main aim is to reduce greenhouse gases. A CVM statement said carbon credits would also be considered for trading approval as each proposal was brought to the market. ************************************************ ARGENTINA AND BRAZIL TRYING TO BURY HATCHET

Argentina and Brazil agreed to hold talks next week to address the ongoing trade differences which threaten to sour the bilateral relation. The meeting of Presidents Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Lula da Silva was held on the sidelines of the Friday Mercosur summit in Paraguay. HOPES FOR ARGENTINA LUMBER IMPROVE Meanwhile, the Federation of Lumber Workers in Entre Rios, Argentina is hoping the situation in the industry is on the improve, it’s reported. IMFER head Rubén Franzoy said it was hoped the situation, which had seen 80 plants close, had reached a plateau and that the internal market had been reactivated. ************************************************ GUNNS PREFERRED FOR PORTLAND WOODCHIP PORT FACILITY The Australian timber products company Gunns Ltd has won the right to build a second hardwood chip facility at the port of Portland. The company said in a statement that it expected to be handling over 3 million tonnes of plantation-grown hardwood chips per year form 2011 and currently the port could only handle one quarter of this volume. ************************************************ PARTNER IN WIND FOR GUNNS PULP MILL Meanwhile, Gunns has apparently identified a potential joint-venture partner for its controversial A$2.2 billion pulp mill in northern Tasmania, the Melbourne Age reported. The report said the company had declined to name the partner, though, raising speculation it may be from China if talks with European firms have failed. No actual partner has been named, however. ************************************************ KIWI COUPLE TOPS LUMBERJACK WORLD A New Zealand couple have topped the lumberjack world at championships in Wisconsin, U.S.A. Time may have dulled the event’s lustre but this year’s event included coverage from the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/sports/28lumberjack.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=lumberjack&s t=cse ************************************************ FINLAND’S UPM-KYMMENE TAKES FULL CONTROL OF URUGUAY PULP MILL Finland’s UPM plans to take over the Uruguay pulp mill and forest operations of its Finnish partner Metsäliitto Cooperative in an asset swap deal. The deal will see a restructure in the ownership of the Botnia pulp company that operates the plant at Fray Bentos in Uruguay.

************************************************ NEW BOC EYEWEAR SAFE AND FASHIONABLE Safety gear specialists BOC are keeping outdoor workers protected from eye injuries and the sun with the exciting range of new Umatta safety eyewear which are both functional and fashionable. ****************************************

CAPTURED ON VIDEO PLANTED FORESTS: RESPONSIBLE USE OF RESOURCES In Brazil, there are 1.7 million ha planted with eucalyptus or pine trees. Some 50,000 families are already benefiting from practicing small-scale agriculture there – whilst the planet benefits from the responsible use of resources. This is the opinion of Elizabeth de Carvalhaes, Executive President of BRACELPA (Brazilian Pulp and Paper Association) and keynote speaker on “Producing for Development” at the XIII World Forestry Congress in Argentina. http://www.southem.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=994&Itemid=1 or http://tinyurl.com/southembracelpa ************************************************ SOUTHEM EMPLOYMENT NOTICES Tree Breeder/Geneticist position with Forestry Plantations Queensland Great opportunity to join a highly professional organisation committed to sustainable forestry, delivering value, providing leadership, directing development and innovation. This role requires an experienced Tree Breeder/Geneticist to join our Forestry Plantations Queensland (FPQ) team to: • • •

Lead tree improvement programs to support productive, profitable and sustainable plantation development. Develop strategies for future commercial plantation tree breeding activities for FPQ. Design and direct the implementation of and analyse data from, field trials to promote continuous improvement in the productivity and wood quality of FPQ’s softwood and hardwood plantation assets.

Your Key Accountabilities • Effectively initiate, develop, lead and rationalise major tree improvement research for both pure species and hybrids for the improvement of plantation species spread over a large geographic area in the tropics and sub-tropics. • Utilise extensive quantitative forest genetics skills in defining and improving the genetic quality of softwood and hardwood taxa across the FPQ’s commercial plantation. • Provide authoritative specialist advice and support to the Manager, Plantation Development an Innovation (PD&I), General Managers, and members of the Executive group on tree improvement relating to the achievement of corporate targets and benchmarking of commercial performance. • Effective management of: technical staff; R&D programs; field trials; program budgets; and assets. • Demonstrate knowledge of sustainable forest management principles (SFM), and the ability to apply SFM practices in a commercial plantation estate. This position is located in South East Qld (either Gympie or Brisbane). Contract is negotiable for a period of up to 3 years. Closing date: 10 August 2009 For further information or a copy of the Role Description please contact Dr Ken Bubb on (+617) 5482 0898 or visit our website at www.fpq.net.au ****************************************

MEETINGS VII LATIN AMERICAN FOREST AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CONGRESS 11-14 August 2009 - VII Latin American Forest and Environmental Law Congress. Curitiba, Brazil. IUFRO 6.13.01 http://www.iufro.org/science/divisions/division-6/60000/61300/61301/. Contact: Paulo de Tarso de Lara Pires, ptlpires(at)ufpr.br http://www.congresso7.com.br/ TRAINING IN ENVIRONMENTAL NEGOTIATION 17-22 August 2009 - A training session will be held professional negotiation in conservation and the management of natural resources. Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. For more info, go to: http://www.conservation-strategy.org/ WORLD AGROFORESTRY CONGRESS 23-28 August 2009 - Second World Agroforestry Congress. Nairobi, Kenya. http://www.worldagroforestry.org/WCA2009/ OPPORTUNITIES FOR FORESTRY INVESTMENT IN RECESSION 30 August 2009 – Seminar entitled: Opportunities for Investment in the Forestry Sector in the Context of the International Economy. For more information, contact: [email protected] WHO WILL OWN FORESTS 14-16 September 2009 - Early registration has open for "Who Will Own the Forest? 5" Summit to be held in Portland, Oregon. For more information, go to Register at: http://wfi.worldforestrycenter.org/wwotf5/reg.html COMMUNITY FORESTRY 15-18 September 2009 - 1st Int'l Community Forestry Workshop "Thinking Globally, Acting Locally: Community Forestry in the International Arena". Pokhara, Nepal. Contact: Bala Ram Kandel, cpfd(at)wlink.com.np ; Peter Branney, p-branney(at)lfp.org.np http://communityforestryworkshop.com.np/ AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS BOLIVIA 22-24 September 2009 – First National Congress of Agroforestry Systems (ECO-SAF). Cochabambra, Bolivia. http://ecosaf.comxa.com IDENTIFYING SILVER LINING TO GLOBAL STORM CLOUDS 8-9 October 2009 – New Zealand Pine Manufacturers Association Conference 2009 – “Global Storm Clouds – Identifying the Silver Linings”. Holiday Inn, Wellington, New Zealand. http://www.pine.net.nz/content/blogsection/8/12/ XIII WORLD FORESTRY CONGRESS 18-23 October 2009 - The XIII World Forestry Congress, Buenos Aires, Argentina. http://www.wfc2009.org/version2/presentacion_ingles.asp FORESTS, HUMAN HEALTH AND WELL-BEING 19 October 2009 - Forests, human health and well-being: findings of IUFRO's recent science initiatives. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Side Event organized by IUFRO Task Forces "Forests and Human Health", "Traditional Forest Knowledge" and "Improving the Lives of People in Forests" at the XIII World Forestry Congress. Contact: Eeva Karjalainen, eeva.karjalainen(at)metla.fi, John Parrotta, jparrotta(at)fs.fed.us, Peter Cronkleton, p.cronkleton(at)cgiar.org http://www.iufro.org/science/task-forces/forests-trees-humans/activities-and-events/ CLIMATE CHANGE FORUM 12 October 2009 – Special Event on Climate Change at XIII World Forestry Congress. Forum

on Forests and Climate Change: To Copenhagen and Beyond. Buenos Aires. http://www.fao.org/forestry/foris/wfc/15e.pdf CARTOGRAPHY CONFERENCE November 2009 - Santiago will host Latin America’s first International Cartography Conference in 2009 Santiago is hosting the 24th International Cartography Conference (ICC) in November 2009. Organised by the International Cartography Association (ICA), the ICC is an important event for the cartography community. For more info, go to: www.icc2009.cl ************************************************* NEWS ONLINE Do you have news items you wish to make available to others on SOUTHEM Online? If so, please send them to [email protected] ************************************************ MISSING? Did we miss you off the list, or do you have an associate who may want to receive SOUTHEM Online. If so, please feel free to register by sending a message to [email protected] with subscribe in the subject box providing details about yourself. Or you can register at the web site at: http://www.southem.com/content/view/37/35/ ************************************************** REMOVE If you would prefer not to receive further issues of this newsletter, please reply to me at email [email protected] with the word ‘Remove’ in the subject.