NB appoints timber task force chairs

Jan. 27, 2011,
Fredericton – Chairpersons have been appointed to two task forces set up to
establish timber objectives for Crown and private lands in New Brunswick. Norman
Betts will chair the Crown Land Task Force, which has a mandate to make
recommendations to the provincial government by July 1, 2011, on timber
objectives for New Brunswick's public forests. Betts is a member of the Faculty
of Business Administration at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton
and is a former provincial minister of finance.

Donald Floyd, interim dean of the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental
Management at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, is the chair of
the Private Land Task Force. This task force has a mandate to set timber
objectives that provide a stable and predictable wood supply from private land
and will make its recommendations to the provincial government by December 31,
2011.

Each chair will help select the other members of their respective task force.
Establishing the two task forces was part of a series of actions announced in
December to strengthen and renew New Brunswick's forest industry. The actions
were in response to recommendations made by stakeholders at the Forestry Summit
held November 19, 2010 (see NB announces actions to strengthen forestry).

A complete report on the summit, including what was discussed, the
recommendations made, and the provincial government's response, is available
online at the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources: www.gnb.ca/0079/promo/ForestrySummit-e.asp.