Analysis of the Logging Industry in Canada: Challenges and Future

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the logging industry in Canada. It begins with an introduction to logging processes, including tree length, whole-tree, and cut-to-length methods, and describes the equipment used, such as chainsaws, feller bunchers, and various harvesting methods. The report then delves into the economic impact of the forest sector in Canada, highlighting its contribution to the GDP and employment, as well as the significance of exports. It also examines the current crisis facing the industry, including factors such as the US housing market decline, collapsing newsprint demand, underinvestment, and high transport costs. Finally, the report discusses the future of Canada's logging industry, including the potential for market revival, the growing biomass energy sector, and the importance of government policies, strengthening forest industrial products, and the need for restructuring and modernization. The report concludes by emphasizing the historical significance and continued importance of the logging industry to Canada's economic and community development.

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Running head: Canada logging Industry
Logging industry in Canadian Shield
First name Last name
Institution

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Canada logging Industry
Introduction
Introduction
Logging involves cutting of trees, skidding process, on-site work processing and transferring the
logs or trees on trucks. The whole process whole involve felling down trees and extraction of the
timber from the trees in the forest. The general method of logging in the forest would involve
moving wood from the forest to a lumber or sawmill yard. The concept would be differentiated
from illegal loggings which involves harvesting, transporting and purchasing of timber against
the law set.
Methods of logging
The following methods would be used while logging this would include (Chuvakin et al., 2012);
a. Tree length
The method involve first cutting down trees and after which their branches would be
delimbed or removed and then the process of topping would be done at the stump. The
prepared log would be transported and loaded to truck after they have been backed.
Figure 1: Tree length logging sequence method (Staaf & Wiksten, 2013).
b. Logging of the whole – tree
The method involve first cutting down trees and then they are transported along the road
side while maintaining its limb and top. After which the branches of the felled trees
would be delimbed or removed and the prepared log would be loaded to truck after they
have been backed. Logging would involve utilizing the entire tree, which includes tops
and branches.

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Canada logging Industry
Figure 2: Trees transported along the roads (Zimmerman & Kormos, 2012).
c. Cut – to – length
The method involve first cutting down trees, delimbed, bucked and sorted at the area of stump,
the tops and limbs would be left in the forest. The prepared trees would then be transported to the
landing area using forwarder or skidder.
Logging equipment
The following are forest logging equipment (Medjibe, & Putz, 2012
a. Ladder
Ladders would be used when dealing with near obstacles or extreme tall trees, the felled trees
would be first be roped at the higher part before being brought down.
b. Rope
Rope would be used to safely pull the section of the trees down.
c. Wedges
Wedges would be combined with chainsaw and an axe in order to make the process easier.
d. Powered/ chain saw
The chained saw uses powered teeth that have been mounted on a chain metal to help the saw cut
wood as per the operator design. The metal teeth of the chain saw are made up of chromium steel
plate. An electrical motor or combustion engine would be used to propel the chain along the
guided bar section that provided a cutting action. Several varieties of chainsaws would be used
but the serve the same purpose of cutting the wood quickly with limited operator’s effort. The
advance chainsaws used in forest to simplify the man power while carrying out logging process
in the forest. The advance chainsaws could combine the process of felling the trees, prune it and
bucking it in one process (Stańczykiewicz et al., 2015).
e. Feller buncher
Feller buncher is used in harvesting the logged trees. It is a vehicle that is motorized and has an
attachment that is capable of cutting and gathering several trees rapidly before they are cut down.

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The machine would then place the trees that are cut on a stable stuck for a forwarder or skidder
to process it further.
Harvesting methods
The method that would be used in harvesting trees in forests would depend on several factors
that would include; management objective, established aim, resources available for processing,
the forest timber volume and age and the size of the forest. The following factors methods would
be used when harvesting trees;
a. Clear cutting
The method would involve removing all the standing trees. The method currently is not advised
to be used in the process of managing the forest. But in case the trees in particular sections are
infected it would be necessary to be used in order to protect the health of the other trees that have
not been infected.
b. System of seed tree
The method provides harvesting option of removing majority of trees that are matured, but in this
process other mature trees would be left standing that would serve as source of natural seed
generation to enhance new growth.
c. System of shelter wood
The system provides selective removal of trees and in the process establishing a new growth of
tree under foliage protection. Matured tree would be left to help shelter the new growth until they
are established.
d. System of group selection
The method would allow the mature trees to be harvested and the intermediate trees to be thinned
at short intervals. The system would support generation of natural and reestablishment of a
mixed sustainable age of trees.
e. System of selecting single tree
The system would allow individual removal of trees while leaving on site other majority of trees
to remain standing. The system allows the removal of diseased and dead trees in order to
improve the health of other tree in the forest.
The economy of Canada’s forest
The forest sector in Canada has been contributing substantial proportionality amount in Canada’s
GDP (Gross Domestic Product), like in 2006 it contributed about $36 billion which represented
about 3% of the total GDP in Canada. The positive effect was observed in this year when over
300,000 people in Canada were employed directly in this forest industry, while the other 500,000
people indirectly depended on this industry through employment (Lemprière et al., 2013).

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Canada logging Industry
The forest industry in Canada focused on foreign markets; this has been observed throughout the
world that Canada exports more products of wood as compared to other countries. The largest
importer of Canada’s wood products is United Stated who imports about 78% of what Canada’s
supply in foreign market. The reports showed that in 2006 Canada exported a valued amount of
$980 million of wood products that included pulpwood and logs, while a total amount of $16.4
billion of fabricated wood materials were exported which included plywood and lumber and a
total amount of $20.9 billion of paper and pulp products were exported. The total accumulated
exports that Canada made from forest product was above $38 billion, from this amount the
industry contributed $28 billion to the trade surplus.
Figure 3: Historical atlas of Canada’s forest (MacDowell, 2012)
The type and nature of the activities of forest sector would vary with regions and communities
while reflecting their respective areas advantages. The Western Canada communities would
specialize in wood product manufacturing that includes lumber manufacturing. Atlantic
Provinces, Ontario and Quebec would specialize on all manufacturing of newsprint and paper,
softwood lumber and pulp. The biomass that would be prepared from forest wastes has emerged
as a vital energy source across Canada. The processes that involve heating and manufacturing
would be generated from the forest wastes biomass.
Crisis
The logging products from Canada’s forest has been facing diverse difficulties and challenges
periods as stated by John Allan the president of the forest industries in Canada the Committee
that the forest industry was facing unprecedented portion of crisis and recommended that
adjustment for the large scale forest industries were necessary to counter the downturn that was
being experienced (Rönnqvist et al., 2015).

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Canada logging Industry
The closure of industries was projected to affect the employment where dozens of people from
different communities depended on it for survival. The presiding committee mandated to carry
out this research noted and shared the outcome to reeves and forest mayors that closure of small
scale forest industry had great impact on social and economic on the communities. The families
of individuals who would have loss job would be dislocated, their children educations would be
eroded, their health would deteriorate and infrastructure would not be renewed in such areas
(Socheth, 2013).
Factors contributing to logging crisis of Canada forest industry
Several factors both international and domestic have led to production reduction, closure of
sawmill, profitability decline and losses of job in logging and forest industries in Canada. The
following factors would be classified as the major contributors of stated circumstance and the
include;
Housing market in U.S
The major market that have been thriving the Canadian softwood products has been the
residential construction in U.S. Studies have shown that in recent time the demand of fabricated
wood materials dropped as a result of housing sector in U.S declining, like in 2007 U.S recorded
27% declination, this has directly affected exportation of wood from Canada to U.S by 25%
decrease, in long run the whole logging and forest sector would be affected negatively (Cubbage
et al., 2014).
Newsprint collapsing demand and global competition
The main newsprint producer for the North America over time has been Canada, but from the
recent time the demand of this newsprint has been collapsing and in the process putting the
Canadian producers under pressure. It could be seen from the report published since 2001 where
the demand has felled by approximately 30% and this has been projected that it would continue
falling since there has been rejection on the newsprint and replaced by internet.
Underinvestment
Innovation of new technologies, formation of new mills, development and intended research
needed for advancement of forest industry has faced challenges due to underdevelopment by the
respective shareholders. The logging industry previously in Canada has been depending on low
amount of dollar and has failed from making major investment that would improve the amount
of their productivity.
High cost of transport and energy
The cost of the required energy needed in processing and transporting the logging products
would represent the total cost of production for the forest industry product.

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Canada logging Industry
The future of Canada’s logging industry
The projected bouncing back of U.S economy would revive the previous demand of forest
materials that mainly used in the construction of residential (Potapov et al., 2017).
The existence of the wood fibre market apart from the paper and pulp market has been gaining
stimulated demand of reducing environment and climate change through lowering carbon energy
and substitute fossil fuel
The foreign market has been increasing its sustainable search for Canada’s forest product, the
EU and U.S has taken bold step of ensuring it imports legal forest products in their market which
acts as a major boost to Canada. Illegal logging would affect the sustainability of the wood
product. The world market demands harvesting of sustainable forest product, where Canada
takes leadership environmental condition and therefore it would capitalize on these opportunities.
The Canada government plays a major role for creating policy framework and ensuring they
would be implemented.
Strengthening forest industrial products
The forest development, research and innovation would play a vital role of ensuring the health,
growth and productivity of trees would be achieved. The outcome logging materials would
ensure that the harvested wood would stable to serve the expected work both locally and
internationally. It’s from the stable consideration that reliable imports world maintain the export
market with Canada.
The rapid development of biomass industry has been witnessed along the regions that involves in
logging. The energy generated would reduce the cost that would have been encountered through
electrical energy. The biomass energy used is renewable and clean, where the federal
government would support in order to enhance its development.
The logging industry would have to restructure and be able to consolidate to ensure that the
industry would be modernized and be able to achieve the target economy of scale. The
modernization would involve investing in new technology and equipment.
Conclusion
The logging industry has a large and long successful history. The related forest activities would
greatly contribute to the countries development. The major portion of employment of Canadians’
communities would depend economically on the logging and forest industry.

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Canada logging Industry
Major factors have been influencing the growth and declination of the Canadian forest product
economy, the chief factor that has been noted to decline the growth of the logging industry
includes the housing market industry in U.S, global competition, appreciation of Canada dollar
and the epidemic caused by beetles’ destructions.
References
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