Ontario Government Makes Wood Available for Job Creation and Innovation
TORONTO, Jan. 23 /CNW-AsiaNet/ --
Ontario is looking for innovative ways to turn available wood from Ontario's Crown forests into new investment
and jobs.
A significant amount of wood is under-utilized each year across Ontario.
Known as biofibre, this wood is part of Ontario's sustainable wood supply that
is available for harvest annually.
A request for expressions of interest is now open. Responses will be
accepted until March 3, 2009. Ontario is asking companies to outline their
ideas to support new investment and create new green jobs in Ontario's
bioeconomy and value-added manufacturing sectors. The results of the
expression of interest will also help the ministry determine the volume of
wood that could be included in the process.
Following a review of the submissions, the ministry will determine
appropriate next steps, which could include a wood supply competitive process.
"Ontario companies are among the most innovative in the world. I know
they will respond to this challenge with new, exciting ideas that will benefit
the forest sector and the communities that depend on it," said Natural
Resources Minister Donna Cansfield
This unused wood comes from tree tops and limbs, trees that currently
aren't marketable as traditional forest products and trees salvaged after
being damaged by fire, wind or other types of damage.
- Read the Request for Expressions of Interest at (ontario.ca/forests).
- Read Ontario's Forest Biofibre Policy on Allocation and Use.
PROVINCE SEEKS INNOVATIVE PROPOSALS FOR WOOD
The Ontario government is taking the first step to make forest biofibre
available, which could provide secure wood supply for new investment and green
jobs in Ontario's bioeconomy. This initiative is a step forward in advancing
Ontario's green agenda and helping to revitalize Ontario's forest economy.
The Ministry of Natural Resources has launched the first stage and is
requesting expressions of interest to use available Crown wood resources
across Ontario. This is a great opportunity to develop Ontario's green economy
while supporting a strong forest manufacturing sector. Ontario's Crown forests
are well-managed, and use of this wood will not affect their sustainability.
This Request for Expressions of Interest stage is intended to generate
proposals which will lead to new investment and new jobs in the forest sector.
The results will also help the ministry determine the volume of wood to be
included in a possible next stage, a competitive process for wood supply.
Forest biofibre is a renewable resource that could be used to produce
wood pellets to generate electricity. Using wood results in lower net
emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants, which is why the
ministry is conducting this process in conjunction with Ontario Power
Generation. A Request for Expressions of Interest to procure biomass fuel,
including wood pellets, has also been issued by Ontario Power Generation.
This may be an opportunity for Ontario to be a North American leader in
reducing dependence on foreign energy and fossil fuels, and decreasing its
contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
Other potential uses of forest biofibre include renewable alternative
fuels, and other bioproducts that can reduce the province's dependence on
fossil fuels, as well as value-added manufacturing and specialty wood
products.
Interested parties have until March 3, 2009, to respond to the ministry's
request for expressions of interest to use forest biofibre from Crown forests.
The ministry's potential wood supply competitive process could be initiated in
the spring of 2009 with a goal of identifying successful proponents who would
receive conditional offers for wood supply in the summer of 2009.
For more information on the ministry's "Request for Expressions of
Interest" process, please visit ontario.ca/forests
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ontario.ca/natural-resources-news
SOURCE: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
CONTACT: Ivan Langrish,
Minister's Office,
(416) 314-2212;
Media Desk,
Communications Services Branch,
(416) 314-2106
Translations:
NEWS 
