Woodlot owners predict job losses after silviculture funds cut

Cuts to New Brunswick's silviculture program will mean more job losses in a sector that's already struggling, according to a spokesman for the marketing association for woodlot owners.

"This is major. And when I say major, it's major," Alain Landry told CBC News on Wednesday.

In Tuesday's provincial budget, Finance Minister Victor Boudreau announced cuts to the Department of Natural Resources that included a $13-million reduction in funds for silviculture which involvesgettingrid of smaller treesto openup space for newer trees to grow.

Environmentalists consider it an inexpensive way to encourage new-tree growth.

Landry said the government's plan to cut the silviculture budget hurts private woodlot owners and essentially eliminates the program.

"I don't think there's going to be any silviculture that's going to be done basically. Everybody that I've spoken to across the province told me that silviculture is dead as far as the private woodlot owners are concerned in New Brunswick."

The province used to pay 80 per cent of the cost of silviculture treatments. But it announced it is cutting its contribution by 30 per cent. It will also reduce the overall budget for the program from $8 million to $4 million.

In the northern region alone, Landry expects 100 people will be out of work, because woodlot owners can't afford to pay them for duties such as tree planting and thinning.

Cuts come at bad time: Tory leader

Hazen MacRae has owned his woodlot in South Tetagouche, N.B., for 30 years. He says this is the worstsetback yet.

"Hopefully this is the bottom of the cycle. How could things get much worse? All our prices are going up. All our costs are going up."

Given the hard times in the forestry industry, Tory Leader Jeannot Volp agreed that the government cuts to silviculture funding come at a bad time.

"That would have been a year where they should have invested more in silviculture, so that those people affected in the forestry sector would have at least a chance to stay there for one more year," Volp said.

The finance minister told the legislature Tuesday the cuts won't affect the number of trees being planted.

"We are still going to be growing or planting the exact same number of trees as we planted this year, Mr. Speaker. This year we planted 28 million trees and next year we'll be planting 28 million trees," Boudreau said.

However, Natural Resources Minister Donald Arsenault admitted there will be less thinning of foreststhis year.