Tech Update Editor: Mel-Lynda Andersen
Copyright 1996. Contact publisher for permission to use.

In spite of falling timber prices and rising stumpage fees, heli-logging remains a practical harvesting alternative in many of British Columbia's mountainous regions. BC's tough new Forest Practices Code has not only imposed increased roadbuilding restrictions, it now requires forest companies and individuals to meet visual quality objectives when logging sensitive sites. These factors, coupled with the reality of logging on steep, unstable slopes, make heli-logging an increasingly viable harvesting method.

Distance and weight are key factors when deciding whether or not to log with helicopters. Maximizing weight per turn and minimizing cycle time are critical. If the timber is located a short distance from the landing site, more can be harvested in a day; and maximum payloads translate into fewer trips, keeping costs down.

Timber Sales Fund Innovative Harvesting Training Program
Eighteen people are learning new harvesting techniques.

Riding the OSB boom
Hedging against a downturn, Weyerhaeuser invests $16 million to improve recovery at its OSB plant at Slave Lake, Alberta.

Cost conscious cut-to-length
Setting up a new CTL show in remote northern Manitoba, Art Riemer wanted dependable equipment - but not at a price that would turn his accountant surly.

Sticking in a Tough Market
At Fort Nelson, the world's largest chopstick plant produces eight million units a day for demanding Japanese buyers.

CCMC Furthering Aspen as a Commercial Species in BC
CCMC is a pioneering company making exclusive use of high-quality aspen.

Tech Update: Cable Yarding Systems
A review of the different cable yarding systems that are available on the marketplace

Helicopter Logging Capability Guide
Heli-logging remains a practical harvesting alternative in many of British Columbia's mountainous regions.

The Eagle Flies
At the site of an abandoned chip mill in Miramichi, Eagle Forest Products turns the key on a new $100 million OSB plant.

• Blockades mar Eagle startup
  

New Centre Targets Value-Aded Training
With an estimated 30,000 skilled workers needed in the value-added sector in BC by 2001, the industry has moved to address a potentially serious training shortfall.

Haliburton: A Multi-Use Model
Ontario's Haliburton Forest, a popular recreation site, also hosts extensive forestry research and education programs - and a unique 'one stem at a time' selective logging program.

Yard Handling and Storage Critical to Aspen Quality
Few mill yards contain a fridge for wood, a fibre source to keep a manufacturing plant in business when green production is curtailed.

Northern Mills Address Need for Added Kiln Proficiency
The added market value of kiln-dried lumber is driving a push for new technology and added training for operators.

Supplier Newsline
Trade magazine ads pay off.