UPM allowed to export Crown wood

A company that owns a closed-down paper mill in Miramichi has been granted permission to export pulpwood from Crown land in New Brunswick.

Finnish company, UPM-Kymmene Group, permanently closed its Miramichi groundwood and paper mills in December, putting more than 500 people out of work.

UPM was originally granted permission to cut wood on provincially owned land until the end of August and a provincial cabinet order is now allowing the company to export the pulpwood to Nova Scotia, Quebec and Maine.

Provincial representatives said the decision to allow the export was made because there is a diminished demand for the wood in New Brunswick due to the reduced number of pulp mills.

Ervan Cronk, spokesman for the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union, said he is disappointed by the province's decision to let the wood leave the province.

"This is not good for this province or for the people who live in this province," Cronk said. "It's a resource that's owned by people living in this province and it's being exploited by some people who have no commitment to this province whatsoever."

Companies that shut down their mills should lose their rights to Crown timber, said Chris Allison, a union representative.

Allison said the union has been pushing the province to amend the Crown Lands and Forests Act to ensure that forest resources are kept in the province. But so far the efforts have been unsuccessful.

"It's not always pleasant when you have to export wood outside of the province. I would love for every stick of the wood to be able to be processed within New Brunswick, but at the end of the day if nobody wants that wood then we have to look at another venue," said Natural Resources Minister Donald Arseneault. "So if the company can make some money by selling it outside, then we have to look at that option."