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Newsletter - July 2003

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Newsletter - July 2003

Inside This Issue


Introduction

Sandra J. Williams, Executive Secretary, Poplar Council of Canada

The July newsletter is an informative collection of accounts of poplar-related activities from across Canada. In addition Jim Richardson, the PCC’s Technical Director, has kindly provided a report on forestry topics from his recent trip to New Zealand.

Dr. Annie DesRochers gives us a brief description of what to expect at this year’s PCC AGM in Rouyn-Noranda, Québec. With a cast of international and national speakers, the 2003 AGM promises to be a great learning experience. And you won’t want to miss seeing Québec in all of her beautiful fall colours! Dan Carson shares valuable information on how Scott Paper Limited has managed deer browsing with tree shelters on their Fraser Valley plantations. Chuck Kaiser discusses the promising Poplar Farming Program at Alberta-Pacific and Dr. Barb Thomas gives an overview of Al-Pac’s exciting new hybrid poplar breeding program. Brigitte Bigué brings us up-to-date on Ligniculture Québec and poplar activities in the province of Québec. Enjoy!

If you have poplar news you would like to share with your PCC colleagues, please contact me at poplar@poplar.ca.

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Poplar Council of Canada - Annual General Meeting Announcement

Annie DesRochers, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

This year, the Poplar Council Annual General Meeting will take place in Rouyn-Noranda, the capital city of the Abitibi-Témiscamigue region, province of Québec. Celebrated for its vast open spaces, its countless covered bridges, game-abounding forests and teeming lakes (bring your fishing rod!), Abitibi-Témiscamingue covers a territory of 65,143 km2, with a population of 150,000. The area borders Ontario, the Ottawa and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean regions and Northern Quebec.

While the most important economic sector in Abitibi-Temiscamingue is the forest industry, the region also has at least 100,000 ha of abandoned farmland, offering great potential for intensive management and the establishment of hybrid poplar plantations. These sites offer productive soils and are located near inhabited areas and industrial plants. Even though most of the wood volumes harvested currently are from conifers (black and white spruce, jack pine), the importance of deciduous trees (especially trembling aspen) in the regional forest industry steadily increases.

It is from this perspective that the organising committee chose the theme : "Poplar Silviculture: Plantations and Native Forests".

The Meeting

On September 14th and 15th, you are invited to go down the majestic Harricana river on a canoe excursion with Algonquin Indian guides. The Harricana river originates in Lakes Blouin, de Montigny, Lemoine and Mourier near the city of Val-d'Or. It has 533 km of navigable waters ending in James Bay, and used to be known as the "Algonquins' Highway", linking hunting territories of many aboriginal families.

September 16-17 will consist of keynote and volunteer presentations under the themes:

  • Silviculture and management
  • Natural and artificial regeneration
  • Genetic improvement
  • Growth, physiology and performance in plantations
  • Biotechnology and its application in the field
  • Insects and diseases
  • Poplar culture under boreal conditions
  • Industrial experiences
  • Wood processing and products

On September 18th, you will choose 1 of 3 field trips:

Amos area

The first stop will bring you to the Harricana School-Forest, where students (professional degree) learn about forest management techniques and how to use forestry machinery. Stops will include commercial thinning of aspen (in pure and mixedwood stands) demonstration trials, as well as a genetic trial including hybrid poplars developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources (Quebec) in a forestry setting and in combination with improved families of Norway and white spruce from the Canadian Forest Service (Laurentian Forestry Centre). In the afternoon, participants will go to the Trecesson Provincial Nursery, where they will visit the regional hybrid poplar arboretum and production stoolbeds.

Rouyn-Noranda area

On this field trip, participants will first visit the SAFE project in the Teaching and Research Forest of Lake Duparquet. This large-scale research project includes partial cutting trials, cohort-based harvesting and genetic studies of aspen clones. The afternoon will consist of a visit to the Nexfor-Norbord OSB mill in LaSarre (long pants and closed shoes required).

Temiscamingue area

Participants in this field trip will first stop in Arnfield (Tembec Forest Management Area), where they will visit pass-system harvesting in aspen to promote understory development. Next, they will visit an intensive poplar plantation established in 2001 on private land in Angliers, including many hybrid poplar clones developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources (Québec), in pure and mixed blocks with Norway and white spruce from improved families of the Canadian Forest Service (Laurentian Forestry Center). In the afternoon, participants will visit Tembec Laminated Venner Lumber plant in Ville-Marie.

After the field trips, participants will be invited to attend the banquet, featuring the Montreal blues singer Dawn Taylor and her musicians.

Round-Tables and discussions will close the meeting on September 19th.

How to Get to Rouyn-Noranda

Rouyn-Noranda is easily accessible by plane, with at least 4 daily flights from Montreal, and 2 from Québec City through Air Canada Jazz. If you intend to participate in the World Forestry Congress the following week, we strongly suggest that you plan to travel to Québec City by plane, because it is a long drive (900 km, approx. 11 hours) through La Verendrye Faunique Reserve and via Montreal - unless you are also planning a little fishing vacation along the way! The Abitibi-Temiscamingue region is mostly French-speaking and it will be a great opportunity for delegates to update and practise a little. The people are warm and welcoming.

We look forward to seeing you in Rouyn-Noranda!

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Tree Shelters Help British Columbia Hybrid Poplars to Establish

Dan Carson, Scott Paper Limited, New Westminster, B.C.

Until recently Scott Paper Limited had been suffering serious deer browsing damage to its intensively-managed hybrid poplar plantations in the Fraser Valley. All of the trees within some clonal blocks had been suffering from some form of browse damage, mostly to the leaders.

The damage is being caused by both white-tailed deer and white x black-tail hybrid deer. The deer have taken up residence in our newly planted plantations. Unlike the resident black-tail deer population, which feeds mainly on the lateral branches, the introduced white-tail and resulting hybrids feed mainly on terminal buds and leaders.

The favoured poplar varieties have had their leaders damaged for three consecutive growing seasons. To put the damage in perspective, a loss of three growing seasons is equivalent to a 20% productivity decrease. The consecutive years of damage are prolonging the time required for the plantations to reach crown closure when further brushing activities are no longer required.

The solutions investigated to reduce the browse damage were deer population control, fencing, and individual tree shelters. Control of the deer population through hunting was considered, but determined to be unsuited for obvious reasons. Fencing was also considered, but installation costs, continual maintenance, permanence and liability issues made this option unsuited.

The only solution that seemed to be viable was individual tree shelters because they were cost-effective, require minimal maintenance, and can be easily removed once no longer needed. After reviewing the various shelters available, the Freegro1 shelters were chosen for further field testing.

Dan Carson with Freegro shelter

The project basically involved using a small number of these shelters to determine effectiveness against browsing, ease of installation and general operational issues. A total of 200 of the Freegro shelters were installed in the summer of 2002. The 48 by 6 inch diameter fine and ultra-fine mesh shelters were chosen for the project. The shelters were installed in late June approximately five weeks after planting and will be removed in late April of 2003.

The results of the informal trial have surpassed our expectations. The seedling protectors virtually eliminated deer browse damage. Most importantly they did not impede any of the following stand tending activities: discing, rototilling and in-row rototilling (with a weed badger). There was no noticeable difference in stem diameter between the protected and unprotected trees. Weed growth was suppressed inside the shelter next to the tree.

 

The shelters also encouraged single leaders, which greatly reduces the need for singling and pruning. The most interesting and unexpected result was the increased growth rates with the shelters. Through informal measurements it is estimated that during late summer the height increment was nearly 30 cm. per week.

The designer of the shelters has indicated that the increased growth rate is due to decreased vapor pressures inside the mesh tubes during the hottest part of the day. The Freegro shelters are reusable and can be stored easily. Scott Paper has decided to use them operationally on our intensive hybrid poplar plantations.

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1For further information, contact Freegro Enterprises/Certified Plant Shelters (www.freegro.com).

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Poplar Farming Program

Chuck Kaiser, Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc., Boyle, Alberta

Drought, insects, disease, poor markets, the loss of the family farm - farmers face more challenges today than ever before. Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc.’s Poplar Farming Program offers farmers a new option that helps them address these challenges by leasing their land to grow trees.

Through the Poplar Farming Program, Alberta-Pacific is seeking to lease 25,000 ha (60,000 acres) of land over the next 20 years, at a rate of about 1,200 ha (3,000 acres) a year in order to plant fast-growing poplar trees that will be ready to harvest in 15-25 years.

The program offers local landowners a stable source of income, regardless of markets or weather conditions, and a means to maintain land ownership without having to do the work required in traditional agriculture to make it productive. Land must be within 200 kilometres of the Alberta-Pacific mill site and must be privately owned and have adequate soil, water and topographical conditions.

The program requires a minimum area of 160 acres within a one-mile area. This means that neighbors with smaller packages of land (as small as 30 acres) can team up to make it viable for Alberta-Pacific to harvest and haul wood from their poplar farms. It is an attractive option to many farmers considering retirement, or looking for an income source that will not fluctuate depending on conditions beyond their control.

In addition to a stable, diversified source of income, the poplar farming program provides additional employment and economic development opportunities. The trees need maintenance such as weed control for the first five years (until they outgrow grasses and other competition), so maintenance contracts are available for landowners or other community members who have the necessary equipment and would like to add to their income.

A report by an independent third party demonstrated that the program will result in an investment into local economies of $4.6 million per year for the first 20 years. When harvesting begins, this investment by Alberta-Pacific increases to $12.7 million per year.

The Net Present Values generated by crop scenarios demonstrate that the economic returns to farmers are equal to, or greater than, traditional agricultural crops.

  • Traditional agriculture rotations of oilseeds, cereal crops and forage - $162/acre
  • Leasing returns with no maintenance contract - $187/acre
  • Leasing returns with maintenance contract - $192/acre

The poplar farms have also been shown to improve soil, air and water quality.

The program is not expected to result in increased lease prices as the total program of 60,000 acres represents less than one per cent of the farmable acres within the 125,000 km2 operating range of the program. It would not be economical for Alberta-Pacific to pay higher-than-average prices for leases, and we do not want to drive up local land prices to make it uneconomical for others to lease land to farm.

Operational Poplar Farms and Research

Poplar farms currently cover about 950 ha (1,900 acres) of private land around the Alberta-Pacific mill site. The poplars grow at a minimum rate of about 12 cubic metres per year, about six times as fast as trees in the forest. The trees used in the poplar farming program are hybrid poplar and were developed through the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration. These types of trees have been used for decades in shelterbelt programs across the prairies. Alberta-Pacific has an extensive Poplar Farm Research program, designed to find and develop the fastest-growing, best- adapted, highest-quality trees and combine them with the best silvicultural practices for use in the Poplar Farming Program. This research program currently has more than 3,000 different hybrid poplar and aspen trees under testing. All trees are rigorously tested before they are recommended for operational use. They are selected for their winter hardiness in Northern Alberta’s climate, their growth rates, their wood quality characteristics, and disease and insect resistance (see next article for complete update on the poplar research program).

The Poplar Farming Program provides a viable, economically sound diversification option for farmers within 200 km of the Alberta-Pacific mill site. If you, or someone you know, is interested in learning more about the Poplar Farming Program, contact Allan Robertson at 525-8357 or Chuck Kaiser at 525-8027.

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Update on Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. Poplar Research Program

Dr. Barb Thomas, Boyle, Alberta

The poplar farm research team has had another busy year at Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc.. Our first hybrid aspen trial with our own breeding stock was installed with a total of 68 controlled cross families (including 36 hybrid and 32 native aspen). Breeding has continued in 2003 with our native aspen (Populus tremuloides) and exotic pollen sources (P. davidiana, P. tremula).

A total of 90 new families have been produced in conjunction with the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) and are in various stages of greenhouse and nursery testing. This year should complete our current breeding program in this area. Species used for this program have included Populus balsamifera, P. maximowiczii, P. x petroskyana, P. deltoides, and P. nigra.

The new hybrid poplar research trials were focused more on the silviculture than the genetics components. These trials included an operational density trial using four of our commercial hybrid poplar clones in three different spacing configurations to determine what density of planting will produce the maximum volume yields. A second trial installed was the last of 14 experiments conducted in conjunction with Drs. Annie DesRochers and Bob van den Driessche, addressing fertilizer nutrition during early establishment and growth.

Seven new genetics and silviculture experimental trials are planned for the year 2003 and include both hybrid poplar trials, a native birch trial and another operational trial to determine optimal fertilization in early-mid-rotation plantations.

New research projects underway include:

  1. determination of carbon fluxes in different aged hybrid poplar plantations
  2. understanding disease resistance to Septoria canker in hybrid poplars
  3. a 10-year evaluation of wood quality properties
  4. early selection drought screening for hybrid poplars and aspens
  5. understanding public perceptions to planting hybrid poplars

An additional priority is the recruitment of a growth and yield specialist through the NSERC Industrial Fellowship program.

Team members of the research program include Dave Kamelchuk, Line Blackburn, and Sue Crites. Jeremy Hayward has joined the Poplar Farm Operations team. Dr. Annie DesRochers has taken a faculty position at the University of Québec. For further information on any of the projects listed above or other research initiatives, please contact Barb Thomas at thomasba@alpac.ca.

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Réseau ligniculture Québec (Quebec Intensive Silviculture Network)

Brigitte Bigué, Université Laval, Québec (Québec)

Operating since November 2001, the Réseau ligniculture Québec is an association of innovative research and development that unites most of the dynamic forces in silviculture in Quebec. It includes partners from various environments such as universities, forest industries, provincial and federal governments and private sector organizations. The Réseau is the result of a synergy between stakeholders from different sectors who join forces and abilities to reach a common objective, i.e. knowledge and development of an expertise in intensive silviculture.

The mandate of the Réseau Ligniculture Québec is to coordinate and support, in co-operation with its partners, Quebecers in their R&D efforts and transfer of technology in intensive silviculture. Five main scope areas of research are targeted, i.e. genetic improvement and physiology of fast-growing tree species, growth and production of forestry plantings, health sustainability of forestry plantings, sustainability of fertilized soils, and the development of deployment strategies and the implementation of intensive silviculture areas and the analysis of their impacts on the environment, society and economy.

The Initiative of the Réseau is in the wake of discussions surrounding the future Policy of Forestry Management Intensification of the ministère des Ressources naturelles du Québec and those relevant to the sustainability of forestry management based on the TRIAD (or QUAD) method, whereas a portion of the land can be managed with fast-growing tree species (about 4% of the territory). For example, hybrid poplars and hybrid larches, in Quebec, are fast-growing tree species that can produce on average  15 m3 per hectare annually compared to 2 m3 for native forest that are logged in a traditional way. Other high yielding species such as the genetically enhanced white spruce and the Norway spruce can also be contemplated in an intensive silviculture scenario.

Réseau Ligniculture Québec offers a broad range of activities. It initiates intensive silviculture research projects that are developed in partnership and that meet the needs of the community while recruiting the best scientific and technical expertise. Furthermore, various dissemination activities are organized such as conferences, annual meetings, seminars, forums and regional workshops. There are also technology transfer activities that are produced through literature review, technical notes, newspaper articles, popularization of science, public communications and articles that are published in learned journals. Finally, the Réseau aims to implement an important network of experimental means in forestry planting across many regions of Quebec.

Several partners join the ranks in order to develop, in cooperation, the activities of the Réseau. Those partners consist of universities (Université Laval, Université du Québec à Montréal, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, McGill University), six industrial partners (Abitibi-Consolidated, Chaire industrielle CRSNG-UQAT-UQAM, Domtar, Louisiana-Pacific, Norampac, Smurfit-Stone), governments (Ministère des Ressources naturelles du Québec, Canadian Forestry Service) and partners from the private sector (FERIC, Forintek, RESAM).

Any stakeholder who is interested closely or remotely in forestry planting of fast-growing tree species can be involved in the activities of the Réseau Ligniculture Québec. In order to take advantage of the resources that are offered by the Réseau pursuant to research activities or technology transfer or for any other information, please contact us or visit the web site of the Réseau at www.unites.uqam.ca/rlq.

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New Zealand - Land of Paradox

Jim Richardson, Technical Director, Poplar Council of Canada

[The Technical Director recently spent two months in New Zealand. While the object of the visit was partly personal and partly related to his bioenergy interests, a short illustrated report on forestry in New Zealand in general was thought to be of interest to readers of the Poplar Council Newsletter.]

New Zealand, or to use its Maori name Aotearoa - ‘Land of the long white cloud’ - is a small but very beautiful country of diverse landscapes and fascinating flora and fauna. Together, the North and South Islands, which are roughly equal in size, occupy an area less than half that of Manitoba. The small human population, which just passed the 4 million mark earlier this year, is often compared ironically with its 30 million population of sheep, but the population density is still 4 times that of Canada. More than half of the population lives in the 3 largest cities - Auckland (the ‘big city of the South Pacific’), Wellington (the capital) and Christchurch - so the rural areas are quite sparsely populated. Most of the population is of British descent and British culture is much in evidence. The most popular sports are rugby and cricket, and, curiously, netball for women. Maori people make up 14% of the population and trace their arrival in Aotearoa back to a series of South Pacific migrations probably around 1000 A.D.

The situation of New Zealand as an isolated land mass surrounded by thousands of kilometres of ocean and the fact that it was without human settlement until as recently as about 1000 years ago means that its animal life and vegetation evolved free from the kind of pressures that existed elsewhere. Since there were no large animal predators, many species of flightless birds evolved which suffered severely following human contact and the animals that came with the humans - dogs, cats, rats, etc. These birds made good eating, and hunting was just too easy. The giant moa, one of New Zealand’s best-known birds, was hunted into extinction by the late 17th century. The kiwi, the national emblem, also flightless and nocturnal, is threatened and rarely encountered in the wild.

The most common animals now, apart from domestic cattle and sheep, are all introduced and many are considered serious pests - rabbits and possums particularly. The latter were introduced from Australia and now number some 70 million, eating about 7 million tonnes of vegetation a year, particularly sensitive native species. There are now organized possum hunts to try to reduce the populations and good use has been found for possum fur, which when mixed with wool can be made into unusually soft and comfortable socks, gloves and hats.

>30,000-year-old ‘ancient kauri’ log extracted from peatland and used to form an unusual spiral staircase - Northland, North Island.

Relict large kauri tree, possibly 2000 years old - Coromandel Peninsula, North Island. Note ‘native bush’ in background.

The native vegetation is threatened by more than voracious possums. Virtually all the old growth forest has been logged or burned or replaced by pasture or arable land. The term ‘native bush’ is more commonly used in New Zealand than ‘old growth’ and is quite apt to describe what is often a dense scrubby-looking mass of non-descript trees. Tree ferns are a common feature of the native forest, with stems 5-7 m tall topped by large fronds. Most of the native tree species are evergreen and are unrelated to northern hemisphere species. They generally do not have conspicuous flowers, with the significant exception of the "pohutakawa" tree, (Metrosideros excelsa), also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree not so much for its foliage or shape but because it produces masses of brilliant red spiky flowers around Christmas time,

which is of course mid-summer in New Zealand. The once legendary kauri or white pine are now reduced to a few isolated trees or very small stands, but these are truly impressive specimens, up to 2000 years old and 5 m in diameter. Equally, or even more impressive are the ‘ancient kauri’ which have been dug out of peatland in some parts of the northern tip of the North Island and are transformed into furniture and other woodcraft items. These are 30-50,000 years old and are not fossilized but still wood. The furniture made from ancient kauri logs commands prices up to $35,000 a piece! New Zealand has other species of very large, good timber trees - rimu, totara, rata - but these are less well known outside the country.

Essentially all of the native forest has now been preserved from further harvesting and there are a number of schemes for replanting native species, particularly kauri. Forestry in New Zealand is now essentially based on plantations of exotic tree species, of which by far the most common is radiata pine (Pinus radiata). New Zealand has a strong and active green movement and environmentalists there reached an interesting agreement with the forest industry whereby the native forest has been protected from further logging in return for the industry having virtually a free hand with management of plantations. Radiata pine is managed very intensively on 12-15 year rotations. Pruning and aerial fertilization are routine and clearcutting at the end of the rotation can be shockingly dramatic by contemporary North American standards. Many plantations are on steep slopes where cable-logging is normal practice, but roadside leave-strips, wildlife trees and concern for landscape aesthetics seem to be unknown in these plantation situations. Harvested sites are promptly replanted with the products of intensive breeding programs, but radiata pine is still not a very pretty tree, tending to heavy branches and somewhat crooked stems, made all the more obvious by pruning to 4 or 5 m in younger stands. The pruning is designed to improve the quality of the timber at rotation age and research is ongoing to develop higher value timber products.

Radiata pine plantations are far from the only exotic vegetation to be encountered in New Zealand. In fact, much of the most striking vegetation in the landscape came from somewhere else. The second most-planted tree species in plantations is Douglas-fir. Pasture, of course, is everywhere, except on the steepest slopes and in national parks (of which three are World Heritage areas). Subtropical plants with brilliantly-coloured flowers, such as bougainvillea, camellia and others, abound in parks and gardens. Grape vines and orchards of apples, citrus and kiwifruit, are important components of the agriculture sector. (New Zealand wines are excellent, especially the sauvignon blancs and chardonnays; try them if you get a chance.) At certain times of the year, multi-coloured lupins provide a magnificent display growing ‘wild’ along roadsides. Elsewhere, oceans of waist-high purple heather or green bracken blanket hillsides. The strangely geometrically-rigid pyramidal forms of Norfolk Island pine trees are common sights in towns and villages. All of these are exotics to New Zealand, yet they are the features of the landscape that often register most clearly in the memory but are never found in books purporting to describe the trees or vegetation of New Zealand. Some of the most attractive exotics now growing wild are paradoxically the targets of campaigns to uproot and eliminate them.

Poplars and willows are also exotic tree species in New Zealand. Lombardy poplars have been widely planted and lines of their characteristic tall narrow crowns are a common feature of the agricultural landscape in which they have been planted for shelter and amenity. Poplar breeding has been ongoing for a number of years, with an emphasis on hybrids involving Populus deltoides and much interest in the possibilities of new material of species from China. Much of the planting has been aimed at environmental protection and remediation - streamside protection and erosion control on steep hillsides. As in many other parts of the world, rust diseases are a major problem on poplars in New Zealand. Sadly, poplar research has very low priority with the government and the one remaining active poplar scientist, Lindsay Fung, who is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Poplar Commission, is fighting to obtain funds to ensure the continuation of his research program.

Returning to Ottawa in late May after nearly two months in New Zealand, we were struck by the difference in the seasons. By then it was almost winter in New Zealand and the introduced northern hemisphere deciduous tree species had changed colour. However, snow and frost are unusual at any time of the year except at higher altitudes and in the far south. Temperatures in eastern Ontario on our return were about the same as we had been encountering in New Zealand. The big difference was in the daylength. When we left New Zealand the sun was lower in the sky, setting at 5 P.M. with complete darkness by 6, whereas in the late spring of Ottawa it was light until after 9 P.M.. New Zealand is indeed a land of paradox.

 

Fall colours at Eastwoodhill Arboretum, near Gisborne, North Island - reputed to be one of the largest and oldest collections of northern hemisphere tree species in the southern hemisphere.

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Upcoming Events

Poplar Council of Canada - Annual Meeting 2003

The PCC Annual Meeting will be held in Rouyn-Noranda, Québec, September 16 -19, 2003. The meeting will be jointly organized by UQAT (University of Quebec in Abitibi- Temiscamingue), RLQ (Réseau Ligniculture Québec) and CTRI (Centre de Transfert des Résidus Industriels).

XXI World Forestry Congress

The XXI World Forestry Congress, "Forests, Source of Life", will be held in Québec City, Québec, September 21 - 28, 2003. For more information on the congress, see www.wfc2003.org. for details.

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Last edit: 2006-12-21