NationStates Jolt Archive

Old Growth Forest Wood Chipping Ban
Category: Environmental
Industry Effected: Wood Chipping
Proposed by: Isamora
Description:

Wood Chipping is an industry in most member states of the World Assembly creating pulp or processed wood products for consumer use. The timber from two different variety of trees “short rotation coppice” and “old growth forest” timber are the only acceptable timber used by the Wood Chipping industry. This industry is a necessity as the finished product is paper, fuel and mulch.

However when “old growth forests” are harvested for use in the Wood Chipping industry scientists and biologists loose forests that have unique biological structures different from most common forests as these “old growth forests” have had the least amount of encroachment onto and disruption of their eco-systems.

Therefore;

Article 1 § Harvesting of “old growth forests” will end in World Assembly member states territory by independent loggers, Wood Chipping companies and by the federal government of all World Assembly member-states.

Article 2 § Harvesting will only occur if a disease or parasitic bug has attacked an “old growth forest” colony and forest harvesters will be under strict supervision from World Assembly member’s governments.

Article 3 § The Wood Chipping Industry will short rotation coppice forests, high yield varieties, native to each individual member weither they be poplar or willow or another variety of tree.

Article 4 § With every seasonal cut of short rotation coppice forests a new batch of trees will be planted in the exact location of the short rotation coppice forest cut to ensure that in four years the forest will be vibrant against for Wood Chipping harvest.

What makes you think poplar and willow trees even grow in every climate?

I have changed article 3.

Suppose someone has no fast-growing trees that suit the criteria?

In a short rotation coppice it is a time frame for about 4 years. That is why poplar and willow are the best but there are others.

It's usually not a good idea to be too specific in WA proposals. I'd suggest more general language.

To leave it open for other reasons it may be necessary to cut down old-growth forest, maybe you could simply say "commercial harvesting" is bad, rather than come up with specific exemptions. I'll admit I can't think of many other reasons to cut down old-growth forest, though.

Then, instead of specifically mandating a management method, why not simply say something along the lines of "Mandates that tree replacement be carried out at all logging sites" or "Encourages tree rotation management practices"?

i agree with the ambassador from Kelssek.

Wachichi

"Ahem!"

Leaving to one side, for now, the question of whether this matter should be covered by international legislation _

This proposal starts off by talking about the harvesting of timber for 'woodchipping', but then bans ALL harvesting from 'Old Growth' forests even if (a) what's needed is actually large peices of timber, rather than wood-chips; and (b) that harvesting is done selectively (rather than by clear-felling). Bad idea!
(There are certain purposes for which we actually require timber from such forests, rather than from plantations.)
For that matter, the proposed ban on harvesting doesn't specify that it only applies to timber, so it would actually seem to prohibit the harvesting of anything else -- such as nuts & berries, cork bark (in some nations, anyway, although not my own homeland...), or even game -- from within them too...

And anyway, what's to keep the companies involved from simply shifting their activities to non-member nations if this passes? Obviously we can't try telling those nations themselves what to do, but if this proposal is actually going to do its job properly shouldn't it also include a clause forbidding member-nations to allow the importation of the relevant materials from those nations unless they were harvested according to these same guidelines?


Borrin o Redwood,
Chairbear, Bears Armed Mission to the World Assembly,
for
The Confederated Clans of the Free Bears of Bears Armed.