Forestry fight is on to combat campaign of "misinformation"

A lack of Greenpeace didn’t stop reps from getting together in Timmins Tuesday.

Northern Ontario and Quebec Mayors were gathered at Cedar Meadows with First Nations leaders and forestry officials to discuss and develop strategies to get the right information out to the public on the industry.

FONOM President and Kapuskasing Mayor Al Spacek says they know they “adhere to the highest environmental standards,” which is the provincial and Canadian standard.

“It’s one of the most respected ones in the world,” he said.

Spacek says Greenpeace is not only talking publicly about their views, but also going directly to the customers and threatening the customer base of companies like Milson Forestry and Resolute.

He says trees are one of the best methods of capturing carbon, adding they do it between the ages of 20 and 70 years.

Once the trees are taken down after the 70-year lifespan, Spacek says they plant seeds to grow more.  This, at a ratio of three new trees for every one they harvest to start the cycle all over again.

The environmental group was supposed to be part of this meeting, but did not make it.