I find it distressing that it's become fashionable once again for some ill-informed critics and special interest groups to start kicking at the coastal forest industry. The latest change that some critics are opposing concerns private land that the provincial government has allowed some companies to withdraw from their Tree Farm Licences.

Given the real challenges facing the industry, the critics timing couldn't be worse. These groups seem to conveniently forget that the coastal forest industry has faced 20 years of continuous change in forest policy, unilaterally imposed upon us by successive governments, which fundamentally changed the way forest companies on the coast conduct business. Among these dramatic changes were thousands of hectares of land withdrawn for park creation, tenure take backs, increased stumpage payments and the implementation of stringent forest practices legislation. Through it all, the coastal industry has been steadfast, finding innovative ways to adapt, and continues to contribute $2 billion annually to the B.C. economy, over $400 million to the Crown and employs more than 12,000 people.

Now with an over inflated Canadian dollar and a collapse of our major markets in the U.S. and Japan, things are even tougher. These private lands represent a very small percentage of the companies' holdings and their removal from the TFLs provides the flexibility needed to sell those lands that have a higher and better use while sustaining forestry operations. Remember these are privately owned lands, not Crown forest, and we are talking about land that most critics and environmentalists don't want logged anyway. It simply doesn't make sense to prevent a company from making changes that will sustain its economic viability, retain jobs and support rural communities.

The forest industry has done its part responding to environmental and societal concerns about forest stewardship, now it is important to let the companies get on with business. Coastal forest companies will continue to adapt to changing conditions as they always have, supporting coastal communities from Port Hardy to Victoria. All they ask is that the rules be fair and stable in support of a sustainable industry, not drive the companies out of business. If successful, these critic's misguided efforts will cause more mill closures, fewer jobs and economic ruin in many rural communities.

Having recently returned from Asia where I witnessed new opportunities developing for coastal products, it's disheartening to spend time and energy dealing with these critics instead of growing our markets. Remember, if our industry were to collapse under the conflicting pressures, our products would be replaced by other emerging markets with much less desirable forest practices and environmentally damaging footprints, who'd be quick to take over in the Asia Pacific region - hardly an optimal solution in a climate change world.

It's not what comes to mind initially when one thinks of China's rapid economic growth and concrete urban sprawl, but Guangzhou is showcasing one of the most promising landscaping opportunities for B.C. forest products in its gardens!

Surprisingly, Guangzhou, Guangdong, a city of approximately 13 million people, is known as the Garden Capital of China with nearly 20 major parks. And Zhujiang Park, scheduled to open in late December, features the first landscaping demonstration project in China made up entirely of pressure treated outdoor wood products from B.C.

Treated wood products have shown rapid growth in China since their introduction in 2000. Greening initiatives linked with the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the 2010 Expo and 2010 Asian Games have spurred massive landscaping projects all over China. According to the goals set by the State Council directive, treated wood will account for 5 per cent of China's industry wood consumption by 2010, which means an annual demand of over 3 million cubic metres of treated wood products. Assuming outdoor applications are 50 per cent of the market, this translates into a demand of approximately 1.5 million cubic metres, worth as much as $1.5 billion annually by 2010.

"Guangzhou is just the beginning," says Coast Forest's Rick Jeffery, who is also Chair of Canada Wood, and toured the site as it was nearing completion in November. "There are more major-scale landscape projects planned for the north of China that will make use of coastal hemlock, but Guangzhou's climate in the south is more suited to balsam. Cedar, of course, is being used everywhere."

Coastal forest products producers and distributors, like the Teal Jones Group and Taiga Building Products, view China's growth in landscaping as a potential niche market, particularly for pressure treated coastal balsam, Western Red Cedar and yellow cedar. All are examples of outdoor wood products that are perfectly suited to China's climate because they are resistant to moisture and insects - making them ideal for use in a wide range of landscaping applications, including walkways, bridges, trellises and benches.

Teal Jones' Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Mike Friesen, says the company jumped at the chance to provide a special order of balsam for the project, which required a sort that isn't common practice on the coast. Usually hemlock and balsam are mixed in a log boom, and then in the mill the two species are sawn together and sold as hem-fir. But balsam's superior absorption of the chemicals used in pressure treated wood improves its resistance to moisture, decay and insect attack, which is critically important in Guangzhou's southern location where these conditions are severe.

Most wood looks good initially, Friesen explains, but if it isn't treated properly, it won't stand up. "They needed a super treated wood," he says. "So we made a special effort to put really nice looking wood into that marketplace. It cost us more to produce because of the way it was sorted, but we're hoping for a longer term payoff."

John Gillis of Taiga Building Products agrees that the market for outdoor landscaping products is growing quickly in China, so it was very important for Taiga to get in on the ground floor. Taiga already does a lot of business in China, supplying lumber that is either used as is, like the treated products, or is further remanufactured there for either the Chinese market or for export again.

Taiga Building Products is the largest distributor of building materials in Canada, with three treating facilities across the country. Langley, B.C. is home to the facility where the Guangzhou balsam was pressure treated with an environmentally advanced non-arsenic and non-chromium ACQ preservative system, a copper-based certified chemical that preserves wood for outdoor applications and is safer but also more expensive than previous chemicals used to pressure treat wood.

"For us as a company China is a very strategic growth market," Gillis points out. "Treating is one of our core strengths, so it makes sense to us to be a part of this project because it is a large market and has huge market potential for treated products."