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6TuesdayMay132014Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.WESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.TheFSASisdesperatelyseekingvolunteersforthesummermonths.MostofourvolunteersareheadingoutoftownforJulyandAugust.IfyoucanhelppleasecallDixieat872-3516.FemaleYoungAdultGreyandwhitemixLookingforanewhomeByMARIACHURCHTheNWTsrstproposedpelletmillprojectistwogiantstepsclosertolaunchingpro-ductionintheSouthSlavewiththecommunityofFortResolu-tionsignedontoprovidewoodsupplyandthecompanysecur-ingmarketsabroad.AuroraWoodPelletsLtd.wasguaranteedasecuresupplyofwoodproductsaftertheDeninuKueFirstNationandtheFortResolu-tionMtisCouncilsignedaForestryManagementAgree-mentFMAwiththeGNWTinlateFebruarytherstofitskindintheNWT.FortProvidenceiscur-rentlyweeksawayfromset-tlingitsownFMA.FirstNationsMtisandcommunitygoverningbod-iesinHayRiverKakisaandJeanMarieRiverallhaveyettosignFMAsbutBradMapesthemanbehindthepelletmillprojectsaidheex-pectsthatwillhappenoverthenextfewmonthswiththelargecommunitiespav-ingtheway.BasicallywearenowreadytobuildbutwereallycantdoanythinguntilwehavetheseFMAsgoingandtheforestcompanieswrappedupMapessaidinaninterviewlastweek.Oncealltheagreementsaresignedandharvestingcompa-niescontractedtheprojectcouldseelanddevelopmentandmillconstructionthisyearandcouldbeproducingbynextsummerhesaid.NWTpelletsattractattentionoverseasMeanwhilethecompanyisstartingtocapitalizeonin-terestfromtheinternationalmarketplace.Whenwerststartedlook-ingattheprojectwewerelookingatstrictlysellingdo-mesticallybutnowwerealizeforalargepercentofourprod-uctwehaveanopportunitytoexportit.ThereisahugedemandforwoodpelletsallovertheworldMapessaid.CurrentlymostoftheglobalpelletsupplyisconsideredlowgradeforindustrialusebutwiththeNWTssustainablesupplyofqualitywoodAuroraWoodPelletswillbeabletomarketapremiumproduct.Forapremiumpelletthedifferenceiswewillnotusebark.Wede-barkourmaterialandonlyusecorewood.Wellalsoblendourproductusingwhitepinewhitespruceandblackspruceandwithacon-sistentcoretimbersourcewellalwayshavethesamequality.ItwillproduceahighervalueproductMapessaid.Mapesrecentlymetwithdel-egatesfromtheSouthKoreanindustrialcompanyHyosungCorp.tosecureapreliminaryexportagreementthatwillseeaninitial150to170tonnesofpremiumpelletsshippedover-seastosupplytheirfactories.TheSouthKoreanswereinYellowknifefortwodaysinlateAprilwheretheysignedtheinitialagreementandex-pressedinterestinalong-termsupplycontract.Thecompanyisalsocur-rentlyintalkswithotherin-ternationalcompaniesinter-estedinthepremiumpellet.Regardlessoftheinterna-tionalexportpotentialMapessaidalargechunkofproduc-tionaround40to60tonneswillbekeptfordomesticmar-ketsincludingtheterritorialgovernmentsbiomassfacilities.JobscreationacoregoalSinceitwasgiventhego-aheadfromtheGNWTin2012thepelletmillprojecthasenjoyedhugesupportfrommanygroupsintheSouthSlavemainlybecauseofitspotentialtocreatelong-termemploymentMapessaid.Ultimatelywearetheretomakeaprotforthecom-panyandthecommunitygroupsbutreallythisproj-ectisawellnessproject.Itbuildswellnessbyproduc-ingworkforthecommuni-tiesanditgivesourstudentstheopportunitytoseethattherearegoingtobemorejobsavailablesotheycanstayintheirhomecommu-nitieshesaid.TheGNWThasestimatedtheFMAswhichpledgegov-ernmentsupporttocommu-nity-ledrenewableresourcedevelopmentintheareawilllikelycreatearound600newjobslinkedtotheforestryindustryintheSouthSlave.Theproposedpelletman-ufacturingplantslatedforconstructionoutsideofEn-terprisewilldirectlyemployanestimated40people.PelletmillprojectleapsclosertoproductionlaunchSouthSlavecompanysignsexportagreementwithKoreancompanyIndustryBiomassEnvironmentHydroByMEAGANWOHLBERGWhilethebenetsofgoingforwardwithBCHydrospro-posedSiteCdamarecleartheministersresponsibleformakingthenalcallhavealonglistofseriousadverseimpactstoconsiderbeforeap-provingtheprojectsaysthepanelchargedwithreviewingthe7.9-billionhydroprojectonthePeaceRiver.Thepanelsnalreportfollowingatwo-and-a-halfyearenvironmentalimpactreviewprocesswasmadepubliclastThursdayafterbeinghandedovertotheprovincialandfederalgov-ernmentstheweekprevious.Inthe450-pagereportthatgivesattemptstondamid-dlegroundwithinthepolar-izeddebateforandagainstthejointreviewpanelmakes50recommendationstothecrowncorporationdesignedtomitigateasuiteofadverseimpactsontheenvironmentcommunitiesandAboriginalculturewhilenotingthatmanyoftheadverseimpactsareun-mitigableandsituatedwithinthecontextofanincreasinglyexploitedregionofthecountry.ThePeaceRiverregionhasbeenandiscurrentlyundergoingenormousstressfromresourcedevelopment.InthiscontextthePanelhasdeterminedthattheProjectcombinedwithpastpresentandreasonablyforeseeablefutureprojectswouldresultinsignicantcumulativeef-fectsonshvegetationandecologicalcommunitieswild-lifecurrentuseoflandsandresourcesfortraditionalpur-posesandheritage.InsomecasestheseeffectsarealreadysignicantevenwithouttheProjectstatesthesummarybypanelmembersHarrySwainJocelyneBeaudetandJamesMattison.Despitetheconsiderableandirremediableimpactsthereportstrugglestondanalternative.Thebenetsareclear.De-spitehighinitialcostsandsomeuncertaintyaboutwhenthepowerwouldbeneededtheProjectwouldprovidealargeandlong-termincrementofrmenergyandcapacityatapricethatwouldbenetfuturegenerations.Itwoulddothisinawaythatwouldproduceavastlysmallerbur-denofgreenhousegasesthananyalternativesavenuclearpowerwhichB.C.haspro-hibitedstatesthesummary.Apartfromprovidingare-newablelow-carbonenergysourcetheprojectwillalsoprovideanumberoflocalre-gionalandAboriginaleconomicbenetsthereportstates.Theprovincialandfederalgovernmentshavesixmonthstomakeadecisiononwhetherornottoapprovetheproject.NoimpactstoPeace-AthabascaDeltaWhileagreatdealofcon-cernwasvoicedduringthehearingsbypeoplelivinginthePeace-AthabascaDeltaPADregionofnorthernAlbertaabouttheimpactsoffurtherowregulationonthePeaceRiverwhichalreadyplayshosttotwoexistinghydromega-projectsthereviewpanelsaysSiteCwillhavenomeasur-ableeffectonthepeopleorecosystem.ThePanelconcludestherewouldbenoeffectsfromtheProjectonanyaspectoftheenvironmentinthePeaceAthabascaDeltaandacu-mulativeeffectsassessmentonthePADisnotrequiredstatesthereport.DuringhearingsearlierthisyearrepresentativesfromnorthernAlbertaFirstNationsandWoodBuffaloNationalParkexpressedconcernthatthesensitivedeltaecosystemisalreadyfeelingtheimpactsofupstreamhydrodevelop-mentwhichhasreducedice-jamoodingtherebychangingthelandscapecontributingtothedisappearanceofcertainwildlifeandimpactingtreatyandAboriginalrights.AlthoughthepanelsaiditisnotdeaftotheimportanceofthePADandthechangesthatarehappeningtoitasaresultofowregulationonthePeaceRiveritnotesthathydroisonlyoneofmanyculpritsincludingclimatechangeandwaterwithdraw-alsfromtheAthabascaRiverimpactingtheareaandthattheprojectistoofarawaytohaveamajorimpact.ThePanelnotesthatthechangestothePADthatwerereportedtothePanelarehappeningnowwithouttheProject.InadditionthePADis1100kmdownstreamofSiteC.WhilethemajorityofowregulationonthePeaceRiverisduetotheoperationoftheBennettDamthead-ditionalregulationprovidedbytheProjectwouldbeat-tenuatedbeforereachingthePADthepanelsaid.ThepanelagreedwithBCHydrosstudyresultsshowingthatthedownstreamextentofSiteCsinuenceontherivericethicknessbreak-uporfreeze-upwaterlevelswouldreachamaximumof500kmdownstream.ThereporturgesBCHydroParksCanadatheAlbertagovernmentandothersintheregiontodis-cussthevalueandcostsas-sociatedwithprovidingperi-odicpulsesofwatertocreateoodinginthedeltawiththehopeofpreservingorrestor-ingitsaquaticecosystems.SiteCdamreportleavestoughdecisionuptoministersReportclaimsdamwillhavenoeffectonPeace-AthabascaDeltaPhotoJ.HenryFairAthirddamonthePeaceriverwillhavenomeasurableimpactonthePeace-Athabas-caDeltaaboveaccordingtothepanelresponsibleforreviewingSiteC.