Forestry

Corporate and Commercial Matters

• Forest operations agreements, fibre supply contracts and forest management agreements
• Acquisitions, dispositions, takeover bids and corporate restructuring
• Labour and employment matters, including pension, benefits and Workers Compensation issues
• Joint ventures involving the forest industry and other industrial operators; First Nations and other parties assisting First Nations with timber resources; lumber and pulp conversion facilities and users of wood waste for power generation or value-added products; and financings

Forest Law

• Timber, land and forest tenure transfers, and rights and obligations under forest tenures
• In British Columbia, administrative dealings with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development at the district, regional and provincial levels
• The BC Timber Sales Program
• Compliance with and changes to logging agreements as a result of the Timber Harvesting Contract and Subcontract Regulation
• In Alberta, regulatory compliance and administrative matters involving Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development and advice to Delegated Administrative Organization

Forest Policy

• Land use and forest management practices
• Preparation of position papers on policy and legislation, and analysis of legislation, regulations and policy
• Professional ethics and standards of forestry practice
• Environmental matters
• Advising on First Nations’ land and resource claims
• Environmental litigation, regulatory and administrative proceedings
• Environmental reviews, audits and assessments
• Advice and representation for effective corporate organization, governance and environmental management systems to monitor and ensure compliance with environmental and forestry practices standards and legislation

Litigation of Forestry Disputes

• Environmental challenges to forestry operations and the defence of environmental charges
• Responses to legal challenges to forest tenure
• Land claims involving forest tenure lands
• Stumpage and other administrative disputes in relation to forest tenures
• Rate and other arbitrations under logging contracts
• Administrative hearings in relation to forest management and operational practices
• Injunction proceedings in land use disputes

Emerging Issues

The Canadian forest industry in undergoing a significant restructuring to address:

• Challenges related to evolving governmental policy in BC and corresponding regulatory and legislative changes
• Pressure on forest resources from other users
• The resolution of land claims and the increasing role of First Nations in the forest sector
• The de-integration of the forest industry and its consolidation within sectors
• Globalization and free trade
• Innovative and developing regulatory changes dealing with resource ownership, forest practices and timber pricing
• The increasing focus on corporate responsibility for forest management and field operations