Weyerhaueser Buys M-B

’s pending purchase of the Canadian forest products company

MacMillan Bloedel (MB), announced on June 21, has raised concerns among environmentalists that the company may not honor MB’s plan to phase out clearcutting of old-growth coastal Douglas fir trees in British Columbia (see

EBN

Vol. 7, No. 7). The

Vancouver Sun reported in its July 14 edition that Weyerhaeuser is committed to sticking with MB’s plan. Bill Gaynor, president of Weyerhaeuser Canada has set minds at ease by stating that the company is committed to MB’s plans, which include phasing out clearcutting over four years, adopting variable-retention harvesting, and using alternative harvesting methods in sensitive areas. “They have embarked on a learning and adaptive course and we are going to step into that and continue,” Gaynor was reported saying.