UPM-Kymmene Group, the Finnish company that owns the closed-down paper mill in Miramichi, New Brunswick, has just been granted permission to export pulpwood from New Brunswick’s Crown land.

The Miramichi groundwood and paper mill was closed in December. More than 500 people lost their job.

UPM was originally granted permission to cut wood on provincially owned land until the end of August and a provincial cabinet order is now allowing the company to export the pulpwood to Nova Scotia, Quebec and Maine.

The province decided to all the export of the wood because of the diminished demand for the wood in New Brunswick due to the reduced number of pulp mills.

“It’s not always pleasant when you have to export wood outside of the province. I would love for every stick of the wood to be able to be processed within New Brunswick, but at the end of the day if nobody wants that wood then we have to look at another venue,” said Natural Resources Minister Donald Arseneault. “So if the company can make some money by selling it outside, then we have to look at that option.”

Source:
UPM allowed to export Crown wood (CBC)