Re: Increasing Log Exports (Prince George Citizen, Feb. 27, 2017)
The contentious issue of rising log exports is here again, and B.C. continues to play lose - lose.
Since 1987, 50 of 80 coastal sawmills have closed.
Pulp mills have also permanently closed at Port Edward, Kitimat, Ocean Falls, Campbell River, Gold River, Tahsis and Woodfibre. With these closures, employment and revenue have fallen. Logging contractors, forest workers and forest communities have good reason to be concerned.
Environmentalists are also concerned. We are now logging the last six per cent of the lower elevation old growth on Vancouver Island.
One effect of sustained conflict is to narrow our vision of what is possible and this does not have to be.
One mutually beneficial way to get beyond this loud, intense conflict is the Blue Ocean Strategy (winning in new market space).
This in contrast to the current Red Ocean Strategy (competing in existing value added market space, and losing ).
Blue Ocean strategy is not wishful thinking. It is about value innovation, and risk minimization (not risk taking).
Practitioners are discovering the common factors that create blue oceans and what separates market winners from losers.
One Canadian forestry winner is the Ontario Blue Water Alliance.
It is a cluster of wood products manufacturing companies successfully working together to benefit its customers, members and industry.
Their real competitors are in the global market place, not at home with each other.
Start playing win-win.
Mill more wood in B.C. and reduce log exports.
Ray Travers, RPF (Ret)
Victoria
