WFCA Rumour Mill RoundUpDate Volume 25, Issue 4

WorkSafeBC Proposes New Guidelines To Assess Danger Tree Hazards

New guidelines are in the works for danger tree assessing high density stands for planting and other forestry activities. (photo credit Sean Ardis)

WorkSafeBC is developing new guidelines to aid employers in making a submission to obtain approval for forestry activities in areas having more than 500 suspect dangerous trees per hectare. Please find the link here.

The key term in the proposed change is “suspect” dangerous trees, which WorkSafeBC says, “is used to align with new regulatory amendments under development.” The changes are in a “preliminary posting” stage in which stakeholders have been asked to comment and request any changes. BC Forestry Safety Ombudsman Jordan Tesluk has been fielding queries from contractors regarding the permitting process’s timelines and the qualifications necessary to assess these high density stands under the new regime proposed. Tesluk will be holding a virtual workshop for forestry operators Tuesday 22 July 0900 hours. Please find the meeting invitation here.

Can Hand-Crafted Kraft Paper Replace Plastic Flagging to Mark Seedlings?

Father and son of invention Kurt and Colby Hawkenson explaining their determination to replace plastic flagging with paper using ingenuity and a toe hold on the paper products market.

It’s a truism that a revelation is when the obvious becomes apparent. In fact, when Kurt and Colby Hawkenson started producing their own rolls of coloured kraft paper to replace the almost ubiquitous use of plastic flagging with its legacy of polluting litter (still) marking millions of seedlings across B.C. they wondered, “Why hasn’t anyone thought of this already?” Probably lots of people had thought of it. But what differentiates the father and son owners and inventors of Hawk Planting Works Paper is they’re actually figuring a way to do it. They both deny they are geniuses. In fact, their rolling and slicing process is so self-evident to them they don’t see the point in copywriting it. Nevertheless, the level of invention and persistence it’s taken them to get to production comes through when they remark, somewhat self-effacingly, “It’s amazing what you can do with two lathes and a mitre saw.” They’ve moved past that now, but one’s head spins following their ingenuity through to the production of tens of thousands of three hundred-foot rolls of ¾ inch coloured paper. At this stage in their developing production process each roll is still close to hand-crafted.

Kraft paper is used to package things like cement. So, it’s strong and durable. It’s also what schools use for crafts—that’s not why it’s called kraft; it’s German for strong. So, it’s safe. And do we need to say that paper is biodegradable or that it’s an elegant sustainable solution using a value-added wood fibre product to mark seedlings for reforestation? In practice, though, it’s not all that simple. The Hawkensons represent an infinitesimal niche market compared to the world paper packaging product supply chain. Yet, they are learning their way, navigating the give and take between production scale and price and getting noticed by suppliers. So far, their flagging is five times the price of plastic—like many other plastic substitutes. If demand goes up, price can come down. Field tests are promising with thousands of rolls in the hands of tree planters who report the paper tears easily without the elastic spring-back and can be used in the rain and dirt. “Tree planters are the smartest customers,” say the Hawkensons, citing one innovative worker who discovered they could protect the integrity of their paper rolls in tough conditions by removing the middle cardboard tube and pulling from the centre. Crowdsourcing that kind of practical genius is bound to help.

UNBC Says It Will Shred Waxed Tree Boxes For Their BioEnergy Plant

Follow the yellow bin road to Prince George’s University of Northern BC bio energy plant

Some good news from our sector’s efforts to dispose of unrecyclable tree boxes. BCTS reports the University of Northern BC is now going live with a box shredding program to produce feedstock for their bio-energy plant. Planting contractors are being asked to follow the bio energy plant signs along the Campus Ring Road to a clearly marked big Yellow bin. They can leave their boxes there, cleaned of any garbage, plastic, wrappers, or orange peels. Some other good news from a recent PRT survey that found their 100% recyclable cardboard boxes are holding together well after use this spring. This durability suggests they may be practical in replacing waxed boxes at a much larger scale after this year’s promising nursery and field trials.