Forestry: Haida buy Western Forest Products licence
Richmond-based Western Forest Products Inc. has sold one of its tree farm licences on Haida Gwaii to Haida business group Haida Enterprises Corp. (HaiCo) for $12.2 million.
The sale includes 130,000 hectares of timber and associated infrastructure in TFL 60. The tree farm licence is the largest forest tenure on Haida Gwaii and ranges over three islands – Graham, Moresby and Louise.
“This acquisition gives our company control of a significant Haida Gwaii tenure with some of Canada’s finest forest lands,” HaiCo CEO Kevin Ainsworth said in a press release.
Fisheries: B.C. salmon farmers seek voluntary certification
Companies representing roughly 95% of salmon farming in British Columbia have now achieved certifications under the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s (GAA) Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), according to the BC Salmon Farmers Association.
The BAP certification requires an independent audit of social responsibility, environmental performance, food safety, animal welfare, traceability and biosecurity processes and systems of each farm site that’s being considered.
Since December 2011, 17 farms in B.C. have been certified.
Energy: Skookum ROR power projects hit milestone
A $92 million run-of-river power plant on Skookum Creek near Squamish has reached a key milestone in receiving a conditional water licence from the provincial government. Concord Green Energy recently partnered with Run of River Power Inc. (TSX-VROR) to build a 25-megawatt run-of-river power plant on the creek, which is 10 kilometres east of Squamish.
“This project has been under development since 2007 and the culmination of these approvals and authorizations means we can now move forward,” said ROR CEO Rick Hopp.
Mining: Declan approved to acquire Talos Minerals
Vancouver-based Declan Resources Inc. (TSX-V:LAN) announced July 4 that it has received TSX Venture Exchange approval to acquire 100% of the common shares of Talos Minerals Ltd. According to a Declan release, Talos’ principal assets are three mineral exploration licences in the Kono and Bo districts of Sierra Leone. The exploration licences are held by two 85% owned Sierra Leone subsidiaries: Greenstone Minerals Ltd. and Revonah Resources Ltd.
The proposed acquisition will not result in a change of control of Declan.
Forestry: Audit finds timber licencees breaching legislation
Only one of 24 timber sale licensees operating in the Campbell River area was fully compliant with B.C. forestry legislation, according to a new BC Timber Sales (BCTS) audit of the Georgia Strait business area. Auditors found instances where fish habitat was not being adequately protected because of sediment introduced into fish streams.
“While the auditors did not find evidence of significant environmental harm at the time, these practices increase the risk of damage to resources and the environment occurring,” BCTS board chairman Al Gorley said.
