October B.C. Oil and Gas Rights
Sale Highest for 2009
B.C.'s economy has received a much-needed boost with the October 2009 land rights sale, which resulted in $370 million in bonus bids, the sixth-largest sale on record, it was recently announced. This brings the calendar year to date total to $700.6 million. See the News Release.

Canadian forest sector fears massive U.S.
green energy subsidy
A new U.S. biofuel subsidy is sounding alarm bells in the Canadian forest industry over fears it could be used by American forest companies to give them a final and overwhelming advantage in the battle for continental supremacy. The Canadian industry is saying it is no longer competing against American forest companies but is in an unwinnable battle with the U.S. Treasury which is doling out billions in a bid to develop new green energy resources. See the News story as reported by The Vancouver Sun.

24 forest sector companies qualify
for 'black liquor' funding
On October 9, 2009, the Canadian Government announced that 24 pulp and paper companies across Canada have qualified for funding under the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program. The Program allows Canadian pulp and paper companies that produced black liquor — a liquid by-product of the chemical pulping process that is used to generate renewable energy — in 2009 to access this $1-billion fund. See the full story as reported on Working Forest.