world news - 10.02.2009
Storms create crisis for French forestry
The forestry industry of south-west France is facing a “new economic
tragedy” after strong winds blew down an estimated 50 million m³ of
timber. The “Klaus” storm on January 24 has particularly hit
maritime pine and poplar in the Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrenees and
Languedoc-Roussillon regions. About 300,000ha has been damaged in Aquitaine’s 4 million ha of forest while half the 1 million ha of Midi-Pyrenees is damaged. The
National Federation of Private Forest Owners says the storm has come at
a bad time, as sawmills have been laying people off and demand for wood
is low, compared to far more buoyant times after the storm of 1999. The
government is making ˆ5m available to help clear trees and further
surveys will help establish the volume and quality of timber damaged.
See also:
- — Making poplar popular
- — Swedish forestland prices rise
- — European Union plan to hit illegal logging said unclear, costly
- — Timber from Russian ship washes up on UK shores
- — Reduced timber felling in Norway in 2008