Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit

• Develop promotion plans to highlight the forest sector's economic, social and environmental performance domestically and internationally.
• Establish a dedicated innovation fund to expand and accelerate academic engagement in forest sector innovation.

Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution

• Ensuring that the review of the Canada Transportation Act (CTA) addresses the needs of the forest sector.

Policies or Program

• Advocating for improved implementation of the federal Species at Risk Act that will encourage stewardship and support leadership initiatives like the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement.
• Advocating for support for the industry's Vision 2020 Challenge, a set of aspirational goals for the sector in the areas of human resources, environmental performance, and increased revenue from new products and markets.
• Border Security - To minimize the cost related to the time truckloads and rail car loads of forest products spend at the Canada/U.S. border in compliance with U.S. Customs and border security regulations.
• Challenge federal initiatives that may increase members' transportation costs (e.g. Canadian Coast Guard ice-breaking fees, Canadian Transport Agency's cost of capital methodology).
• Creating greater competition in the transportation sector so as to improve the efficiency of the transportation system in Canada especially in relation to rail freight transportation.
• Discussing economic challenges affecting countries around the world in relation to Canada's industrial policies with focus on the renewal of the forest sector.
• Effluent and Water Policy - Identifying government policy barriers to reducing water used by the pulp and paper industry and developing ways to overcome these barriers and improve industry performance.
• Expanding the eligibility criteria of Sustainable Development Technology Canada Next Gen Bio-fuels Fund to cover the full spectrum of bio-energy/bio-products opportunities.
• General review of all forest sector files and update on state of the industry to give public officials a better understanding of recent industry developments and key issues.
• Implementation of the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement.
• Optimizing program design for the Investment in Forest Industry Transformation Program.
• Promote the benefits of the bioeconomy as it relates to the forest sector.
• Support "right sizing" the transportation system to benefit shippers from all sectors.
• Support changes to the federal tax system, such as the Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance and the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR and ED) program, to encourage greater capital investment in the Canadian forest sector.
• Support for the transformation of the forest sector, including any impact on current or future regulations or policy initiatives.
• Support forest sector's current and future employment needs. (e.g. E.I., Immigration, Mobility, Skilled Trades, Accreditation Policy, Labour Market Information, Apprenticeship, Canada Job Grant)
• Support greater rate relief in the rail sector
• Support immediate implementation of Rail Freight Service Review's recommendations to enhance rail competition and to ensure members obtain suitable and adequate rail service and an enhanced ability to challenge poor service levels.
• Support measures to assist companies with defined benefit pension plans meet their obligations.
• Support measures to strengthen Canada's infrastructure.
• Support the Softwood Lumber Agreement with a view to preserving market access for Canadian lumber producers.
• Support the interests of Canadian dissolving pulp producers against anti-dumping measures imposed by China.
• Support the interests of the Canadian forest sector with respect to the Japan Wood Points initiative
• Tracking bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, such as the Plurilateral Environmental Goods Agreement and the World Trade Organization (WTO) environmental goods negotiations, to ensure forest sector views are understood.
• Working with Environment Canada and FPAC members to refine Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) for bird conservation.
• Working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to help implement the new Fisheries Act. This may involve developing a standard for low-risk activities within the forest sector

Regulation

• Canadian Environmental Protection Act Chemical Management plans. The forest products industry uses chemicals that may be assessed and regulated under this legislation. The Forest Products Association of Canada is voluntarily and proactively assisting the government with data collection on substances being assessed. As the government addresses individual substances, FPAC may advocate for effective and efficient management tools.
• Fish Habitat and Effluent Policy (inland waters) - The Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program is part of the pulp and paper effluent regulations. This is a very complex program that is always evolving and is currently moving from simply monitoring effects to investigation of causes of effects and investigation solutions. Industry must track this evolution to stay in compliance with the regulation.
• Fisheries Act: Amendments to the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations.
• Motor Carrier/Road - To promote harmonization of vehicle weights and dimensions across Canada and throughout North America and to ensure that cargo securement regulations for transporting forest products are the same throughout North America so that a mill can load a trailer of forest products in Nova Scotia and know that it in compliance with all regulations across the Continent.
• Pest Control Product Act: The forest products industry uses chemicals that may be assessed and regulated under this legislation. The Forest Products Association of Canada is voluntarily and proactively assisting the government with data collection on substances being assessed and reviewed. As the government addresses individual substances, FPAC may advocate for effective and efficient management tools.
• Possible rail transportation regulations related to safety and insurance and the transportation of dangerous goods.
• Possible regulations to enhance Bill C-52, Fair Rail Freight Service Act, as they pertain to shipper requirements.
• Presenting views on enhancing existing rail regulations on matters including: ancillary/fuel charges; interswitching; running rights; final offer arbitration; captivity; demurrage; limited distribution tariffs.
• Regulations and voluntary programs pertaining to greenhouse gas emissions under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. The federal government as indicated that it will develop regulations under the authorities provided by CEPA, 1999. These forthcoming regulatory measures have the potential to affect the forest products industry.
• Regulatory Framework for Air Emissions: targets for the reduction of specific air pollutants from the pulp and paper and wood products sectors.