Event Report Contractors flock to CWF Spring Meeting By Andrew Snook The 106th annual general meeting and conference kicked off with an address from CWF chairman Dirk Nielsen. Photos: Andrew Snook. Kevin Merriam of the Maritime Lumber Bureau presented, “Opportunities and challenges in a rapidly changing sector.” M ore than 200 attendees packed into the Delta Beausejour Hotel in Moncton, N.B. for the Canadian Woodlands Forum’s (CWF) 2025 Spring Meeting. The 106th annu -al general meeting and conference kicked off with a welcome address from CWF chairman Dirk Nielsen of Weiler Forestry. Nielsen briefly discussed the CWF’s five-year plan, which was a key focus of the annual general meeting with the association’s 22 board members. “We set out six general goals that feed into the mission state-ment and drive the workplan behind what the Canadian Wood -lands Forum is all about,” he told the crowd. The goals of the CWF are to support contractors and operators by promoting professionalism and sustainable practices; improve communication and information to members; improve opera -tional efficiencies of woodland operations; promote and deliver continuing forestry education and outreach; foster cooperation between forest stakeholders; and ensure the means of sustaining and growing the organization. The CWF’s membership has grown over the past year with the number of contractor members jumping from 137 to 180 mem -bers. Nielsen sent a call out to any logging contractors that want to be active members of the CWF Board. “It’s a great cross-section of people in the industry, from the manufacturing, supply chain, dealers, manufacturers, and logging contractors – obviously, you’re the heart of it. I appreciate when logging contractors can participate and give their voice to what we’re working on. So, if you want to become a board member, we do have a few vacancies,” he said. OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES Kevin Merriam, executive director of the Maritime Lumber Bu-reau (MLB), presented, “Opportunities and challenges in a rapid-ly changing sector,” which featured a discussion on opportunities and challenges regarding domestic and international wood mar-kets, the building and construction sector and tariffs. Merriam started by acknowledging the constant state of un -certainty surrounding the U.S. tariffs situation, and the concern that poses for the forest sector in Atlantic Canada. Atlantic Cana -dian annual production since 2021 has been relatively static with just over 1.8 billion bdft. Of that production, U.S. shipments have accounted for 1.2 billion bdft. “Roughly about 70 per cent of our wood products and lumber products go to the United States from Atlantic Canada,” Merriam said. “You know what kind of a situation that puts us in. I don’t SPRING 2025 26 Canadian BIOMASS
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