They're our trees. Canada doesn't allow logging, 'cause it's a "Green" country, but they have fewer incapacitating envirowacko regulations on lumber mills and other processing while WE do so we have hardly any lumbermills here in the States....so WE, the evil environment killers with all these inexplicable trees (since we're always told we cut them all down) sell our logs to the Canadians, who turn it into lumber which our building industry buys back from them along with many other countries like China.
We evil environment killers, on the other hand, have carefully managed our forests for decades, especially in the East, so that we never run out of this renewable resource. Now these forestry management techniques are going national. We've had some fungus problems with softwoods. That's one factor that cuts into supply. Attempts to help our own timber industry and our own remaining sawmills in order to reign in prices here at home is another.
Martin knows all this. He's acting like another Chretien.
"so WE, the evil environment killers with all these inexplicable trees (since we're always told we cut them all down) sell our logs to the Canadians, who turn it into lumber which our building industry buys back from them along with many other countries like China."
A Canadian company bought our local paper mill, which was one of the largest employers in the area for decades, then idled the mill. The city and county are trying to lure Abitibi back with offers of tax abatements. To be honest, I'm torn as to how I feel about the possibility of the mill reopening (for a number of reasons) but I don't believe Abitibi intended on keeping the mill open when they bought it.
The best part: Clinton is responsible for both the enviro-nut regs that created a shortage of US lumber AND for the softwood tariffs to protect US producers from now cheaper Canadian lumber.
"Hey man, ahh feel your pain..."