the bale mail - peatlands.rupeatlands.ru/files/1192603484.pdf · newsletter of the canadian...

Newsletter of the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association

October 2007 - Volume XVII, Number V

The Bale Mail

Healthier Growth, Naturally.

Inside this Issue:Inside this Issue:Inside this Issue:Inside this Issue:Inside this Issue:CSPMA Annual Meeting Highlights ..... 2-5

Theme for AGM is “Change” ................ 2

Keynote speaker Dr. Bill Carlile ............ 3

CSPMA Annual Meeting schedule ........3

Speakers: P. Short, Dr. M. Strack ......... 4

Fire Prevention Workshop ....................5

CSPMA Semi-annual Meeting ............ 6-11

Visit to the Sphagnum farming

station in Lameque ....................... 6-7

Peat cliffs offer historic data ............... 8

New Brunswick - new website .......... 9

Acadian Peat - Synergy Award .......... 9

Terry Quinn - the importance

of Hot work permits ............................ 10

Rolf Mecking retires from Board ............ 12

CSPMA members took part in strategic

planning session ................................12

Strategic Plan .................................... 12-14

SNA Machinery opens warehouse ....... 15

Thermo-Peat ........................................... 16

Sun Gro acquires Grow Best Holdings 17

JR Tardif newest CSPMA member ......... 17

CSPMA new brochure ...................... 18-21

Don’t trust anti-forestry activits ............. 22

Mosses cushion climate concerns ........23

IPS holds Annual Assembly in Latvia .....24

Echo Tourbiere to be translated

to English ............................................25

Presenting the best image of

your company .................................... 26

Forests beat biofuels as global

warming solution ................................27

CSPMA names new President

www.peatmoss.com

New President continued on page 2...

Paul Short of Edmonton, Alberta has been hired

as the new President of the Canadian Sphagnum Peat

Moss Association. He started with

the Association in September and

will officially take over as president

on November 10th at the AGM in

Deerfield Beach, Florida.

“I’m very excited to have Paul

joining the CSPMA,” said Gerry

Hood, current President. “He has

a long association with the Alberta

peat industry and has been very

helpful to our Association

throughout that time.”

Hood went on to say that there

are many advantages to having Paul

living in Edmonton. Probably the

most important one is that Doris

Reeve will be staying on as Paul’s

Executive Assistant. Had the office been moved to

another part of Canada, Doris would not have stayed

on.

Clarence Breau , a member of the search

committee, felt that Paul had what the Association was

looking for. “I know we thought it would be nice to hire

someone from Eastern Canada who was bilingual, but

when we met Paul and heard his ideas, we realized that

he had the insight the Association

was looking for. He knew what was

important for the association to

defend and build on. Besides,”

Clarence said with a smile, “Gerry’s

French is pretty bad and yet the

CSPMA is getting along well.”

Paul has a long history with the

resource industries of Alberta. For

the past two years he has been the

Senior Director of Forest Industry

Development for the Government of

Alberta. His responsibilities included

dealing with forestry, peat, petroleum

and natural gas companies. He was

involved with the development of

strategic policy, legislation and

programs in support of the department’s value-added and

natural resource industry goals.

His direct involvement with the peat industry started

in the early ‘90s when he assisted the Alberta peat

Paul Short

See page 28 for

details on how to win

Fairmont Hotel gift

certificates!

The Bale Mail / Le Ballot Postal

ANNUAL

MEETING

producers on inventory and regulation changes in

support of the peat industry development.

He has a clear understanding of the risks that

the peat industry is facing. Paul was the first person

to alert the CSPMA to the Boreal Forest Initiative;

the group demanding that 50 percent of the Boreal

Forest (BF) be set aside for conservation. Seventeen

of the Canadian peat operations are located in the

BF and, therefore, such a conservation initiative could

have a drastic impact on the industry.

Paul recently retired from the Alberta

Government after 34 years. When he heard that

Gerry was retiring, he realized the timing couldn’t be

better. “I’ve followed the activities of the Association

through the Bale Mail and through meetings with

Gerry and some of the peat producers in Alberta,”

remarked Paul. “I am looking forward to getting to

know the members and learning more about the needs

of the industry.”

Paul is married to Gwen and they have three

grown children. He is a passionate fisherman and

hunter, and enjoys playing golf. Presently, he and

Gwen are putting the final touches on their lakeshore

cabin in Northern Alberta.

Details:Where: Deerfield Beach Resort

950 South East 20TH Ave (A1A)

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Price: Room: $154 U.S./night

Reservations: Phone 954-426-0478,

ask for the reservations department,

and tell them you’re with the

CSPMA.

CSPMA Annual Meeting,Deerfield Beach, Florida

November 7-10, 2007“Change” is the perfect theme for the 19th

Annual Meeting of the CSPMA.

First there is Change in Climate, an issue that

will be highlighted in presentations by Dr. Maria

Strack of the University of Calgary, and Paul Short,

formerly of Alberta Sustainable Development, and

soon to be President of the CSPMA (see story on

page 1).

Then there is the Change in the Industry, which

will be described by Jacques Thibault and Claudin

Berger. They will present the history of the peat

industry in New Brunswick and Québec, respectively.

“How has our industry changed?”

The most important change this year will be the

Change in Leadership in the peat moss

Association: Gerry Hood will retire and Paul Short

will become the new President of the CSPMA.

Theme for AnnualMeeting is “Change”

In his younger days, Paul attended the University

of Calgary where he graduated with a science degree

and a minor in Geography. He played hockey at

university then went on to coach his sons in hockey

and soccer.

Paul and Gerry will work together until the Annual

Meeting, after which Gerry will stay on as an advisor

until June 2008. Gerry has a commitment to the

International Peat Society Executive Board until the

International Peat Congress in Ireland, in June 2008.

Paul is looking forward to meeting CSPMA

members at the Annual Meeting in November. This

will be a great time for the members to get to know

Paul.

ScheduleWednesday: Board Meeting

Golf game (everyone welcome!)

Thursday: General Sessions

Friday: Producers Meeting

Banquet Dinner/Dance

Saturday: Annual General Meeting

Ray Hughes Memorial Golf

Tournament

...Paul Short continued from page 1


The Nineteenth Annual Meeting the Canadian

Sphagnum Peat Moss Association, to be held in

Deerfield Beach, Florida, will start on Wednesday,

November 7th with a Board Meeting in the morning

and an informal golf outing in the afternoon. The

Association has reserved a number of tee times and

invites all members to sign up for it. It will be an

opportunity to play with customers, suppliers or other

colleagues. On Wednesday evening there will be a

reception at the hotel.

Thursday, will be dedicated to educational

presentations. The morning session will feature Dr.

Bill Carlile, formerly with Nottingham Trent University

in England, talking about the “Peat Free” situation in

the UK. Dr Maria Strack from the University of

Calgary will make a presentation on Pealtands’ effects

on Climate Change and how this could impact the

peat industry. Dr. Line Rochefort will provide an update

on the research her PERG group has completed this

summer and the morning will conclude with a look at

the history of the Québec peat industry by Claudin

Berger.

In the afternoon, Paul Short formerly with the

Government of Alberta and soon-to-be President of the

CSPMA, will bring us up to date on two environmental

challenges our industry will face in the future. As well,

Jacques Thibault of the New Brunswick Department

of Natural Resources will make a presentation on the

history of the New Brunswick peat industry.

On Friday morning producers will meet to

discuss matters of mutual concern, share information

on restoration projects and discuss fire prevention

methods. Most of this meeting is open to all members.

Friday afternoon is free, giving members the opportunity

to meet with customers, colleagues and friends, take in

some golf or just enjoy the beach. To end the day, there

will be a delicious banquet dinner and an evening of

dancing along with a DJ from Eddie B. & Company

Entertainment.

Saturday morning we will conduct the formal

business meeting and adjourn at 11:00 a.m. For the

golf enthusiasts, 12:30 pm will be the tee off time for

Dr. Bill CarlileIs ‘Peat Free’ really working in the UK?

This year ’s

keynote speaker, Dr

Bill Carlile,

graduated from the

University of London,

undertook MSc

research at Exeter

University and

obtained his PhD

from Nottingham

Trent University. The

focus of his research

and development

work has been in

peat, peat-reduced

and peat-free growing media. Since 1978 Bill has

supervised four PhDs and two Masters students in

these areas of study: the results of their work have

been extensively reported, particularly in Acta

Horticulturae, the technical proceedings of the

International Society for Horticultural Science

(ISHS). With Sinclair Horticulture and its

predecessors, Bill was actively involved in

development of the J Arthur Bowers range of media,

and in particular the New Horizon peat-free product

range.

After 35 years at Nottingham Trent University,

latterly as Divisional Head of Microbiology, Plant

Sciences and Ecology, Bill was offered the post of

Chief Horticultural Scientist at Bord na Mona.

There he is continuing work into properties of

growing media, peat dilution and development of

low-peat media. Bill was Chairman of the Growing

Media Working Group within the ISHS Commission

for Soil-less Culture and Plant Substrates from 1994

to 2006, stepping up to become Vice-Chair of the

Commission in 2007. He convened the recent

Working Group’s Symposium on Growing Media in

Nottingham from September 2-8 this year.

Keynote speaker long-time researcher in the UK

Dr. Bill Carlile.

ANNUAL

MEETING

CSPMA 19th AnnualMeeting schedule

CSPMA AGM schedule continued on page 4...


Mr. Paul ShortEnvironmental Challenges facingCanadian peat producers

Paul Short, soon-to-be President of the

CSPMA and former

Senior Director for

Forest Policy in

Alberta, will speak on

two topics that will

have a direct impact

on our industry:

Boreal Forest

Campaigns and

Climate Change.

Mr. Short has

been a member of

the Canadian

Council of Forest

Ministers Boreal

Task Force responsible for developing a national

response to the boreal challenges (most of Canada’s

peatlands are found in the boreal regions).

He helped organize and provide secretariat

support for Alberta's Peat Industry Task Force in

the late 90's and has more recently worked with

several peat companies in Alberta and other parts

of Canada.

Paul Short

Dr. Maria Strack ClarkeWill Climate Change effect peatlands orvice versa?

Dr. Maria Strack, of the University of Calgary,

will try to unlock the

mystery of how

peatlands impact

climate change,

whether it’s the

climate that’s

changing the

peatlands or the

peatlands that are

changing the climate.

And most importantly,

what should we as

peat producers know

about this

relationship.

Maria Strack

completed a B.Sc. in Ecology and Ph.D. in

Ecohydrology both at McMaster University in

Hamilton, Ontario. Her Ph.D. research involved a

controlled field experiment in a poor fen in south-

central Québec. During this project she investigated

the potential effect of climate change on peatland

carbon cycling. Following a short post-doctoral

fellowship at the University of Waterloo where she

investigated moisture controls on Sphagnum

productivity, she took up a position as Assistant

Professor in the Department of Geography at the

University of Calgary in January, 2007. Her current

research interests include: effects of disturbance

(climate change, drought, peat harvesting, restoration)

on peatland carbon dynamics, variability of peat

hydrological and physical properties across a peatland,

and the role of entrapped methane within peat soils.

She is currently a member of the IPS Working Group

on Climate Change and Peatlands and is acting as

the editor of a book produced by the Working Group

to be released at the International Peat Congress in

Tullamore, Ireland in June 2008.

Dr. Maria Strack of the

University of Calgary.

the Second Annual Ray Hughes Memorial Golf

Tournament. For those who do not wish to golf,

there are many other fun things to do: fishing,

shopping, sailing, body surfing, or simply relaxing on

the beach or by the pool.

Following the golf on Saturday, there will be a

wind-up party at the hotel and everyone is invited!

The evening will then be free for one last chance to

enjoy the restaurants in the Deerfield Beach district.

ANNUAL

MEETING

...CSPMA schedule continued from page 3


For this year’s Fire Prevention Session the plan

is to address the Hot Work Permits, Warranties,

and Fire Department visits.

Hot work permitsThere are still a few companies that are not

using Hot Work Permits properly. To help members

better understand their use, Terry Quinn will

conduct an interactive exercise to show the pitfalls

of misusing the permits. One major pitfall is that

the improper use of the Permits could result in

reducing the company’s insurance coverage. (See

article on How to Use Hot Work Permits on page

10.)

WarrantiesThere will be some focus put on warranties

and the risk of not following all of the requirements

the result of which could be loss of coverage in

some instances. There have been some difficulties

getting electrical installation certified without which,

the insurer may not pay off.

Annual Meeting willinclude Fire PreventionWorkshop

CSPMA Members:

Peat ProducersAcadian Peat Moss

Alaska Peat

Annapolis Valley Peat Moss

ASB Greenworld

Beaver Peat Moss

Berger Peat Moss

FPM Peat Moss

Fafard et Frères

Conrad Fafard

Heveco

Bag SuppliersAltivity Packaging

Balcan Plastics

Hood Packaging

Salerno Bags

Trioplast Nyborg

Affiliate MembersAmerican International

Aquatrols

Cyberfreight Systems

Fabrication JR Tardif inc.

Marsh Canada

Premier Tech

Scotts

SNA Machinery

Turftech International

Peat Producerscontinued

Jiffy Products

Lambert Peat Moss

Modugno-Hortibec

Nirom Peat Moss

Northstar Multicorp

Premier Horticulture

Sun Gro Horticulture

Fire Department visitsAs a follow-up to last year’s Fire Prevention

Workshop, where members helped develop Guidelines

for Fire Department Visits, the group will be asked to

share their experiences with the use of the new Guide.

The CSPMA will ask members to fill out a questionnaire

on their own experiences with the fire departments in

the past year. Some of the questions include:

• Did the fire department come up with an action

plan?

• Is one of your workers a member of the volunteer

fire department?

• Did you offer any training on fighting “peat fires”

to your local fire department?

ANNUAL

MEETING

Don’t miss the deadline!

CSPMA Annual Meeting

Call 954-426-0478and reserve yourroom at theDeerfield BeachResort, Florida!The deadline for booking a room isOctober 8, 2007.


SEMI-ANNUAL

MTG

On June 6, members of the CSPMA and peat

partners visited the Sphagnum farming experimental

station, located in Shippagan (New Brunswick).

About forty visitors could see the very promising

results of the work set up by the Peatland Ecology

Research Group (PERG) and the partners of the

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research

Council’s (NSERC) Industrial Research Chair in

Peatland Management. The goal of the project is to

produce Sphagnum fibre biomass in a short period

of time and on a renewable basis. This Sphagnum

fibre could replace some of the peat moss currently

used in horticultural products and growing media.

Furthermore, Sphagnum

fibre could be used for the

restoration of abandoned

cutover peatlands. The

Shippagan experimental

station is one of only a few

research stations in the

world focusing on

Sphagnum farming.

The research station

was established in 2004 on

a Shippagan peatland

where peat was previously

harvested by the block-cut

method. Since the end of

the peat extraction

activities in the 1970’s, the

exceptional hydrological

conditions of the

Shippagan peatland

allowed the fast growth of Sphagnum, which makes

this peatland an excellent location for the establishment

of a research station. The Sphagnum farming is done

in trenches that were left when the block-cutting

activity ended.

The CSPMA Semi-Annual Meeting was held

in Lameque, New Brunswick on June 6th and 7th.

The program included a Board of Directors meeting,

a field trip to the Sphagnum farming experimental

station, a lobster dinner on June 6th and a general

information session on the morning of June 7th. The

following are reports from the meeting.

CSPMA members visitSphagnum farming experimentalstationBy Claudia St. Arnaud

CSPMA Semi-Annual Meeting held in Lameque

Claudia St. Arnaud and Line Rochefort explaining the

layout at the Sphagnum farming research station.

Sphagnum farming continued on page 7...

Weirs have been built to control the water table for the

Sphagnum farming experiments.


Delegates to the field trip listening to Claudia explaining the work.

...Sphagnum farm continued from page 6SEMI-ANNUAL

MTG

Christian Dollo and Clarence Breau paying close

attention to Claudia St. Arnaud and Line Rochefort

during the Sphagnum farming tour.

During the visit, participants were shown two

experimental sites. At the first site, where the

experiments began in 2004, the purpose was to study

the processes of Sphagnum biomass accumulation

and the environmental factors which support faster

Sphagnum production. The purpose of the second

site is to cultivate Sphagnum on a larger scale. The

installation of this one hectare site was carried out

in 2006. The steps for the establishment and the

sowing of the trenches were:

1. Remove the surface vegetation from the

trenches,

2. Clean and level the trenches,

3. Harvest Sphagnum from a donor site and

spread it in the trenches,

4. Cover the Sphagnum with straw and

5. Install dams to control the level of the water

table.

Spreading of the Sphagnum and the straw were

done mechanically. This enabled us to determine

which machines were the best for this work.

Currently, the studies are focussing on the Sphagnum

production cycle in relation to decomposition, water

table fluctuation and the presence of vascular plants.

This fall we will start an experiment looking at

the use of the cultivated Sphagnum for the

restoration of abandoned cutover peatland. This

experiment, which will be replicated over the

following years, will determine if the cultivated

Sphagnum can replace the Sphagnum coming from

natural peatlands for peatlands restoration. Another

project established this summer will look at the

cultivation of plants from the edge of pools. Eventually,

these plants could be used for restoration and

transferred to the edge of pools created in restored

peatlands.


Delegates to the CSPMA Semi-Annual Meeting

were treated to a special beach walk on the coast of

Lameque Island. It is there that a peatland of one of

the members is actually the edge of the shore.

The cliffs are between six and ten feet high and

when you peer over them, you

can see vacuum harvesters

working close to the shore.

Jacques Thibault of the

New Brunswick Department

of Natural Resources acted

as the tour guide. He

explained that the power of

the sea constantly changes the

cliff face – even from one

day to the next. He showed

roots of trees that were

thousands of years old, stuck

deep in the sand at the water’s

edge as the water washed

over them at least 20 feet

from the peat cliffs. Jacques

explained that approximately

3,000 years ago the bog was further out to sea and

those trees were growing in it. As the waves wash

away the cliffs, the trees were left to fend for

themselves without the benefit of peat to sustain

them.

Peat cliffs offer excellent historic data

Jacques Thibault showing peat producers

roots that are over 3,000 years old,

left after the peat cliffs had receded.Robert Lapointe from Sun Gro in front of

the peat cliffs on Lameque Island.

SEMI-ANNUAL

MTG

What was first thought to be a group of very large lemmings turned out to

be peat producers trying to decide how to get down the cliff.

The tour gave delegates a chance to see a large

cross section of peat that would otherwise be

impossible to view. The historical data that is stored in

the bog goes back a few thousand years.


The New Brunswick Department of Natural

R e s o u r c e s

(DNR) is

currently in

the process of

revamping its

M i n e r a l

R e s o u r c e s

website. At

the CSPMA

semi-annual

meeting in

L a m e q u e ,

New Bruns-

wick this June

J a c q u e s

Thibault gave delegates a preview of what was

to come. Jacques, who is the peatland resources

geologist with DNR, gave a quick demo of the

current web page showing the information that

is already available for on-line consultation and

downloading.

Jacques was eager to get feedback from

the peat producers and a short brainstorming

session followed the presentation. Some of the

on-line items that were suggested included:

• Peatland inventory maps and cross-sections

• Peatland resources database

• Map showing location of current operations

and ownership

• Electronic forms

• Annual statistical bulletins

You are all encouraged to visit the current

web page at www.gnb.ca/0078/minerals/Peat-

e.asp and forward comments, suggestions for

improvements and your favorite wish list to

Jacques by email at : [email protected].

The new website is expected to come on line

later this fall.

New Brunswick plans tobuild new website

Jacques Thibault

NB Dept Natural Resources.

SEMI-ANNUAL

MTG

Gilles and Lison Haché of Acadian Peat Moss,

were presented with the Synergy Award for

Innovation. Dr. Line Rochefort made the presentation

to the couple for their work on Restoration Research.

The Award, made possible by the Natural Sciences

and Engineering Research Council, was presented in

2005 for the partnership between the Canadian

Sphagnum Peat Moss Association and its members, and

the Peatland Ecology Research Group, headed by Dr.

Rochefort.

Acadian Peat Moss will display the trophy until the

CSPMA Annual Meeting in November 2007. Every six

months, the trophy is presented to one of the 17 CSPMA

members who took part in the research.

Acadian Peat Moss receivesSynergy Award

Dr. Line Rochefort (centre) presenting the Synergy Award

to Gilles and Lison Haché of Acadian Peat Moss.

Don’t forget your panama hat and your

Ray Hughes Golf shirt from last year!

Ray Hughes MemorialGolf Tournament

Saturday, Nov 10thDeer Creek Resort!


Terry Quinn of Marsh Risk Consulting presented

some important facts about recent “hot work” incidents

at the CSPMA semi-annual meeting in Lameque in

June. He explained that one of

the most important tools

available to peat producers in

the effort to prevent plant fires,

is the Hot Work Permit.

Although this Permit has been

available to members for more

than 10 years, it is apparent that

many companies are not using

it to its potential.

Hot Work is any temporary

operation involving open flames

or producing heat and/or

sparks. This would include

welding, burning, brazing,

cutting, grinding, soldering,

thawing pipes or any other

similar operations with the

potential to cause ignition.

The Sources of Ignition include welding, cutting,

grinding, torch cutting, portable heaters, soldering, hot

air guns, torch applied roofing, in other words, any

temporary device that can produce an open flame,

hot surface, spark or hot slag.

Fourteen percent of all industrial fires are caused

by uncontrolled “hot work” activity. The average loss

was $1,300,000 U.S. per incident (FM Global data).

Outside contractors are the most likely cause of hot

work fires (66% of hot work losses according to FM

Global).

Sub-contractors are at a higher risk of causing a

fire because they do not understand fire hazards in a

peat facility, are not properly trained and supervised

and sometimes take shortcuts to get the job done

quickly.

When considering doing a hot work job, consider

the alternatives such as bolting. Also consider

performing hot work in maintenance shop or outdoors,

or schedule hot work during break or downtime.

Provide personal protective equipment to workers

(welding helmet, burning goggles, face shield, welding

Hot work permits an important key to fire preventiongloves, apron) and ensure protection systems are in

place and functional (sprinklers, ABC fire

extinguishers, etc.).

In the planning phase of

Hot Work,

• Cover holes/openings, wet

down or cover floors

• Prohibit work in or on

vessels containing flammable

or combustible liquids/vapours

until completely cleaned and

purged or inerted.

• Gas detection should be

performed for any area that

may contain combustible or

flammable vapours.

• Plan for continuous fire

watch during hot work and for

sixty (60) minutes following

completion of work and

intermittent fire watch for

eleven (11) additional hours

thereafter.

• Combustibles need to be cleared from the area

for a minimum of 11 m or 35 feet. Be sure to

extend the sphere of protection up and down too!

• If combustibles cannot be cleared from the area,

cover them completely with metal guards or

flameproof curtains.

• Floors swept clean

• Immediate area, wet down, covered with damp

sand or fire resistive tarpaulins.

• Confirm safe conditions (see permit checklist)

• Verify hot work equipment is in good condition,

review compressed gas cylinder storage and

handling.

• Confirm fire protection systems are operational

and in place (suitable fire extinguisher and

charged hose where practical).

• Check physical conditions of work area.

• Be aware of concealed spaces with combustible

construction.

SEMI-ANNUAL

MTG Hot work permits continued on page 22...

Terry Quinn from Marsh making a strong

point on the importance of using the

Hot Work Permits properly.


Photos from Semi-annual Meeting

Stéphanie Boudreau and the King of Acadian

Penninsula peat, Elphege Chiasson,exchanging

views on the state of the peat industry.

Jacques Thibault and François Quinty

eagerly await their first lobster.

Christian Dollo trying to take Line Rochefort’s lobster from her.

Hubby André Desrochers wants nothing to do with the dispute.

René Duguay and Roland Boudreau

relaxing at the cocktail party.

Someone must have told Alonzo Dupuis, Martin Fafard and

Laurent Boudreau that if they looked really happy, they’d get

another lobster. Boy were they disappointed!

SEMI-ANNUAL

MTG

Dave Fox and Roxane Andersen, students

from the Peat Ecology Research Group.


Rolf Mecking of Heveco was presented

with a plaque honouring him for the years of

service he gave to the CSPMA through his

activity on the Board of Directors. Rolf

entertained the crowd gathered for the annual

lobster feast by recounting some of his

memories of his experiences. He said the

Board Retreats, especially the trips to New

Orleans and Las Vegas, were ones he would

always remember. He ended his remarks by

urging every member to take the opportunity

to serve on the Board. He said he learned a

great deal and appreciated the opportunity to

make a contribution to the industry as a whole.

Rolf Mecking retiresfrom CSPMA Board

BOARD

NOTES

Board members and other CSPMA members took part in the

bi-annual Strategic Planning Session at Mont Tremblant, Québec.

The weather was conducive to working inside … it was -40

degrees C.

During the Planning Session the Board and other members

reviewed the Strategic Plan and made the necessary revisions to

reflect the short term and long term objectives. The results of the

meeting are contained in the following table.

CSPMA Members took part inbi-annual Strategic PlanningSession

Rolf Mecking receiving an award in

honour of his work with the

CSPMA Board of Directors.

Strategic Plan continued on page 13...

Seated from left to right: Louis Gouron of Balcan Plastics,

Ernie Daigle of ASB Greenworld, Robert Lapointe of

Sun Gro and Christian Dollo of Premier. Standing is

Martin Fafard of Fafard et Frères, Gilles Haché of

Acadian Peat Moss, Gerry Hood of the CSPMA,

Claudin Berger of Berger Peat Moss, Keelan Pulliam

and Bob Fafard of Conrad Fafard.

Mission

Statement

* Note the underlined parts are new for 2007

Area Goal Ongoing Objectives Short term

Objectives

Finance

To achieve financial autonomy with

sufficient resources to carry on all

programs without overburdening

our membership.

1. Maintain a balanced budget through member through

member contributions, if required, from accumulated

surplus.

2. Obtain and maintain a one-year surplus.

3. Strive to have each member contributing to association

in accordance to their sales.

N/A

CSPMA is an association of peat moss producers and related enterprises devoted to promoting the long-term health

of the industry. We provide support and advocacy for our members and leadership in the environmentally sound use

of canadian peatlands.


...Strategic Plan continued from page 12

Strategic Plan continued on page 14...



Objectives

Government

To establish and/or enhance close

positive and supportive

relationships with various

governmental units to assure input

into matters directly or indirectly

affecting our industry.

1. Educate the different government agencies in order to

improve access to further bog reserves.

2. Seek greater opportunities to affect public policy on

issues that impact our members and the peat moss industry

generally.

3. Pursue additional means of openly exploring important

issues with public officials and interest groups.

4. Conduct briefings for government officials and other

interested parties to increase their awareness and

understanding of integrated demand/supply planning,

reclamation, environmental stewardship and other

significant topics.

N/A

Responsibility

to

Members

To be responsive and to provide

advocacy to our members in matters

relating to the peat moss industry .

1. Provide defence against competitive products through

legal actions, research and other means necessary to keep

peat moss in its proper position against these products.

2. Communicate results of research to members.

3. Encourage additional uses for peat moss.

4. Call at least two producers meetings per year (including

AGM).

5. The President should attend annual meeting of

provincial associations.

6. Provide education to members on good business

practices.

7. Conduct regular surveys relating to health and safety

issues.

8. Maintain membership and involvement in IPS.

9. Have Association President attend trade shows in order

to stay abreast of activities in retail sales of green

products.

10. Publish timely newsletters on information relevant to

industry.

11. To have 100% of Canadian Peat Producers as

members of the association.

12. The president should visit members every two years.

13. Maintain quality program at AGM in order to attract

participation from all members.

14. Respond to non-peat related issues that affect our

members (e.g. border issues, insurance, fire prevention

work,

health & safety, peat brand.)

1. Hire a successor

to the current

president.


...Strategic Plan continued from page 13



Objectives

Research

and

Development

To encourage research and

development in areas of

environmental interest and in the

benefits of peat moss.

1. Develop research to address inaccurate information on

peat moss that has been distributed to various interest

groups.

2. Continue to fund research, comparing peat moss with

competitive products and showing benefits of adding peat

moss to competitive products.

3. Provide leadership in studies on the environmental

impact of peat moss harvesting and the environmental

aspects of peat moss application and soil enhancement.

4. Provide leadership and support for the Canadian

Industry Chair for Peatland Management.

N/A

Community

Responsibility

To encourage restoration,

reclamation, resource stewardship

and best practices by the

Association's members.

1. Require that 100% of association members comply with

production, restoration, reclamation guidelines, and code

of practice.

2. Strengthen the association's relationships with

environmental interest groups and their participation in

the development of environmental research as it relates to

the harvesting and use of peat moss in horticulture.

3. Continue to develop methods to minimize the

environmental impact on Canada's wetlands and work

with the federal, provincial and local governments to

develop improved restoration and reclamation methods.

4. Strengthen the associations' relationships with colleges

and universities, federal and provincial governments, and

environmental interest groups for the development of

research and information on the industry and peat moss in

particular.

5. Monitor Kyoto Accord situation and Wise Use

Guidelines.

N/A

Communications

and

Public Relations

To enhance the image and

understanding of the peat moss

industry.

1. Maintain communication programs that increase

member, customer, government and public awareness and

support for the peat moss industry through greater

recognition that the industry is a well-managed and

environmentally responsible industry.

2. Continue to promote peat moss to the casual gardener

through PR program.

3. Publish press releases to trade publications on matters

relevant to the industry.

1. Create signage

that promotes the

restoration work of

each member.

2. Ensure that the

Industrial Research

Chair in Peatland

Management

completes

presentation of the

restoration work of

each member (i.e.

signage, website,

printed reports,

brochures,

PowerPoint).


In November 2006 Slootweg

announced a new North American division,

SNA Machinery. Since then, they

purchased, renovated and organized a new

building. They now have the space they need

to serve the industry with equipment and

spare parts. The new building will have the

following uses:

• Stock Electrical and Mechanical Spare

parts for our equipment

• Stock conveyors and commonly used

equipments

• Assemble some equipments on order

• Space for R&D projects

• Sales and engineering

Since 1988, Slootweg has been in the

North American Market providing

Computerized Mixing Lines. Twenty years

later, a North American Division was created, Slootweg

North America (SNA) Machinery. The new

warehouse, located in the heart of the North American

peat Industry, is located in an industrial park in New-

Brunswick, Canada, walking distance from two peat

bogs.

SNA Machinery offers everything from the design

and supply of a complete plant, to a single new machine

or retrofit of used equipment. By combining their

extensive knowledge of the complete process along

with their knowledge of their equipment, they have

numerous examples of ways to improve productivity,

which will optimizing the return of investments for their

clients. Here are some examples of their products and

services:

• Complete Automated Mixing Line

• Bagging and palletizing line

• Screening system

• Weighing and Coding System

• Plant Management and Performance Software

SNA is truly a North American supplier. In the

past year alone, they have sold projects from Florida

to the Canadian prairies as well as from the Pacific

Coast to the Atlantic Coast. These projects range from

a single machine to a complete factory as well as

engineering services and performance improvement

software.

SNA Machinery has a new warehouse in North America

About Slootweg Machinery andCube Automation

An expert in the field of automation for the

natural resource industries and municipalities, Cube

Automation with its head office in Northeastern

New Brunswick is comprised of qualified engineers.

The expertise of Cube Automation is recognized in

the peat moss industry, municipalities, the pulp and

paper industry, sawmills and the mining industry.

Founded in the thirties, Slootweg Machinery is

universally known for the development, sale,

machining and installation of equipment for the peat

industry in 15 countries.

Additional information can be found on that

websites: www.slootweg.com and

www.cubeautomation.com

For additional information contact Roch

Chiasson, P.Eng., General Manager/Slootweg

North America, Industrial Park, 4702 Main Street,

Tracadie-Sheila, NB E1X 1A1. Phone: (506) 393-

6000, Fax: (506) 393-6008, E-mail:

[email protected], Web site:

www.snamachinery.com.


This summer, Premier Tech Systems launched

Thermo-Peat, an innovative tool to help detect and prevent

spontaneous combustion in peat stockpiles. This new tool

is a temperature indicator that is designed to be left

permanently in a stockpile. It is a well-adapted solution

for peat producers who want to increase their quality

control.

How Thermo-Peat worksThe principle of Thermo-Peat is really simple. It is a

permanent probe using solar power (so there is no need

for batteries) that is pushed inside the peat stockpile. Then,

the temperature at the core of the stockpile is monitored

by green or red light signals. When the probe is active and

the temperature is safe, the green light flashes. As soon

as the monitored temperature gets over 32 °C (90 °F), a

red light starts to flash. As the temperature inside the

stockpile increases, the red light flashes faster. Lights

change according to four pre-set temperature ranges.

The 3.05 m (10-foot) probe is built with a temperature

sensor at one end and a microprocessor, a solar cell, and

light signals at the other end. The alarm system is effective

with temperatures ranging from 4 °C to 50 °C (39.2 °F to

122 °F). It is also possible to know the actual temperature

in the stockpile by applying a magnet to the probe.

Installation and controlThermo-Peat only needs to be pushed in the stockpile

and it will automatically activate itself when ambient light

is sufficient. Therefore, it is a really simple monitoring

system to implement. The easy interface on this

temperature indicator makes it easier and quicker for

anyone at work on the peat bog to be warned of a

temperature increase. Being permanent, faster, and more

accurate than manual monitoring, the monitoring of

Thermo-Peat allows reduced physical effort and cost of

manpower. The constitution of Thermo-Peat makes it also

water- and weather-resistant.

A proven technologyPremier Horticulture, Premier Tech Systems’ sister

company, has been using Thermo-Peat for two seasons

now and sees it as an efficient and affordable technology

that offers numerous advantages. The reduced loss of

A brand-new look at prevention of peat heatingorganic matter due to overheating appeared as the major

benefit. People at Premier Horticulture also noticed

significant savings on labour and fewer injuries compared

to manual control. Today, they would not do without it!

For more information about Thermo-Peat, contact

Premier Tech Systems at +1 418 868-8324,

[email protected] or visit www.thermo-

peat.com.

Editorial commentI witnessed the Thermo-peat in action two years ago

at the Premier Horticulture site in Alberta. I believe this is a

revolutionary tool for reducing fires in peat piles. Over the

years we have heard stories of companies losing several

thousands of cubic yards of peat just because they didn’t

detect heating in time. Poor management of peat piles can

result in the loss of product and as a consequence the need

to harvest more peat to replace it. Not only is this an

unnecessary expense, it is “unwise” use of the resource.

I believe strongly that this is a tool that every peat

producer should consider. Test it out for yourself – it could

save you a great deal of grief and money.

Gerry Hood

Thermo-Peat is designed to warn operator

when peat piles start to heat.


VANCOUVER. Sun Gro Horticulture Income

Fund announced that it has acquired Grow Best

Holdings, LLC for US$22.4 million. Grow Best

Holdings owns Florida Potting Soils, Inc. and

Sunshine Peat, Inc., which are both based in Orlando,

Florida.

Florida Potting Soils primarily sells bulk bark growing

mixes to nurseries in Florida and neighbouring states, and

also produces and sells custom sand and peat-based

blends for golf course construction and maintenance.

Sunshine Peat harvests "muck" peat from a central Florida

bog and supplies it to Florida Potting Soils for use as a

raw material in custom mixes.

"This acquisition will solidify Sun Gro's leadership in

the large and growing Florida horticultural market, which

we currently supply with Canadian Sphagnum peat-

based products," said Mitch Weaver, President and CEO

of Sun Gro Horticulture Canada Ltd. "It will also put us

at the forefront of our industry in the south-eastern United

States. With our acquisitions in California earlier this year,

we will now have manufacturing facilities in each of the

four largest professional markets in the US. The

transaction directly supports our strategy to increase our

business in the bulk bark-based growing media sector, a

relatively new and important product category for Sun

Gro," Weaver continued. "By giving us a physical

presence near Florida's local bark supplies, it will allow

us to better meet demand for competitively-priced bark

mixes while also enabling us to develop a niche business

in golf course construction and maintenance."

The transaction will be Sun Gro's fourth acquisition

in 2007. Earlier this year the company acquired Sun-Up

Horticulture and Kellogg-Rich Grow, LLC in California,

and a Quebec-based peat moss producer Tourbière Omer

Belanger Inc.

On completion of the Grow Best Holdings acquisition,

the company's North America-wide production network

will comprise 14 Canadian peat and peat-mixing plants

and 13 US peat and bark-mixing plants.

For further information: Bradley A. Wiens, Vice-

President, Finance and CFO, Sun Gro Horticulture

Canada Ltd., Tel: (425) 373-3603, Email:

[email protected], Website: www.sungro.com.

Sun Gro acquiresGrow Best Holdings CSPMA welcomes Tardif

as a new memberFabrication JR Tardif inc. is the newest

member of the CSPMA having joined the

Association in

June of this

year. The

company,

which

specializes in

manufacturing

bog-

harvesting

and blueberry

field

machinery,

has been in

business for

forty years.

André Tardif

is the

president and co-owner with his brother Guy

Tardif.

Montcalm Roussel will be their CSPMA

contact person. For more information visit their

website, www.jrtardif.com.

Below is an example of one of their machines.

One of the uses for the “Leveling Auger”

is to finalize land clearing and to

prepare peat moss harvest.

Montcalm Roussel - the CSPMA

contact person for JR Tardif inc.


CSPMA introduces new brochureThe CSPMA has developed a new brochure

for use by its members that describes how bogs are

restored and answers frequently asked questions

about peat and

peatlands. It is entitled

Peat and Repeat: The

Restoration of a Bog

and features the same

photos as used on the

trade show booth that

was designed last year.

This brochure will

be a nice addition for

members to use at their

trade show booths and

to pass out to

customers. To order

quantities of the new

brochure, contact the

CSPMA office.

Below is the text

and photos used in the

new brochure:

Peat and Repeat:The Restoration of a Bog

It’s no secret to millions of gardeners and

professional growers that Canadian Sphagnum Peat

Moss is an effective growing medium that helps to

regulate air and moisture around plants’ roots. But

what you might not know is that the peat moss

industry is cultivating a reputation as one of the

world’s most ecologically aware. Today, gardeners

can feel good about not only the results peat provides

in their gardens, but on its environmental footprint

as well.

In the mid 1990s, plant ecologist Dr. Line

Rochefort kicked off an exhaustive research

program to prove that harvested peatlands could be

restored. Her groundbreaking research helped

establish environmental policies designed to ensure

that gardeners will be able to keep using peat for a

long, long time.

Rochefort, who was dubbed “Canada’s great

peat crusader” by Canadian Geographic magazine,

meticulously tested dozens of methods to regenerate

the Sphagnum on a harvested bog, including using

different combinations of mulch and cultivation

techniques. After several years of research funded

by Canadian peat producers and the Natural

Sciences and Engineering Research Council,

Rochefort and her colleagues developed an effective

process for growing Sphagnum on harvested bogs.

Here’s how the harvesting cycle works:

1. Harvest

Once a bog is selected for harvesting, the trees

are cleared and the top vegetation is removed and

kept for future restoration. A perimeter ditch is dug

around the bog and a series of parallel field ditches,

about 30 inches deep, are dug in order to lower the

water table. When the fields are dry, harvesting can

begin.

First, the top layer (about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep)

is loosened with a “miller” and left to dry in the sun.

After a couple of hours, on a warm, sunny, breezy

day, it can then be harrowed (loosened again) and

left for another few hours. Once the sun has dried

it to about 35 percent moisture (by weight) a vacuum

harvester picks up the dry peat and dumps it at the

edge of the peat field. After each pass of the

vacuum, the bog is harrowed again and the process

starts over. Each time it rains, the bog has to be

harrowed.

New brochure continued on page 19...


Vacuum harvesters, like the one pictured above,

are used to produce approximately 95 percent of the

peat harvested in Canada. During a good summer,

the field can be vacuumed between 45 and 55 times.

If it rains a lot during the summer, they may only

vacuum 30 to 35 times, which can impact the amount

of peat that’s available to the market.

Harvesting can take place for up to 30 years on

the same bog. Many of the bogs are 15 to 20 feet

deep; operators remove about 2 to 3 inches of depth

per year. According to the CSPMA Preservation and

Reclamation Policy, a layer of peat about 3 feet thick

is to be left when harvesting ends.

2. Replant

The harvesting cycle continues, even after

harvesting has stopped. The next step is to level the

bog and spread Sphagnum fragments onto the site.

Those fragments are either collected when opening a

new bog or gathered from the top 6 inches of a natural

bog (also known as the donor site). The fragments

contain seeds or spores from all the natural bog plants,

not just the Sphagnum moss. The material is then

covered by a straw mulch to keep the moisture in.

The donor site will regrow within two years.

3. Rewet

After the fragments have been covered with

straw, the main ditch around the bog is dammed

so that the water table can rise to its original depth

(about 8 to 10 inches below the surface). This is

another critical step toward the success of the

restoration.

4. Regrow

Regrowth starts in the first two years after

the fragments have been spread. Although there

is little sign of Sphagnum regrowth, at this stage

the field turns green with live plants.

...New brochure continued from page 18



5. Renew

Usually three to five years after planting,

Sphagnum and many of the other bog plants such as

pitcher plants, sundew, Labrador tea, bog rosemary

and some swamp spruce start to appear.

6. Restore

Within five years, the Sphagnum has accumulated

4 to 8 inches in depth, the pitcher plants are fully

developed and birds, animals and amphibians have

started to return to the bog. It is at this stage of the

cycle that the bog begins to return to a functioning

peatland ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is Canadian Sphagnum peat moss?

A. Canadian Sphagnum peat moss (CSPM) is

partially decomposed Sphagnum moss.

Sphagnum’s large cell structure enables it to

absorb air and water like a sponge. Although peat

moss does not contain nutrients, it does adsorb

nutrients added to or present in the soil, releasing

them over time as the plants require. This saves

valuable nutrients which are otherwise lost through

leaching.

Q. Isn’t there a shortage of peatlands in Canada? Isn’t

harvesting peat moss depleting these areas of

wetlands?

A. No. There are more than 279 million acres of

peatlands in Canada. Less than 0.02 percent (42,000

acres) of Canada’s peatland area is currently being

used for horticultural peat harvesting and related

applications. Canadian Sphagnum peat moss is a

sustainable resource. Annually, peat moss

accumulates at more than 60 times the rate it is

harvested. Harvested bogs are returned to wetlands

so the ecological balance of the area is maintained.

Q. Why should gardeners use Canadian Sphagnum peat

moss?

A. CSPM is the best soil conditioner you can use in the

garden because it provides the right balance of air

and water for plants and grass. Peat moss loosens

clay soils and binds sandy soils. No other soil

amendment provides this combination of benefits.

Q.Can the supply of peat moss be completely depleted?

A.No. The bogs that are being harvested will be

restored to functioning wetlands. Members of the

Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association

(CSPMA) adhere to strict guidelines in the

Preservation and Reclamation Policy (for example,

leaving about three feet of peat moss when

harvesting is completed). In addition, there are millions

of acres of bogs in national parks and other preserves

that can never be harvested.

Q. What is the CSPMA Preservation & Reclamation

Policy?

A. CSPMA members agree to abide by the reclamation

policy for all new bog development. It includes:

• Identifying bogs for preservation.




• Leaving buffer zones of original vegetation

to encourage natural succession after

harvesting.

• Leaving a layer of peat below harvesting

levels to encourage rapid regrowth.

• Returning harvested bogs either to

functioning ecosystems, forests, wildlife

habitats or agricultural production areas.

Peatland FunctionsThe primary functions of a peatland are water

filtration, water storage, carbon storage, fauna and

flora biodiversity and historical archive. The water

filtration and storage functions are generally

maintained during harvesting, and biodiversity and

carbon sequestration can be restored after

harvesting ends. The historical archive can never

be restored, which is why it is important to conserve

peatlands that are unique to a region.

The Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss

Association (CSPMA) is an industry association

that promotes the benefits of peat moss and protects

the resource through active wetlands preservation

and reclamation practices.

ObituaryJerry Becke1942-2007

Jerry Becke of

Balcan Plastics passed

away on August 25, 2007.

Jerry had recently turned

65 and was enjoying a

weekend at the family

cottage.

Jerry was a well

respected employee of Balcan Plastics for the past

20 years. Prior to joining Balcan he had always been

in the plastics business. He followed his father to Union

Carbide and then to Hilenex. Plastics truly were in

his blood from an early age.

Jerry was a popular figure at the CSPMA Annual

Meeting. An avid golfer with a great sense of humor,

Jerry served as captain of several Texas Scramble

teams and led his teams to more than one victory during

the nine years he attended.

Those who knew Jerry were aware of his many

battles with health concerns over the past years. Jerry

always battled through these ordeals with a great sense

of humor and a smile on his face. Jerry will be greatly

missed by all his friends and customers at Balcan.

Our deepest sympathy goes out to Jackie and the

rest of the family.

Jerry Becke celebrating one of his many wins on the

golf course with his wife Jackie (right) and one of

his teammates, Judy Graham.

Jerry Becke

1942-2007



Let's remember that forests are a renewable

resource and Canada is a leader in sustainable

forest management. Canada retains 92 per cent of

its original forest and has more protected area and

third-party certified forest than any country in the

world.

Only one-quarter of Canada's forests are

managed for commercial use, and only one-half of

one per cent are harvested annually, including the

boreal.

Activists like to portray the boreal as a pristine

wilderness untouched by humans.

But Canada's boreal has always been

"disturbed." These forests have an ecology

characterized by natural disturbances of fire, insects

and disease. They remain some of Canada's

youngest forests precisely because they are so often

disturbed.

Sustainable forestry in the boreal mimics these

natural disturbances, enhancing biological diversity

and wildlife habitat in many regions. In fact, the

area of the boreal impacted by fire and other natural

disturbances is five times greater than the

disturbance from timber harvesting.

Canadians should be wary of the new activist

campaigns that focus -- and rightly so -- on caribou

stewardship in the boreal, but only as a proxy for a

political preservation agenda that's not in Canada's

interests.

A boreal forest off-limits to sustainable forestry

would have enormously grave economic, social and

environmental implications for the entire country.

Dr. Patrick Moore is a co-founder and former

leader of Greenpeace.

Don't trust anti-forestryactivists: Greenpeacefounder

While they seem to be concerned onlyabout preserving particular wildernessareas, they really want to stop allsustainable forestry in CanadaBy Dr. Patrick Moore

...Hot work permits continued from page 10

• Confirm fire watch is in place.

A hot work permit is a means of keeping track of

maintenance/construction activities that involve hot

work. It provides a step-by-step checklist for hot work

fire safety and serves as a reminder to all those

involved of their fire prevention responsibilities before,

during, and after any hot work is conducted. One part

of the permit remains with the supervisor, the other

part is on display at site of hot work.

Once work is underway, commence a fire watch

(person other than the operator of the equipment) for

the duration of the Hot Work and for one (1) hour

after completion of the work. The “fire watch” is a

person having no other duties and who is equipped

and trained in the use of suitable fire extinguishers

and small hose.

The fire watch functions include ensuring the work

is proceeds safely and all protection systems are still

functional.

Once work is completed, there should be a fire

watch for one (1) hour and the fire watch should sign

off. The hot work area should be monitored for eleven

(11) hours after completion of work.

Materials such as peat moss, baled paper, wood

flooring, timber, lumber, and tarpaulins may not catch

fire immediately, but will smolder for hours before

producing flame or smoke!

Once the watch is over, the permit should be

closed and filed. All permits should be maintained on

file for: own internal audit, as evidence of ongoing

due diligence and for review by Insurer.

Order your Hot Work

Permits now!Send your order to

the CSPMA office by


The thawing of vast stretches of Canadian

permafrost -- widely seen as a "ticking time bomb"

because it could release billions of tonnes of pent-up

methane and carbon dioxide -- may be much less of a

threat than previously believed, according to a new

U.S. study of freshly unfrozen peatlands across

Western Canada's northern frontier.

Although the melting of underlying permafrost will

release huge amounts of the greenhouse gases blamed

for fuelling global warming, researchers who sampled

three sites in boreal

Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have

discovered that the warmer, softer, wetter soil that

results also promotes the growth of new mosses.

Those could capture and store about as much

carbon from the atmosphere as the thawed ground

releases.

"Studies from the 1990s suggested this could be a

ticking time bomb," Michigan State University biologist

Merritt Turetsky said Monday. "Our study does

alleviate some of those concerns. It's not such a dire

scenario."

The sprawling Canadian and Siberian boreal

forests -- which make up 10 per cent of the Earth's

vegetated surface -- are considered crucial to how

the planet responds to climate change.

It's an emerging global crisis generally thought to

have been triggered by industrial emissions and other

human activity, but bound up in a complex array of

natural cycles and feedback systems involving

temperature, precipitation, ocean currents and plant

growth.

Peatland ecosystems like the ones studied by the

U.S. researchers cover huge swaths of Canada's

boreal and sub-Arctic regions near the southern limits

of permafrost. Frozen for hundreds of years, these

thawing boreal peatlands -- visible as sunken patches

of bog in aerial photos used by the researchers to select

their test sites -- are considered "extremely sensitive"

Mosses cushion climate concerns; Could defuse 'timebomb' of melting permafrostByline: Randy BoswellSource: CanWest News Service

early indicators that climate change is well underway

in North America.

"Given that the boreal forest region dominates

terrestrial interactions with the Earth's climate north

of 50 degrees north, and that global warming generally

is predicted to be most pronounced in the high latitudes

of the northern hemisphere, carbon exchange between

boreal peatlands and the atmosphere is particularly

relevant to the climate system," the scientists write in

the latest edition of the journal Global Change Biology.

On this key climate-change battleground, the

heroes are proving to be humble plants that the

researchers describe as "wet-loving Sphagnum

mosses." It turns out they thrive in the melted peatlands

and "lock in" massive amounts of carbon that would

otherwise build up in the atmosphere.

Last year, a U.S. team studying methane bubbles

"burping" out of Siberian lake bottoms described melting

permafrost as "a time bomb waiting to go off" that

could spark a "vicious cycle" of greenhouse gas

emissions, warmer temperatures and increased

melting.

Turetsky doesn't discount such effects in other

permafrost settings, and described her own team's

findings -- paid for, in part, by Canada's federal NSERC

funding agency -- as "a good news, bad news scenario."

The initial thawing of peatland permafrost will

allow previously frozen organic material to begin

decomposing, and enormous quantities of methane --

23 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than

carbon dioxide -- will be released into the atmosphere,

Turetsky said.

But the give-and-take of peatland carbon prompted

by melting permafrost will largely balance out over

the long term, she added.

"We would have missed this if we had just been

looking at the methane alone, and if you don't look at

the plant response," she said. "It's not such a dire

scenario if you look at the full suite of greenhouse

gases."


The International Peat Society (IPS) held its 2007

Annual Assembly in the ancient city of Riga, Latvia.

More than 60 delegates from 20 countries attended

meetings and took part in two

special field trips. Canadians,

Martin Fafard, Claudin and Regis

Berger were there along with

Gerry and Faye Hood.

The Baltic States are becoming

the centre of peat production for

Europe as peatlands in Germany

produce less and less each year. For

this reason many of the peat

operations in Latvia, Estonia and

Lithuania are owned wholly or as a

joint venture, by western European

companies. The Dutch, Germans,

Finns and Danes are very active in

this region.

As well, several peat companies are owned by

shareholders from the respective Baltic countries.

One important characteristic of most of the bogs

in the Baltics is that they are very clean.

IPS holds Annual Assembly in LatviaCompanies employ teams of pickers for both roots

and weeds that appear to be constantly busy. This is

There are plenty of roots on Baltic bogs,

as Martin Fafard discovered… ...But they do an excellent

job of removing them

before harvesting begins.

probably the result of the guidelines imposed by RHP

that all peat exported to the Netherlands be root and weed

free.

♦ How to brochures:

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• Yardening: Your guide to a carefree lawn & garden

♦ Issues paper

Order “How to” brochures and other promotional/educational items from the CSPMA office!

♦ Peat and Repeat brochure

♦ Canadian Peat Harvesting video

♦ Building Healthy Soils - slide show

♦ Horticultural teaching program

♦ Restoration guide (pamphlet)

♦ The Wise Use of Peatlands brochure

♦ Selling Success training kit

♦ And much more!

To order call 780-460-8280,

email [email protected], or

fax 780-459-0939.

NEW!


The CSPMA has agreed to translate the Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG) newsletter, Echo

Tourbiere, into English and circulate it to members and others interested in the Canadian peat industry. The

following is the August 2007 newsletter.

Echo Tourbiere to be translated to English

As you probably know, the first term of the

research chair will come to an end on April 30th 2008,

and the Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG)

has been working for more than a year to elaborate a

proposal for a second term. This request was finally

submitted to the Natural Sciences and Engineering

Research Council of Canada (NSERC). More than

20 partners will be involved in this second term. The

participants will receive a copy of the proposal at the

end of August. They will also be kept up to date on

new developments during the fall. PERG would like

to take this opportunity to thank their partners for their

support and involvement to ensure the continuation of

peatland restoration and reclamation research.

Recent PublicationsFontaine, N., M. Poulin & L. Rochefort. 2007.

Plant Diversity Associated with Pools in Natural and

Restored Reatlands. Mires and Peat Vol. 2, Article

06: 1-17 (on line: http://www.mires-and-peat.net/).

Fontaine, Poulin and Rochefort’s article describes

groupings of pool margin plants found in natural and

exploited peatlands. Pools enrich peatlands’ vegetative

diversity. However, it seems that typical pool margin

vegetation does not re-grow spontaneously after

creating the pool during the peatland restoration. It

would be profitable, when creating pools, to actively

introduce species or communities of plants associated

with pool margins in order to increase the biodiversity

of restored peatlands.

Lavoie, C. & S. Pellerin. 2007. Fires in

Temperate Peatlands (southern Québec): Past and

Recent Trends. Canadian Journal of Botany 85: 263-

272. Lavoie and Pellerin reviewed the history of fires

that burned a lot of ombrotrophic peatlands in the

Rivière-du-Loup and Isle-Verte region, located in the

Bas-Saint-Laurent, using macrofossils analysis. They

Peatland Echo Vol. 11 No 3Renewal of NSERC's IndustrialResearch Chair for PeatlandManagement

observed that there is a smaller time gap between fires

since the beginning of agricultural activities which began

around the 1800s. This shows that humans have

influenced the frequency of fires on peatlands for 200

years. Fires can influence the vegetation structure of

peatlands, notably the establishment of wooded area, a

phenomenon that is more and more widespread on

peatlands located in temperate regions. But they are

not the only explanation for the appearance of those

wooded areas.

Mazerolle, M. J. & M. Poulin. 2007.

Persistence and Colonisation as Measures of Success

in Bog Restoration for Aquatic Invertebrates: A

Question of Detection. Freshwater Biology 52: 383-

385. This is a short article in which Mazerolle and Poulin

answer the questions asked by Van Duinen, Verber &

Esselink (2006, in the Freshwater Biology journal, doi :

10.1111/j.1365-2427.2006.01655.x.) concerning results

he published in 2006 (Mazerolle and al. 2006, in

Freshwater Biology 51: 333-350). In their findings, they

specify that the absence of sedentary aquatic

invertebrate species in newly formed pools in restored

peatlands is essentially related to the sampling method

used, which did not allow catching such sedentary

species. However, Mazerolle and Poulin agree with

their colleges from the Netherlands on the importance

of sampling mobile aquatic invertebrate species as well

as sedentary species to evaluate the success of pool

restoration in peatlands.

Mouneimne, S. M. & J. S. Price. 2007.

Seawater Contamination of a Harvested Bog:

Hydrological Aspects. Wetlands 27(2): 355-365. In this

article, Mouneimne and Price draw a hydrologic portrait

of Pokesudie (New-Brunswick), a peatland that was

formerly in production, but was contaminated by sea

water following a winter storm in January 2000. Salts

were found as deep as 95 cm in the peat column. The

strong levels of salinity measurements (an average of

5.7% in low elevation sites and 2.9% in the more

elevated sites) will probably persist for a long time. It

Peatland Echo continued on page 28...


In an effort to help their members work with

journalists, students, government officials and others,

visiting their peat operations, the CSPMA has compiled

a list of things to consider.

The information below is designed to help a member

convey the best message possible to guests.

Guests at your plant1. Know your guests

Find out ahead of time who is coming:

• Get a list of the people, their titles and their

jobs;

• If there are any “experts” (university,

government) be sure to include them in your

introductions and make use of them whenever

possible when you are talking about their field

of expertise – especially out on the bog.

2. Spend time with your guestsWhen your guests arrive, spend some time with

them before going out on the bog. It will give you a

chance to introduce your company and the work

of the peat moss association. Here are some

suggestions. Choose the ones that are best suited

to your audience:

• Ask what their expectations are, or if they have

any concerns.

• Provide some information on your company;

number of employees, number of plants, if the

land is owned or leased, etc.

• Show them the Sustainability Power Point

Presentation that is available from the CSPMA

and can be customized to any specific type of

visit.

• Explain how you get permission to harvest peat

from the land – government permits,

requirement of an after-use plan, etc.

• Every member of the CSPMA including your

own company has signed the Code of Practice

and the Preservation and Reclamation Policy.

Be prepared to give them a copy of each of

Presenting the best image of your companythese if they are a reporter or if they are

interested.

• Your company, along with other members of

the CSPMA, have been investing in restoration

research since 1992. The research has

resulted in the publishing of the Peatland

Restoration Guide, which is used by peat

producers in Canada, the US and many

countries in Europe.

• In 2002, the industry established an Industrial

Research Chair on Peatland Management.

Have a copy of the Canadian Geographic

article on Line Rochefort available for

handout.

• The Canadian peat industry and the Université

Laval were awarded the prestigious Synergy

Award in 2004 (use article from February 2005

Bale Mail for more information).

• Show them part of the IPS DVD: If you are

short of time, show the 17 minute “main

section” of the DVD and then follow up with

the section on “after-use”.

• Describe what your company is doing, has

done, and/or will be doing in terms of

restoration and reclamation.

• Give them an information package that

includes the IPS DVD, the Issues Paper, Code

of Practice, Preservation & Reclamation

Policy, and possibly some of the CSPMA

brochures.

You know that the best part of the tour is yet

to come … a walk on the bog!

Peat and Repeat:The Restoration of a Bog

A new educationalbrochure to give to your

customers.

Contact theCSPMA to order.


Forests beat biofuels asglobal warming solution,experts say By Margaret MunroSource: CanWest News Service

Restoring and protecting forests would do far more

to reduce the carbon load in the atmosphere than

dedicating vast tracts of land to "energy crops," a new

report says.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently

announced a $1.5-billion, nine-year plan to make Canada

a leader in biofuel production. But there is concern in

many quarters about the "green" energy boom, which

critics say is having a serious environmental impact

around the globe as forests are levelled and farm land

is set aside to grow biofuel crops.

The report, published today in the journal Science,

assesses biofuels - produced by using everything from

sugarcane to wheat - and compared carbon emissions

associated with their use over the next 30 years.

It concludes that growing trees and restoring

forests is a far more effective way to reduce emissions

linked with global warming and climate change.

"In all cases, forestation of an equivalent area of

land would sequester two to nine times more carbon

over a 30-year period than the emissions avoided by

the use of the biofuel," says the report by Renton

Righelato of the World Land Trust and Dominick

Spracklen of the University of Leeds. Taking this into

account, "the emissions cost of liquid biofuels exceeds

that of fossil fuels."

They note energy crops require an enormous

amount of land: to replace just 10 per cent of gasoline

and diesel fuel would require an estimated 43 per cent

of crop land in the U.S. and 38 per cent of crop land in

Europe. And clearing grasslands and forests to grow

energy crops releases carbon stored in existing

vegetation and soil and creates large up-front emissions

that the report says would "outweigh the avoided

emissions."

Only biofuel from woody biomass may be

compatible with retention of the carbon now locked in

forests, the researchers say. It might be possible to

"sustainably" extract wood from standing forests to

produce fuel without destroying the soil carbon

stocks that are particularly important in temperate

forests, Righelato said via e-mail.

"Of course, the woody biomass harvested would

return to CO2, but trees would probably quickly

regrow in the space vacated," he said. "It remains to

be established whether such extraction would be

economically viable."

The researchers did not look at Canadian forests

specifically, but Righelato expects the carbon

sequestration rates are not far off those of the U.S

forests used for their calculations. "I imagine the

coastal southern Canadian forests fall within that

range of carbon sequestration," he said.

Righelato and Spracklen conclude that, where

carbon emissions are concerned, it makes most sense

to step up the conservation of fossil fuels now in

use, and conserve and restore forests while pursuing

development of non-carbon fuels for future use.

"If the prime object of policy on biofuels is

mitigation of carbon dioxide-driven global warming,

policy makers may be better advised in the short

term (30 years or so) to focus on increasing the

efficiency of fossil fuel use, to conserve the existing

forests and savannahs, and to restore natural forests

and grassland habitats on crop land that is not needed

for food."

In the longer term, they say "carbon-free

transport fuel technologies are needed to replace

fossil hydrocarbons."

The Conservative government's $1.5-billion

biofuel initiative aims to replace five per cent of

gasoline used in this country with renewable fuels

by 2010. In announcing details of the program in July,

Harper estimated close to three billion litres a year

of renewable fuel will be needed, representing a

"tremendous economic opportunity" for the country's

61,000 grain and oilseed producers.

Harper said the biofuel program is a "double win"

for both the environment and farmers and will "put a

real dent in emissions."

Asked to comment on the Science report, the

government says it has done a "life cycle GHG

Forests vs Biofuels continued on page 28...


The Bale Mail - Le Ballot Postal is the newsletter of the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association and its members. The

publication is produced and edited at the CSPMA office at: 2208-13 MIssion Avenue, St. Albert, Alberta, T8N 1H6

Ph: 780-460-8280, Fax: 780-459-0939

[email protected], www.peatmoss.com

If you have any comments or suggestions for this publication, please contact

Gerry Hood or Doris Reeve at the CSPMA office.

is through the diffusion of solutes (salts) towards sediments

located under the peat layer that the peatland salinity will

diminish. This, however, is a very slow process.

Sottocornola, M., S. Boudreau & L. Rochefort.

2007. Peat Bog Restoration: Effects of Phosphorus on Plant

Re-establishment. Ecological Engineering 31: 29-40.

Sottocornola and al. were searching to know the importance

of phosphorus fertilization to favour vegetation establishment

in restored peatlands and to compare a few other methods

to apply the fertilizer. The study was conducted in peatlands

located in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse (QC), Sainte-

Marguerite-Marie (QC) and Maisonnette (NB). Mosses,

particularly Polytrichum strictum, benefited the most from

the phosphorus input, with phosphorus rock doses between

15 to 25 g/m². The time of application of the fertilizer should

be further explored in order to precisely identify the plants

maximal absorption periods. The authors underline that the

decision to fertilize a site depends on its characteristics.

Fertilization can not compensate for problems like the poor

quality of reintroduced plants or a bad site rewetting.

...Peatland Echo continued from page 25

CSPMA Board of Directors

Claudin Berger - Vice President

Berger Peat Moss

Clarence Breau - Director

Sun Gro Horticulture

Ernie Daigle - Director

ASB Greenworld Ltd.

Christian Dollo - Director

Premier Tech

Martin Fafard - Director

Fafard et Frères LtéeLouis Gouron - Bag Supplier Rep./Secretary

Balcan Plastics

Gilles Haché - Treasurer

Acadian Peat Moss

Gerry Hood - President

CSPMA

Keelan Pulliam - Director

Conrad Fafard

(greenhouse gas) emissions profile" of its biofuel

program and concluded it will reduce the Canada's

greenhouse gas emissions by about four million

tonnes a year. Canada now generates about 750

million tonnes of greenhouse gases annually.

Approximately 2.3 million acres of wheat and

0.9 million acres of corn will be required to replace

five per cent of the gasoline in Canadian tanks,

Natural Resources Canada says. The "feedstock"

can be grown on existing farm land "without a

requirement for additional land coming into use."

The department could not say what kind of

greenhouse gas reductions could be achieved by

restoring Canada's forests.

...Forests vs Biofuels ccontinued from page 27

Win gift certificates for aFairmont Hotel!

Some lucky person will win $400in gift certificates for a Canadian

Fairmont Hotel of their choice.

To qualify, you need only to be in

attendance at the CSPMA Annual

Meeting Banquet Dinner and Dance on

Friday, November 9, 2007.

the bale mail - peatlands.rupeatlands.ru/files/1192603484.pdf · newsletter of the canadian...

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