June 9, 2010 Conservation Council of New Brunswick Media Release New Brunswick's move to mine the forest floor for wood debris for energy is disturbing: Conservation Council Fredericton - The Conservation Council is alarmed by the granting of eight allocations to mine biomass from New Brunswick's public forest; the largest allocation going to Twin Rivers (formerly Frasers) of 308,000 cubic metres and half of the eight allocations going to Irving-owned companies. "The widespread clearcutting of our forest is appalling enough. To suck up what remains and cart it away to burn will devastate nature," said David Coon, Executive Director of the Conservation Council. The Conservation Council points to a glaring lack of consideration for habitat protection for New Brunswick's forest species, in particular, invertebrates, amphibians and small mammals in the province's Crown Forest Biomass Policy. "We know that at least one-quarter of wildlife species in our Acadian forest depend on woody debris," remarks Tracy Glynn, Forest Campaigner for the Conservation Council. "Removing woody debris in Sweden has been correlated with a rapid decline in wildlife. Species across Europe that  depend on deadwood are the largest single group of threatened species." "The government has considered the impact of removing woody debris from the forest floor on soil nutrient composition and the depth of water tables but they must also consider how this biomass mining will affect forest habitat, species and ecosystems ," continues Glynn. “Low-grade pulpwood and mill wastes should be our major source of biomass for energy, not the woody debris left after logging, and the biomass must be used in low-emission and high efficiency systems such as those that convert biomass to biogas," says Raphael Shay, Energy Program  Coordinator at the Conservation Council. -30- David Coon, Executive Director, 458-8747 Tracy Glynn, Forest Campaigner, 458-8747 Raphael Shay, Energy Program Coordinator/French spokesperson, 458-8747