Timber companies in the US north-west fear Canada could put them out of business by increasing harvesting levels to combat the mountain pine beetle infestation.
British Columbia is raising its annual allowable cut by 78% to cope with the beetle outbreak, the worst in the province’s history, which could flood neighbouring American states with cheap timber.
Up to 21 million acres of forests could be felled in British Columbia in an attempt to stop the beetle’s advance.
But Canadian researchers say the province has little choice but to increase harvesting, especially of beetle-killed wood which will otherwise just degrade.
