As world markets emerge, Canadian forest products companies must serve international customers who often demand adherence to their own standards of environmental performance. Renewed emphasis on regulatory initiatives in Canada underscores this trend; the sweeping changes associated with the recent amendment of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the emergence of Canada-Wide Standards for environmental performance are just two examples. The Canadian forest products industry--and indeed the entire industry, worldwide--faces higher expectations for environmental performance. NCASI is responding to the growing multi-national character of its current (and future) Members by offering membership to Canadian forest products companies and extending to these companies access to the world-class resources that NCASI provides. In the United States, nearly all pulp and paper companies and many timber companies and wood panel producers rely on NCASI’s expertise to help them achieve enhanced environmental performance at minimal cost. Acquired through decades of close interaction with the industry, much of this expertise relates immediately and directly to Canadian companies’ needs.

NCASI-Canada

NCASI’s successful operations in the United States provide an excellent model for the creation of NCASI-Canada to serve the specific interests of NCASI’s Canadian Member Companies. NCASI-Canada functions as NCASI does in the United States; however, the Canadian operation is tailored to Canadian environmental issues and Canadian Member needs. A Canadian industry advisory panel directs NCASI-Canada, and Canadian companies’ membership dues are segregated from other revenues and used exclusively to support NCASI-Canada. To see a list of current Canadian Member companies, click here.

• Leadership
  A Canadian Steering Committee composed of environmental managers from Canadian Member Companies guides NCASI-Canada’s operations. The Committee meets regularly to identify issues of concern to Members, identify new research opportunities, review progress on projects, and set the technical agenda. Other advisory panels are named to advise NCASI-Canada on regional and provincial matters. Close liaison is maintained with trade associations representing the interests of Member Companies in Canada.
  
  
• NCASI-Canada has established an office in Montreal, under the leadership of Kirsten Vice, Executive Director of Canadian Operations.
  
  
• Working with the Steering Committee, NCASI-Canada is:
  • Identifying and prioritizing environmental issues of concern to the Canadian forest products industry, and identifying projects to respond to those priorities;
  • Gathering technical information about the environmental performance of Canadian manufacturing facilities and forestry operations;
  • Providing technical assistance to Member Company mills and operating locations and to environmental staff at the corporate level and;
  • Establishing liaisons with stakeholders, such as trade associations, government agency staff, university faculty, etc.

Enrolling as a Member Company

• Eligibility
  Canadian companies that manufacture pulp, paper, or solid wood products in Canada are eligible to become NCASI Member Companies, as are companies that own or manage industrial forestlands in Canada. Membership status is offered only to entire companies, rather than to individual mill or forestland operations. A multi-national company operating in Canada may be a Member Company in Canada and, at the same time, a Member Company in another category of membership (in the United States, for example).
  
  
• Application for Membership
  Canadian companies that wish to become Members are invited to contact Kirsten Vice (kvice@ncasi.org) in NCASI's Montreal office to request an application form. Applications must be approved by NCASI’s Board of Governors or the Executive Committee of the Board. Membership applications are processed immediately upon receipt.
  
  
• Membership Dues
  Dues rates are set each year at the Annual Meeting of Members. Dues are payable quarterly; NCASI’s fiscal year begins on April 1. Members agree to provide a one-year advance notice of resignation of membership, during which time the dues obligation remains intact.
  
  The dues rates for Canadian Member Companies are currently set at 25 percent of the U.S. Member Companies’ rates.
  
  For Canadian Members that manufacture pulp, paper, or wood panels,  dues are based on the company’s self-reported production in Canada of those products in the prior calendar year. Different products incur dues levies at different levels, depending on their environmental impact and corresponding need for NCASI support. For reference, in 2004, the annual dues associated with a 1,000 tpd newsprint mill would be approximately C$12,000, while the dues for a 1,500 tpd kraft market pulp mill would be approximately C$60,000. A minimum dues level of C$2,300 is in place for pulp, paper, and wood panel manufacturers.
  
  If a company does not manufacture pulp, paper, or wood panels, its dues are based on hectares of forestlands owned or managed, according to a sliding scale. For reference, in 2004, the annual dues for a forestry company managing 500,000 hectares of industrial forestland would be C$17,800. The minimum annual dues for such companies is C$7,500.
  
  To assist in the calculation of membership dues, an Excel template and instructions will be provided upon request.
  
  
• More information is available from Kirsten Vice (kvice@ncasi.org).