Assignment 2: Value-Added

As described in Lessons 3 and 4, value-added products are an essential component of growth in the forest industry and forest-dependent communities. However, not every value-added product can be a fit for every forest-dependent community. In this assignment, choose a community in Ontario of your choice and provide recommendations to the Economic Development Commission of that community about which type of value-added products could be feasible. The community will use your recommendations to tailor their business-attraction strategy and policies for new business.

Your report should consider:

1. Existing fibre users
2. Availability of fibre
3. Existing infrastructure
4. Outline of potential synergies and integration with #1-3

Information regarding existing mill capacity is available on the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry website. The report does not require a comprehensive understanding of the community or the businesses within the community.

Assignment 1: Resolute Forest Products Evaluation

Visit Resolute’s website and read their page on “Why Sustainability Makes Business Sense” at http://borealforestfacts.com/?p=28. Provide a critical evaluation of Resolute’s approach, giving examples from their public profile about why you think the company does or does not do a good job of balancing environmental, economic and social considerations. Also consider other sources who have challenged Resolute’s practices. Provide a 3-5 page critique (double spaced).

Assignment 3: Allocation of land among multiple uses

You are the manager of a piece of land near an urban center. The land can be used for multiple uses, including commercial, residential, farming and forestry. Develop a plan for efficient allocation of land use, based on distance of land from the urban center.  

1. Collect real information and draw a graph showing land rent ($) versus the distance of land from the urban center (kms)?
2. If you plan to use this piece of land for two competing uses, draw the production possibility curve, and explain the trade-off between producing one product versus another.

The assignment is worth 15% of final mark.

 

Requirements for assignment:

• Double space
• Use Word or Word-compatible software
• Include page numbers
• Include your name, student number, date and assignment title
• 4 pages or less
• Use sources, cite in text (author date) and include Literature Cited section (you can use any recognizable style, e.g. Chicago, MLA, APA, or you can follow the Faculty of Natural Resources Management Writing Manual style that has been uploaded to the course website)
• Save assignment with your last name and assignment title, “Allocation of land among multiple uses”

Assignment 2: Forest industry competitiveness

The objective of this assignment is to demonstrate an understanding of the challenges being faced by the Canadian forest industry in global markets. The student must show knowledge of the forest industry competitiveness, the opportunities for growth, and a vision for future. The assignment will be marked according to a rubric shown in the grading section.

Provide a detailed description of the softwood lumber dispute between the US and Canada. Provide details of the international trade policies followed by each country during the period of this dispute. 

1. What are the different tariffs (export taxes and import duties) followed during each period of the softwood lumber dispute between the US and Canada?
2. Discuss the implications of each tariff regime for the Canadian producers of softwood lumber, and how should the Canadian forest industry deal with these competitive challenges?

This assignment is to be handed in before you proceed to Week 4.

The assignment is worth 20% of final mark.

 

Requirements for assignment:

• Double space
• Use Word or Word-compatible software
• Include page numbers
• Include your name, student number, date and assignment title
• 6 pages or less
• Use sources, cite in text (author date) and include Literature Cited section (you can use any recognizable style, e.g. Chicago, MLA, APA, or you can follow the Faculty of Natural Resources Management Writing Manual style that has been uploaded to the course website)
• Save assignment with your last name and assignment title, “Forest industry competitiveness”

Assignment 1: Macroeconomic principles and forest resources

The objective of this assignment is to demonstrate an understanding of the macroeconomic principles and how to account for natural capital in the circular flow model. Students will be evaluated based on a rubric shown in the Grading section. The assignment is designed to ensure students have knowledge of the GDP adjustment for depletion of natural capital. The assignment will also increase the student’s ability to use analytical tools for ecological economics.

What is the forest industry’s contribution to the national GDP in Canada? Support your answers with contribution from different provinces in Canada. Identify some monetary flow activities, which not only do not increase well-being, but may actually decrease it. How do you account for such activities? 

1. What is defensive expenditure, and how do you measure it? What are some of the ways to mitigate, eliminate and avoid defensive expenditure in forest industry contribution to national GDP?
2. What are other alternatives to accounting natural capital in GDP calculations?

This assignment is to be handed in before you proceed to Week 2.

The assignment is worth 15% of final mark.

 

Requirements for assignment:

• Double space
• Use Word or Word-compatible software
• Include page numbers
• Include your name, student number, date and assignment title
• 4 pages or less
• Use sources, cite in text (author date) and include Literature Cited section (you can use any recognizable style, e.g. Chicago, MLA, APA, or you can follow the Faculty of Natural Resources Management Writing Manual style that has been uploaded to the course website)
• Save assignment with your last name and assignment title, “Macroeconomic principles and forest resources”

Assignment: Operational Plan Development

Prepare and defend a basic operational plan (including human resources, production schedules/timelines and budgeting) for a tree planting operation of 1 million.

 

Requirements for assignment:

• Double space
• Use Word or Word-compatible software and your choice of project management software
• Include page numbers
• Include your name, student number, date and assignment title
• If you use supplementary material, cite in text (author date) and include Literature Cited section (you can use any recognizable style, e.g. Chicago, MLA, APA, or you can follow the Faculty of Natural Resources Management Writing Manual style that has been uploaded to the course website)
• Save assignment with your last name and assignment title in D2L’s Assignment folder

The assignment will be marked as a pass or fail.

Grading
There is one written assignment for this module and it will be marked as a pass or fail. The assignment will be marked using the following template. Each element of the plan must pass. If a particular section of the plan does not pass, the candidate will be asked to resubmit that section.