Happy News!

The story which moved earlier on Wednesday morning on the Ministry of Truth (Provincial) website:

No Luck in Search for Timber Developers: Dunderdale
October 6, 2010

It is back to square one for the Natural Resources Department in the search for interest in commercial development of the timber resources in central Newfoundland. Minister Kathy Dunderdale says the call for expressions of interest announced eighteen months ago for the fiber expropriated from AbitibiBowater is essentially over. Dunderdale indicates they intend to invite those who were originally interested back into the process.

She says the nine original proponents will be invited to resubmit modified proposals and they will also consider representations from other companies concerning the fiber allocation.

And the 72% positiver and upbeater "update" story which replaced it by mid-day:

Update: Central NL Timber Resources Must be Maximized
October 6, 2010

The Department of Natural Resources says there is a lot of interest in developing timber resources in Central Newfoundland, but Minister Kathy Dunderdale says so far, none of the proposals they have received would maximize the value of the resource. 280,000 cubic metres of wood has been set aside by provincial government for commercial development, and Dunderdale says they have received nine proposals to develop it. She says several of the proposals were for pellet production, which she says is not the best use of the fibre. Dunderdale says the mill in Grand Falls-Windsor had approximately 500 employees, but a pellet plant would only require a workforce of 30 people, at most.

Dunderdale also says government is not conducting a hard sell. She says while government realizes a company has to make money on any development, it is incumbent on government to make sure its value is maximized.