Moneyspinning forests

THE verdant Nordic forests are proving a
big moneyspinner for the region's large
pulp and paper conglomerates, Almost
all the Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian
producers, together accounting for
more than 36 per cent of the paper production and consumption in the
European Community, have reported a
huge leap in profitsfor 1994 and are
expecting more profits this year.

At a meeting of the Swedish Forestry
Industry Association late March, LarsAke Hegelsson, chief executive of the
Swedish group, Stora, maintained that
the forestry sector was a modern
growth
industry. Hegelson says there is reason
to look forward to the 21st century
"with optimism and a strong belief in
the future". Though, this is not exactly
music to the ears of European environ-
mentalists, who have been hankering for
a cut in commercial felling.