Dec 03, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. Alberta forest industry revenues were up in the three-month period ended Sept. 30, as compared with the preceding quarter, Alberta local news reported. But the 2008 numbers continue to track well behind last year’s. The Alberta Forest Products Association reported that its member companies shipped $668.5 million worth of lumber, panelboard, pulp and paper during the last quarter. That was up $44.5 million or 7% from the 2Q, but $10.5 million or 1.5% lower than for the same quarter in 2007. When comparing the first three quarters of 2008 with the same period in 2007, the value of Alberta forest products shipped to market was down more than $264.9 million or 13%, the association said. There were improved prices for pulp and paper products, but the lumber and panelboard sectors showed negative quarterly results. “Looking forward through the remainder of 2008 and into the first half of 2009, our members are bracing for lower demand, lower prices and continuing difficult times in all of Alberta’s forest industry sectors,” said AFPA President and CEO Brady Whittaker. “The weakening Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar is providing some marginal benefits to our manufacturing exporters, but with anticipated price weakness continuing, this is a small cushion only.” As of Sept. 30, Alberta softwood lumber producers that ship product to the United States had also paid approximately $90 million in export taxes since the Canada-U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement was implemented in October 2006. “With pulp and paper prices falling in the early part of 4Q 2008, the forest industry is now positioned for another negative first, all three of our major sectors — lumber, panelboard and pulp and paper — forecasting lower market prices at the same time,” said Whittaker.