TSA Trans America Industrial Com Npv

West Fraser (TSX:WFT) today announced a comprehensive Mountain Pine Beetle Plan
(the "MPB Plan") to address the effects of the mountain pine beetle infestation
in the interior of British Columbia ("B.C."). The infestation has killed vast
portions of the interior pine forest, resulting in a continuing deterioration
and loss of merchantable timber available to wood products producers in the
interior of B.C. The goal of the Company's MPB Plan is to ensure the viability
and competitiveness of its B.C. operations in response to the lack of available
timber supply following the beetle infestation.


The three-part MPB Plan consists of the exchange of certain timber rights which
will help maintain the competitiveness and viability of several of West Fraser's
B.C. interior mills, the closure of West Fraser's Houston, B.C. mill and the
announcement of significant investments in two major mill upgrades in Smithers
and 100 Mile House, B.C.


Under an agreement entered into with Canfor Corporation ("Canfor"), West Fraser
has exchanged a portion of its existing timber harvesting tenure in the Morice
Timber Supply Area ("TSA") for Canfor's tenures located in the Quesnel and Lakes
TSAs. The Quesnel tenure will provide additional timber security to West
Fraser's largest and recently-rebuilt sawmill located in Quesnel, B.C. which has
over 400 employees. The Lakes tenure combined with the remaining Morice tenure
will provide additional timber security for the Company's sawmills located in
Smithers and Fraser Lake, B.C. which together have over 500 employees.


Regrettably, the MPB Plan also includes the permanent closure of West Fraser's
Houston mill. Closure of the mill will be completed in the second quarter of
2014 and will affect 225 employees. Where possible, the Company will be
assisting employees to transition to other West Fraser operations in B.C. and
Alberta.


The timber exchange provides access to additional timber in key areas that will
support a capital investment plan aimed at ensuring the Company's B.C. mills are
modern, efficient and well-capitalized. Under the MPB Plan the Company will
proceed with major rebuilds of its 100 Mile House and Smithers sawmills. West
Fraser has recently completed a rebuild of its Chetwynd sawmill and is currently
modernizing the planer at its Williams Lake sawmill. West Fraser is also
proceeding with two previously announced bioenergy projects expected to improve
the profitability of its Fraser Lake and Chetwynd sawmills. When completed, each
bioenergy plant is expected to generate approximately 90 GWh of power produced
from wood biomass, enough energy to power over 8,000 homes annually.


Ted Seraphim, West Fraser's President and CEO, said: "The mountain pine beetle
devastation has and will continue to undermine the availability of merchantable
timber in the interior of B.C. The shutdown of our Houston mill has been a
difficult decision and we will work closely with the affected employees to
support them through this process. Our first priority is to explore
opportunities to transition Houston employees to one of our other operations and
we will provide assistance in finding new employment."


Mr. Seraphim added: "The competitiveness of our operations in B.C. will be
significantly improved with the completion of the projects announced today,
which are part of a $350 million B.C. capital investment program."


Additional important information about the MPB Plan is included in a
backgrounder released concurrently with this news release. The timber rights
exchange may be subject to customary competition-related government or
regulatory reviews and any such review could result in a requirement to make
changes to the exchange.


West Fraser is an integrated wood products company producing lumber, wood chips,
LVL, MDF, plywood, pulp and newsprint. The Company has operations in western
Canada and the southern United States.


This news release contains certain forward-looking statements about potential
future developments or events, in particular those relating to a timber rights
exchange, a mill closure, future capital investments and the two bioenergy
projects and the expected outcomes or results of the foregoing. These are
presented to provide reasonable guidance to the reader. Their accuracy and the
actual outcomes or results of such developments or events will depend on and are
subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties and other factors
that could affect the ability of West Fraser to achieve such outcomes or results
or execute its business plans, including those matters described in West
Fraser's 2012 Annual Management's Discussion and Analysis under "Risk &
Uncertainties" and may differ materially from those anticipated or projected.
Accordingly, readers should exercise caution in relying upon forward-looking
statements and West Fraser undertakes no obligation to publicly revise them to
reflect subsequent events or circumstances except as required by applicable
securities laws.


West Fraser shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol: "WFT".

Backgrounder

West Fraser Mountain Pine Beetle Plan

October 24, 2013

The mountain pine beetle ("MPB") infestation has had a devastating effect on the
pine forest of British Columbia ("B.C."). For more than a decade, West Fraser
has been aggressively salvaging beetle-killed pine and continues to do so. The
MPB epidemic has killed a significant proportion of the available pine forest in
the interior region of B.C. and is causing constrained supplies of merchantable
timber in affected areas. Recent forecasts have predicted that the allowable
harvest in the interior of B.C. could be reduced by more than 30 per cent from
current levels.


West Fraser's comprehensive Mountain Pine Beetle Plan (the "MPB Plan") addresses
some of the effects of the MPB infestation on the Company's operations in the
interior of B.C. The MPB Plan consists of three parts: securing an improved
long-term timber supply, the permanent closure of one of the Company's B.C.
mills and a capital investment plan to strengthen operations in the province.


Timber Supply Security: The Tenure Exchange

West Fraser has entered into an agreement with Canfor Corporation ("Canfor") to
exchange certain timber harvesting rights in the interior of B.C. Under the
timber exchange, West Fraser has received a replaceable forest licence in the
Quesnel Timber Supply Area (see attached map) with an AAC of 382,194 m3 per
year, a replaceable forest licence in the Lakes Timber Supply Area with an AAC
of 53,627 m3 per year and a non-replaceable forest licence in the Quesnel Timber
Supply Area with an AAC of 166,667 m3 expiring on January 31, 2017.


Under the timber exchange Canfor has received a replaceable forest licence in
the Morice Timber Supply Area with an AAC of 324,500 m3 per year.


The Quesnel timber tenures strengthen the fibre security of West Fraser's
largest sawmill located in Quesnel, B.C. The remaining Morice tenure still held
by West Fraser and the Lakes tenure improves the fibre security for West
Fraser's sawmills located in Smithers and Fraser Lake, B.C.


Permanent Closure of Houston Forest Products

Houston is approximately 300 kilometres west of Prince George, which is located
in the centre of B.C. The timber resource in the region from Houston to Prince
George has been heavily affected by the MPB epidemic. The Houston mill has an
annual capacity to produce up to 275 MMfbm of dimension softwood lumber. The
mill has 225 employees.


It is currently anticipated that the sawmill will operate through the first
quarter of 2014 and then will begin a gradual closure process that will be
completed by the end of the second quarter of 2014. The Company will be
assisting employees to transition to other West Fraser operations as well as
providing additional placement assistance and retirement planning support. We
regret the impact this decision has on our employees, their families and the
community.


$350 Million Capital Investment in B.C.

During the three-year period from 2012 and through 2014, West Fraser expects to
invest in excess of $350 million in its B.C. operations. Major projects
announced today include the following:




--  Smithers (sawmill) - major sawmill upgrade scheduled for 2014. 
--  100 Mile House (sawmill) - major sawmill upgrade scheduled for 2014. 



Major projects either completed or currently in progress include the following:



--  Cariboo Pulp & Paper (Quesnel) (pulp mill) - cogeneration turbogenerator
    which produces electricity for sale to B.C. Hydro under a long-term
    contract and an upgrade of the mill's chlorine dioxide (CIO2) generators
    (2012). 
--  Chetwynd (sawmill) - construction of a bioenergy project is underway and
    anticipated to be completed in 2014, producing electricity for sale to
    B.C. Hydro under a long-term contract. A rebuild of the sawmill was also
    completed in 2013. 
--  Fraser Lake (sawmill) - construction of a bioenergy project is underway
    and anticipated to be completed in 2014, producing electricity for sale
    to B.C. Hydro under a long-term contract. 
--  Quesnel River Pulp (pulp mill) - upgraded to low consistency refiners to
    reduce electrical energy consumption (2012). 
--  Williams Lake (sawmill) - planer modernization completed in 2013. 



West Fraser has had a long and successful history in B.C. These and other
investments in West Fraser's B.C. operations will support our operations'
long-term competitiveness in spite of the challenges created by the beetle
infestation. While this is a difficult time for our Houston operation, overall,
West Fraser's MPB Plan is a comprehensive approach to strengthen the Company's
mills in B.C.


To view the map of West Fraser's B.C. operations relative to the Timber Supply
Areas under the MPB Plan, please click the following link:
http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/wft.jpg.


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: 
Media Contact:
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
Tara Knight
Communications
(604) 895-2773
media@westfraser.com


Investor Contacts:
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
Larry Hughes
Vice-President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer
(604) 895-2700


West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
Rodger Hutchinson
Vice-President, Corporate Controller
(604) 895-2700
www.westfraser.com

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