CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) said it will issue notice to the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC)… of its plan to lock out employees on August 22 if union leadership and the company are unable to come to a negotiated settlement or agree to binding interest arbitration. …The decision to issue a lockout notice comes after the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) on Friday issued its decision determining that no services need to be maintained during a railway strike or lockout in order to protect Canadian public health and safety. The CIRB also ordered a 13-day extension of the cooling off period which ends on Aug. 22. All stakeholders want an end to this needless uncertainty so that we can continue serving the North American economy. Stability could be restored today if the TCRC would accept CPKC’s offer to resolve the current labour dispute through binding interest arbitration.
BURNABY, BC — Interfor recorded a Net loss in Q2’24 of $75.8 million compared to a Net loss of $72.9 million, and a Net loss of $14.1 million in Q2’23. Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of $16.7 million on sales of $771.2 million in Q2’24 versus a loss of $22.3 million on sales of $813.2 million in Q1’24 and Adjusted EBITDA of $41.9 million on sales of $871.8 million in Q2’23. …In Q2’24, lumber production totalled 1.0 billion board feet, representing a 35 million board foot decrease over the prior quarter. This decrease partially reflects the temporary production curtailments announced on April 30, 2024 and the indefinite curtailment of the Philomath, Oregon sawmill. …In response to the ongoing market weakness, Interfor plans to temporarily reduce its total lumber production by approximately 280 to 350 million board feet between August and December of 2024, representing 15 to 18% of its normal operating stance. 
The U.S. exported 739,277.2 metric tons of wood pellets in June, down from both 926,024.1 metric tons the previous month and 866,131.6 metric tons in June 2023, according to data released by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service on Aug. 6. The U.S. exported wood pellets to more than a dozen countries in June. The U.K. was the top destination for U.S. wood pellet exports at 553,735 metric tons, followed by the Netherlands at 92,936.1 metric tons and Japan at 56,272.7 metric tons. The value of U.S. wood pellet exports fell to $145.2 million in June, down from $167.35 million in May and $171.46 million in June 2023. Total U.S. wood pellet exports for the first half of 2024 reached 4.86 million metric tons at a value of $919.83 million, compared to 4.62 million metric tons exported during the same period of last year at a value of $861.47 million. [END]
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine stretches into its third year, international trade has felt the effects as sanctions on Russian exports have expanded. Now researchers have found that the invasion may not only have significant short-term impacts on the global timber markets but may leave lasting effects on the global economy and the environment. These 
A lumber industry-supported group is looking to fund U.S. cities’ efforts to encourage more mass timber use in construction. The
FREDERICK, Md.
…a coalition of extreme environmental groups is digging in its heels to preserve our labyrinth of regulations preventing American energy dominance. …Their outdated approach ignores the fact that addressing climate change and meeting our energy demands will require rapidly building out clean-energy infrastructure. …a report by the pro-growth environmentalists at The Breakthrough Institute breaks down how frivolous lawsuits are delaying the deployment of critical projects that would lower emissions and conserve our environment. …researchers found that NGOs instigated more than 70 percent of legal challenges against forest management projects, public land management projects and energy projects. A shocking 80 percent of these lawsuits eventually fail, meaning that these groups only succeed in delaying, not stopping, important projects and adding millions in unnecessary costs. Forest management projects were the most litigated out of any other category of project in this research, demonstrating inconsistent stances on environmental protection.
No, this is not a repeat. But as the state Department of Natural Resources plans to harvest old-growth timber in Clark County, the issues sound familiar. The agency is proposing the harvest of 156 acres on five parcels within the historic Yacolt Burn area. The acreage provides habitat for federally protected northern spotted owls, but a report from the Department of Natural Resources says the harvest will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment. The mere mention of spotted owls likely resonates with many residents, calling to mind a debate that dates to the 1980s. …Bumper stickers such as “Save a logger, eat an owl,” were a common sight. So, it is not surprising that a proposal to log the old-growth forests that are the owls’ primary habitat would raise hackles. …Officials said their lands include adequate habitat for the spotted owl, allowing them to harvest excess old-growth trees.
YUBA COUNTY – The Yuba River Watershed is one of the only watersheds in California to be untouched by wildfires and they want to keep it that way. Construction can now move forward for a biomass plant that will help reduce the risk of wildfires after a funding vote was approved Tuesday by the Yuba Water Agency. A project that has been trying to get going for a decade now has the green light. Its main purpose is to clean up the forest by taking woody debris and other fire fuel material and converting it into electrical energy for the grid. “We are behind by decades in investing in projects like this,” said Yuba Water Agency Watershed Manager Joanna Lessard. As California’s wildfires continue to burn hotter and more frequently, environmental leaders are scrambling to get ahead of them, including the nonprofit Camptonville Community Partnership.
The Park Fire in California has ravaged vast tracts of forestland designated for conservation under carbon credits initiatives backed by oil refiners and power companies. It has scorched approximately 450,000 acres, has destroyed nearly 45,000 acres of trees enrolled in California’s carbon offset program, according to estimates from the non-profit research group CarbonPlan. Additional fires earlier this year also impacted over 29,000 acres of forestland in Washington state and New Mexico that are part of California’s carbon credit scheme. Major oil corporations are among the purchasers of these credits. The destruction of conserved forests has raised concerns about the sustainability of carbon credit forestry projects in fire-prone regions. California’s program includes a “buffer pool” of unsold credits to replace losses from wildfires, pests, drought, etc. Every project contributes 10-20% of its credits to this pool. However, researchers are worried that the buffer pool is insufficient to address the scale of recent wildfires. 
KAMIAH, ID — A firefighter is in critical condition after being hit by a tree while working on a wildfire in Idaho on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. U.S. Forest Service firefighter, Justin Shaw, 26, was taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane following the incident. “The quick actions of all involved, including the firefighters on the incident, dispatch, local medical responders, and Life Flight personnel, helped ensure Justin is receiving the best care possible,” said Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests Acting Forest Supervisor Molly Ryan. “We are so thankful to everyone who helped.” Shaw, the Assistant Crew Foreman for the Salmon River Ranger District, was hit by a tree during an initial attack at the Coffee Can Saddle Fire at approximately 9:00 p.m. (PDT) on Saturday, according to a news release.
LAKEVIEW, Oregon— A wildfire in Lake County that was spotted over the weekend has grown exponentially from 1,500 to 17,000 acres over the course of one day. Oregon Department of Forestry’s interim assistant district forester Jennifer Case said the Warner Peak Fire is burning on lands that are treacherous for fire crews to fight. “Difficult access, steep terrain, and we did have a red-flag warning (Wednesday),” Case said. “So that’s going to contribute to fire behavior.” As of Wednesday afternoon, Inciweb reported a total of 160 personnel assigned to the fire. Case noted a lack of resources has also contributed to the sudden expansion of the blaze. …As of Thursday morning, the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge is closed. No evacuations are in place at this time.
