The US Administration panned the Republic-led ‘Fix Our Forests Act’ set for consideration in the House. In related news: Trudeau tells Stephen Colbert Americans are paying too much for lumber; and BC’s John Brink submits price to acquire four Canfor sawmills. Meanwhile: the US mass timber revolution needs better data; Kamloop’s mayor wants a new mass timber bridge; and Stora Enso celebrates its new mass timber head office in Finland.
In Forestry/Climate news: Quebec’s pension fund plans to invest in US forestlands; the US Endowment invests in the health and vitality of working forests; the US Sierra Club calls for more action on old-growth; a new study says California should start counting GHGs from logging; and Florida’s forest landowners brace for another hurricane.
Finally, the Globe and Mail features three forest stories during National Forest Week.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Four Research and Development scientists were honored Sept. 23 with a Deputy Chief Award, all cited for their excellence in the science, innovation and service that plays an integral role in driving the Forest Service forward as a science-based agency. …Collectively, the honorees contributed directly to work addressing issues like climate change, wildfire risk and the need to protect biodiversity. Their work is critical not only to the health and resilience of our forests and grasslands but also to the well-being of the communities that depend on these ecosystems. About the honorees:
LONDON — British power generator Drax could invest up to $12.5 billion developing biomass plants with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) in the US over the next decade. Drax, which generates around 6% of Britain’s electricity, said it is still committed to the UK but sees opportunities in the US for its technology. Its 
The European Union has been a world leader on climate change, passing groundbreaking legislation to reduce noxious 
SAVANNAH, Georgia — The chief executive over Georgia’s two booming seaports said Tuesday that a strike next week by dockworkers across the U.S. East and Gulf coasts appears likely, though he’s hopeful the resulting shutdown would last only a few days. …U.S. ports from Maine to Texas are preparing for a potential shutdown in a week, when the union representing 45,000 dockworkers in that region has threatened to strike starting Oct. 1. That’s when the contract expires between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports. Negotiations on a new contract halted in June. A strike would shut down 36 ports that handle roughly half the nations’ cargo from ships. …There hasn’t been a national longshoremen’s strike in the U.S. since 1977. …A prolonged strike would almost certainly hurt the U.S. economy.
The national index was unchanged month over month in August. Prices were unchanged in 13 of the 27 census metropolitan areas (CMAs) surveyed, while they increased in 8 and declined in the remaining 6 CMAs. The largest month-over-month decrease in August was recorded in Calgary (-0.4%), followed by St. Catharines–Niagara (-0.3%). …Nationally, the index was unchanged on a year-over-year basis in August following a 0.1% increase in July. The New Housing Price Index increased in 10 CMAs surveyed and was unchanged in 3, while it declined in 14.
Home prices remain elevated but price growth continues to decelerate, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index (HPI). The HPI (seasonally adjusted) reached its 14th monthly consecutive record high in July 2024. The index increased at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.15%, down slightly from a revised June rate of 2.19%. This rate has slowed over the past six months, from a high of 6.53% in February 2024. The index has not seen an outright decrease since January of 2023 (nineteen months). Separately, the House Price Index released by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA; SA) posted its sixth monthly consecutive record high, after having decreased slightly in January of this year. The FHFA HPI recorded a 1.57% increase in July, upward from a revised 0.03% rate in June.
The Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut last week has given prospective homebuyers something to celebrate: lower borrowing costs. …But while lower mortgage rates may translate to more buying power for homebuyers, America’s housing market woes aren’t likely to be solved solely by rate cuts. A shortage of homes for sale, combined with rising expenses like homeowners’ insurance and rent, have made the cost of both owning and renting a home in America increasingly unaffordable for many. …This shortage of homes has helped propel home prices to record highs. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median existing-home sales price was $416,700 in August, down slightly from the record high of $426,900 set in June. …There’s another reason: Many Americans bought homes in the years after the pandemic when rates were at historic lows. Many of those homeowners have been reluctant to sell and lose those cheap loans.
MONTRÉAL — CDPQ, a global investment group [and the second-largest pension fund in Canada], and Chinook Forest Partners, a natural capital investment manager, announced the launch of a new investment platform that will deploy significant capital to build a diversified and high-quality portfolio of forestland in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. …Established in 2018, the Chinook team is made up of experienced forestland and natural capital investment professionals with comprehensive understanding of the natural capital and landscape investment space, as well as a vast network of landowners, forest products manufacturers, external partners, and natural capital investors across the United States. …Emmanuel Jaclot, Executive VP and Head of Infrastructure at CDPQ said “By investing in forestland, we are not only protecting valuable natural assets but also contributing to the transition towards a greener economy.”
Reconciliation is a provincial imperative, embedded in law, and there is real progress and change. In 2019, government passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act). …Through this work, government is building a province where Indigenous excellence, leadership, governance and self-determination are recognized and respected. …Reconciliation agreements [with significant forestry components] include:
INDIANA — Managing public lands is a balancing act. There are laws, policies, executive orders, local economies, visitor needs, climate change predictions, effects to threatened and endangered species, the protection of cultural resources and sensitive natural areas, tribal consultation, public input, and the latest science to consider when making decisions. …First, it must be noted that our forests are not pristine, nor are they static. Habitat loss and degradation have resulted in major bird declines, including ruffed grouse, American woodcock and a variety of songbirds. We need to reestablish a diversity of forest habitats, from young to old, with a variety of plant species and structural complexity to meet the needs of native wildlife. …We also need to consider the mix of tree species the forest needs on the landscape in the future, as some species are predicted to be more successful than others given our changing climate.
CALIFORNIA — Construction is moving forward on a biomass plant in California that has been trying to get greenlit for the past decade. In addition to generating energy for Californians, the plant is intended to help reduce the risk of wildfires spreading. The new plant will receive wood and other plant materials from nearby forest restoration and maintenance projects in the Yuba River watershed. …Biomass is not necessarily the cleanest form of renewable energy. Cutting down trees just to turn them into biomass, for example, is not environmentally friendly. However, in California’s case, the biomass would come from plant materials removed to aid in wildfire prevention, making the entire process much less wasteful. …The plant, which will cost $30 million in total, is being funded in part by $7 million and an $8.3 million low-interest loan from the Yuba Water Agency.
UK — Wood and coal-burning homes in the UK now produce more particle air pollution than the vehicles on our roads. …The campaign group Mums for Lungs have called for a ban on stove sales and a public health campaign, but government action is based on helping people to burn better rather than not burning at all. …Dr James Heydon from the University of Nottingham has carried out a