A University of BC startup invented a wood-based filtration system that captures and neutralizes “forever chemicals“. In other Business news: US railways reach tentative agreement, as experts debate Canada’s move to end its rail shutdown; and Nova Scotia’s exempt status said to exacerbate lumber duties on other provinces. Meanwhile: Domtar is recognized by the Tennessee Recycling Coalition; US homebuilders raise housing as an election issue; Canada is set to reduce interest rates; and the latest from FSC Canada.
In Forestry/Wildfire news: Canada’s 2023 wildfire season overwhelmed the federal emergency centre; Joe Nemeth says fuel management is the answer to BC’s wildfire challenge; Nature Canada wants logging emissions to be tracked; Oregon wildfires beget new evacuations; and the Southern pine beetle is threatening Alabama’s forest economy.
Finally, Western Forest Products hosts Global Buyers Mission delegates on eve of Whistler event.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
Canfor announced Wednesday it would close its sawmills in Vanderhoof and Fort St. John, B.C., by the end of the year. …Canfor blamed the mill closures on “increasing regulatory complexity, high operating costs and the inability to reliably access economically viable timber.” …Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen said the city was “deeply shocked and saddened” by Canfor’s announcement. “This news is a significant hit to our community and the families directly affected,” she said. Brian O’Rourke, the president of United Steelworkers Local 1-2017 in Prince George, B.C., said the job losses would hit hard for Vanderhoof and Fort St. John. …O’Rourke pointed a finger for the continued mill closures at the BC government. “We had a forestry summit a number of months ago in Victoria where three of the largest unions came together, and we pointed out to the government all of the faults and things they needed to do,” the president said. “And since that time, it’s been crickets.”
VANCOUVER, BC — Due to persistent weak lumber markets, Canfor Corporation announced it will reduce production at its southern US operations. Canfor will indefinitely curtail one shift at its Darlington facility in South Carolina, and reduce operating hours at its Estill, South Carolina and Moultrie, Georgia locations. The company will also implement curtailments across other southern US operations to better align with market demand. These changes will reduce lumber production by approximately 215 million board feet on an annualized basis. “The changes we are making today will better align production capacity in our US operations with current market conditions,” said Lee Goodloe, President, Canfor Southern Pine. “We regret the impact these changes will have on our employees and their families.” The Company will continue to evaluate conditions on an ongoing basis and adjust operating rates to align with market demand. 
The recent U.S. decision to increase softwood lumber duties to nearly 15% is a blow to Canada. …Since 2017, Canadian lumber producers have paid more than $9-billion in duties. Many Canadians would be surprised to learn that Nova Scotia bears a heavy portion of blame. …The province of Nova Scotia… invests considerable effort to produce the benchmark information that it then shares with the United States. …Few Canadians know that softwood lumber produced in Nova Scotia is exempt from the U.S. duties. When U.S. lumber producers petitioned the U.S. government for the duties, they presented data on Nova Scotia’s timber pricing to support their allegations that other Canadian provinces were subsidizing producers. While Nova Scotia has benefited from securing its exclusion from the U.S. duties, other Canadian provinces bear that heavy burden. …It sets a dangerous precedent where a Canadian province collaborates with a foreign government at the expense of other provinces. [to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]
California is chipping away at developing new statewide rules to remove plants, mulch and other flammable materials within 5 feet of buildings and structures in fire-prone areas, the Board of Forestry confirmed this month. This proposed set of guidelines would also forbid that ubiquitous backyard feature — a wooden privacy fence. This rule lumps existing flammable fences into the same category as new construction. “We’re already getting calls on that,” Arbor Fence Manager Cassidy Everitt said. The Sonoma fence construction company uses redwood in at least 75% of its business No date is set on when the upcoming defensible space guidelines will be finalized or implemented, California Board of Forestry spokeswoman Edith Hannigan said. Insiders say it’s only a matter of time when insurance companies make the changes mandatory.
BRITISH COLUMBIA — It’s as regular as it depressing. Every summer Canada suffers from major wildfires. …After a 10-week wildfire season in 2017, former BC Forests minister George Abbott filed a 108-recommendation report outlining steps the province could take to reduce wildfire risk. …These reports and others highlight challenges between levels of government, better training of firefighters, updated technology and equipment — and “fuel management.” …Canada — and BC — are pretty good at fighting wildfires, but we aren’t very good at minimizing their size, spread and duration. That’s where “fuel management” comes in. …Want an example of how big a difference fuel management can make? Look to Finland, a country that in latitude, geography and tree species is comparable with the B.C. Interior. …And guess what, the “fuel” — the brush and hazard trees thinned out through this common sense practice — is directed to Finnish pulp and paper mills to keep them running and competitive.
