Blog Archives

Today’s Takeaway

Tolko (Soda Creek) and Mercer (Peace River) announce downtime

The Tree Frog Forestry News
September 26, 2024
Category: Today's Takeaway

Tolko is temporarily curtailing its Soda Creek sawmill, while Mercer announced downtime at its Peace River pulp mill. In other Business news: Trump threatened John Deere with 200% tariffs; Biden is urged to pressure Europe to delay its deforestation ban—joining Sweden; and a DLA Piper primer on the EU Regulation. Meanwhile: the US economy grew 3% in Q2; US new home sales are down; and Canadian rental-construction is up.

In Forestry news: ENGO’s aim to overhaul BC’s forestry laws; the case for banning glyphosate in Ontario; Christine Gelowitz on the role of the professional forester in BC; National Forest Week stories from the YukonOntario, and UBC; and a US financing model to speed up forest thinning. In Wildfire news: Canada’s 2024 wildfire season was bad, with the northwest being hardest hit; work begins on protecting Banff National Park; and Oregon secures funding for its firefighting costs. 

Finally, the Canadian Institute of Forestry announced its 2024 National Award Recipients.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

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Looming East Coast Port Strike Could Shake Supply Chains

The Tree Frog Forestry News
September 25, 2024
Category: Today's Takeaway

The White House and forest industry expressed concern as US longshoremen from Maine to Texas appear ready to strike. In related news: US House approves ‘Fix our Forests Act‘ but Senate unlikely to consider it; and Drax launches new US-based subsidiary, plans to invest billions in biomass power plants. Meanwhile: the Softwood Lumber Board reports Q2 incremental demand generated; the USDA honours four R&D scientists; and Gorman’s Nick Arkle receives the King Charles III medal.

In Forestry/Climate news: ENGOs says Canada’s logging emissions rival the transportation sector; a BC Fairy Creek protester speaks out on wrongful arrest; Oregon gets pushback on plans to log dead and dying trees; Georgia seeks to expand forest innovation and investment; and Planet Labs releases AI-powered forest carbon monitoring.

Finally, a seed from an archaeological excavation germinated by Judean Desert researchers.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

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White House pans House forest bill on the floor this week

The Tree Frog Forestry News
September 24, 2024
Category: Today's Takeaway

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 

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Business & Politics

Canfor Pulp Announces Leadership Transition as CEO Kevin Edgson steps down

Canfor Pulp Products Inc.
September 26, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

VANCOUVER, BC – John Baird, Chairman of Canfor Pulp Products Board of Directors announced today that Kevin Edgson will be leaving the role of President and Chief Executive Officer on October 31, 2024. “On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Kevin for his significant contributions in the role of President and CEO since 2022,” said John Baird. “Kevin has worked through a number of challenges including a reduction in fibre supply in BC and fluctuating market conditions while transitioning Canfor Pulp to a smaller operational footprint. We are grateful for his leadership and appreciate his efforts to transform the company during his tenure.” The Board is in the process of selecting a successor and will share more details in the coming weeks. [END]

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Trudeau tells Stephen Colbert there’s frustration in Canada, but he’ll keep fighting

The Canadian Press
September 24, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

NEW YORK – Justin Trudeau’s interview on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” began with the expected jokes about bacon and Canadians saying sorry a lot, but the prime minister acknowledged it’s “a really tough time” in the country when the host asked about an expected confidence vote in Parliament this week. …Trudeau admitted there’s frustration. He said the housing crisis “is a little sharper” in Canada than it is in the U.S. And even though he said Canada’s economy is performing better on a “macro” level than its southern neighbour’s, people don’t feel it when they’re at the checkout. …Colbert also asked Trudeau about issues Canada and the U.S. fight over, such as the softwood lumber duty that the U-S Department of Commerce nearly doubled in August. Trudeau replied that Americans are paying too much for lumber because of the tariffs.

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Mercer Announces Downtime at its Peace River Mill

By Mercer International Inc.
GlobeNewswire
September 25, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

NEW YORK — Mercer announced that its Peace River mill has taken downtime to complete necessary repairs to the mill’s digester after experiencing a mechanical failure. The Company currently expects the repairs and related assessments will be completed in mid-October 2024, and anticipates that NBHK production at the mill will be reduced by approximately 45,000 tonnes during such period. The Company maintains property and business interruption insurance for the Peace River mill and expects the repairs and business interruption will be covered by such insurance, subject to customary deductibles and limits. …Mercer’s consolidated annual production capacity of 2.1 million tonnes of pulp, 960 million board feet of lumber, 210 thousand cubic meters of cross-laminated timber, 45,000 cubic meters of glulam, 17 million pallets and 230,000 metric tonnes of biofuels.

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Williams Lake sawmill will see 4-week temporary shutdown

The Williams Lake Tribune
September 25, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

WILLIAMS LAKE, BC — Mayor Surinderpal Rathor broke the news to city council of Tolko’s impending temporary shut down of its Soda Creek Division mill on Monday, Sept. 30. Tolko Industries Communications Advisor Chris Downey confirmed the announcement, citing challenging lumber markets, increased U.S. tariffs and the availability of economic fibre in the province as reasons for the temporary downtime. Downey said the planer will continue to operate for an estimated two more weeks after the Soda Creek sawmill stops producing in order to process inventory. The downtime will impact an estimated 50 workers. We recognize the impact this has on our workforce, and we would always rather be fully operational.” …Rathor expressed his concern for the impact of the closure on the community and what the shut down indicates about the health of the forest industry. “We are a resource-based community,” he said.

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European Union Deforestation Regulation: What US Companies Should Know

By Kristy Balsanek, Gwendolyn Keye, Richard Sterneberg et al
By DLA Piper
September 24, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Due diligence requirements under the Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR) will apply starting on December 30, 2024, setting in motion a landmark regulation to prevent products linked to deforestation and forest degradation from being placed on the EU market. …As described in further detail below, the EUDR will impact US companies that export covered commodities to the EU – either directly or indirectly through an EU supplier. …The EUDR gives companies 18 months from the date of its adoption to prepare for and implement the new rules, with large businesses – those with more than 250 employees – expected to be in compliance as of December 30, 2024 (smaller and micro enterprises have additional time to comply). In the meantime, the EU Commission is developing guidelines to clarify the EUDR’s requirements and published a nonbinding FAQ document to assist the regulated community in preparing for compliance. The final guidelines are expected to be adopted before the December 30, 2024 compliance date.

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Trump threatens John Deere with 200% tariffs if production moves to Mexico

By Gram Slattery and Kanishka Singh
Reuters
September 24, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON – Donald Trump said he would slap a 200% tariff on John Deere’s imports into the United States if the company moved production to Mexico as planned, comments that hit the agricultural equipment manufacturer’s share price. Earlier this year, John Deere announced that it was laying off hundreds of employees in the Midwest and increasing its production capacity in Mexico, a decision that upset workers and some political leaders. …The Republican presidential candidate has frequently said he would slap automakers that move their production to Mexico with a 200% tariff, but this appears to be the first time he has extended that threat to an agricultural equipment company. …The strategy is designed to protect American jobs from foreign competition, but economists warn his measures will boost inflation.

In related coverage: Donald Trump’s John Deere Threat Has a Problem: the USMCA Act

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House approves “Fix Our Forests Act” but faces little chance of consideration in the Senate

By Marc Heller
E&E News
September 25, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Scott Peters

WASHINGTON, DC — Legislation to speed forest thinning on federal lands to reduce wildfire threats passed the House Tuesday but faces little chance of consideration in the Senate. By a vote of 268-151, the Republican-led House passed the “Fix Our Forests Act,” H.R. 8790, sponsored by House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.). Fifty-five Democrats crossed the aisle to vote for the bill, while no Republicans opposed it. “This is a good bill that will help us finally turn the tide against the historic forest health crisis,” Westerman said during floor debate. The legislation includes a range of provisions supported by members of both parties, including stepping up forest projects in areas at the highest risk of wildfire and boosting research on fire-resilient construction and community wildfire preparation. 

In related coverage:

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Research and Development employees honored for work advancing science

The USDA Forest Service
September 24, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

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:

  • Distinguished Science Award – Research Ecologist Deanna Olson, PhD., Pacific Northwest Research Station…
  • Science Delivery Award – Fire Modeling Institute Director Greg Dillon, Rocky Mountain Research Station…
  • Early Career Scientist Award – Materials Research Engineer Laura Hasburgh, PhD., Forest Products Laboratory…
  • Pioneer in Science Award – General Engineer Johnny Grace, PhD., Southern Research Station…

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UK’s Drax to invest up to $12.5 billion in US biomass power plants over the next decade

By Susanna Twidale
Reuters
September 24, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

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 new Houton-based business, Elimini, is reviewing more than 20 potential sites for BECCS projects and has around 100 staff. Elimini plans to have its first U.S. project up and running by the end of 2030 which will require a $2.5 billion investment, CEO Will Gardiner said. …The company said that, as well as the BECCS plant capturing the emissions it creates by burning pellets, the absorption of greenhouse gases during the growth of the wood means its overall impact will be carbon negative, enabling it to generate carbon removal credits. …Drax said it had already entered 11 carbon removal deals with eight companies.

Related by Drax: Introducing Elimini: New carbon removal leader launches at New York Climate Week

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White House slams House forest bill on the floor this week

By Marc Heller
E&E News
September 23, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

The Office of Management and Budget said the “Fix Our Forests Act” would undermine protections for land, water and wildlife. The White House said Monday it’s “strongly opposed” to a Republican-led bill that could speed forest-thinning and related work in national forests. In a statement, the Office of Management and Budget said the “Fix Our Forests Act,” H.R. 8790, set for consideration in the House this week, could instead delay forest work by spurring more conflict and environmental litigation. While the measure sponsored by House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) embraces some recent recommendations of a federal wildfire commission, other provisions would harm the environment, the administration said. The White House said the bill “contains a number of provisions that would undermine basic protections for communities, lands, waters, and wildlife,” while reducing opportunities for public input on forest projects. [to access the full story a E&E News subscription is required]. 

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Helene lashes the South with wind and sheets of rain. Millions are without power

The Associated Press
September 27, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

CRAWFORDVILLE, Florida — Emergency crews rushed Friday to rescue people trapped in flooded homes after Helene roared ashore as a powerful Category 4 hurricane in Florida, generating a massive storm surge and knocking out power to millions of customers in several states. At least six people were reported dead. The storm made landfall late Thursday in a sparsely populated region with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph in the rural Big Bend area, home to fishing villages and vacation hideaways where Florida’s Panhandle and peninsula meet. But the damage extended hundreds of miles to the north, with flooding as far away as North Carolina. One Georgia county was almost entirely without power. …One local news station showed a home that was overturned, and many communities established curfews. …DO NOT TRY TO TREAD FLOODWATERS YOURSELF,” the sheriff’s office warned in a Facebook post. Authorities said the water could contain live wires, sewage, sharp objects and other debris.

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Cargo Carriers Fear Port Strike Will Paralyze Half of US Trade

By Brendan Murray
BNN Bloomberg
September 27, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

The world’s top container carrier is urging customers to move US cargo through East and Gulf Coast ports before the planned start on Tuesday of a dockworker strike. MSC Mediterranean Shipping said the talks “may not be resolved” by the Sept. 30 deadline, resulting in closures at terminals starting Oct. 1. That would delay the shipping of containers — both imports and exports — on trucks and railroads through ports from Boston to Houston. …The Geneva-based company said that it will continue to accept requests for dry cargo services while reserving the right to “not accept new refrigerated bookings.” Hapag-Lloyd cautioned that industrial action would will raise freight rates. …Oxford Economics estimated that a strike would cost the US economy $4.5 billion to $7.5 billion a week. …But the fallout of even a short strike would be costly for many retailers, manufacturers and other importers trying to ensure timely shipments.

In related coverage:

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Longshoremen from Maine to Texas appear likely to go on strike, seaport CEO says

By Russ Bynum
The Associated Press
September 24, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

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.

In related coverage:

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Finance & Economics

Record rental construction drives housing starts in Canada’s largest cities

By Aled ab Lorwerth, Deputy Chief Economist
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
September 26, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

OTTAWA – Total housing starts in the six largest census metropolitan areas (CMAs) rose by 4% in the first half of 2024 (68,639 units) compared to the same period in 2023 (65,905), driven by significant increases in Calgary, Edmonton, and Montréal. This according to the latest Housing Supply Report (HSR) by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), which examines new housing construction trends in Canada’s six largest CMA’s: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal. …Developers continued to focus on multi-unit apartment buildings at historically high levels, as the 49,172 apartment starts in the first half of 2024 made up 72% of all new home construction in the six CMAs. Construction of rental housing, supported by many government incentives and policies, made up the highest share of apartment starts on record (47%) and over one third of total housing starts.

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Canada challenges doubling of US duty rate on imported Canadian softwood lumber

By Leo Ryan
The American Journal of Transportation
September 25, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

It’s here-we-go-again time in Canada-US trade relations on softwood lumber. And the Canadian government this month has filed legal challenges to the decision by the Department of Commerce to increase the duty it charges on softwood lumber imports from Canada to 14.54% from 8.05%. …The decision has coincided with depressed market conditions… which have fueled mill curtailments and permanent closures across Canada as well as the United States. Adding to the negative landscape has been the impact of the most destructive wildfires in Canadian forest history in 2023. …Canada is the top global exporter of softwood lumber – valued at C$13.7 billion in 2022, with the US market alone accounting for about two-thirds of this total. …Although some analysts see the fundamentals underlying softwood lumber’s end-use markets remaining strong, the trends of shipments in the past few years have reflected an industry under severe stress. 

Related coverage by George Lauriat in AJOT:  Forest products trade trends

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New home price index remains stable at the Canada level

Statistics Canada
September 23, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

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.

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US economy grows at 3% annualized pace in second quarter

By Josh Schafer
Yahoo! Finance
September 26, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The US economy grew at a 3% annualized pace in the second quarter, a faster rate than Wall Street had expected. The Bureau of Economic Analysis’s third estimate of second quarter US gross domestic product (GDP) was unchanged from the second estimate which had shown 3% annualized growth. Economists had estimated the reading to show annualized growth of 2.9%. The third estimate for second quarter GDP confirms that economic growth was higher than the 1.4% annualized growth seen in the first quarter. “The revisions only strengthen our conviction that the US economy will continue to expand at a decent pace over the coming year, which suggests labor market conditions are unlikely to deteriorate markedly from here,” said Oxford Economics deputy chief economist Michael Pearce. Separately, data from the US Labor Department released Thursday showed 218,000 unemployment claims were filed in the week ending Sept. 21, below Wall Street’s expectations for 223,000.

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US New Home Sales Fall in August

By Robert Dietz
The NAHB Eye on Housing
September 25, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Expectations of the Federal Reserve beginning the first in a series of rate reductions kept potential home buyers in a holding pattern in August. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in August fell 4.7% after an unusually strong July, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. August new home sales registered a 716,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate, after an upwardly revised estimate of 751,000 for July. Despite the slip in August, the three-month moving average for new home sales is at its highest level since March of 2022. New home sales are up 4% on a year-to-date basis through August. …While a 7.8 months’ supply may be considered elevated in normal market conditions, there is currently only a 4.1 months’ supply of existing single-family homes on the market. 

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US Home Price Growth Slowing

By Onnah Dereski
NAHB – Eye on Housing
September 24, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

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.

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US Consumer Confidence Dips Amid Job Market Concerns

By Fan-Yu Kuo
The NAHB Eye on Housing
September 24, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Consumer confidence fell to a 3-month low in September due to growing concerns about the job market, despite the labor market remaining healthy. Recent job growth revisions showed fewer jobs were added in 2023 than initially reported. However, the unemployment rate remained at a relatively low level and wage growth continued to outpace inflation. This suggests the labor market is cooling from its red-hot pace but remains steady. The Consumer Confidence Index fell from 105.6 to 98.7 in September, the largest monthly decline since August 2021. The Consumer Confidence Index consists of two components: how consumers feel about their present situation and about their expected situation. The Present Situation Index decreased 10.3 points from 134.6 to 124.3, and the Expectation Situation Index fell 4.6 points from 86.3 to 81.7, but still remained above the 80 threshold. Historically, an Expectation Index reading below 80 often signals a recession within a year.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Concrete innovation: a deep dive into the long-term impacts of cement

By Macenzie Rebelo
Canadian Contractor
September 24, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Concrete has been the most relied upon and used building material not only in Canada but the entire world. In fact, concrete is the second most consumed material in the world next to water. Concrete provides structural benefits due to its reliability and durability. …It is also highly accessible, which makes it cost-effective and affordable. However, the cement industry is responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gases and Canada produces approximately 60 million tonnes of concrete each year, explains the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC). …According to the CAGBC, a way to reduce embodied carbon in concrete is to add supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) to concrete mixes, reducing the amount of cement. …Timber is also a common substitute for concrete entirely and in the last decade, there has been a push across the nation to build with mass timber. 

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Stora Enso’s new head office in Helsinki – a beacon of sustainable and low-carbon construction

Stora Enso
September 18, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

HELSINKI, Finland — Stora Enso has started operations in its new head office, Katajanokan Laituri in Helsinki, the largest mass timber building in Finland. Showcasing the company’s wood products and solutions, the building is a true landmark in sustainable architecture and low-carbon construction. The lightweight, prefabricated mass timber elements allowed the multi-storey, mixed-use building to be the first project in decades to be constructed in the historic, well-preserved as well as culturally significant Helsinki landscape and harbour area. The building, owned by mutual pension insurance company Varma, was completed on schedule in July 2024. The four-storey Katajanokan Laituri houses Stora Enso’s head office and Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4. The building is also open to the public who now can experience and enjoy the wooden architectural design in its entirety.

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Forestry

Canada’s 2024 wildfire season on track to be 2nd largest in last 20 years

By Jordan Omstead
The Canadian Press in Global News
September 25, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Canada’s wildfire season is on track to be the second largest in at least the past two decades, trailing only last year’s record-breaking season, federal officials said Wednesday. Officials said above-normal temperatures and drought conditions across parts of Canada have continued to drive fire activity, with 5.3 million hectares burned so far, though they caution that number is preliminary. Outside of last year’s roughly 15 million hectares burned, federal records indicate only three other seasons have topped five million hectares, and the last was in 1995. Yan Boulanger, a research scientist with Natural Resources Canada, said climate change has contributed to earlier starts and later ends to the wildfire season, turning fire into a year-round phenomenon. …Western Canada has, as expected, been hit hardest this year, with about 70 per cent of the total area burned falling in British Columbia, Alberta, Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan, officials say.

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Quebec pension fund to invest in forestland in the US Pacific Northwest

By Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
Cision Newswire
September 23, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States

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.”

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Forestry decline is a sign that we have to look forward

By Albert Koehler, former city councillor
The Prince George Citizen
September 26, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

PRINCE GEORGE, BC — Who is to blame? It is not just the political landscape that is changing but the picture of the altering economics must be seen through a new frame. …Yes, it was somehow foreseeable, but the recent announcement of closures of the Canfor sawmill in Fort St. John and the big Plateau Mill in Vanderhoof clearly confirms that our forestry industry is in deep trouble. How come? The steadily increasing tariffs along with relatively high taxes and stumpage fees cause lumber producers to not be competitive anymore. The government’s fault? Yes. If corporations cannot earn enough money to invest and stay alive, they must close. No doubt, wildfires and pine beetles have contributed to timber shortages, as well as wrong forest management and policies. …It is difficult to understand why we were unable to establish a secondary manufacturing industry, a wood value-adding industry.

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Balancing science of forestry with public expectations

By Christine Gelowitz, CEO, Forest Professionals British Columbia
The Alberni Valley News
September 25, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Christine Gelowitz

Few realize that forestry is an applied science, which makes forest professionals, the people who practise professional forestry, de facto ‘working scientists.’ …Within forestry there are specialized fields such as silviculture, forest ecology, forest operations and forest conservation. …In addition to its scientific aspects, forestry can be an art. It involves developing forest management plans to delicately balance many dynamic—and sometimes conflicting—social, environmental, and economic values including biodiversity, wildlife habitat, wildfire management, water quality and watershed management, recreation opportunities, carbon sequestration, Indigenous values, public safety, timber production, and employment opportunities. …How forests were managed in the past is not how they are managed today, and not how they will be managed in the future. Forest professionals support this ongoing change. They are following the science and adapting their practices to meet changing forest conditions for the betterment of forests and the well-being of everyone living in this province.

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B.C. man speaks out on wrongful arrest after watchdog slams RCMP conduct at Fairy Creek

By Brett Forester
CBC News
September 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A British Columbia man is speaking out after the RCMP watchdog chastised a controversial unit for its “frequent unreasonable actions” at Fairy Creek in 2021. Brian Smallshaw, from Salt Spring Island, said he suspected the force was breaking the law. …In a scathing report completed last month, the commission found the Mounties wrongfully arrested Smallshaw. The company that owns the logging rights in the contested area, Teal-Jones Group, was granted an injunction in B.C. Supreme Court prohibiting protesters from blocking access to roads and company activity. The report harshly criticizes the RCMP’s Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) for using legally unjustified, “disproportionately intrusive” methods when enforcing that injunction. …The report says the complaints commission made similar findings about C-IRG in three subsequent reviews, which are not yet public. …In a statement, the RCMP agreed with the recommendations, including that someone should apologize to Smallshaw.

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Ducks Unlimited Canada unveil commemorative cairn honouring George Reifel, a long-time advocate of wetland conservation

By Ducks Unlimited Canada
By Cision Newswire
September 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

DELTA, BC — Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) unveiled a commemorative cairn honouring George Reifel, a long-time advocate of waterfowl and wetland conservation and a passionate supporter of DUC. The ceremony took place at the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, a conservation area named for Reifel’s grandfather, George C. Reifel, that represents the Reifel family’s enduring commitment to wildlife and habitat preservation. …”George Reifel’s dedication to conservation has left an enduring mark on our landscapes and our organization,” said Michael Nadler, CEO of Ducks Unlimited Canada. “The sanctuary and wetlands he and his family helped protect will continue to flourish as living tributes to their efforts. His dedication and selfless contributions are worthy of celebration, and recognition.”

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The case for banning chemical herbicides in forestry in Ontario

Letter by Joel Theriault, Stop the Spray Ontario
The Timmins Daily Press
September 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

ONTARIO — On September 10, 2024 approximately 600 liters of concentrated glyphosate chemical herbicides were spilled near the Temagami First Nation due to a forestry tanker truck accident. This event has intensified an already heated debate surrounding the use of chemical herbicides by Ontario’s forestry sector, highlighting their potential dangers to ecosystems, wildlife, and public health. The financial motivations for their use ignore the long-term repercussions on human health, wildlife populations, and ecological stability. The real costs, such as rising cancer rates, declining moose populations, and environmental degradation, are completely externalized, falling on taxpayers rather than the companies profiting from these practices. …As the Ontario legislature prepares to address this issue, the hope is that this disaster will prompt a reassessment of current practices. The spill serves as a critical reminder of the environmental and social injustices associated with chemical herbicides.

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US Hardwood Federation urges White House to prevent port strike, opposes old growth amendments to forestry plans

Hardwood Floors Magazine
September 26, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

The Hardwood Federation joined 176 industry groups and partners in the ocean shipping coalition to urge the Biden Administration to engage dock workers and port terminal operators and avoid a strike following the expiration of the current labor contract. …The letter calls upon “the administration to immediately work with both parties to resume contract negotiations and ensure there is no disruption to port operations and cargo fluidity if a new contract is not reached by the expiration date.” …The Hardwood Federation…is urging federal regulators to reject environmental assessments that will open the door to amendment of forest management plans. This would open the door to adopting a “one-size-fits-all” definition for “old growth forest” that will remove even more acreage from sustainable management. …Furthermore, industry is concerned that undertaking wholesale amendment of existing forest plans will further strain agency resources which are already burdened by work related to wildfire mitigation.

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Colorado’s Wildfire Review Committee Approves Bills to Bolster Forestry Workforce and Improve Prevention and Mitigation Strategies

Colorado House Democrats
September 26, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

DENVER, Colorado – The Wildfire Matters Review Committee advanced bills to bolster the forestry workforce and improve wildfire prevention and mitigation strategies. Bill 2, sponsored by Representatives Tisha Mauro, D-Pueblo, and Ron Weinberg, R-Loveland, and Senators Janice Marchman, D-Loveland and Mark Baisley, R-Woodland Park, would grant landowners who allow access to their property during an emergency immunity from civil liability charges for damage or injury to people or property. …Sponsored by Senator Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs and Representative Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, as well as Marchman, Bill 3 would support outreach programs to bolster the forestry workforce. The bill would direct Colorado State University to develop outreach programs to build skills and forestry career awareness, and to promote degree programs in forestry. Additionally, it would require the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to provide grants for firefighter and trainer certification.

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Province-wide coalition aims to overhaul BC forestry laws

The Prince George Citizen
September 25, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, US West

Herb Hammond

PRINCE GEORGE, BC — The Power of Forests Project, a BC-wide coalition that want to see changes made to the province’s forestry industry, will be in Prince George on the weekend. The event happens Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Canfor Theatre from noon to 3:30 p.m., with forester Herb Hammond and Michelle Connolly of Conservation North, a volunteer-led group in Prince George. …Project organizers are calling for a new provincial forestry act, the primary objective of which would be to maintain the ecological integrity of forest ecosystems while developing community-based jobs that would strengthen the provincial economy. …“With 55,000 jobs lost in 20 years and all the damage being done, the current forestry system is not worth keeping. Legislation must safeguard the people and nature – our very survival depends on it,” said Jennifer Houghton.

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State leaders send forestry department extra $47.5 million to cover mounting wildfire costs

By Alex Baumhardt
The Oregon Capital Chronicle
September 25, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The Oregon Department of Forestry is getting help from the state’s general fund to pay its bills after a record wildfire season. The Legislative Emergency Board voted Wednesday to send $47.5 million to the forestry department to help cover the costs of the 2024 wildfire season. Spending on wildfires so far this year has topped nearly $250 million, about 2.5 times the amount budgeted for the forestry department and the State Fire Marshal’s Office for wildfire response. …About half of the $47.5 million was previously earmarked for a potentially expensive wildfire season, while $20 million was appropriated as emergency funding by the board. There have been more than 2,000 fires this year that have scorched nearly 2 million acres – a record in the state and more than three times the 10-year average for acres burned. Gov. Tina Kotek has invoked the Conflagration Act 17 times this year – a new record. 

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Georgia Senate Forestry Committee Plans Key Discussion on Sustainability Practices

By Bella Cruz
Hoodline
September 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

As Georgia’s Senate continues its exploration of how best to push the state’s forestry into the future, a second meeting by the Senate Advancing Forest Innovation in Georgia Study Committee has been scheduled. Set for Monday, September 30, at 10:00 a.m., President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy (R–Macon) is slated to chair this pivotal discussion on supporting sustainable practices in forestry and related industries. …The committee, focusing on public policy to foster investment into facilities that utilize Georgia-grown products to manufacture sustainable components and energy, first convened on a date not specified. Their task is to advance forest innovation through legislation, research, and partnerships that bolster the sector’s eco-friendly and economic potential. 

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‘Still suffering’: Residents in Florida’s new hurricane alley brace for Helene impact

By Ana Goñi-Lessan, James Call and Jeff Burlew
The Tallahassee Democrat
September 23, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

FLORIDA — Everyone is gun shy in Taylor County, Florida. …After Hurricane Idalia, then Hurricane Debby, Florida residents aren’t taking any chances, he said. …Tropical Cyclone Nine in the Gulf of Mexico, soon-to-be Helene, shows Florida’s Big Bend as a likely destination for a Thursday landfall of a possible Category 3 hurricane. It’s still too early to pinpoint the exact location of landfall, but the storm could land in Taylor County again – making it the third time the area has been hit by a hurricane in a little over a year. …Michelle Curtis has worked in the forestry industry for more than 50 years, and said the region is still reeling from the one – two punch Idalia and Debby delivered. The two storms created about a combined $500 million in agricultural losses, according to a University of Florida. 

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Logging’s climate threat: Emissions now rival transportation

By Michael Polanyi, Nature Canada
The National Observer
September 25, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

With record wildfires ravaging much of Canada again this summer, the imperative to reduce GHG emissions grows. Oil companies have been rightly called out for their significant contribution. But another sector, which to date has been mischaracterized by government and industry as carbon-neutral, is also playing a major role in driving the climate crisis. A new report, 2024 Logging Emissions Update, release by Nature Canada, Nature Quebec, and Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), found that logging in Canada released 147 megatonnes (Mt) of carbon dioxide in 2022 – one-fifth of Canada’s total reported emissions. …The finding that logging is a high-emitting sector runs counter to longstanding claims by both industry and governments that logging in Canada is “sustainable” and a low-carbon climate solution. …Still, Energy and Natural Resources Canada’s recent State of Canada’s Forests report claims that “sustainable forest management helps to mitigate climate change.”

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New Study Suggests California Should Start Counting Timber Industry’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions

By R.V. Scheide
A News Cafe
September 23, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US West

A new study on the impacts of the logging and wood products industry in Shasta and Siskiyou Counties has found such economic activities emit an average of 4 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year. …The estimated climate damages caused by the emissions far exceeds the revenue generated by logging and wood products. The kicker? According to the study, California does not currently report or regulate GHG emissions from industrial logging activities because they are erroneously considered carbon neutral. The emissions produced by the industry statewide is estimated to be 17 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year. …The new study, “Climate Impacts of Logging and Wood Products in Shasta and Siskiyou Counties, California” was conducted by John Talberth, Ph.D., for the Center for Sustainable Economy, an environmental economics think tank based in Port Townsend, WA. …The report was commissioned by the Battle Creek Alliance, an environmental nonprofit.

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