Blog Archives

Today’s Takeaway

Rail strike in Canada more likely—but not until mid-July

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

A rail strike in Canada is deemed more likely now, as Union votes on whether to extend strike threat. In other Business news: BC’s Conservative leader outlines forest-friendly election platform; Maine’s T&D Wood Energy is fined for excess emissions; Timberlab’s South Carolina mill reaches full capacity; Forestry Innovation Investment releases its 2023/24 Year in Review; and Massachusetts Institute of Technology features famed timber architect Schim Menges.

In Forestry/Wildfire news: USDA seeks comment on old-growth guidance report; ENGOs say US old-growth plan is wanting; a Montana judge is set to rule on the Pintler logging project; Quebec’s Port-Cartier wildfire is slowed by weather; an evacuation alert is announced for Zama City, Alberta; and the Churchill Falls, NL evacuation order remains in place.

Finally, and sadly, forestry billionaire James K. Irving, has died at the age of 96.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

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US plan proposes to limit but not ban old-growth logging

The Tree Frog Forestry News
June 21, 2024
Category: Today's Takeaway

The US is proposing to restrict logging of old-growth forests but with exceptions to protect against wildfire, insects and disease. In related news: the USDA seeks input on its old-growth plan; the USDA updated its climate adaptation and forest resilience plans; BC’s land use agenda is said to put economic growth at risk; and the Swedish industry pans the recently-passed EU nature law. Meanwhile: Paper Excellence secures two CleanBC grants; and Espanola, Ontario is holding up six-months after Domtar closure.

In Forestry news: First Nations and FSC Canada encourage Quebec to support federal caribou protections; Mosaic Forest Management’s carbon credits are questioned; Ontario invests to protect against invasive species; and BC Forest Practices Board releases audit summary report. In Forest Product news: the 2024 Governor General’s Medals in Architecture emphasize wood; why timber is key to countering climate change; and Amazon shifts from plastic to recycled paper packaging.

Finally, former BC wildfire fighters worry safety at risk as experienced workers leave.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

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Despite objections, Ottawa moves on order to protect caribou

The Tree Frog Forestry News
June 20, 2024
Category: Today's Takeaway

Despite objections and concern over forestry jobs, Ottawa moves forward on emergency order to protect Quebec’s endangered caribou. In related news: researchers say culling wolves could be bad for caribou; the US asks the European Union to delay its deforestation law; and some Amazon forests are helped by drought. Meanwhile: APA announced its 2023 Safety Awards; CWC released its 2023 Annual Report, and Monika Patel is appointed CEO of FSC Canada.

In Forestry/Wildfire news: a fire causes Churchill Falls, Newfoundland to evacuate; Quebec calls for vigilance given heat wave; WorkSafeBC urges employers to protect workers from heat stress; hundreds of structures are destroyed in New Mexico wildfires; and Oregonians get a preview of new wildfire hazard map. Meanwhile: a mill fire is reported at Visscher Lumber in Chilliwack, BC; and a Washington company makes false declarations on timber imports.

Finally, US builder confidence ticks down in May, as US housing starts fall to four-year low. 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

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Business & Politics

Rail strike in Canada likely as ‘essential services’ hurdle seems to have tumbled

By Charlotte Goldstone
The Loadstar
June 18, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Final submissions to the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) reveal neither rail companies nor union believe “essential services” will be disrupted by a strike, which could pave the way for action. On 14 June, the CIRB took final submissions from Canadian National (CN), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) and other affected organisations, to make a final decision on whether a strike should be allowed to go ahead. In the submission documents, both rail operators and the union conclude that rail services could not be deemed as essential. …Submissions arguing that a strike would cause immediate risk to public safety came from industries affiliated with named “essential” products. …Meanwhile, some stakeholders, including CN and CPKC, requested a 30-day “cooling off period” before a strike, currently only 72 hours is required.

Related coverage in FreightWaves: Union voting on whether to extend strike threat by CN, CPKC rail workers

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BC says it is ‘determined to support’ forestry workers after Merritt mill closure

By Cheyanna Lorraine
Kelowna Now
June 24, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

MERRITT, BC — Earlier this month, a mill in Merritt announced that it would be temporarily pausing operations. …According to the statement, staff from the Ministry of Forests have met monthly with Aspen Planers for almost a year to address concerns and will continue to do so.”…The City of Merritt on Friday said the city said it was hopeful that the government could find a way forward and a way to resolve “issues in this vital forestry sector.” …According to the Ministry of Forests, the closure was caused by the “many challenges” facing the forestry industry in North America… and it would be increasing access to fibre. …The province said it has taken several steps to speed up salvage logging permits following wildfires, fund local forestry manufacturing projects and make stumpage more responsive to market price.

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A former Liberal’s Conservative prescription for B.C.

By Nelson Bennett
Business in Vancouver
June 21, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

John Rustad

A BC Conservative government would axe B.C.’s carbon tax, lower taxes in general, tackle government debt, remove CleanBC restrictions that hamper new LNG development, reform B.C.’s stumpage system for forestry, reverse course on drug decriminalization, get tough on violent crime, and take a different approach to reconciliation with First Nations. John Rustad, leader of the Conservative Party of B.C., sketched out his party’s election platform Thursday before a business audience at a meeting hosted by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade. Rustad opened with a criticism of the NDP government’s handling of the economy, spending and social issues. …He said the NDP government’s commitment to protecting 30 per cent of B.C.’s land by 2030 threatened working forests, farmland and ranch land. Rustad said he would also address permitting for other resources, including forestry to free up timber for sawmills, and would reform the current stumpage system.

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B.C.’s embrace of United Nations declaration is ‘holding back’ First Nations

By Douglas Todd
The Province
June 20, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ellis Ross

More politicians are coming forward to urge governments to end their commitment to the broad ideals of the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). They maintain that the B.C. government’s attempt to appear pro-Indigenous is actually holding back First Nations development through forestry, mining, natural gas and other industrial agreements. Former Haisla Nation chief councillor Ellis Ross is echoing the new position of B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad, who wants to repeal UNDRIP, saying it was established for conditions in other countries — not Canada. …Ross said governments’ embrace of UNDRIP is blocking the progress B.C. First Nations have made through 40 years of courtroom decisions, which have paved the way for Indigenous people to hammer out pragmatic agreements that increase Indigenous wealth. “Why do you want to stop all that progress?”

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B.C.’s land use and resource agenda puts economy on shaky ground

By Jock Finlayson & Ken Peacock
Business in Vancouver
June 20, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

British Columbia is an unusual place for several reasons. One is the outsized role land-based industries play in our economy. …Second is that the government owns and controls more than 90% of all land, although the Crown’s jurisdiction is limited by the legal rights of First Nations. Against this backdrop, over the past several months the David Eby government has unveiled a host of initiatives affecting land use and the management of natural resources. The extent of the proposed changes to laws, policies and regulatory frameworks, if enacted, will be highly consequential for industry, workers and resource-dependent communities, and will dampen real income growth. …While often well-intentioned, the province’s actions risk creating widespread uncertainty about the investment and operating environment for all land-based industries. And this comes at an inopportune time as B.C.’s economy is visibly sputtering, and the government’s fiscal position is deteriorating at a breathtaking pace.

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Fire knocked down at Chilliwack’s Visscher Lumber on Lickman Road

The Chilliwack Progress
June 19, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

CHILLIWACK, BC — Fire crews were called out to a lumber mill in Chilliwack at around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. Calls came in to the Chilliwack Fire Department reporting smoke and a metal silo on fire at Visscher Lumber on Lickman Road north of South Sumas Road. When firefighters arrived on scene they reported that the building was fully engulfed in flames and there were exposures nearby. One witness reported hearing multiple explosions prior to seeing smoke. First responders were able to knock down the fire just before to 5 p.m., but smoke could still be seen in the area after 6 p.m. as crews continued to douse flames and hot spots.

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How Espanola, Ontario is faring six months after Domtar indefinitely idled its pulp and paper milll

By Aya Dufour
CBC NewsB
June 20, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

ESPANOLA, Ontario — It’s been a little over six months since Domtar indefinitely idled the pulp and paper mill in Espanola, Ontario, and put 450 jobs on the chopping block. Some feared the shutdown would depress the local economy. But so far these dreaded outcomes have not materialized. …The Unifor Action Centre is also striking an optimistic tone. …Johnathan Nadeau says a voluntary survey conducted among the 250 former mill workers represented by Unifor Local 74 suggests about 35 per cent of them are still looking for their new permanent jobs. …While the closure of the mill caused some hardship, Nadeau says he’s heard some inspiring stories from his former colleagues, including some that have taken on roles they find more fulfilling. …As for the future of the idled mill, it remains unclear. …Domtar spokesperson Louis Bouchard said “the site remains available for purchase, and we are willing to explore a potential sale”.

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Biden administration proposes to limit cutting old-growth trees

By Rachel Frazin
The Hill Times
June 20, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

The Biden administration is proposing new protections for old-growth forests, but stopping short of blocking all logging of the carbon-storing plants. The Forest Service on Thursday proposed to limit the culling of these mature trees in national forests, stoking ire from some in the timber industry and cheers from environmental groups. Studies have shown that old-growth trees store significant amounts of carbon dioxide — making their protection important for fighting climate change. …“Today’s action will help better inform the stewardship of the national forest system and strengthen our work to deploy nature-based solutions that improve the resilience of lands, waters, wildlife, and communities,” said national climate adviser Ali Zaidi . …The American Forest Resource Council described the proposal as “politically driven” and said …“the Biden Administration should prioritize the implementation of its wildfire strategy that calls for more forest health treatments.” Environmental advocates, meanwhile, said that the move represented a positive development.

Additional coverage in Common Dreams, by Jessica Corbett: Green Groups Praise ‘Step Forward’ on Biden Old-Growth Forest Plan

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Biden administration won’t ban logging in old-growth forests, but new plan still vexes industry

By Mathew Brown
The Associated Press in PBS News
June 20, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

BILLINGS, Montana — The Biden administration is advancing its plan to restrict logging within old-growth forests that are increasingly threatened by climate change, with exceptions that include cutting trees to make forests less susceptible to wildfires, according to a U.S. government analysis. The analysis, which is expected to be published Friday, shows that officials intend to reject a blanket prohibition on old-growth logging that’s long been sought by some environmentalists. Officials concluded that such a sweeping ban would make it harder to thin forests to better protect communities against wildfires that have grown more severe as the planet has warmed. The exceptions under which logging would be allowed are unlikely to placate the timber industry and Republicans in Congress. …“There’s so little timber sales that occur right now in old-growth … that the overall effects are very small,” Forest Service Deputy Chief Chris French said.

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Tacoma company pleads guilty for false declarations on timber imports

The US Department of Justice
June 14, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

TACOMA, Washington — Tip the Scale LLC, of Tacoma, pleaded guilty and was sentenced June 14 for making false declarations regarding the species and harvest location of timber used in wooden cabinets and vanities. Tip the Scale does business as L & D Kitchen and Bath. …Between January and May of 2020, Tip the Scale imported five shipping containers of wooden cabinets and vanities, all of which were falsely declared. The products, which were harvested and produced in China, were declared as a false species of wood harvested in Malaysia. By doing so, Tip the Scale evaded oversight of Chinese-harvested timber and more than $850,000 in import duties. The Lacey Act requires that importers of wood products file a declaration which describes the scientific genus and species as well as the harvest country of imports that contain timber. The company was sentenced to pay $360,000 in fines and serve three years of probation.

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Three-generation family-owned New Hampshire sawmill destroyed in fire

By Ray Brewer
WMUR Manchester
June 24, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

BOSCAWEN, New Hampshire — A Boscawen sawmill that has been run by the same family for three generations is gone after an early morning fire leveled the business days before the owners were set to retire. The official cause of the fire is undetermined, but the owners said they have no doubt it was started by lightning. “This is history right here that has been burnt to the ground,” said owner Lynn Colby, of Colby Lumber. For nearly a century, the Colby family ran the sawmill. Now, all that’s left is rubble. …Video from a witness showed the sawmill building fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived at the Colby Sawmill. A passerby called in the fire at around 4 a.m. The fire would eventually go to two alarms, fed by more than just the wood in the sawmill.

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T&D Wood Energy fined for repeated environmental violations, excess emissions

By Emmett Gartner
The Maine Monitor in the Press Herald
June 23, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

SANFORD, Maine — State officials voted Thursday to fine the operators of a Sanford wood pellet manufacturing facility $151,550 for a string of violations dating back to 2020. The violations – which include failing to meet testing deadlines, exceeding emissions requirements and failing to keep sufficient records — were ongoing even as the facility was awarded $600,000 in state funds in 2022. The money has not yet been distributed. The plant, operated by T&D Wood Energy and formerly included Player Design, has been the subject of several complaints made to the state Department of Environmental Protection over the years, DEP staff said. …Despite warnings from the department, issues abounded over the next few years. DEP staff conducted several full inspections and issued four license amendments to address noncompliance issues, said Kennedy.

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Finance & Economics

Prices if raw materials purchased in Canada declined 1.0% in May

Statistics Canada
June 21, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

On a monthly basis, Canada’s Industrial Product Price Index (IPPI)  was unchanged in May following four consecutive months of increases. Lower prices for energy and petroleum products (-3.9%) and lumber and other wood products (-4.9%) were largely offset by price increases for primary non-ferrous metal products (+4.3%) and meat, fish and dairy products (+1.6%). Excluding energy and petroleum products, the IPPI rose 0.5%. …Prices for lumber and other wood products (-4.9%) also declined from April to May. Lower prices for softwood lumber (-10.2%) drove the month-over-month decline. This was the largest monthly decrease in softwood lumber prices since June 2022 (-29.4%). Lumber demand was soft in May 2024 amid continued housing affordability challenges. For example, 30-year mortgage rates in the United States, the primary market for Canadian lumber, surpassed 7.0% for the first time this year, in late April. 

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US Leading Economic Index® (LEI) Fell Again in May

The Conference Board
June 21, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for the U.S. decreased by 0.5 percent in May 2024 to 101.2 (2016=100), following a 0.6 percent decline in April. Over the six-month period between November 2023 and May 2024, the LEI fell by 2.0 percent—a smaller decrease than its 3.4 percent contraction over the previous six months. “The U.S. LEI fell again in May, driven primarily by a decline in new orders, weak consumer sentiment about future business conditions, and lower building permits,” said Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, Senior Manager, Business Cycle Indicators, at The Conference Board. “While the Index’s six-month growth rate remained firmly negative, the LEI doesn’t currently signal a recession. We project real GDP growth will slow further to under 1 percent (annualized) over Q2 and Q3 2024, as elevated inflation and high interest rates continue to weigh on consumer spending.”

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Siemens Predicts Rapid Uptick for the Construction Industry

By Kitty Wheeler
Construction Digital
June 21, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, International

The construction industry worldwide should brace for a potential upturn, according to recent analysis by Siemens, the German multinational conglomerate. …While the industry has faced challenges in recent years, including supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures, several indicators suggest a more positive outlook is on the horizon. The Building Cost Information Service (BICS) has now predicted over the next five years, total new work output is forecast to grow by 21%. …This anticipated surge is expected to drive a corresponding rise in demand for plant-hire services across various categories, including: excavation, pumping, piling, bulldozing, lifting, and earth-moving equipment. …Primarily, the anticipated upturn in the construction industry is thought to be driven by increasing infrastructure investments and government stimulus programs aimed at economic recovery and modernisation. 

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Falling Lumber Prices Are Just the Start. The Whole Economy Is Slowing.

Trading View
June 21, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Data released on Friday shows that housing starts and building permits have dropped to their lowest levels since mid-2020, and lumber prices are responding. …As of yesterday’s close, lumber is down 9.7% over the last month and down 15% since this time last year. Permit issuance dropped 3.8% last month to an annualized pace of 1.38 million, down from 1.44 million in April. Everyone is getting housing wrong now. The interest rate lags are beginning to hit, and housing construction is clearly telling you the impacts are just starting to manifest. …The data isn’t good, which matters for U.S. markets. Lumber is likely to continue its downtrend in response; it is one of the most expensive materials used in a new home, and homebuilder sentiment has a big impact on lumber’s prices. As homebuilding permits and housing starts slump, lumber demand slacks and prices fall — just as we are seeing today.

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US Housing Starts Retreat in May

By Robert Dietz
NAHB – Eye on Housing
June 20, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Single-family and multifamily housing starts fell in May as high interest rates for construction and development loans and elevated mortgage rates held back both housing supply and demand. Overall housing starts fell 5.5% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.28 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. …Within this overall number, single-family starts decreased 5.2% to a 982,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate. However, on a year-to-date basis, single-family starts are up 18.8%, albeit off weak early 2023 data. …The multifamily sector, which includes apartment buildings and condos, declined 6.6% to an annualized 295,000 pace. This is the lowest pace for apartment construction since April 2020. The three-month moving average for multifamily starts is the lowest since the fall of 2013 as the multifamily development deceleration continues.

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U.S. Housing Starts Unexpectedly Tumble To Nearly Four-Year Low In May

RTT News
June 20, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

A report released by the Commerce Department on Thursday unexpectedly showed a steep drop in new residential construction in the U.S. in the month of May. The Commerce Department said housing starts plunged by 5.5% to an annual rate of 1.277 million in May after surging by 4.1% to a revised rate of 1.352 million in April. Economists had expected housing starts to climb by 0.7%. With the unexpected decrease, housing starts fell to their lowest level since hitting an annual rate of 1.254 million in June 2020. Single-family housing starts dove by 5.2% to an annual rate of 982,000, while multi-family housing starts plummeted by 6.7% to an annual rate of 295,000. …The report also said building permits slumped by 3.8% to an annual rate of 1.386 million in May after tumbling by 3.0% to a rate of 1.440 million in April.

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High Mortgage Rates Act as a Drag on Builder Confidence

By Robert Dietz
NAHB – Eye on Housing
June 19, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Mortgage rates that continue to hover in the 7% range along with elevated construction financing costs continue to put a damper on builder sentiment. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes was 43 in June, down two points from May, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). This is the lowest reading since December 2023. …The economy, and monetary policy more directly, is in an unusual situation because a lack of progress on reducing shelter inflation, which is currently running at a 5.4% year-over-year rate, is making it difficult for the Federal Reserve to achieve its target inflation rate of 2%. …All three HMI component indices posted declines in June. The HMI index charting current sales conditions in June fell three points to 48, the component measuring sales expectations in the next six months fell four points to 47 and the gauge charting traffic of prospective buyers declined two points to 28.

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The future of Southern Yellow Pine–Fastmarkets Webinar

By Joe Pruski, Managing Editor, Fastmarkets
YouTube
June 20, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, US East

SYP market share in North America has seen incredible growth in the past 10 years and with lumber demand set to grow at a healthy pace over the remainder of this decade, there could be new price risks for players in the market. Meanwhile, supply constraints loom large in the North American lumber market. Themes discussed: The recent growth of SYP; Fastmarkets’ short-term forecast of both SYP North American demand and supply; A review of the price correlation between SYP and SPF; How the new CME truck contract fits into the changing supply landscape; and Key implications for pricing volatility, hedging opportunities and broader market dynamics. [1 hour video]

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

The building design that could crack the code on climate adaptation

By Cloe Logan
The National Observer
June 24, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

In most of Canada [and the United States], low- and mid-rise apartment buildings are designed like hotels and dormitories: long hallways with units on either side, capped off with staircases at the ends. …But architects and urban planners stress that buildings can be fire safe with just one staircase: a change that would allow more density and livability, while bringing a host of climate-related benefits. The province of British Columbia is currently exploring the possibility of updating its building code to make them legal. …Ditch the second staircase, and receive a host of benefits, explained Michael Eliason, founder of Seattle-based architecture think tank Larch Labs. You can build more housing on smaller lots, and the units typically have more light and can accommodate more bedrooms with less square footage. The skinnier single-stair buildings also contribute to climate action and adaptation. 

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So long plastic air pillows: Amazon shifting to recycled paper filling for packages in North America

The Associated Press in NBC News
June 20, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, United States

Amazon is shifting from the plastic air pillows used for packaging in North America to recycled paper because it’s more environmentally sound, and it says paper just works better. The company said Thursday that it’s already replaced 95% of the plastic air pillows with paper filler in North America and is working toward complete removal by year’s end. …It is the company’s largest plastic packaging reduction effort in North America to date and will remove almost 15 billion plastic air pillows from use annually. …The e-commerce giant has faced years of criticism about its use of plastic from environmental groups. …Amazon discovered through testing that the paper filler, which is made from 100% recyclable content and is curbside recyclable, offers the same, if not better protection during shipping compared with plastic air pillows, the company said.vChristian Garcia said that the paper filler is easier to work with and gives staff more space.

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Toronto homes can’t go carbon-neutral unless developers get on board

By Dhriti Gupta
The Narwhal
June 20, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Buildings are the largest source of greenhouse gases in Toronto, accounting for 56% of the city’s overall emissions as of 2021, surpassing both waste and transportation sectors, according to an annual report released by the city. As Toronto hurtles towards tandem goals of 65,000 new rent-controlled homes by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2040, all new and existing buildings will have to be designed and built to operate at near-zero carbon. But the pathway to the city’s ambitious net-zero goals is blocked by corporate disinterest and gaps in funding. Most developers fail to see the financial benefits of greening their construction practices, leaving individual homeowners to shoulder the responsibility alongside an overcommitted, under-resourced municipal government. While some small companies and non-profits are trying to carry the torch, the only way to decarbonize Toronto’s buildings is mass commitment — and lots of cash. …Despite financial hurdles and slow progress, there’s still hope. 

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Meet the architect creating wood structures that shape themselves

By John Wiegand
MIT Technology Review
June 24, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, International

Achim Menges

Humanity has long sought to tame wood into something more predictable. …But wood is inherently imprecise. Its grain reverses and swirls. Trauma and disease manifest in scars and knots. Instead of viewing these natural tendencies as liabilities, Achim Menges, an architect and professor at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, sees them as wood’s greatest assets. Menges and his team at the Institute for Computational Design and Construction are uncovering new ways to build with the material by using computational design—which relies on algorithms and data to simulate and predict how wood will behave within a structure long before it is built. He hopes this work will enable architects to create more sustainable and affordable timber buildings by reducing the amount of wood required. Menges’s recent work has focused on creating “self-shaping” timber structures like the HygroShell, which debuted at the Chicago Architecture Biennial in 2023. 

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Why making buildings greener is crucial to countering climate change

By UN Environmental Program
EIN Presswire
June 20, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

In 2022, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions from building operations and construction hit a new high, rising to 10 gigatonnes, according to a recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). That is 37 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. “Reducing the carbon footprint of our homes, offices and other buildings will be essential to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement and averting a climate catastrophe,” said Ruth Coutto, Acting Chief of Climate Mitigation at UNEP. She added that reducing building emissions must be part of a larger, more ambitious global effort to counter climate change. …Global building sector emissions are still rising, jumping one per cent between 2021 and 2022, found the Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction. While that might not seem like much, it is equivalent to adding 10 million cars to the world’s roads. The report finds the sector remains off track to achieve decarbonization by 2050.

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Forestry

‘Good fire’: B.C. Indigenous knowledge keeper says cultural burns prevent wildfires

By Matteo Cimellaro
The Vancouver Sun
June 23, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

First Nations are on the front lines of fire and make up over 40 per cent of all wildfire-related evacuations. The fire season in 2023 was the worst evacuation year for Indigenous nations, nearly doubling the previous record set in 2021. Ron Tomma said his First Nation did clear some debris from the forests, but it was not enough. …Fire stewardship is part of an approach to forest management that also involves removing information silos around forest management and informing the public about the good use of fire on the landscape, said new wildfire mitigation research titled What We Heard. The report gathered feedback from First Nations in B.C., and other government and industry representatives. Researcher James Whitehead, who co-wrote the report, said the participants agreed there is a need for more public education about the role of fire in forest management, otherwise known as “good fire,” Whitehead said.

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A moment of celebration for pristine old growth saved

By Chris Hatch
The National Observer
June 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Let’s pause for a moment of gratitude. June 26 will be a kind of armistice day — the old growth battlegrounds of the “War in the Woods” in Clayoquot Sound will receive permanent protection. The Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations have landed an agreement with the province of B.C. to protect about 760 square kilometres of the world’s most stupendous ancient forest and other unique biomes, creating 10 new conservancies to protect the old growth. In the process, the nations forced a local revamp of B.C.’s heinous “Tree Farm Licence” system — the “TFLs” that reign across the province’s “crown lands,” effectively privatizing the living world into corporate satrapies. The armistice has been a long time coming. The Tla-o-qui-aht Nation declared Meares Island a tribal park in the early 1980s — long before such inconveniences were taken seriously by provincial governments or Ottawa.

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Mosaic committed to cease some logging to create carbon credits. Now the credibility of its program is being questioned

By Wendy Stueck
The Globe and Mail
June 21, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

For more than a century, the forests of Vancouver Island have been the economic backbone of the region. …In 2022, Mosaic Forest Management flipped that model on its head, saying it would defer logging on 40,000 hectares of its land throughout coastal B.C. for at least 25 years. Instead of logging those sites, Mosaic said, it would package the carbon stored in those trees into nature-based carbon credits. …But this past February, Renoster Systems, a carbon-credit-ratings agency assessed the project on measures such as “additionality” and transparency. …The agency gave the project a failing grade, saying it lacks additionality because most of the sites included in BigCoast are not actually at risk of being logged because they are on steep slopes or in other areas that are unlikely to be harvested. …Mosaic forcefully disputes the Renoster review. Mosaic accused Renoster of making “false, misleading and defamatory” statements. [to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]

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Senior US trade officials add to calls for EU Deforestation Regulation delay

Allegra World Coffee Portal
June 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, International

Three senior US trade officials have jointly called on the European Union to delay EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which is due to come into force on 30 December 2024. The letter said the law posed ‘critical challenges’ to US producers – particularly in the timber, paper and pulp industries. EUDR will require businesses importing products to the EU considered ‘main drivers for deforestation’ – including coffee, cocoa, palm oil, paper and wood – to produce a due diligence statement that imports have not contributed to forest degradation anywhere in the world after 31 December 2020. “We urge the European Commission to delay the implementation of this regulation and subsequent enforcement of penalties until these substantial challenges have been addressed,” the letter said. Meanwhile, the American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) said current EUDR laws would impose ‘unachievable requirements’ and ‘significant technical barriers’ on producers that put US-EU trade at risk. 

Additional Coverage in Packaging Insights: Regulation “on steroids”? Global packagers call for delay on EU deforestation law

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USDA Seeks Comment on Draft Guidance for Old Growth Management on National Forests

Morning AgClips
June 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Randy Moore

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is taking the next step to advance President Biden’s commitment to conserve old growth forests by publishing a draft environmental impact statement for the proposed national old growth forest plan amendment. The proposed amendment is available in the Federal Register, and is open for public comment for 90 days following publication. The purpose of this amendment is to provide consistent guidance for the stewardship, conservation, and recruitment of old growth across national forests. The proposed amendment highlights the importance of proactive stewardship actions in managing threats to old growth forests, and to reduce wildfire risk, considering current and emerging climate-driven threats. It also calls for adaptive management strategies to be developed using local, geographically relevant information and the best available science, including Indigenous Knowledge.

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Recent study reveals what makes some Amazon forests more resilient to climate change

By Lauren Noel
Michigan State University
June 19, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, International

Research published today in the journal Nature that asks how drought conditions linked to climate change impact growth in different areas of Amazon forests has produced surprising results. This study is a major product of a 1.3 million dollar international multi-institution National Science Foundation grant led by Michigan State University Department of Forestry assistant professor Scott C Stark initially received in 2020. …Studies had been conducted on the impact of drought in upland areas, but how drought will affect the waterlogged areas was unknown. Stark, and the research team thought that in these waterlogged areas reductions in rainfall linked to climate change, which are increasingly causing widespread droughts in Amazonia, may not be so detrimental. In fact, they could sometimes reduce the overabundance of water in the soil enhancing tree growth.

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One Oregon region identified as potential ‘hotbed’ for 2024 wildfire season

By Michaela Bourgeois
KOIN News, Portland
June 24, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

PORTLAND, Oregon – With wildfire season underway, Oregon lawmakers held a briefing with the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center for an outlook on the 2024 season — identifying one region in the state as a “hotbed” for potential fire risk. Attended by Oregon Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley, and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici — Fire Weather Meteorologist Jon Bonk said the wildfire outlook is a mixed bag. According to Bonk, aside from Southern Oregon, temperatures on the whole have been cooler in the last three months. Additionally, officials said drought areas have diminished. However, they are seeing drought expansion across north-central and northwest Washington as of June 18. …Even though drought levels have improved in some areas, Bonk said Oregon’s rain levels are below average going into wildfire season. As part of a nationwide wildfire forecast, Southeast Oregon is expected to be a “hotbed” for wildfire potential in August and September.

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Swedish Forest Industries Federation criticizes EU nature restoration law for imbalance and economic risks

The Lesprom Network
June 19, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Viveka Beckeman

EU environment ministers, led by Belgium, narrowly passed the Nature Restoration Law despite uncertainties about Austria’s position, and this law is unbalanced, said the Swedish Forest Industries Federation (SFIF) in a statement. “The law faced sharp criticism and chaotic processes in the EU Parliament and Council. While the goal of restoring nature is good and aligns with SFIF’s Sustainability Roadmap, the legislation has serious flaws,” said Viveka Beckeman, SFIF’s director general. SFIF’s main criticism is that the law doesn’t account for differences between member states, especially in their interpretation of the Habitats Directive and historical land use practices. This oversight risks significant economic impacts from land use restrictions, particularly on forestry. …Beckeman added that implementing the law will be challenging. Member states need to align their habitat assessments and restoration needs and agree on effective measures to balance restoration with other policy goals and reduce negative impacts on society.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

USDA Releases Updated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan

US Department of Agriculture
June 20, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) joined more than 20 federal agencies to release its updated Climate Adaptation Plan and expand the Biden Administration’s efforts to ensure federal operations are increasingly resilient to climate change impacts. The updated adaptation plans advance the Administration’s National Climate Resilience Framework, which helps to align climate resilience investments across the public and private sector through common principles and opportunities for action to build a climate resilient nation. …The USDA is developing a mission-wide approach to climate adaptation, establishing protocols to promote climate resilience in agricultural production, natural resource and land management, rural development, food security and safety, and science and innovation. For example, USDA’s Forest Service is seeking to reduce climate-driven wildfire risk through the implementation of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy (WCS) and support post-wildfire recovery through climate-informed actions in its Reforestation Strategy.

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Health & Safety

Former BC wildfire fighters worry safety at risk as experienced workers leave

By John Mazerolle and Joan Webber
CBC News
June 20, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

One part gasoline, three parts diesel is a common mixture in a drip torch — that steel, spouted can firefighters use to start controlled burns and deprive wildfires of fuel. B.C. wildfire fighter Dylan Bullock didn’t like the look of his mixture on July 7, 2021 — the day of what the 34-year-old refers to as “the incident.” It was the sort of mishap where fatigue plays a role, something former firefighters fear will increase as people grow weary and leave the B.C. Wildfire Service, as the 10-year veteran Bullock did in 2023. …At a time when B.C. needs wildfire fighters most, the service is struggling to retain experienced workers amid longer and harsher fire seasons. Some who have left say that as seasoned firefighters burn out, newer ones must take their place, increasing the danger to everyone. …Bullock says after initially enjoying his return post-accident, he was soon overcome with the persistent feeling his crew was under-resourced.

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Heat dome scorches cities coast to coast as dangerous temperatures enter 2nd week

ByKenton Gewecke, Emily Shapiro, and Melissa Griffin
ABC News
June 24, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States

Sixty-five million Americans from coast to coast are under heat alerts as the life-threatening heat dome continues for the second week. The Northeast, Southeast and West all saw daily record temperatures shattered this weekend, including 98 degrees in Philadelphia; 100 degrees in Greenville, Mississippi; and 108 degrees in Merced, California. …On Monday, the dangerous heat is impacting the Southeast, the Deep South and the West. Temperatures are forecast to soar to 96 degrees in Atlanta; 94 degrees in New Orleans and Nashville, Tennessee; 100 degrees in Little Rock, Arkansas; 99 degrees in Oklahoma City; 98 in Dallas; 109 in Phoenix; 97 in Salt Lake City; and a blistering 110 in Las Vegas and Palm Springs, California. There are hundreds of deaths each year in the U.S. due to excessive heat and scientists caution that the actual number of heat-related deaths is likely higher. Click here for tips on how to stay safe in the heat.

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Southern Forest Products Association Announces 2023 Sawmill Award Recipients

The Southern Forest Products Association
June 24, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US East

The Southern Forest Products Association has announced the recipients of the John Edgar Rhodes 2023 Sawmill Safety Excellence Awards. …The eight award recipients represent a record of 2,282,255 total hours worked among 987 employees – achieving safety excellence with zero reported incidents. …“In an industry where worker safety is of utmost importance, operating without any reportable incidents is a significant achievement,” said Eric Gee, SFPA’s executive director. 

  • Mills that produce 50 million board feet or less annually: Almond Brothers Lumber – Coushatta, Louisiana; McShan Lumber Co. – McShan, Alabama; and Swift Lumber – Atmore, Alabama
  • Mills that produce 51 to 150 million board feet annually: West Fraser – Fitzgerald, Georgia; West Fraser – Lake Butler, Florida; West Fraser – Blackshear, Georgia; and West Fraser – Mansfield, Arkansas.
  • Mills that produce more than 150 million board feet annually: LaSalle Lumber Co. – Urania, Louisiana

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