Category Archives: Today’s Takeaway

The first meeting of US and Canadian trade officials included discussion on softwood duties, but ended with no breakthroughs. In related news: lumber futures gyrate 10% in wild trading session; police warn of more construction thefts; and lumber’s rise adds to Canada’s Consumer Price Index. Meanwhile: Columbia Pulp tree-free paper is slowly starting up again and Pirelli launches FSC certified tires.

In Forestry news: Suzuki / ENGOs up the pressure on BC old-growth, as police arrest five more people, including one journalist; controlled burns are deemed key to achieving forest health in California; Brazils’s environment minister is probed for timber trafficking; and wood’s green credentials take some heat in the Daily Commercial News and Kwantlen University student newspaper.

Finally, is it just me or is the CP/CN showdown at the OK Corral getting a bit weird.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Lumber’s historic rally may be coming to an end—after the seventh straight drop in its futures’ price, although last week’s spot prices rose again. In related news: the NAHB and Construction Pros on what’s behind the fall in US housing starts; and New Brunswick stays the course on timber royalties despite record lumber sales. Companies making headlines include: Paper Excellence (a perfect marriage for Domtar); Domtar (Kingsport mill groundbreaking); and Georgia Pacific (Mississippi MDF mill fire).

In Forestry news: Police make arrests at Fairy Creek blockade, First Nation logging vandalized on BC’s Cortes Island; old-growth protests in Prince George; Canadian journalists call on courts to limit RCMP powers; and Oregon old-growth logging called a test for Biden’s climate agenda.

Finally, good news from Alberta on protecting the iconic but threatened grizzly bear.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The RCMP began enforcement of the Fairy Creek injunction, establishing a restricted access zone to allow logging to resume. In related news: the police backtrack on excluding journalists from protest site, while activists worry RCMP will act with impunity. Elsewhere: old growth protests in Whistler, BC; and the US climate goals and Alaska.

In Business news: US home builder confidence remains strong, as housing starts fell 9.5% in April; timber prices look to follow lumber; and the US South ups its lumber production. Meanwhile: US and Canada trade chiefs exchange views; an update on the CN/CP/Kansas City Southern saga; EACOM’s sawmill is back in operation after covid pause; Weyerhaeuser upgrades its Louisiana sawmill; and Suzano to build new pulp mill in Brazil.

Finally, scientists want help locating rare ‘witches cauldron‘ fungus. 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

US Trade Representative Tai is under pressure from lawmakers & home builders to cut tariffs on lumber. In related news: most economists think the lumber price hike is a temporary quirk; few new sawmills are coming despite boom; BC supply constraints collide with insatiable demand; and surging prices beget forest poachers and work-site thieves, while some contractors opt for wood alternatives.

In Forestry news: FPAC pleads with feds to avoid government duplication; Ontario’s new environmental assessment rules head to court; ENGO’s say its a garage sale for the last of BC’s old-growth, BC First Nation tells Victoria to stay out of its business; and lessons learned from the Great Bear Rainforest initiative. Meanwhile, the USDA gears up for ‘dangerous‘ wildfire year, and fire season arrives in BC, Ontario and Oregon.

Finally, Rolling Stones’ Chuck Leavell celebrates Structurlam’s expansion to Arkansas.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

CP Rail says its not going to enter into a bidding war with CN; Paper Excellence’s purchase of Domtar won’t impact Prince Albert pulp mill restart; and Century Mill Lumber’s CEO on the challenge of keeping cedar on shelves. In other news: stories on selling a carbon tax and encouraging/regulating embodied energy; and the Softwood Lumber Board and Oregon’s senators celebrate the USDA Forest Service wood innovations grant recipients.

People making headlines include: USDA Forest Chief Vicki Christiansen wining SFI Presidents Award; announcement that actress Amy Adams will play Susan Simard in Search for the Mother Tree; EACOM’s Christine Leduc on why its an exciting time to be a women in forestry; Woodworker Ben Barclay’s quirky solution to BC’s old-growth blockades; and Delie Wilkens joins the US Endowment for Forestry and Communities.

Finally, the Nature Conservancy and West Fraser win SFI Conservation Award.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The US Commerce Secretary promises to make lumber prices a priority, but Canada and the US may have bigger bilateral fish to fry than the softwood wars. In related news: Canadian building construction rose 6% in March, lumber prices are driving lumber thefts and tree poachers; while discouraging US home purchasers; and inflation from economic recovery has officially arrived. Meanwhile: stories on Saskatchewan’s booming forest sector; EACOM’s Matagami sawmill investment; and confirmation of Russia’s pending log export ban.

In other news: FPAC welcomes Canada’s call for forest sector proposals to spur low-emission innovation; the World Bank signs a deal to reduce forest carbon emissions; Alberta tree planters are better prepared for their 2nd covid season; and EACOM temporarily shuts Timmins sawmill due to four covid cases.

Finally, a new study says tree farts in ghost forests increase GHGs. Seriously!

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Continued increases in the price of North American lumber has importers chasing European wood, and social media truthers claiming the shortage is contrived. In related news: how much higher can building materials go; why haven’t UK housing prices collapsed; and CIBC’s perplexed view of New Brunswick’s timber royalty rates. Meanwhile: Conifex reports improved Q1; Structurlam’s Arkansas plant set to open; and more on Paper Excellence’s purchase of Domtar.

In Forestry/Climate news: BC’s auditor general says the province is failing to protect wildlife habitat; a new study on the benefits of thinning and fire in ponderosa forests; SFI kicks-off its 2021 Annual Conference today, FSC opens registration for its May 26 AGM; and the BC First Nations Forestry Council announces keynote for its June conference.

Finally, police trace stolen lumber to bucktooth bandits. No charges will be laid.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Paper Excellence has agreed to acquire rival Domtar in a $3B stock deal—plans to operate Domtar as a stand-alone business. In other Business news: record lumber prices prompt stories on the rising cost of new homes, soaring ETF stocks, frustrated home builders, and increased lumber thefts. 

In Forestry/Climate news: the White House creates a new panel to raise public trust in science; Ontario seeks to grow its biomass industry; and the European Commission is forced to align its biomass policy with the Green Deal’s do-no-harm principal. Meanwhile: the NRDC takes aim at SFI certification; and wildfires make their debut in Alberta; Manitoba and Arizona.

Finally, Finish-based Stora Enso will supply pulp for paper whisky bottles.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Interfor reported record first quarter results along with investment plans for Castlegar, BC and Perry, Georgia sawmills. In related news: West Fraser plans to expand capacity at five US mills; wood products from Sweden are in high demand; and an update on UK timber markets. Meanwhile: Biden is urged to focus on North American trade issues; COFI joins US entities calling for an end to lumber duties; and Tolko secures extension on decommissioned mill site in Kelowna.

In Forestry/Climate news: Parks Canada’s captive breeding of caribou gets OK to proceed; Ontario releases draft forest biomass action plan; BC Forest Practices Board says fisher habitat was impacted by logging; Oregon’s state forester resigns amid oversight controversy; and the Huu-ay-aht First Nations will restrict protesters’ access to active logging in BC’s TFL 44, after last week’s altercation with forestry workers.

Finally, the USDA announced $15 million to develop and expand the use of wood products.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

West Fraser and Boise Cascade report big first quarter returns on record lumber prices. In related news: West Fraser plans to expand five US mills amid boom; the lumber spike keeps EACOM mills humming; New Brunswick defends not raising timber royalties; the US remodelling industry has fully recovered; and builders employ price escalation clauses to cope with rising costs. Meanwhile: Northern Pulp withdraws court challenge against Nova Scotia; and Drax starts work on 3 pellet plants in Arkansas.

In Forestry news: the BC Forest Alliance defends forestry workers in altercation with protesters, but Western Forest/Huumiis Ventures calls their action unacceptable. In other news: EACOM is paying its workers to get vaccinated; the National Observer says Canada’s forests moved from carbon sink to source; and sustainable timber structures debut on Vancouver Island and Spokane.

Finally, a chainsaw-carved wooden statue of Colonel Sanders (+ 3 chickens) debuts in Kentucky.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Expansion of Fairy Creek blockades angers loggers, results in tense altercation, reports of injury and threats. In related news: more on BC’s old-growth from the Narwhal and National Observer; Oregon judge rejects ENGO attempt to stop post-fire logging, hazard tree logging gets push-back in Maine; and Australia’s fire salvage operations come to an end. 

In Company news: Catalyst restarts its Powell River paper machine; Northern Pulp proposes new plan to restart idled mill; and strong Q1 results reported by Western Forest Products, while Acadian Timber and Cascades Inc. record reduced sales. In other Business news: market updates from Canada’s CMHC, the US-based ABC; and New Zealand’s Dennis Neilson; New Zealand log exports to China hit new record, and Vietnam is now the largest furniture exporter to the US.

Finally, orange juice waste can help make transparent wood 100% renewable.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Paper Excellence is in talks with rival Domtar in what would be a US$ 3-billion deal, although these discussions may not result in an agreement. In other Business news: Lumber shortages and high prices ease pressure on Trudeau to reach a softwood deal; housing growth in Canada and the US push lumber prices higher, and Russ Taylor expounds on ‘how high can lumber go‘.

In other news: Canada announces funding for Indigenous Forest Sector; Oregon’s forest sector claims their tax burden is excessive; BC disagrees with ENGO claim on old-growth logging increase; a rash of tree thefts sparks call for more enforcement in Vancouver Island, and Courtenay’s City Council follows Nanaimo on old-growth logging deferral, as Campbell River fights what it calls ‘forestry misinformation‘.

Finally, Tolko to modify its logging plan in response to community watershed concerns.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Lumber reached a new record price on Monday after limits were removed on how much futures prices can rise, spurring industry expert Russ Taylor to ask “is the $2000 threshold next?” In other Business news: Louisiana Pacific and Mercer report strong Q1 results; Androscoggin mill files lawsuit over 2020 explosion; Western Forest Products completes TFL sale; Paper Excellence responds to Kootenay pulp mill fine; and AFPA’s Jason Kribs gives Alberta Forest Act changes a thumbs up.

In Forestry news: BC Wilderness Committee says old-growth logging approvals are soaring; Fairy Creek, BC blockaders add government to court action; ENGO creates petition to stop Tolko Industries logging; and Campbell River Mayor says BC forestry is threatened by misinformation. On the Book Review front: John Brink’s “Against All Odds“, and Suzanne Simard’s “Finding the Mother Tree“.

Finally, (apologies in advance but…) its Star Wars Days — May the 4th Be With You.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

US homebuilders urge Biden to negotiate a new softwood deal, in part to help ease high lumber prices. In related news: the price rise means good times for Canada’s forestry giants; New Brunswick producers shatter records; Stella-Jones reports strong Q1; timber tower’s viability is threatened; and the cost of pallets is unprecedented. Other newsmakers include: Derek Nighbor pushing back on NY Senator’s commentary; the Fort Frances paper mill is being demolished; and after 30 years the U of Arkansas at Monicello has a new dean.

In Forestry/Climate news: SFI is creating an urban forest sustainability standard; tree-destroying diseases are on the rise; new research on northern wildfire’s impact on climate change; and a new study says the Amazon is now a net emitter of CO2.

Finally, UK artist makes trees disappear. The illusion is mesmerizing! 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Friday’s Frog

Lumber demand is so strong, Resolute’s order book exceeds its inventory, says CEO Remi Lalonde. In related news: Weyerhaeuser reports strong Q1, 2021 results; and USA Today and the National Association of Home Builders fact check claims of who’s to blame for the spike in lumber prices. In other Business news: CLT plant set to break ground in Ontario; pulp markets help Canfor Pulp’s Q1 numbers; and a Calgary First Nations consortium partners with Peak Renwables and Smartlam.

In Forestry news: Canada’s tree-planting pledge still sparse on details; BC old-growth activists appeal injunction against blockades; lessons from Fort McMurray, Alberta five-years after the fires; and a California bill seeks to lump boreal with tropical forest losses.

Finally, a blast from the past—The Water Dwellers, a 1963 National Film Board movie.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Canfor, Resolute and International Paper report strong Q1, 2021 results, reflecting record lumber prices and improved pulp & paper markets. In other Business news: GreenFirst reports year-end 2020 loss; Resolute and FPInnovations win award for biomass innovation; and the US Federal Reserve is watching US housing carefully, as its share of GDP rises, and lumber costs add to new home prices.  

In other news: Kruger commits to reducing plastic in its packaging products; plastic waste pollution is called out, and analysts forecast growth in the containerboard industry. Elsewhere, an update on forest certification in Canada; perspectives on BC’s Fairy Creek blockade, and related old-growth hype; and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology use of 360-degree imagery for  training in remote communities.

Finally, National Post columnist de Souza has a beef with Harvey’s Earth Day commitment.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The No. 1 commodity this year is … lumber? Barron’s says the root cause of lumber’s rise is underinvestment, the Atlantic points to fires and beetles; while The Week blames Obama’s 2008 Recovery Act. In related news: ‘Frenzied’ lumber market surpasses new record amid wild swings; Ian Dunn says it will take time for supply to catch up; and the San Group offers discounts to locals. Elsewhere: Derek Nighbor on Canada’s recovery; Vaughn Palmer on BC’s shift in Crown land ownership; and Tristen Hopper on the First Nations break with environmentalists

In Safety news: today is World Day for Safety and Health at work; BC remembers workers lost on the job; WorksafeBC releases strategies for 2021-23; and Resolute is looking to incentivize worker vaccinations.

Finally, building with wood – a big piece of the decarbonizing the economy puzzle!

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Softwood lumber shipments from Canada’s Top 10 producers were static in 2020, as total Canadian shipments dropped 5.2 per cent. In related news: Europeans capture more US market share; how US producers can up their output; lumber imports fall 20% in China; and consolidation is gathering pace in the UK timber sector. Meanwhile, companies in the news include: PotlatchDeltic (strong Q1 results); Paper Excellence (updates for Mackenzie, BC and Boat Harbour, Nova Scotia); NewLife Forest (sawmill opening in  Arizona); and ND Paper (expansion in Maine).

In Forestry news: a new report says habitat protection is key to BC’s threatened Caribou herds; post-fire logging is blamed for the decline of US spotted owls; ENGO’s challenge proposed logging in Yellowstone National Park; and two retired forestry professors call for protection of older forests in the western Cascades.

Finally, lignin from forests—the secret ingredient for greener roads?

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

At Biden’s Climate Summit, Canada, Mexico and other world leaders pledge to do more, act faster. In related initiatives: US and Canada promote green infrastructure; the Narwhal on upping Canada’s protected areas; US senators on the role of farms and forests; (and a similar perspective from New Zealand); and a US, UK and Norway initiative in support of tropical forests.

In other News: Canada’s forest sector celebrates Earth Day; BC’s war in the woods is flaring up again; logging creates angst in BC’s Vernon and Shuswap areas, as well as Northern Saskatchewan; what’s next after Roundup; and SFI’s new standards on climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. Meanwhile; the secret is out—Dr. Rob Kozak is the new Dean of Forestry at the University of BC.

Finally, “take me somewhere expensive“… it’s Friday and the restaurants are doing takeout only. 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

A diverse selection of Earth Day announcements from the Earth Day Network; BC’s Environment Minister; the Center for Sustainable Palm Oil; and the Michigan Tree Farm Program. Meanwhile: activists wait for police to clear old-growth logging blockades in BC; and warm weather begets wildfire stories from Vancouver Island; Oregon; Colorado; California; and Montana/Idaho.

In other news: US builders are using escalation clauses to cope with rising lumber prices;  analysts say it’s the perfect storm of strong demand, slow supply, a decade of underbuilding and Covid-19. Elsewhere: Canada’s pulp and paper unions team up for labour talks; fire destroys four (under-construction) 6-storey wood-frame buildings in Langley BC; and a market update from the Softwood Lumber Board.

Finally, protecting the Pacific fisher, the red-cockaded woodpecker, and the Kermode bear.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Canadian National Railway’s bid for Kansas City Southern spurs bidding war with Canadian Pacific Railway. In other Business news: West Fraser, FPInnovations and Miller Western are among 17 receiving Alberta innovation grants; and Stora Enso is closing two nordic paper mills. Meanwhile: lumber prices reach stratospheric heights, but could tumble by half in 2021.

On the eve of Earth Day, research scientist Steve Colombo says forestry has a powerful role in climate solutions. Meanwhile: professor Justin Catanoso criticizes BC’s old-growth strategy; Karen Brandt defends Pinnacle’s use of residual logs; and NRDC takes another run at Canada’s forest industry. Elsewhere: a new carbon market pays Southern Pine growers to defer logging; and the US is helping Peru modernize its forestry sector.

Finally, a US patent is awarded for wood-grained polymer lumber, made from recycled plastics!

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The world of Canadian forestry lost one of its giants with the recent death of renowned ecologist Hamish Kimmins — a long time mentor and friend of the Frogs.

In Business news: FPAC’s Derek Nighbor responds to the federal budget; the US Lumber Coalition pushes back on WSJ Editorial on softwood duties; Canada Wood on what Brexit means to wood exporters; and BC grants seek to strengthen fibre supply chains. Meanwhile: North American lumber prices soar, but logs are still dirt cheap; and making sense of market changes in Japan and China.

In Forestry news: NRDC ups the anti on Canada’s boreal after industry, labour leaders call out their rhetoric; BC First Nations Forestry Council’s new scholarship partners; US senator seeks fund to save forests and create jobs; and Washington state is close on funding wildfire efforts.

Finally, scientists create wood that generates electricity when you walk across it.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Europe affirms criteria supporting carbon neutrality of biomass, as the US treads water on similar action, and the wood pellet industry gains steam. In related news: Derek Nighbor on the Conservative’s climate plan; Bob Brash on uncertainty and investment in BC’s forest sector; President Biden urged to pressure Brazil on deforestation; and Premier Horgan gains cover in the looming Fairy Creek showdown.

In other news: Paper Excellence shuts its Mackenzie pulp mill; Kandola Forest Products buys Quesnel, BC mill; and Domtar, Kamloops secures grant to pursue plastic-replacing packaging. Meanwhile, how the pandemic made lumber America’s hottest commodity; Canada’s housing starts surge again; and strong wood manufacturing growth reported in Canada, the US, and Vietnam.

Finally, new films on: efforts to stop wildfires in the US West and timber careers in Texas.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Paper Excellence announced the permanent closure of its Mackenzie pulp mill due to fibre shortages, after a nine month curtailment. In other Business news: the US gov’t rescue plan, and surging housing starts set the stage for strong economic growth; EACOM invests in its Elk Lake sawmill; Pinnacle and Seaton Forest seek win-win fibre deal; a Canadian hardwood group appeals Chinese plywood ruling; and an ex-manager is found guilty of defrauding Weyerhaeuser.

In Forestry/Climate news: Derek Nighbor defends forestry in Canada; Susan Yurkovich and Jeff Bromley seek balance on old-growth preservation; Chris McCabe  says climate regulations don’t have to squeeze-out US paper mills; and Ontario forest companies push back on critical NRDC report.

Finally, grizzly bear numbers are up in Alberta thanks in part to good forest management.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

As lumber prices go higher, astonishment reigns among industry veterans, while thieves target standing timber in Tennessee. In related news: Forests2market says the price surge is demand (not supply) driven; the Wall Street Journal points to the US’s shortfall in homes; Maine loggers say don’t blame us; the NAHB says builder confidence still edged up; and MarketWatch calls for an end to US tariffs on lumber and other raw materials.

In other headlines: Bill Lahey is set to release an update on Nova Scotia’s forestry shift; Apple’s plan to go carbon neutral includes investing in forestry; Kruger eyes bamboo for future tissue expansion; the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada bestows its Architectural Firm Award to Michael Green; and the Ontario Forest Industries Association appoints Ian Dunn, President and CEO. 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Industry, labour leaders call NRDC claim of unsustainable logging in Canada’s boreal forests a deliberately dishonest campaign. In related news: McLean’s editorial board says its time to save the trees, as BC Premier says old-growth protesters should move along, respect First Nation wishes. Elsewhere: Nova Scotia passes its beleaguered Biodiversity Act; biomass generated energy is on the rise in Georgia; and Australian industry advocates apologize to fire-logging critic.

In Business news: Canada proposes to establish the legal right to a healthy environment; Drax completes its purchase of Pinnacle Renewable Energy; lumber prices hit record high, and US single-family housing permits follow-suit. Meanwhile: WorkSafeBC seeks to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries, highlights upcoming Day of Mourning observance.

Finally, China’s most sustainable building will use CLT and CLB (cross laminated bamboo).

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

BC’s throne speech includes a promise to increase fibre access for some, while Vaughn Palmer notes incongruence of tenure take-back vs. calling for companies to invest more. In related news: Canadian businesses seek to fortify trade with US; Maine needs workers to grow its forest industry; and rising prices/investment in the lumber, market pulp and Canadian residential construction sectors.

In other news: weak federal regulations compromise safety of BC tugboats; a U of Alberta study says mountain pine beetles are mixing genetically; BC moose populations are threatened by wolves and habitat changes; and protesters maintain blockades in Fairy Creek, BC, despite local First Nation saying the old-growth activists are not welcome.

Finally, registration is now open for the 2021 BC First Nations Forestry Conference.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

GreenFirst’s acquisition of Rayonier Advanced Material mills creates a new top-ten lumber producer in Canada. In related news: BC’s premier says logging licences to be bought back, redistributed; TLA’s Bob Brash on the contradiction of uncertainty and investment in BC; Russ Taylor on North America’s wild lumber super-cycle; and US building materials prices rose again in March.

In Forestry/Climate news: Forsite to expand its wildfire management services in Canada; Washington state passes bill to fight wildfires; and the debate over EPA’s stance on burning wood for energy. Meanwhile: US timber owners face increasing pressures; and more coverage on the Fairy Creek and supporting protests in BC; COFI’s study on the forest sector’s economic impact; and the pushback on Alberta’s forestry legislation.

Finally, Grizzly bears seem to prefer the same walking routes as us humans. 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Susan Yurkovich wrapped-up the 2021 COFI convention, highlighting the sector’s importance to BC. The speakers created headlines of their own:

• Horgan predicts tough times for BC forest sector as protests continue
• Horgan warns forest industry of possible tenure take-backs
• Canada has new ways to pressure Washington over softwood duties
• Hot US lumber market good for trade talks: Canadian ambassador
• BC forestry CEO’s speak of industry resilience, adaptability
• Reconciliation and treaty agreements put First Nations in the forestry business
• Teegee says “First Nations need to be part of the decision-making process”

In other news: Alberta urged to pull back its new Forest Act; Maine focuses on innovation at biodiversity summit; Los Angeles moves to restrict the use of light wood-frame construction; US groups seek funding strategy to revitalize forests; California doubles budget to fire-proof its forests; and the Bloc Quebecois seeks support for biofuels sector, as ENGO’s want BC to suspend approval of wood pellet mills.

Finally, spotted owls vs. human lives… one mad and sad man’s opinion.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board says Canada can be a safety-valve for US lumber shortages but backward-looking duties exacerbate the problem. In related news: Canada’s trade recovery relies on hewers of wood; BC’s forest industry impacts every region; and the Cariboo is number one for lumber. Meanwhile: Hancock Lumber expands in Maine; and the true story of New Zealand’s  wood supply crisis.

In Forestry/Climate news: Pinnacle Pellet’s claim of using residuals only is disputed; Teal-Jones responds to Fairy Creek controversy, as protesters served with injunction; new research on culturally-modified trees; and NRDC claims logging in Canada’s Boreal is unsustainable. Meanwhile: BC tree planters continue with covid precautions; while the US may be running out of seeds.

Finally, sustainable forests and a (new) final resting place for your loved ones. 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor 

Export Development Canada is forecasting a dramatic jump in the US economy in 2021, with Canada going along for the ride. In related news: fewer new-for-sale homes adds to home-price woes; choppiness ahead for construction jobs; homebuilders brace for skilled-labour shortage; and lumber CEOs say the new-normal will be different post-pandemic, but the future is bright. 

In other news: timber prices plummet in Lake States, but soar in China; wood pellet demand is rising in Europe; and feds fund capacity building in Northern Ontario. Meanwhile;  BC forest communities push back on ENGOs, as BC activists dig-in on old-growth, take aim at wood pellet industry.

Finally, COFI’s 2021 Convention is tomorrow, and safety strategies for the upcoming planting season.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Fairy Creek old-growth protesters in BC face arrest after Teal-Jones secured a court injunction banning blockades. In related news: activists claim War in the Woods 2.0; hockey’s Scott Niedermayer on old-growth shortfalls; TLA’s Bob Brash on Nanaimo’s old-growth motion; and the divergent paths of old-growth management in Oregon vs. Washington.

In Business news: US raises concerns as Vietnam’s wood exports surge; sawmill closures in Penticton, BC and Pierre, South Dakota; little price relief is in sight, as an Oregon professor creates lumber-price model; and the Southern Forest Products Association appoints Eric Gee as Executive Director.

Finally, the brown gold that falls from trees, and the asteroid that led to the Amazon rain forest.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

April Fools’ Day, Easter and a long weekend ahead. Here are the related headlines:

• April Fools’ Day around the world and memorable pranks
• Thunder wakes the peepers and brings good crops of hay
• Guinness uses ‘leftover lockdown beer’ to fertilize trees

In Business news: Pinnacle secures shareholder approval of Drax purchase of its assets; CP Railway secures stakeholder support for its deal with Kansas City Southern; lumber prices remain level as US pending home sales dip; and pundits opine on bubbles, and whether a housing downturn will lead to a recession in 2022. 

In other news: Canada and the US issue a joint statement on the environment and climate change; Global Forest Watch says forest losses accelerated despite the pandemic; and logging is helping to increase Alberta’s grizzly population, while the US Forest Service program is said to undercut their recovery.  

Finally, the Frogs are off until Tuesday next week, barring any breaking news. Happy Hopping! (from afar).

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Consumer confidence in the US surged to its highest level in a year. In related news: some lumber/construction price trend stories from British Columbia, Nova Scotia; Missouri and North Dakota; the San Group’s Port Alberni reman plant opens for business; West Fraser restores production at its Quebec OSB mill; Interfor is hiring in BC; and Kalesnikoff celebrates their new mass timber plant.

In Forestry news: the Nova Scotia Biodiversity Act changes beget protests, solidarity sit-ins and political opposition; while a nearby hunger-striker ends his colossal fast. Meanwhile, Project Learning Tree celebrates National Indigenous Languages Day in Canada; an Aboriginal title settlement lawyer’s statement on BC’s forest land ownership misses the market for this reader; and a proposed US Safe Routes Act would improve log truck efficiency, safety.

Finally, the International Mass Timber (virtual) Conference kicks-off today.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Skyrocketing prices, driven in part by AAC constraints, begets pressure to ramp up production (North American and abroad). In related news: West Fraser production updates; Wood Resources on global lumber trade; and something is in the works for 100 Mile House. Meanwhile: an SFI 2021 Conference update; and Two Sides North America’s leadership transition.

In Wood Product news: mass timber headway at BC’s Douglas College, and Australia’s La Trobe University; while Wheat Straw Pulp and concrete alternatives vie for market share. In Forestry news: Nanaimo city council votes to oppose old-growth logging, as Fairy Creek blockaders continue the fight; Procter & Gamble’s FSC commitment is panned by Stand.earth; and Arizona warns of an early start to the fire season.

Finally, the sustainable alternative to LEGO toys—Mokulock building blocks.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The BC Supreme Court postponed its decision on the Teal Jones injunction request re: protester blockades. In related news: old-growth protests continue in Vancouver and Prince George, while Resource Works and ENGOs debate the the real story of sustainable forestry. Elsewhere: the slippery slope of hazard-tree logging in the Pacific Northwest; and road building for public safety in the Mount St. Helens blast zone.

In Business news: the Suez Canal shipping delays may mean a TP shortage redux; a small covid outbreak at Resolute’s Thunder Bay mill; Domtar’s Kingsport mill pursues its conversion to container board; and Procter & Gamble accelerates its FSC certification goal. Meanwhile, a Harvard study on how the pandemic impacted the home improvement market, and US mortgage rates increase for the sixth consecutive week.

Finally, a mass timber market outlook by the Softwood Lumber Board.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Despite a drop in builder confidence due to rising construction costs and mortgage rates, housing forecasts remain buoyed and household spending is expected to rise. In Wood Product news: the cement association pushes back on Port Moody proposal to ban concrete; McGill University to study carbon-negative building approaches; Oregon State University provides template for timber use; California architects assess CLT’s competitiveness; South Carolina’s largest mass timber office building; and researchers make breakthrough turning wood into plastic.

In Forestry/Climate news: BC supports forestry workers impacted by Covid-19 in response plan; inside the Fairy Creek blockade as BC Supreme Court set to rule on its legality, some pros and cons of biomass energy; and Alaska intervenes in defence of Tongass Roadless Rule.

Finally, the trend towards healthy buildings per a Biophillic Design LookBook.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

As carbon levels rise, soils or plants will absorb more CO2 – but not both, Stanford University study finds. In related news: tackling climate change through US forests; Russia’s carbon-offset forest marketplace; Japan eyes biomass as coal alternative; ancient forests fuelled life as we know it; and a new study on how pandemics can link back to deforestation. 

In other news: Covid-19 drives housing appeal to outlying suburbs; mass timber’s free-form future; Ontario’s wood cluster rebrand; engineered western red cedar product growth; more on North Dakota’s Hill City sawmill closure, and Nova Scotia’s takeover of  Northern Pulp’s Boat Harbour cleanup.

Finally, new research dates wood sculpture as twice as old as Stonehenge and the Pyramids.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Nova Scotia scales back its recently introduced Biodiversity Act in response to forest landowners lobby effort. Meanwhile: Nova Scotia agrees to clean up sludge from Northern Pulp’s mill; a lack of timber causes South Dakota sawmill to close; Södra invests in new CLT plant in Sweden; US new home sales decline in February; panel and lumber prices adjust; and COFI adds Premier John Horgan to their upcoming convention.

In Safety news: a new white paper showcases the science behind the health benefits of building with wood; Vancouver Island loggers’ death spurs renewed focus on safety; and a California judge may require PG&E to turn off power near trees. Elsewhere: digital companies support tree planting campaigns; and crowd rallies behind BC and Nova Scotia clearcutting protests.

Finally: on thing Covid-19 has changed: our relationship with paper.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor