Category Archives: Today’s Takeaway

In British Columbia, the Ministry of Forests will lead the largest ever forestry trade mission to Asia; Liberal MLAs call on Premier to stand up for rural forestry workers threatened by shrinking timber supply; province launches new land guardian program that supports priorities of Haida Nation; and NRCan announces funding for two First Nation projects in BC supporting milling and forest management. 

In the US, more on the farm bill and forestry thinning to prevent wildfires; frogs in the Supreme Court; and the fate of the Alaska cedar.

Finally, a UK-based company has plans to install a biofuel plant in Newfoundland, revitalizing the local forestry industry.

Sandy McKellar – Tree Frog Editor

As housing prices force builders to move out in search of cheaper land, some say the boom is coming to an end. In related news: Dr. Wood says Canadian purchases of US sawmills could drive prices higher; a Montana builder blames tariffs for driving up prices; while Seeking Alpha says interest rate increases are toxic to the price of lumber and lumber stocks.

Companies in the news include: strike action at Interfor; Western’s purchase of Columbia Vista; Pinnacle’s pellet production; Freres’ mass plywood panels; and Northern Pulp’s pros and cons.

Finally: the California fires have Democrats and Republicans debating forestry’s role in the US Farm Bill.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Surprising in its bluntness, the US Fourth National Climate Assessment lays out the devastating effects of climate change on the US economy, health, environment and forests. Related headlines include:

• Drier climate predicted for Northwest (Peninsula Daily News)
• Catastrophic northern California fire now fully contained (AP)
• California, Trump eye logging to fight wildfires (San Diego Union Tribune)
• Wildfire prevention goes hand in hand with creating jobs (Zinke)
• Buy certified green, ethical palm oil or forests will suffer (Globe and Mail)

Elsewhere: US Customs is investigating whether importers are evading duties on Chinese hardwood plywood; the BC Forest Safety Council says BC’s harvesting injury rate is the second lowest on record; West Fraser addresses a sawdust safety scare; and BC’s caribou herds are stabilizing where wolves are culled.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Although the term was coined in the early 1960s to describe traffic jams in Philadelphia the day after US Thanksgiving, and has become associated with hordes of unruly mall-customers, Black Friday has a more fateful and historic connotation in Australia. This due to their Black Friday fires in 1939, where on January 13th [a Friday no less], a total of 69 sawmills were burned and 71 lives lost.

Sticking with the Aussi theme: Brisbane is now home to Australia’s tallest engineered office building; and a research paper by Planet Ark (Wellness + Wood = Productivity) speaks to wood’s impact on workplace satisfaction and productivity.

Elsewhere, BC Forest Safety Council news, the Steelworkers on Tolko’s Merritt mill shutdown; FPAC and FPInnovations on the fed’s Fall Economic Statement; and forestry tidbits from Saskatchewan, Poland and Papau New Guinea.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Happy US Thanksgiving!

North American wood fiber costs have trended upward for the pulp industry; while US lumber prices appear to have “found a floor” and are forecast to rise in January. In other Business news: US log exports are on hold due to the trade war with China; a BC forestry trade delegation seeks to expand markets in Asia; and a Mississippi sawmill plans to increase production by 50%.

In other news: satellite imagery is being used to estimate the availability of logging residue in Canada; three species of bears are sharing the same piece of land in northern Manitoba; mobile biomass plants are producing biofuel in Europe; NRCan is encouraging the use of wood in engineered wood bridges, and wood design is celebrated via awards by Wood WORKS! (Ontario) and TRADA (UK). 

Finally, early registration is now open for three important conferences: COFI 2019; ABCFP 2019; and HarvestTECHX. 

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Western Forest Products has joined ranks with many other Canadian lumber companies, making their first major purchase of a US mill. Acquiring Washington based Columbia Vista means they can offer more Douglas-fir products to their Japanese customers. But Western Canadian mills continue to struggle with both log supply and high fibre costs. And while western mills are still in strike mode, Unifor members in eastern Canada have signed a four-year deal. 

In Forestry news, protesters have shut down a Sierra Pacific logging operation in California; Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing changes to that state’s logging rules; and the Real News on how the Finnish manage their forests. 

To all our US readers, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and send you off with a story about preserving the US wild turkey hunt, “Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt”.

Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

Forestry’s bull-market ride could soon be over in BC due to high costs and a scarcity of logs. Local politicians and national Conservative leader Andrew Scheer suggest Liberal policies are also to blame. Elsewhere: a mass timber tower rises in Portland; the demise of Strongbuild is a set back for Australian tall wood; and mid-rise wood restrictions are on again in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

California’s wildfires and commentary on their cause and effect include:

• How climate change is fueling California’s wildfires (The Weather Network)
• A Southern Oregon plan to reduce the intensity of wildfires (Associated Press)
• Timber Stand Improvement is not cheap but it needs to be done (The Wood Doctor’s Rx)
• Northwest forests weather climate change better than some (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
• Fighting climate change could make some forests more profitable (New Hampshire)

Finally, the Log Driver’s Waltz finds new life in a children’s book, and Montreal’s ugly Christmas tree is replace by a… ticklish one.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

News of mill curtailments in central BC are devastating but not surprising given log shortages due to the Mountain Pine Beetle and forest fires. In other Business news: strike action looms in BC; beetle-killed timber an opportunity for Colorado; Northern Pulp seeks public support for effluent pipe; and Boise Cascade to close its North Carolina LVL plant.

In Forestry news: Trump repeats disputed claim that forest management is to blame for California’s wildfires; but according to the San Francisco Chronicle, it rings true—to a degree. Elsewhere, stories of concern about: Canada’s endangered species; BC’s elusive wolverine; Cape Breton’s moose cull; Alaska’s roadless rule; and Australia’s koala colonies.

Finally; the silent killer in our homes… wood burning stoves!

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News

Canfor’s Don Kayne says the company remains committed to BC despite recent curtailments, and their Swedish acquisition reflects customer needs. In other Business news: Northern Pulp may not meet its waste treatment deadline; GP’s new Alabama mill is up and running; Resolute has a new CFO; and construction prices are up despite lumber’s fall.

In Forestry news: drone video of California’s devastation is resulting in calls to treat wildfires like fires; more acceptance of pyrosilviculture; and fire buffers. Elsewhere: America celebrates Recycling Day; NJ Senator Sweeney joins call for code changes that restrict light-frame construction; and BC loggers help rescue a log truck driver in the Cariboo.

Finally, martini drinkers may want to stock up as a tree disease is causing an olive crisis in Italy.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

All the major forest companies are cutting production in BC—due mostly to log supply concerns—while expanding operations in the US South. In other Business news: politicians Bob Simpson, John Rustad and Todd Doherty weigh in on BC’s curtailments; Canfor goes global with Swedish acquisition; the China/US trade war is hurting Rayonier; and a collective of timber import and distribution companies merge in the UK.

In climate and wildfire news: lots more on California’s crisis and who’s to blame; as well as how climate change is impacting forests nationally, and in Washington, Oregon and the UK.

Finally: the world’s only inland temperate rainforest is protected in BC; ENGO groups call for more caribou protection and Nova Scotia’s moose are facing imminent extinction. 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Timber supply shortages driven by the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation in British Columbia have triggered West Fraser Timber to cut production at two BC mills; a study by ForestEdge and Wood Resources International predicts that Eastern Canadian wood production will support Canadian lumber exports to the US in the next decade; and Unifor’s Stephen Boon says the Canadian government needs to press Trump to remove lumber tariffs.

As California copes with the most recent wildfires, the BBC debunks five common wildfire myths; Tree Canada assists in replanting Ontario trees destroyed by recent tornadoes; and Georgia governor Nathan Deal has proposed tax credits to encourage landowners to replant post-hurricane.

And, a new green building code has been released in the US. 

Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

As the death toll rises and California scrambles to contain wildfires at both ends of the state—with some help from Oregon and Montana—the blame game intensifies. Key headlines include:

• Wind, drought worsen fires, not bad management
• California fires: what is happening and is climate change to blame?
• Don’t debate forestry management in the middle of disastrous wildfires
• Megafires more frequent because of climate change and forest management
• California fire destroys Neil Young’s home

In other news: BC’s never-ending struggle over ancient trees; Ontario’s beech trees face slow demise; the EU calls for tough action on deforestation; and Pat Bell’s view of Proportional Representation.

Finally, its going to be a green Christmas after all, as Millennials opt for pine over plastic.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

President Trump is blaming forest mismanagement for deadly Northern California fires—29 fatalities to date—threatening to pull federal funding. California Gov. Brown calls that “inane and uninformed.” In related news: one OSU professor says there are hundreds of Oregon towns facing similar risks; while another says planting after fire isn’t always necessary. 

In Business news: October saw double digit price drops for softwood lumber and OSB; Interfor shares fall nine percent; Conifex curtails its Fort St. James mill; Canfor acquires another South Carolina sawmill; and Kalesnikoff finally receives the go-ahead for a new office building.

Lastly; BC moves to preserve moose feed by cutting herbicides; and despite climate change, there are still too many polar bears in parts of Nunavut.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The UN Economic Commission for Europe and Canada say wood products and sustainable forest management can help tackle climate change. Here are the headlines and related stories:

• How much wood should a wood-cutter cut? (Business in Vancouver)
• The potential for carbon storage and greening the economy (UNECE)
• Canada’s new funding for climate change research (Gov’t of Canada)
• Can this carbon capture technology save us from climate change? (CNN)
• Long-lived wood products are significant carbon capturers (U of Eastern Finland)

In other news: Canadian housing starts moderate; Interfor posts strong results; Nova Scotia seeks to end blockade of Northern Pulp; and Irving is in the spotlight again. 

Finally, this Sunday, Canadians and Americans pay homage to the sacrifice of those who gave their lives to keep us safe, while thanking our aging and remaining veterans. One way to do this is by supporting Eric Brunt’s [noble] effort to capture their stories before its too late in “Last Ones Standing”. Watch the trailer here!  

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Although trade wasn’t a wedge issue in the US midterm elections, Barrie McKenna says Trump will view the results as a licence to continue his muscular approach, particularly [says CBC] if the Democrats  focus on domestic issues. Elsewhere; KPMG says its too early to estimate the impact on Canada; Washington State rejects ballot question on carbon tax; and green building expert Jerry Judelson sees little change on the climate front.

In other Business news: Export Development Canada predicts China will surpass US as BC’s top timber market; Russia threatens China over illegal logging; labour negotiations in BC are headed for mediation; Western Forest Products reports strong Q3 results; and 84 Lumber moves up on Forbes’ list of private companies.

Finally, a new NASA laser set to launch to the International Space Station will create the world’s first 3D forest carbon map.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

It’s not about who gets tallest first, but about bringing attention to tall wood buildings that matters, said Dutch architect Do Janne Vermeulen, speaking at the Wood Solutions Conference in Vancouver; a new formaldehyde-free particleboard has been developed by EcoSynthetix in Ontario; and Japan’s wood culture is alive and thriving in a nearly completed Olympic venue. 

In forestry, part-two of the Wood Business contractor survey looks at BC’s Interior; First Nations are benefiting from engagement in resource management, according to a study by the Montreal Economic Institute; and 160 conservation officers are protecting BC’s natural resources says environment minister. 

Himalayan forests at risk from an abundance of dry pine needles may soon find relief as dry needles are converted into low-cost, eco-friendly briquettes.

Finally, as we approach Remembrance Day in Canada, Derek Nighbor shares the history of the Canadian Forestry Corps – nobody was more experienced or qualified to harvest the timber required on the Western Front than Canadians.

–Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

The 2018 US midterm election results will start trickling in at six pm eastern when the first polls close. Until then, here are the headlines: Ontario has a new forest minister; Northern Pulp’s effluent challenge continues; Irving contravenes the Fisheries Act; Woodgrain finalizes its purchase of three Boise Cascade mills; Boise Cascade curtails its North Carolina LVL production; and what’s next for Weyerhaeuser’s shuttered Federal Way campus.

In Wood Product news: U of Toronto’s Mass Timber Institute is officially launched; automated nail laminated timber leverages the new NLT guide; prefabricated CLT makes headway in Finland; and used clothing is recycled into construction panels. Elsewhere, updates on EXPO 2019 (Atlanta); DEMO 2020 (Ottawa); and the 2019 Wood Protection AGM (Quebec).

Finally, BC introduces new legislation to put public interests first; and ISO updates their standards for agriculture and forestry machinery.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The 76th session of the UN Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry is in Vancouver this week, focusing on the role of forests and forest products in a sustainable society. In related news: SFI speaks out on forestry practices in BC; ENGO’s on why certification won’t stop tropical deforestation; the Audubon Society on birds and climate change; an MIT expert on the [non] carbon neutrality of biomass; and how switching from coal to biomass is creating jobs in Austria.

In other news: a US judge strikes down a law giving California control over the sale of national forests; the UK government pledges support for the timber industry post-Brexit; and the Southern Pine Beetle continues its march north.

Finally; NRCan scientists say the woodland caribou is threatened but not doomed; and the US abandons its caribou reintroduction program in Idaho and Washington.

–Kelly McCloskey

On the go: Domtar announces plan to close its Waco diaper plant next year; Canfor says it will curtail BC’s lumber production in Q4; and Tolko plans to partner with Mississippi’s Southeastern Timber. In other Business news: Resolute says the lumber market crash is close to the bottom; while the US Dept of Commerce says construction spending in September remained flat.

In Forestry news: the US Administration promises to encourage biomass for energy; BC’s use of prescribed burning is criticized after a hazy Halloween; where there’s fire there’s Bruce Blackwell; old-growth logging is proposed in the Tongass; the USDA’s plan to relocate its research office is under review; and Starbucks debuts a tree-inspired Juniper latte.

Finally, Pat Bell (BC’s Forest Minister 2008-2011) says proportional representation–one of the options in BC’s electoral reform vote—is bad for resource development.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

With the fire performance of mass timber on demonstration in BC; and the US Code Council set to vote on mass timber; it’s no surprise that tall timber developments are already making headway in Toronto. Equally unsurprising is the Halloween-infused news on building code changes proposed by the Standing Committee on Paranormal Phenomena and the US National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grants to The Bats to the Future Fund.

In Forestry news: new research says deforestation is still occurring but has slowed worldwide; Canada and the US are said to be key to the remaining wilderness; the damage reports to timber from hurricane Michael are in; and Brazil’s new president creates concern about the future of the Amazon.

Finally; Ontario’s wildfire season was one of the busiest ever; while BC and California look to prescribed burns to reduce future risks.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Spider’s propensity for human blood (there isn’t any) and Weyerhaeuser’s haunted mansion top the news on Halloween. A few headlines for those not searching for the paranormal include:

• NAWLA celebrates 125 years of service to wholesalers
• Two global wood fibre price indices fell in the 2nd Quarter
• And: Conifex’s refinancing; West Fraser’s good deed; and Port Angeles’ log yard

Finally, more on the historic code changes proposed for tall wood (and reinforced steel) in the US, and those that oppose them.

Have a happy and safe Halloween!

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The American Wood Council’s tall timber code proposals were approved by more than 2:1 at the International Code Council’s public comment hearings. While architects celebrate the potential (in Treehugger) and states move forward regardless (i.e. Oregon), the December vote isn’t a shoe-in.

In other news: tensions escalate around Northern Pulp’s future in Nova Scotia; tariffs on China are causing new home prices to rise in Idaho; Oakland’s suspicious fires have developers bracing for higher insurance costs and considering switching to more expensive steel framing.

Finally, the WWF says 60% of the world’s wildlife has been wiped out since 1970 and Eastern Australia is deemed a deforestation front — the only location in the developed world to make the list. 

According to Random Lengths – disappointment permeated framing lumber markets last week and structural panel sales continued to lose ground. In other Business news: Steelworkers in BC’s southern interior returned a 98% strike vote; forestry experts say Montana’s forest industry is rebounding; and BC forests face a worker shortage for reforestation. 

In Forestry news: Ottawa and BC are still talking on endangered southern caribou; a gov’t scientist is sounding the alarm on drunken trees in Canada’s North; an Irish botanist worries about ancient trees worldwide; and an Oregon senator says the West has an epidemic of trees. 

Finally, McDonald’s rebrand includes CLT; and Washington could be the first state to charge for carbon emissions.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Exposure to wood smoke can have different effects on the respiratory immune systems of men and women (aka – sex matters). In related news: BC wildfires could be as deadly as California’s within 20 years; fighting fire with fire in the US West means breathing smoke year-round, but according to Bloomberg – we don’t have a choice.

In Business news: Canfor copes with its natural gas shortage in Prince George as well as strike action by the Steelworker’s union; Resolute’s investment in Thunder Bay is Premier Ford-approved; Quebec is hosting a cabinet and furniture industry show; and NY State is seeking funds to boost its forestry and wood industry.

Finally; another call to action to save BC’s old-growth rainforests and move over pumpkin, the witch-hazel tree is a better symbol for Halloween!

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

After six under-construction residential complex fires in Oakland over two years, evidence points to a serial arsonist; unless of course you’re the concrete industry and the problem is the combustible materials. In related news: the USDA announces a grant program to expand wood product use and wood energy markets.

In Business news: Northern Pulp’s stand-off at sea makes the Washington Post, but the company is committed to staying, and the forest industry watches and worries. Other company news includes: Canfor’s solid third quarter; West Fraser’s beaten up stock; White River’s resurgence; Resolute’s Thunder Bay investment; the cause of Western Forest Products’ train derailment in Woss; and Weyerhaeuser’s truck driver shortage.

Finally, a US study says burning more biomass for energy is required to suck CO2 out of the air; but the Dogwood Alliance and others say it’s a dangerous delusion.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

A famous Canadian wildlife painter is calling on government to stop issuing logging permits in BC mountain caribou habitat; a fisherman in Nova Scotia used his boat to stop Northern Pulp from mapping a new effluent outfall; and a California research team has invented a process to turn wood into drinkable water!

The good news stories today include an announced Phase 2 in the San Group sawmill development in Port Alberni BC; a successful new forestry venture for a Northern Ontario First Nation; and the University of Winnipeg launches a new section of their Climate Atlas of Canada with a focus on forests.

Lastly, I can’t help but brag just a little about the 2018 summer Festival of Forestry Teachers’ Tour. After 51 years, this group of volunteers continues to successfully introduce BC teachers the wonderful world of forestry!

–Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

The BC government introduced legislation to tighten oversight of resource projects, create whistleblower protection and oversee the professional associations. Is it a means to restore public trust (BC Gov’t) or a lost opportunity (ABCFP)? In other Business news, more on: the San Group expansion, Irving’s plea deal; and Random Lengths lumber and panel report.

In Wood Product news: the US Forest Service celebrates CLT; DeckExpo promotes Southern Pine and Western Red Cedar; but the concrete, cement and steel industries say the US Code Council’s advocacy guidelines are suppressing information on the devastating consequences of allowing wooden high-rise buildings.

Finally, Prince Harry’s environmental message; a survey of US family forest owners; and an online map of the impact of climate change on Canada’s boreal forest.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

US wood importers say Chinese tariff dodgers exist but the recent Wall Street Journal article is one-sided and overstates the significance. In other Business news: southern BC mill workers may join their northern neighbours in strike vote; the Tolko and Soda Creek mills are back up and running after BC’s pipeline explosion; and Northern Pulp faces an effluent leak in Nova Scotia.

In other news: Alberta wolves restore the natural balance in Yellowstone National Park; a botanist’s view on how forests and wildfires are linked; how wildfires may reverse Montana’s declining timber sales; and the tallest mass-timber building in the Western Hemisphere will soon reside in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Finally, a presidential proclamation on National Forest Products Week.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The San Group announced plans to build a new sawmill in BC; GP will expand its OSB plant in South Carolina; Mercer buys a sandalwood company in Australia and Kenora FP will increase production in previously shuttered plant. In other Business news: US housing starts fall, Canada helps two BC First Nations participate in the forest sector; and  Canada’s Ambassador to the US talks pot and [softwood] trade.

In other news: a Canadian fisheries expert says climate change is on a disaster path for fish; a US ecologist urges 3-step solution to mega wildfires; the USDA and Domtar develop carbon foam from lignin; and UC San Diego to receives upgrade for earthquake simulation and first up is a 10-story CLT building.

Finally, Quebec’s forests appear to breath in a video; and award announcements for: US custom woodworkers; SFI leaders; and Scottish structural timber designers.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Is your workplace ready for legalized marijuana? WorkSafeBC launches campaign to raise awareness about impairment in the workplace.

Elsewhere: strike action ends at Tolko; the San Group adds a shift in Port Alberni; Burns Lake looks to mill poplar; two sawmills expand in Ontario; Weyerhaeuser opens mill in Arkansas; Irving’s plea deal is questioned; and Resolute wins award for reducing its carbon emissions.

Meanwhile: BC seeks better buildings; NJ considers wood safety reforms; controlled burns are promoted in BC; Utah’s trembling aspen giant is collapsing; Michigan’s history of forest clearing is panned; and the future of the Amazon lies in Brazil’s election.

Finally, US builder confidence rises and SFI awards go to Brian Kernohan (Conservation Leadership) and Bettina Ring (President’s Award).

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

British Columbia’s interior forest sector has yet another hurdle to contend with. After summer fires and political face-offs, interior workers are on strike. Vice president of the Steelworkers union, Paul French said they are sending a “message to negotiators that employees are serious about their demands”. At Tolko’s Lakeview mill the strike affects about 50 employees. 

In the eastern US – forest workers are facing a very different challenge. A rare frog is the force behind a court case involving Weyerhaeuser and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

But the news isn’t all doom and gloom, in Ontario an outdoor education teacher is responsible for planting 8,000 trees, as part of the Ontario government’s 50 Million Tree program; and Canfor is pleased to share their recent company and employee awards – congratulations!

–Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

Climate change is implicated in the loss of insect abundance in some tropical forests, and is hyperalarming—given its impact on the broader ecosystem. In related news: climate change may also threaten the availability and economic accessibility of beer; Canadian MPs debate the recent UN report; and more investment is sought for Ontario’s Biomass Innovation Cluster.  

In other news: Paper Excellence targets Asia with its Catalyst purchase; Tolko curtails production at its Quest Wood mill in BC; prescribed burning takes hold in Washington state, hurricane Michael may have implications for Florida’s forest sector and its building code; and California utilities shut off power amid wildfire concerns.

Finally, the US National Forest Week starts next week and the American Forest and Paper Association has plans to celebrate.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Interfor plans to cut production in the BC Interior due to declining lumber prices and rising log costs; Santa Fe construction costs keep rising; timber theft is a growing problem on Vancouver Island; and cross laminated timber use is allowed in the UK despite combustible cladding ban.

In Forestry news: BC Woodlot awards go to the Thompson family, Charles Bloom Secondary School and Saulteau First Nations; a UBC conference touts the climate change credentials of urban forests; an Ontario forest is at risk due to the departure of a single bald eagle; a new Council is formed to help address Canada’s plant health risks; and forestry practices are good for Washington state.

Finally, Pakistan’s 10 billing tree tsunami is already taking root.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Hurricane Michael’s path of destruction decimated areas with older houses and mobile homes with insured loses estimated at eight billion. Elsewhere, BC’s pipeline explosion takes down a Tolko mill; Western Forest Products suspends its Ladysmith operation due to a log shortage; Boise Cascade purchases Arling Lumber; and Catalyst Paper’s sale to Paper Excellence gets union endorsement.

In Forestry news: a new documentary pans old growth logging in BC; the Sierra Club endorses proportional representation in BC referendum; salvage logging in Quesnel is deemed bad news for the endangered fisher; forest thinning is helping with Oregon’s wildfires; and Southern timber prices are more complicated than just “too many trees“.

Finally, Bill Dumont says Green MLA attacks on BC natural resource professionals are not in the public’s interest.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The most powerful hurricane on record to hit Florida’s Panhandle left wide destruction and at least two people dead. In related news: Forbes Magazine asks – what kind of architecture best withstands hurricanes [wood of course], while flooding in North Carolina renews the debate over logging and wood pellets. Elsewhere: BC’s natural gas explosion closes three Canfor mills; Irving pleads guilty to three pollution charges in New Brunswick; and ND Paper plans to reopen the Old Town mill in Maine.

In other news: mass timber is hyped in New York City and Hamilton, while Charlottetown adopts new code to allow taller wood structures; BC and Washington pledge habitat protection; Ireland’s forestry boom is panned; and Europe’s forests may not help fight climate change.

Finally, Vicki Christiansen, the US Forest Service Chief, took the interim off her title; and an acornucopia erupts in Washington DC.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor 

BC leaders welcome Paper Excellence’s purchase of Catalyst Paper’s three remaining mills, notwithstanding its aging workforce. In other Business news: the Steelworkers start job action with an overtime ban in northern BC; softwood lumber exports are up in Europe but down in Canada; and Russia is expanding its role in China’s lumber industry.

In Forestry/Climate news: an Ontario First Nation bans clear-cut logging; roadless advocates dominate Alaska hearings; Oregon loggers say wood products are part of the climate solution; US south plantation forests are causing timber prices to fall; and the loss of forests worldwide is ten-fold less [or more], depending on your data source.

Finally, the largest cross laminated timber building in the world takes the spotlight in London.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

UN report says climate change worse than expected; forest restoration and long-lived wood products touted as part of the actions required. The headlines include: 

• Climate change impacts worse than expected (National Geographic)
• No change to Canada’s climate plans with UN report (Canadian Press)
• Save trees, restore forests to curb climate change (The Straight Times)
• The world has just over a decade to get climate change under control (Washington Post)
• Climate refugia crucial to saving bird species from global warming (Globe and Mail)

In Business news: the Woodworking Network on lumber production trends; the low-down on hardwood lumber by Merchant Magazine; and a Wall Street Journal expose on plywood tariff-dodges due to the US/China trade battle. Elsewhere: fire risk labels proposed for wood joists in Ontario; part 2 of a series on wildfires in Oregon; and common ground among fire scientists in the US West.

Finally; the first woman receives Society of American Foresters award for outstanding forestry education.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
 

Scientists say forests are the ‘unsung hero’ of climate action in advance of Monday’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. In related news: NRCan’s chief scientist uses LiDAR to assess forest change; a Georgia professor is measuring the pros and cons of increased CO2 on tree growth; the World Resource Institute has a new report on the value of tropical forests; and a Chinese researcher says mixed forests can absorb twice as much carbon.

In other news: Mercer International is acquiring two Daishowa-Marubeni’s mills; BC signed a reconciliation agreement with the Sechelt First Nation; BC’s movie industry goes green with FSC; the construction revolution goes modular with CLT; and the US is not invited to Canada’s 13-nation meeting on the WTO.

Finally, a death cap mushroom advisory is put out in BC; and can legalization of cannabis save our forests?

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Canadian Forest Industries top 10 forestry leaders under 40, and the Business Intelligence Group’s 50 global business awards were announced yesterday. In other business news: the Steelworkers issued 72 hour strike notice in BC; and more commentary on the new NAFTA et al:

• Dissecting the new USMCA deal (Nova Scotia)
• Canada can claim partial success in USMCA (Canadian Press)
• New trade agreement would hinge on cooperation (Ohio)
• Tariffs may lead to costly headaches for home builders and remodelers (Washington Post)
• The price of The Donald: The president’s tariffs undercut his progress on trade (Dallas)
• Quarterly lumber prices level but energy costs are going up (Engineering News)

In Forestry news: virtual reality is being use to engender empathy for old growth forests in BC; an off-duty border agent is fined for causing a wildfire in Arizona; forest carbon offsets are opposed in Oregon; and Montana’s forests could adapt to pine beetles if we let them.

Finally, a wooden laptop made from recycled wood and paper will last three times longer and patina with age!

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor