Category Archives: Today’s Takeaway

Our BIGGEST thanks to all our readers and sponsors on the SHORTEST day of the year – the winter solstice. But why the lag between the shortest day of the year and the lowest average daily temperature of the year? According to the Farmer’s Almanac, it’s because the Earth’s thermal mass still retains heat from the summer and cools gradually. The coldest day of winter doesn’t occur for another month and a half.

In today’s news: Trump signs 2018 Farm Bill; why construction costs are up; Canada’s smorgasbord of bad weather; why California needs to start more fires; and the ridiculously large number of trees New Zealand needs to plan to be carbon neutral.

Finally, on our last News day of the year: a Danish TREEdition and the Tree Frog’s favourite Yule Tide Fly Stew. Your faithful Frogs will be back with all the headlines on January 2nd, 2019!

Best wishes for a successful, healthy, and joyful new year!

Kelly, Sandy and Heidi

Christmas comes early as the International Code Council vote on Tall Wood is set to pass, clearing the way for 18-storey buildings in 2021. In other Business news: Western Forest Products’ Don Demens corrects inaccuracies in ENGO op-ed; Northern Pulp’s discharge pipe has the community divided; EACOM says duties are hard to swallow with sagging lumber prices; and US sawmill production is up 4.3% in the first nine months of 2018.

In other news: Oregon’s Elliott State Forest may become a research forest; BC/WA/Oregon join forces on forests and climate change; and new research suggests forests, like humans, require a balanced diet.

Two TREEditions today: a 40 ft. Christmas tree order in the UK (thanks Sam Coggins) and reflections of the real Santa Clause (aka Bill Dumont).

Finally, an early Christmas greeting to all our readers and please note – tomorrow’s Tree Frog News is the last of 2018, barring any breaking news over the holiday.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Business news in Eastern Canada – will wood supply thwart the restart of the Fort Frances mill? And will fishermen stop Northern Pulp from finding a new effluent pipeline route?

In Wood news, a UBC student wants to plant gardens on bus shelters, and Anthony Thistleton’s new book Thinkwood says YES to using mass timber – the more the merrier! 

Canada is the chief steward of the world’s Boreal forests – it’s a big responsibility; NRCan is investing in two Indigenous forest sector projects in New Brunswick; and researchers at the University of Arizona say Southwest forests’ productivity will decline over 21st century due to climate change. 

Finally – with six days until Christmas, Tree Frog is reaching out again for your TREEdition Stories. Please tell us about your Christmas traditions and send us a picture – we’d love to share. 

Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

Legislation supporting the expansion of wood for use in large scale buildings (in the form of the Timber Innovation Act) is heading to the president’s desk for approval. In related news: Canada Wood signs an MOU with Korean Architects; the U of Toronto plans to merge its faculties of Forestry and Architecture; the Softwood Lumber Board completes its leadership transition; and innovative wood-based fabrics aim to replace microplastics.

In Forestry/Climate news: did Jerry Brown do enough on climate change (LA Times); California’s catastrophic wildfire season is not the new normal (Wall Street Journal); ENGO’s bemoan the non-closing of biomass loophole at COP24 (Mongabay); and how much is a tree worth (the Australian edition).

Finally, need a break from the Christmas hullabaoo? Airbnb just listed this pinecone-shaped treehouse in California.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

COP24 wrapped up with agreement on how countries should track their emissions but not much else. In related news: Canada encouraged the establishment of a global market with carbon pricing; while the role of forests and carbon credits was debated but put off until next year.

In Company news: Despite tensions with China, Don Kayne calls BC trade mission business as usual; Canfor extends temporary curtailments in BC; Western Forest Products sells 7% of its Alberni Operation to First Nations group; Tolko targets February for rebuild of Williams Lake mill; and Port Hawkesbury Paper is doing well six-years after shutdown.

In Forestry news: the US Farm Bill does the right thing; Secretary Zinke steps down due to federal investigations; a winter wildfire threatens two Alberta communities; and California takes some heat on wildfire spending.

Finally, Ontario proposes hunting season for cormorants to reduce their impact on fish and forest habitats.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor 

Poland’s ‘Forest for Climate Declaration‘ at COP24 is welcomed by FPAC; but derided as a climate bomb by Wake University’s Justin Catanoso; and called hypocritical by ENGOs given Poland’s dependence on coal. In related news: BC’s climate plan fails to promote biomass upside; bamboo producers hype their fast growing mitigation potential; and the UN Forest Products Annual Market Review is out.

In Business news: Repap Resources plans to buy and reopen Resolute’s Fort Francis papermill; Cascades purchases three US packaging companies; Northern Pulp lacks a Plan B; and Western Forest Products TFL 39 audit gets high praise.

Finally, a BC Forest Service retirees’ TREEdition, a global competition on forest education; and the Lorax helps stop development in a US federal appeals court.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The Huawei drama is heightening concern over Canada’s exports while China just arrested a second Canadian. According to one expert, despite the risk, Canadian officials need to stay put to maintain their private-sector links. In other Business news: Madison’s says lumber price volatility is settling down to norm; US construction material prices fell 2% in November; the Transportation Safety Board released its report on Western Forest Product’s rail crash; and the United Steelworkers target Canfor’s Vavenby mill.

In other headlines: more on the US Farm Bill, forestry in the aftermath of California’s wildfires; and the UK’s ban on CLT. Elsewhere: ENGO’s target old-growth logging in BC; and local forest happenings in Fredricton, Halifax, Helena, Squamish and Calling lake, Alberta. 

Finally, a heads up on the upcoming Montreal Wood Convention and Savannah Biomass Conference.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The House and Senate compromise on the US Farm Bill drops the contentious GOP-desired changes in the name of fire prevention but retains funding for thinning, forest landscape restoration and the Timber Innovation Act (i.e., support for mass timber). In other Business news: an update from Tom Fletcher on the BC/China trade mission; and the American Wood Council elects Roseburg CEO as chair.

In Forestry/Climate news: Alberta researchers want to help tree migration outpace climate change; California’s top firefighter wants to ban home construction in fire-prone areas; the FAO releases two papers on forest vulnerability pre-COP24; and an Australian architect has high hopes for timber innovation in design and construction. 

Finally, scientists at the Deep Carbon Observatory say carbon-based life lurking below the Earth’s surface dwarfs the amount of life roaming on top. Allegedly.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Christmas tree farmers launched a “got milk” like campaign to combat the growing fake tree market. The campaign is called “It’s Christmas. Keep It Real!” Meanwhile Finland’s prime minister says, “Climate Change is real” and “Trump wasn’t wrong but it’s not raking, it’s thinning“. 

In Business news: Hakan Ekstrom says world sawlog prices fell in Q3; the Washington Post says China is subverting US tariffs on plywood by shipping through Vietnam; Susan Yurkovich says China is too important a market to pass on; Finning International appoints West Fraser’s Ted Seraphim to its Board; and the Canadian Steel Producers hire former FPAC executive Catherine Cobden.  

In Wood Product news: CLT is touted as the “need of the hour” while char is challenged as a fire insulator. 

Finally, new research says urban frogs are sexier than forest frogs. Allegedly.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

BC suspended the China leg of its Asian trade mission due to Chinese fury over the Huawei arrest, but Canadian companies carried on [carefully]. In related news: the BC trade delegation was in earthquake-prone South Korea promoting the benefits of wood construction; Japan plans to process trees felled by their recent earthquake; and builders tout mid-rise wood construction in London, Ontario.

In Forestry news: saving BC’s caribou won’t come without sacrifice (UBC prof); more logging is not the solution to Oregon wildfires (ENGO); and don’t believe those touting a single solution to Oregon’s wildfires (Industry CEO). Elsewhere, BC’s carbon neutral program to receive UN award; Nova Scotia breeds the perfect Christmas tree; and Milan is increasing its tree cover by 30%.

Finally, pining for some profile? Send us your forest-friendly family TREEdition (with a photo if possible) and we’ll make your wish come true.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Prefering incentives over strong-arming, BC’s business community signs onto the government’s climate plan. In other Business news: Madison’s says lumber prices are “waffling“; Northern Pulp is taking legal action and forest farmer Chuck Leavell talks policy and the Rolling Stones.

In Forestry news: BC’s wolf kill is protested while the government talks moose protection in the Cariboo; fishers are reintroduced in Washington state; and SFI sums up their successful conference in Colorado.

Finally, tree footprints, tree density and tree flocking, and our first reader-submitted, family-friendly TREEdition (thanks Brian Barber). Must be the weekend for Christmas tree shopping. 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

With COP24 approaching, the Rainforest Alliance says forests are the world’s most powerful and cost-efficient carbon-capture technology. In related news: Canada plans to set tougher targets; BC says all new buildings must be “net-zero energy ready”; Oregon’s forest sector is poised to provide solutions; forest management in Michigan is helping; and preventing wildfires by cutting your own Christmas tree in California.

In other news: Washington State approves code changes allowing 18-storey wood buildings; NASA and LiDAR team up to map the Earth’s forests; more on Nova Scotia’s clearcutting response; and peace comes with caveats in Columbia as deforestation rises 44 percent.

Finally, with less that three weeks of shopping until Christmas, we’re on the lookout to profile your forest-friendly family traditions. Got any?

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Does Nova Scotia’s clearcut response satisfy the critics? According to the Chronicle Herald, “they made all the right noises” but CBC News says “it wasn’t what some were expecting“.

Elsewhere: a major US homebuilder sounds the alarm on a ‘housing slowdown’; sawlog prices were down everywhere but North America in Q2; the wood components sector forecasts US demand to grow; and BC faces headwinds with its forestry mission to Asia.

Finally, Canada imports one fake Christmas tree (mostly from China) for every two real ones it grows. 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

A binational panel with three Canadians and two Americans has been formed to review the softwood lumber dispute (Globe & Mail subscribers only); while a tentative truce between the US and China is seen as good news for US wood molding and furniture manufacturers.

Architects say the UK ban on CLT above 18 meters is an “overreach” as CLT is safer than steel, while the Timber Trades Journal says the “trend towards timber will continue“. In related news, PEI’s building code now allows for wood residential buildings to have a fifth floor.

In Forestry and Climate news: Nova Scotia’s Minister says fewer clearcuts doesn’t mean less wood; a NASA mission will measure the world’s forests in 3D; UN leaders need to persuade workers their industry can have a future with climate action; and a BC Climatologist says when removing forests “it gets warmer in some places and cooler in others.”

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Renowned architect Andrew Waugh vows to fight the UK ban on timber materials in buildings taller than 18 meters (or five storeys). The ban stems from the Grenfell Tower tragedy that killed 72, due in large part to the use of flammable foam board cladding. 

In Business news: West Fraser and Catalyst Paper announced temporary curtailments in BC; Northern Pulp’s closure is promoted by some; and Canfor insiders bet on better days ahead. In Forestry and Bioenergy news: Nova Scotia plans to respond to the Lahey report; BC’s forests are releasing more carbon; wood-eating crustaceans provide insights for biofuel, and European bioenergy production could triple by 2050.

Finally, forest fires in California this year released carbon emissions equivalent to the amount produced to power the state’s electricity for one year.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The USMCA (or NAFTA-update) was signed today at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires. Key takeaways: the agreement lifts the risk of economic uncertainty; the Canada-US rift remains; and final ratification remains a big hurdle. Meanwhile: the US Farm Bill is likely to pass as Republicans sidelined their forestry provisions; Alberta’s plan to ship oil by rail will hurt lumber shippers; and pressure mounts as Canadian Senators weigh in on Northern Pulp’s future.

In Forestry news: A&A Trading and Terminal Forest Products pass their forestry audit; Manitoba is privatizing their forest firefighting services; and the US is encouraged to prevent fires by letting the forest burn.

Finally, the UK cladding ban may outlaw CLT; and plans are unveiled for the world’s greatest concentration of mass timber buildings in Toronto—with suitable fanfare!

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

There appears to be no end in sight to the debate over the role of forests and forest management in climate change. Here are the headlines that make the point:

• Forestry provisions are the latest snag in US farm bill negotiations
• House Caucus says Democrats obstructing active management of forests
• Fast-tracking logging on federal lands may not lessen wildfire risk
• Three years after Paris talks, the world braces for Poland
• Brazil withdraws offer to host UN climate change conference
• In Lebanon, climate change devours ancient cedar trees

In Business news: US home sales dropped 9% in October; BC looks to Asia as US market cools; China loses tariff appeal on wood flooring; and how those same tariffs are hurting US companies. Companies in the news include: Mercer’s investment offering; Westervelt’s new mill; Timberwest’s scholarships for indigenous students; and Weyerhaeuser’s triumph over the Dusky Gopher Frog.

Finally, why South Park’s zero-sum view of the world doesn’t work with climate change.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

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