Category Archives: Today’s Takeaway

Around the world, we’re celebrating International Day of Forests, and here at Tree Frog headquarters in BC, it’s the first day of Spring! So, wherever you are, take time today to recognize a tree, or plant one, or photograph one! Despite Statistics Canada’s claim that the forest sector’s contribution to the economy has declined, professor Tom Beckley at the University of New Brunswick says, “forestry is still relatively healthy“. 

In Business news: a family-owned sawmill in South Carolina is expanding, Charles Ingram Lumber is creating new jobs and new product lines; US newspapers paying higher taxes thanks to tariffs on Canadian pulp are “baffled” saying, “the Canadian government appears to care more about our jobs than our own US government“; and in Maine, tariffs have US Gov. Paul LePage fired-up, where he has been accused of diverting state-owned logs away from companies critical of his position. 

Finally, while the mass timber masterminds are meeting in Portland, a story today in the Corvallis Gazette-Times reports a CLT failure at Oregon State University where a section of CLT subflooring delaminated and “came crashing down”. We’ll keep you posted.

–Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

On the heels of legislation requiring building codes to accept mass timber, Washington State is pursuing a Bill requiring all public buildings 12-storeys or less to use CLT. In related news: Oregon’s International Mass Timber Conference kicks off in Portland; Think Wood speaks to the research behind the innovation; but Oregonwild protests – calling it “greenwashing clearcut logging“.

Companies in the news include: West Fraser’s stock surges 56% [G&M subscribers only]; Tolko’s Lakeview sawmill will take longer to resurrect; Tolko plans to build an energy plant in Alberta; and Fortress moves up the value chain with xylitol (a sweetener used in gum). Elsewhere, AF&PA speaks in favour of NAFTA.

In Forestry news: Alberta suspends its caribou conservation plan due to costs; a new pheromone discovery may predict mountain pine outbreaks; the Australian forestry wars are back; and Asia Pulp & Paper is now growing… mangos!

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Canada has requested a meeting of the WTO’s dispute settlement body on March 27 to judge its dispute with the United States over Canadian lumber exports. Companies in the news include: Domtar (concerns about a former creosote plant in Edmonton); and Sino Forest (found guilty of fraud in Ontario Superior Court).

In Forestry news: Minister McKenna announces $1.3 billion to protect natural places and wildlife in Canada; BC is protecting more coastal habitat for the marbled murrelet and northern goshawk; the fir bark beetle is wrecking havoc in central BC; and Scotland disputes stories that its Sitka Spruce are at risk from “sudden oak death“.

In Wood product news: Washington State overcomes a major construction hurdle with mass timber by directing its Building Code Council to allow for it; and Austrian furniture giant Egger Wood Products is planing it first North American facility in North Carolina. 

Finally, shoes made from wood pulp are taking off in Georgia and Greenpeace takes on PepsiCo and Johnson & Johnson for refusing to reveal their palm oil sources.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Trade dominates the airwaves again. Notable headlines include:

• Trump gets four Pinocchios on trade deficit with Canada (Washington Post)
• Canada’s dependency on the US looks like a liability (National Post
• Duties are a critical cost challenge for Catalyst (Vancouver Sun)
• Gov. Lepage challenged on why logs went to Canadian company (Maine Free Press)

In Business news: Norbord suspends OSB mill in BC due to a lack of wood; BC economist Finlayson says economic outlook stable but politicians lose sight of the importance resource-based industries; US construction material prices continue to rise; and US homebuilder optimism is down for a third straight month.

Climate change studies speak to the risk: of permafrost loss in Europe; the loss of wildlife in the Amazon; and UN projects doing more harm than good in Africa.

Finally, can concrete be improved with wood nanocrystals? Can plastic drink cartons be made with wood? Yes and Yes!

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The US Dept of Commerce ruled that some Canadian producers are dumping uncoated roundwood paper in the US. A smattering of responses:

• Catalyst Paper is very disappointed (Ned Dwyer, Catalyst CEO)
• Another blow for Canadian forestry (Alex Moreau, Montreal Economic Institute)
• We will not be bullied (Bruce Ralston, BC Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology)
• US publishers sound alarm, some will close (David Chavern, News Media Alliance)
• Trade remedies are needed to level the playing field (Craig Anneberg, Norpac CEO)

Elsewhere in Business: BC log export restrictions are the big change in the softwood lumber dispute; an Ontario court awards $2.6 billion in the Sino-Forest fraud case; and the number of Canadian towns relying on forestry is down significantly.

In other news: wood frame construction is “under fire” due to Georgia’s wood bill; FSC approves the final draft of its National Forest Management Standard; the new USFS Chief calls for improved response to sexual misconduct; and the WA Nature Conservancy seeks to replicated old growth forests.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The US Dept. of Commerce imposed anti-dumping duties averaging 22.16 per cent against most Canadian newsprint producers, adding to the 6.53 per cent in countervailing duties levied earlier. The Canadian government and FPAC responded with disappointment and determination. In other trade news: Trump’s firing of Rex Tillerson is said to be “bad for NAFTA“; and some homebuilders say “tariffs are Trump’s war new housing“.

In Forestry news: the WWF says half the world’s forests are at risk to climate change; the Oregon logging conference celebrates 80 years; a New York Times headline reads “turning back the clock on protecting Alaska’s wild lands“; and a Wisconsin stewardship agreement brings “tree-huggers and lumberjacks together“.

Finally, wood is making a comeback in housebuilding in the UK, and congratulations to Dave Lehane [previously of West Fraser fame], the newly appointed Chair of the BC Forest Safety Council.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

In today’s news: US home construction over the past decade has increased the high-risk woodland-urban interface by more area than the state of Washington; two US fire scientists received the pinnacle of recognition for improving the US National Fire Danger Rating System; unauthorized drones are hindering wildfire response in Texas; and thinning is proposed to reduce fire risk in Missoula County.

On the wildlife front, rat poison is killing owls in BC; logging is being blamed for the loss of bird nests in Nova Scotia; and environmentalists say a rare salamander is threatened in Oregon. 

In Business news: the global forest industry performed well in 2017; lumber stocks are up again; and Pinnacle and West Fraser are converting a particle board facility in Smithers to pellets.

Finally, Goddess Gala celebrates female truck logger (BC); and convention goers can check out the Montreal Wood Convention (March 20-22); or the Print and Packaging Summit in DC (June 19-20).

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor 

In today’s news: wildfire researchers at the University of Calgary suggest it’s possible to predict where and when lightning will strike; a US ecologist recommends prescribed burning to prevent mega fires in BC; and thinning of beetle devastated forests commences in Jasper National Park. Meanwhile, the Quebec government will allow a small herd of caribou to die off; and Ontario’s rural communities push back on an American activist group’s lobbying efforts. 

In Business news; an opinion writer in Maine suggests Gov. Paul Lepage’s bleak take on forest industry jobs is influenced by his pro-Canadian position on lumber tariffs; while a Toronto Star writer suggest’s Trump’s bully-boy tactics exposes Canada’s US-focused trade policies. Meanwhile, Southern Oregon’s log prices broke last month’s 25-year record.

Finally, researchers at the University of Maryland have done it again. Last month wood was shown to be stronger than steel. This month, wood is the new styrofoam, outperforming just about all existing insulators.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Mass timber and CLT dominate today’s headlines. Specifically, as a means for: California to address its housing crisis; Louisiana to reshape its skyline; American builders to reduce their costs; and the Czech government to house their foresters. And supporting the trend is an international mass timber conference in Portland. Elsewhere, a Q&A on traditional wood-frame as it’s under the gun due to an apartment fire in Denver. 

In other news: a female woodland firefighter is named Interim USFS Chief, US steelmakers cheer tariffs, while Canada dodges the tariff bullet; conservationists say the deadly bat disease is coming to BC; and researchers at Wisconsin-Madison say florescent pink “is the new black” [for high-vis vests] because it’s more visible in Autumn.

Finally, ForestTECHX wraps up a successful Vancouver show. Click here for the Frog’s speaker highlights and pictures.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

US spokesman says tariffs on steel and aluminum—to be effective within 30 days—won’t apply right away to Canada and Mexico. In related news: US allies plan to sign Trans-Pacific Partnership without the US; and Canada’s softwood exports to the US fell 14 per cent in January due to lumber duties. 

Companies in the news include: Kruger (best company award); Canfor (upgrades Alabama sawmill); West Fraser (updates city on fibre supply); and Hampton Affiliates (appeals WorkSafeBC fine).

In Forestry news: BC strikes panel to review its environmental assessment process; Oregon’s top forester says forestry can help water quality; ENGOs question the science behind Canada’s wildlife management; and fashion designer Chanel is accused of environmental heresy for using chopped-down trees in their show.

Finally – it’s International Women’s Day, so we close with a feature story on the career challenges (and rewards) faced by Jeanna Glendinning, a logging truck driver with Western Forest Products.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

As you can see from our Special Feature, we’re once again rubbing elbows with the forest sector, this time at ForestTECHX. Last night was the meet and greet, and today we look forward to the technical sessions. Watch the Frog on Friday for the overview. 

On the trade front, Canada has come out triumphant after a NAFTA tribunal ruled against Mercer International’s claim that it’s pulp-mills were discriminated against by BC Hydro and the BC Utilities Commission. But the trade war continues, and Canada’s Federal Finance Minister addressed questions about the dispute at a Business Council of BC meeting on Tuesday, where COFI’s Susan Yurkovich emphasized the importance of a streamlined approach to regulation. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization has a new online platform for monitoring the world’s forest resources. Using Google Earth and the computing power of Google the tool allows users with no remote sensing experience to monitor forest cover changes over time. 

Finally, we’ll close with horse logging in Prince Edward Island – why? “It’s just good for the soul, good for the woods, good for the environment. Just because it’s old, doesn’t mean it’s bad.”

–Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

In response to Trump’s threat to use steel tariffs to force a quick NAFTA deal, Trudeau registered his serious concern in a phone call last evening. Adding to the unprecidented urgency—according to trade czar Lighthizer—are the US midterm elections and legally required consultations, which means a deal must be struck within weeks. Related commentary: why the tariffs impact multifamily construction most; and Minister Freeland sharpens her tongue.

Companies in the news include: Canfor (two top employer awards); Canfor Pulp (a leadership change); Weyerhaeuser (revenue growth); Tolko (MOU with First Nations); and IWI (Bonfield sawmill to be built).

In other news: Canada’s environment minister says “we’re all in” on climate targets despite emissions gap; SFI announces conservation grants that support sustainable forestry; New Zealand moves to protect the world’s most evolutionarily distinct frog and Greenpeace wants us to protect forests by eating less meat and dairy. 

Finally, the Softwood Lumber Board released its 2017 Annual Report. Impressive demand gains yet again!

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Undeterred by a storm of criticism, Trump doubles down on his announced tariffs on steel and aluminum by tying exemptions for Canada and Mexico to concessions on NAFTA. Even the Wall Street Journal was critical, noting wryly:” the [steel] tariffs will whack that menace to world peace known as Canada”. The housing market says tariffs will “drive up home prices“; and “couldn’t have come at a worst time“.

In Wildfire news; despite the snow Alberta’s wildfire season has already begun; the 2018 season will come early in the US west; Montana wants to end fire borrowing; US drones can reduce firefighting costs; the US Forest Service is dealing with charges of sexual harassment; and researchers say small trees are a greater risk to cities because they “throw embers further and more efficiently“.

Finally: Sandy Springs continues to resist wood-framed buildings; the future of housing in New Zealand is “prefabs and tiny homes“; and wildlife ecologist Anthony Sebastian [FSC’s International Board Chair] says “in order to save trees, you need to use paper“. 

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Unhappy with President Trump’s plan to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum, Canada, Asia and the EU are up in arms and vowing to retaliate. In other trade news: a WTO decision on log restrictions in Indonesia is a blow to Canada’s softwood lumber defence; and a Wall Street Journal feature on how trade restrictions et al have resulted in lumber shortages and record prices.

Meanwhile, FPAC CEO Derek Nighbor supports MP Richard Canning’s Bill requiring the Canadian government to consider wood; OFIA’s Jamie Lim wants to maximize wood’s potential in Ontario; and Wood for Good and Trada will feature a Timber district at this year’s Ecobuild in the UK.

In Forestry news: Oregon ENGOs call Oregon the “Home of the Clear Cut“; the Tokyo Olympics are criticized for using Asian rainforest timber; South Korea mulls planting forests razed for the Pyeongchang Games; and forestry is the issue that “dare not speak its name” in the Tasmanian election. 

Finally, Congressman Jared Huffman wants to save California’s redwood country – by logging some of it.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Tolko is making its first venture into the US south while Rex Lumber plans a new sawmill in Alabama. Once built, the two plants will produce annually half a billion board feet of lumber. But what will sawmills of the future look like? The Logging and Sawmilling Journal has a feature interview with UBC professor Julie Cool. 

In other Business news: both Babine Forest Products and Lakeland Mills are appealing the fines levied for their 2012 sawdust explosions; Sandy Springs mayor and fire chief protest wood-frame apartments; New Zealand cements its position as China’s top source of logs and APA announces changes to its Board of Trustees.

Elsewhere: the carbon holding potential of forest soils; Vermont forests vulnerability to climate change; NZ companies spend more for logging security and a court in Brazil delivers a blow to Amazon activists.

Finally, while lots of  trees are hermaphroditic—their flowers have both male and female parts—here’s one that can switch genders.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor 

Commentary on Canada’s 2018 budget includes a feature on addressing the need for more women in construction trades, and FPAC provides a breakdown on how the budget will benefit the forest sector.

Cleaning-up: BC’s West Fraser Timber is designing an engineered cover that will keep coal pile contaminants from entering into adjacent land areas and Northern Pulp has been given a cleanup directive from the Nova Scotia government to manage power boiler ash. 

The BC Wood WORKS! awards are still rocking the news scene (in Penticton and Whistler), and in the UK, TRADA is encouraging more young people to think about wood with their Urban Buzz program where 60 students from 28 universities competed in a timber design competition. 

The University of Arizona notes a disturbing trend in wildfires that shows an increase in area burned that will continue into coming decades in the Pacific Northwest. They hope their research serves as a ‘wake-up call to public agencies and landowners’. Protecting forests from fire, a collaborative approach is working in Ashland, Oregon, and California is asking for increased funding to bring in extra firefighters and implement a more nimble response time when help is needed.

—Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

Wood WORKS!—the Canadian Wood Council initiative to grow the market for wood—turned 20 in 2018, and the anniversary was celebrated at this year’s Wood Design Awards in BC. And the Oscar (in a record three categories) goes to… Brock Commons. Elsewhere, brick and beam construction makes a comeback in Toronto thanks to changes allowing taller wood structures.

In Business news: advocates for a deal are emerging in round seven of the NAFTA negotiations; US home sales drop for the second straight month; Maritime fishermen snub Northern Pulp: and the ABCFP elects new leaders and honours its members.

Forestry commentaries include; Suzuki on the Boreal; NRCan on the pinewood nematode, Arizona on the 2018 fire season; Oregon on loggers’ compliance rate; and California and Arizona on the health dangers of wildfire smoke. 

Finally, cloths retailer Guess commits to endangered forests and there’s “nothing un-natural about petroleum.”

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

A feature article in the New York Times suggests NAFTA is far from critical to Canada’s economic survival and even if “what would succeed it is not clear”, Susan Yurkovich (BC Lumber Trade Council) doesn’t anticipate access to US markets to be significantly affected. In other Business news: more on the NDP’s plan to restore appurtenancy rules that tie timber harvests to mills; Oregon wood products show job growth; and forest fires in Canada contribute to Taiwan’s toilet paper panic.

At the BC Forest Professionals AGM, Minister Donaldson announced a review of the province’s Forest Inventory Program and expressed gratitude there was no loss of life associated to the 2017 wildfire season, while Environment Minister Heyman said forestry is not the primary reason for a review of the role of professionals in resource management.

In other news: prefabricated mass timber offers ‘plug and play’ construction; McDonalds is under pressure to go 100 per cent biodebradable with packaging; and beech trees are booming due to climate change and “that’s bad for forests“.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

‘Tis the season? Foresters, loggers and wood specifiers are gathering to learn, and honour their respective champions. The Association of BC Forest Professionals recognized more than a dozen professionals for their outstanding work in sustainable forest management; the 80th annual Oregon Logging Conference kicked off in Eugene Oregon and the Canadian Wood Council announced its Manitoba Wood Solutions Fair in April.

Researchers at the University of BC have made a wood-based concrete panel that performs best with beetle-killed wood; while Purdue University researchers show that concrete infused with wood nanocrystals is stronger, allowing for less concrete in some applications. In other news: inside the operation to save ‘ghosts of the woods’ from hungry wolves; Ontario’s forest industry is also committed to protecting caribou; and drier conditions could doom Rocky Mountain spruce and fir trees.

Finally, Canfor announces and then updates a delay to its planned construction of a new mill in Washington GA.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

We report to you today from Victoria, BC at the Association of BC Forest Professionals’ 70th AGM and conference. The show was a sellout, with 400+ delegates packing the presentations to standing room only. Check our coverage below for the latest from chief foresters, fire experts and more. 

My favourite quote for today comes from Sumitomo via the Pars Herald — “‘happiness grows from trees’ and cities become forests from building out of timber rather than concrete.” The wood trend is continuing around with world, with new towers popping up all over the place, today we look to Norway who is reaching up to be the tallest wood tower. The American Wood Council is working ensure the ongoing trend – to date they have 100 on-line courses about wood building because “Wood is the go-to material for builders in North America”! 

Quesnel’s Chamber of Commerce hosted a dynamic presentation on preparing your business in the event of a wildfire, Parks Canada is planting thousands of whitebark seedlings in the Kootenay National Park in fire impacted forests and a review of forest practices in Nova Scotia has been given a two-month extension.

The text for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is now ready for signing and a new analysis suggests the US withdrawal will result in more economic benefits for Canada. In other news: yesterday’s budget in BC includes more funding for wildfire recovery and fire prevention.

Elsewhere: a proposed law would kill Sandy Springs’ [Georgia] building code restrictions on wood buildings over three stories; Essex County [Ontario] fights to protect its Oak trees from a tree fungus spreading in Michigan; it’s Flagstaff’s turn [Arizona] to tackle the mountain pine beetle and Indonesia mobilizes to combat health-damaging forest fire haze.

The Association  of BC Forest Professionals annual convention starts today in Victoria and tonight’s keynote is a public lecture by Scott Stephens, professor of fire science at the University California Berkeley. The Frogs will be reporting live from the convention floor so check here for regular updates and say hi if you see us!

Finally, a very unique set of wood speakers from discarded wood, based on the same method of making music as a violin.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Maine Governor Paul LePage has asked the US Dept. of Commerce to exempt New Brunswick from duties against Canadian lumber, blaming BC for the softwood dispute. LePage also believes that some mills in Quebec near the US border should be excluded. In other Business news, Trudeau announces investment deal with India [that includes pulp] and Gorman Bros. drops a shift due to reductions in beetle kill logs.

In Forestry news, BC’s NDP turns its attention to raw log exports; FSC’s rigour is challenged by a Yale School of Forestry publication; the US Congress fails to fix the funding formula for wildfire management; the Dept. of Interior is in turmoil due to changes in public land management; and a million trees have been pledged to offset Trump’s non-climate plan.

Finally, New Zealand robotics offers new solutions for forest safety and shortages of skilled machine operators; while new laser technology in the UK seeks to measure forest canopy changes over time.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Softwood lumber prices continue to rise as strong demand and tight supply are expected to keep prices high throughout 2018. Ken Shields (Conifex) believes growth in demand will outstrip supply through 2020, Ted Seraphim says West Fraser’s “longer-term outlook is really positive”, and Don Demens has renewed Western’s capital investment plans.

In Business news: Norpac continues to “draw the ire of US publishers” over tariffs; the Canadian government [via FPInnovations] is helping small business in Northern Ontario; SmartLam is the second CLT company to expand to Maine; and Brexit’s impact on the timber sector is being debated in the UK.

In other news: a Q&A with Michael Green; yet another “world’s largest timber tower“; how tree rings reveal our past and future; and a biofuel breakthrough in the UK.

Finally, if you’re in Victoria BC, check out the ABCFP’s free public lecture on the “Future of Wildfire in BC” and what we can learn from the California experience. 

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Canada’s Chrystia Freeland’s unexpected Valentine’s Day meeting with US trade czar Lighthizer was “just a bilateral check-in”. Readers will recall that “there was no love lost” the last time the two met. Elsewhere: Trump’s team drops a hint that NAFTA-end not imminent; and “it’s time for Canada to reveal its Plan B“. Apparently it has one.

In Forestry news: a hybrid mountain pine beetle is “poised to wreak havoc” in Jasper National Park; the BC auditor general says climate adaptation is needed; a “high amplitude mountain wave” of wind knocked over 100 gigantic trees in Olympic National Park; Science Magazine says vast bioenergy plantations could stave off climate change; and Borneo has lost 100,000 orangutans due to hunting and deforestation.

In other news: Unifor has selected Resolute as its target as labour negotiations for eastern pulp and paper get ready to commence.

Finally, a BC forester pitches his “tablet friendly” cruisers’ vest to the Dragons’ Den.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The BC government signalled it will begin restoring the requirement that timber harvested from public lands be processed in nearby mills, according to Vaughn Palmer in the Vancouver Sun. However, a case-by-case approach may be required so as to avoid “unintended consequences” in the fight for a softwood deal with the US.

In Forestry news: Moose-ion accomplished [through culling] in Newfoundland after years of moose-caused forest conversion; while Northern Ontario’s caribou-management involves a helicopter ride to a new home. Elsewhere, Peru moves to protect one of the “last great intact forests”; and a story on why India’s forest cover is overstated.

In other news: CLT is rising at Oregon State University College; related building code changes are in the works for Washington State; and the future of architecture in the UK is [per the Roca London Gallery] engineered wood.

Finally, bioenergy breakthroughs include a new way to remove contaminants from treated wood waste (Canada); and recycling and biofuel efficiencies are possible via mapping carbohydrates in plant matter (Sweden).

 — Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Pirate-style wooden peg legs come to mind when thinking about “human body parts made out of wood“, but Norwegian scientists are talking nanocellulose, which together with nutrients and stem cells from an injured patient can help regenerate body tissue. Elsewhere, University of Maryland scientists demonstrate the bulletproof competence of “super wood“.

In other Wood news: the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) released its 2017 results—one billion board feet of new lumber demand—while the USDA has announced the referendum date to determine whether the SLB will continue for another five years. Meanwhile, APA – The Engineered Wood Association celebrated more than half a million publication downloads in 2017.

In Forestry news: heli-logging is being used to minimize the spread of Douglas fir beetles in BC; California’s timber battles have shifted from redwoods to Douglas fir; the Sierra Nevada is rethinking how it fights forest fires; and Colorado sees product opportunities after decades of pine beetle devastation.

Finally, another reason to hug a logger—BC logging truck driver saved a moose calf after it got stuck in a snowbank.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Speaking at the White House yesterday, President Trump complained about Canadian trade practices while “threatening some as-yet-undefined international tax“. Elsewhere on trade: Policy Options has a piece on the “lessons learned from the 2017 softwood lumber dispute“; and the Book Manufacturers’ Institute joined the growing coalition against US tariffs on Canadian newsprint.

In Forestry news: World Wildlife Fund Columbia considers lessons from the Great Bear Rainforest; US Secretary Zinke orders more aggressive practices to prevent catastrophic wildfires; Congress failed to include wildfire legislation in the budget due to last minute roadblocks; and Missoula forester Mark Finney says the problem with wildfires is that “nobody owns them“. 

Finally, a few repeats from yesterday—given it was a holiday for some—include: marbled murrelet listed as an endangered species in Oregon; and Tom Maness, Oregon State’s Dean, calls the new Forest Science Complex “transformational” despite its challenges”.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

In a 4-2 vote, the Oregon Commission of Fish and Wildlife uplifted the marbled murrelet from threatened to endangered, despite concerns from the timber industry. The vote puts Oregon on the same page as neighboring California and Washington, while in BC and Alaska the bird’s status is less protected [in part] because the populations are much larger.

In other news: Oregon State’s Dean, Tom Maness, calls the new Forest Science Complex “transformational” despite the challenges; Montana’s Big Snowy Mountains wilderness area may be threatened while planning in the state’s Flathead area achieved gains; and Indiana wonders whether cutting trees is good or bad for the forest, particularly given its 85% private forest ownership.

Finally, on the  trade front: tensions are growing between New York State and its largest trading partner [Canada]; a Florida media group says the softwood lumber dispute is following Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day script; and Prime Minister Trudeau strikes a cooperative tone on NAFTA while in California.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The Yin and Yang of the forest news world or how seemingly opposite stories may be complementary and interdependent: Seth Kursman explains why Resolute is suing Greenpeace under US racketeering laws; environmentalists say Ontario’s threatened caribou is at greater risk due to exemptions to Ontario’s wildlife laws.

Meanwhile: after 31 years at the helm, Ken Day is passing over the reins of his role at the UBC Alex Fraser Research Forest; Atlantic Canada’s woodlot owners could benefit from carbon offsets; a Canadian bill requiring the federal government to consider wood in their infrastructure projects passes second reading; Montana senators’ dueling wilderness bills both get hearings at the Capital; and the Washington Post takes a closer look at the tallest trees in the world.

Finally climate change adaption in BC is human-assisted but “are we playing God?“; and the “Ikea of the coffin world” allows you to assemble your own environmentally friendly, biodegradable, all-wood Exit Box.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

A simple “densification process” can transform any type of wood into a material stronger than steel, and even some high-tech titanium alloys, according to Nature magazine. The Maryland researchers behind the claim say the compressed wood’s resistance is increased more than 10-fold, it can be molded into almost any shape and it’s moisture-resistant. Look out steel, concrete and plastic!

Names in today’s news include:

• NB Premier Gallant is optimistic the US will offer his province relief on softwood
• Federal Minister Carr is open to providing similar help to newsprint producers (as per softwood)
• FPInnovations’ new CEO Stéphane Renou carves out his vision for the future
• BC’s Private Land Owners Association appoints Megan Hanacek as CEO
• Alaska’s Senator Murkowski seeks to reverse regulations that caused her industry’s decline

In other news: scientists are mapping the genome of giant redwoods; increased UV from ozone depletion can sterilize trees; and researchers at Columbia University confirm the link between climate change and wildfires.

Finally, Dunkin’ Donuts embraces paper cups and SFI, while a piece of WWII history is charted on Domtar’s Espanola mill wall.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

We have an interesting mix of headlines today. Inspectors in Shanghai have intercepted pine wood nematodes in shipments arriving from Britain. Swiss inspectors determined that over 40% of wood products companies incorrectly identified the type and origin of wood in their products – despite legal requirements! And loggers in Georgia got the surprise of a lifetime when they found a mummified dog 28 feet up inside a hollow chestnut oak tree!

Fire on the Mountain: Rethinking Forest Management in the Sierra Nevada: a new report published by the Little Hoover Commission has people talking.  The California Forestry Commission supports the findings, urging all landowners to work together because “drought, disease and wildfire, have no boundaries”. Editors at the Modesto Bee are more forthright, claiming, “the Sierra Nevada forests are being mismanaged in ways that hurt every Californian.”

CLT: The Eastern Washington University is building the state’s first CLT office building; and featured by The Fifth Estate, Australia is building a 52 metre engineered wood tower, the tallest in the country. It will also “hold the [world] title for the largest gross floor area for an engineered timber building”.

— Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

BC’s Michael Green and New York’s Lotus Equity Group are planning to build the largest timber office building in the US. The three interconnected buildings will be anchored by an 11-storey timber skyscraper. Elsewhere in NJ, Jim Tedesco kicked off his [Bergen County] reelection campaign with a push for building code changes related to lightweight wood construction [given the 2015 Edgewood apartment fire]. 

In Business news: New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant is heading to Washington to plead his case for a softwood lumber exemption; have NAFTA’s prospects brightened?—the Globe and Mail says “not likely“,  the World Politics Review says “US hard-line approach no way to strike a deal“. Elsewhere, SFPA reports record exports in 2017.

Finally, are we entering the bio-age? Yes – according to Natural Resources Canada. Time to fight fire with fire? Yes – says a California watchdog. Do forest companies need avalanche protection plans? Yes – according to WorkSafeBC.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

We’ve made some changes: if you’re having trouble finding your favourite news—keep scrolling—because the Tree Frog News is shaking up the order of things and adding a new Health and Safety category. Forest company and business news has been renamed Business & Politics and is now the lead category, followed by Wood & Paper Products, Forestry, Carbon & Climate and finally, Health & Safety.

In today’s news: a shortage of truck drivers has forced at least one producer [Weyerhaeuser] to slow production; Don Demens corrects the record on WFP’s Somass mill curtailment—”it’s due to a lack of suitable log supply and softwood duties, not log exports”; and Millar Western makes seven senior management appointments. Other companies in the news include Domtar and Northern Pulp, Port Hawksesbury and Montrose Forest Products.

In Forestry news: BC’s Chief Forester says not all timber destroyed by the 2017 fires should be salvaged; fire ecologist Robert Gray says “dead wood must be salvaged from the forest floor” to prevent wildfires; Alberta ramps up “a war that can never fully be won” against the pine beetle; and BC MLA [Donna Barnett] calls for aggressive action on the Spruce beetle.

Finally, the building material of the future is… old buildings (just add mushrooms).

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The famed furry prognosticators provided mixed results today – Groundhog Day, with the majority leaning toward six more weeks of winter. Not to be outdone, it’s also World Wetlands Day, in honor of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in 1971. 

Names in the news today include:

• Richard Garneau (Resolute’s retiring CEO) urges Ottawa not to capitulate on softwood lumber
• Ken Higginbotham (after 43 years in forestry) retires as Chair of the BC Forest Safety Council
• Scott Fraser (BC MLA) is getting involved in Union Bay’s logging/water concerns
• Coralee Oakes (BC Cariboo MLA) calls for action to stop the spruce beetle invasion
• Doug Reed (Green Diamond CEO) says carbon pricing in Washington can provide solutions 

In other news: six BC university presidents are bidding to become Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster; planning is underway in 100 Mile House Community Forest; and the Indiana Forestry Division received both SFI and FSC re-certifications.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Softwood lumber prices are now at record highs, which is bad news according to the National Association of Home Builders. However, Stock analyst Charles Gross says rising prices will lift profits for producers. And given capacity limits, Gross expects lumber prices to peak above $520 per thousand in today’s dollars by 2021, up 27% from a 2017 average of $410.

In other Business news: a Catholic News Service Bishop speaks out against the US tariff on newsprint; Canada’s Freeland says she’s optimistic about NAFTA; Greenpeace ask a US court to toss out Resolute’s [amended] defamation lawsuit; Fred Chinn departs Catalyst; and Yves Laflamme succeeds Richard Garneau as Resolute CEO.

In Forestry news: Pro and con stories on the Republican’s bill to “grease the skids for more work in the woods”, IKEA acquires 25,000 acres of forest in Alabama; and Indonesia’s deforestation rate falls dramatically due to the establishment of “production forests”.

Finally, smart drones may fix humanity’s deforestation problem by planting trees cheaper and more efficiently.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Did you watch the US President give his State of the Union speech last night? He didn’t say much about softwood, but here’s a few related headlines for you:

• Trump says global trade will be fair and reciprocal – The Hill
• President Trump Is Promoting Free, Fair, and Reciprocal Trade – The US Whitehouse
• Montreal NAFTA talks wrap up, but tensions remain – iPolitics

Two Aboriginal award nominations have opened in Canada today, both sponsored by the Forest Products Association of Canada; nominate your pick for the 2018 Aboriginal Business Leadership Award and the Skills Awards for Aboriginal Youth.

In other news, logger sports at the University of British Columbia are dominated by women; borrowed from British Columbia, transplanted fishers in Washington are making babies; and finally—the Romans did it—and as more states (and provinces) legalize marijuana, watch for more structures built from hemp!

— Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

Although progress was reported by all parties in the Montreal round of NAFTA talks, US Trade Representative Lighthizer called Canada’s [separate] WTO complaint a “massive attack on the US system of international trade”. Not to be outdone, Canada’s Chrystia Freeland fired back, offering to drop the litigation on one condition: that the US “negotiate a softwood lumber deal.”

In other trade news, Trump’s tough talk on trade at Davos has investors rattled; US Democratic leader Schumer wants the trade decision on Canadian newsprint reversed; and the Motley Fool is recommending three Canadian companies (including Canfor) in the face of NAFTA risks.

Elsewhere: Police set up a tip line to find out who started BC’s largest forest fire in 2017; the TLA elected Mike Richardson as their new president, EACOM’s chief forester (Jennifer Tallman) is a trailblazer for women in forestry; and SFPA’s Erin Graham promotes “building to a higher standard” in the wake of recent catastrophic flooding.

Finally, Car and Driver Magazine says “carbon fibre from trees has the potential to wean carbon-fibre production off oil entirely”.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Amid the plunder of tropical forests, satellites and cellphones offer a ray of hope. A Globe and Mail exposé shows how satellites are capturing the disappearance of Brazil’s forests in real time and have reduced deforestation by 82 per cent. Meanwhile, a New York Times feature speaks to how cellphones can can help with illegal logging, offering traceability from the forest to the big box store. 

Closer to home: the PPWC (formerly Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada, now the Public and Private Workers of Canada) says status quo in forestry in BC is a non-starter; Bob William’s report on the case for regional forest management continues to get press; the emerald ash borer has killed tens of thousands of trees in Ottawa; pressure mounts on Congress to restore Alaska’s roadless rule exemption; and a Q&A with USFS Chief Tony Took addresses funding for fire-fighting.

Finally, Canada and Mexico are applying pressure on the US on a day that may or be key for NAFTA.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

A University of Northern BC wood structure—built to the Passive House standard—has set a Canadian record for air tightness. And once completed, it will be used to build and test large-scale integrated wood structures using cross-laminated timber, glue laminated timber and laminated veneer lumber.

In Forestry news: the BC Forest Practices Board concluded that some at-risk plant communities on Mount Elphinstone are not adequately protected from logging; and California Gov. Brown has established a task force to suggest ways to reduce the threat of devastating forest fires.

Elsewhere: Montana’s USDA researcher Mike Schwartz has been named one of the world’s most influential scientific minds; fellow Montanan Pat McKelvery received a national award for his wildfire mitigation work; and Australian forester Johannes Drielsma was named Member of the Order of Australia.

Finally, researchers at UBC Okanagan have determined how and why you can taste last year’s wildfires in this year’s wine crop.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The flurry of US trade actions against Canadian companies—most recently on solar panels—highlights how “the trade war with Canada has already started” (Bloomberg), and the rhetoric is rising on the eve of Davos, says Robert Fife in the Globe and Mail.

Other trade headlines include: BC’s trade delegation is wooing China; softwood duties are a real pain in [BC’s] behind; West Fraser is weathering the trade war well; Newfoundand’s last paper mill is threatened; and FPAC expresses support for the TTP.

In Forestry news: professional reliance is questionned in BC; lumberjacks & jills compete at McGill; fire risk funding is available in Colorado; the Forest Service receives kudos in Montana; and there is hope for Vermont’s forest products industry.

Finally, Turkish Airlines bolsters its sustainability credentials with FSC-based inflight toys and a Virginia chainsaw sculptor creates castles from trees (and the pictures are worth a look).

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor