Category Archives: Today’s Takeaway

After the massive wildfires that burned across North America in 2017, mitigation and salvage are top of mind concerns for the sector. Concerned citizens in Curry County Oregon not only support salvage logging, but are calling a proposed harvest “grossly inadequate” and lacking common sense. West Virginia’s agriculture commissioner isn’t as excited about logging, calling a bill that would open state parks to harvesting (to fund park improvements) “poorly thought out”. And, in Australia, one woman lived in a tree for  449 days to draw attention to deforestation — culminating in a successful world heritage listing. 

In Business news: EACOM has installed a continuous dry kiln in Timmins Ontario to increase output and improve efficiency; Price Edward Island’s premier joins those concerned about effluent from Northern Pulp; and will the TPP affect NAFTA talks? Lead negotiator for Canada, Steve Verheul says, “It has not come up yet — so far.”

— Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

New Brunswick is open to changing the forestry deal that created problems for woodlot owners and contributed to the US case for imposing duties. In related news: Canada rejects angry American NAFTA criticism, says it intends to be constructive and innovative as renegotiations resume; and lumber prices have Montana home builders frustrated but timber mills cheering.

In other news: does the BC Forest Industry need a change? CKNW’s Jon McComb interviews former Forest Minister Bob Williams in response to William’s report “Restoring Forestry in BC – the story of the industry’s decline and the case for regional management”.

Finally,  forestry is impacting people’s mental health in Ireland and wood chips have replaced salt in one Quebec town – as an environmentally-friendly way of keeping winter roads safe. 

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Opinions clash on trade as Canada officially requests a Chapter 19 review to adjudicate softwood duties. Other headlines suggest trade protectionism is shielding US companies from competition and causing the demise of local newspapers; and the tentacles of the controversial president could reach into BC’s Cowichan Valley.

In Forestry news: BC Premier Horgan says licensees appear to have more sway than they’ve ever had; a past NDP forest minister says it’s time to change who benefits from forestry; ENGO’s say it’s time to pull the plug on self-regulation in BC; and the Ontario government wants an independent panel to help with forestry and conservation policy, while industry leaders plan to push back on species at risk policy.

Finally, a TEDx Montana speaker fears the pine beetle could destroy vast areas east of the Rockies; wildfires are impacting Missouri forests; and fire management can restore/save California communities.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Not the season (perhaps) but wildfire risks and rewards dominate today’s news. This includes an update on the fire risk posed by millions of dead trees in California; the proactive burning of trees to combat the mountain pine beetle in Jasper; and the USDA’s Joint Chief’s Partnership in forest health (or Washington’s “willful negligence” in the opinion of some). The ‘rewards’ include the 1,600 nominations for BC’s Above and Beyond Awards, recognizing those involved in the 2017’s wildfires.

In Business news: Reuters reports that most economists expect a positive outcome in the NAFTA negotiations, while softwood lumber production is up in the US but down in Canada. At the Truck Loggers conference, Premier Horgan wants to reconnect communities with industry but expresses dismay at the growth in BC log exports; while David Elstone said “it’s time for BC to stop the hoop jumping to appease the unappeasable”.

Finally, US researchers say ‘super yeast’ from pine trees could help replace gasoline as a transportation fuel, and wood’s ability to absorb vibration makes it the preferred substrate for one bicycle producer.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The BC Truck Loggers Association (TLA) dominates today’s news with the start of its 75th convention in Victoria. A sampling of the headlines include: Softwood lumber dispute top of mind at this week’s TLA convention; Despite lumber dispute there remains a sense of optimism among contractors; TLA members waiting for word on review of the viability of logging contractors; and [says David Elstone] “we’re in it for the long haul“.

In Business news: Federal Minister Jim Carr announced funding for forest sector innovation and diversification at the BC Natural Resources Forum; BC Premier John Horgan says the sector “can still do wonders” even though it’s facing hard times; Nathalie Des Rosiers is Ontario’s new Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry; and coverage on Tolko, JD Irving and Port Hawkesbury Paper.

Finally, Oregon celebrates America’s first “domestically fabricated CLT building” and the wood fibres in China’s thin-walled Flamenco Ice Tower make the ice “three times stronger than ice alone”.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Today marks the start of a celebration for the Truck Loggers Association in BC. With a sold out convention, and a new book, the TLA enter into their 75th year representing the independent logging sector on the BC coast.

Is the European paper industry straying into anti-competitive behaviour? A special unit covering the paper sector is making unannounced inspections in an effort to unveil price fixing and customer allocation.

A new character may soon grace the pages of your favourite comic books! A recent study found forests have a climate change superpower. Reactive gases released by trees may have a cooling effect on the atmosphere. Authors suggest that climate policies will require a “robust understanding” of this effect when looking at land use changes. 

Finally – are modern day foresters smarter than they were in the past? Why don’t you see for yourself – can you pass the 1925 forest ranger exam? If you need a refresher, register today for the ABCFP conference coming to Victoria in February – it’s the last day of early bird pricing. 

—Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

Ottawa is set to introduce carbon-tax legislation that will give breaks to industrial emitters and “avoid driving industry out of the country to jurisdictions that have no carbon pricing”. In other Business news: the US National Association of Home Builders reports on rising prices for lumber, OSB and gypsum; and BC’s special envoy on softwood lumber (David Emerson) is out of a job.

In Forestry News: Saskatchewan moves to address the threat to ash trees: BC Minister Donaldson meets residents over logging plans near Seven Sisters Provincial Park; and forestry and community reps raise concerns during Ontario’s pre-budget consultations.

Finally: Whistler’s art museum wins 2018 AIA award; a UK consumer poll says says fibre based packaging is preferred for its environmental-friendliness; and meet the Colorado company that’s building houses with hemp.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Housing demand has RISI expressing optimism for wood products in 2018 but with some incertitude, due to the status of NAFTA and softwood lumber, supply-side constraints, tax changes and an expected rise in OSB mill restarts. Other trade headlines suggest: “standing up to Trump” may be wise; Trump may be “striking a softer tone” on NAFTA; and [perhaps most importantly] ignoring the media may be best, as last time “it took a breakdown in talks” before progress began.

In Forestry news: Ontario moves to relocate caribou off of a remote island due to the recent arrival of wolves; California is allowed to continue killing barred owls to protect the spotted owl; European forests are half what they were 6,000 years ago; and Finland is using Big Data to help with sustainable forestry.

Finally, Nevada just appointed their first female State Forester. 

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Wildlife officials in the United States declared the Canada lynx recovered and will soon revoke its threatened listing under the Endangered Species Act. Meanwhile, the northern spotted owl is being exposed to high levels of rat poison from illegal marijuana growers in northern California. 

In Business news, Russ Taylor says most lumber markets are “fired up“, while yesterday’s newsprint and WTO headlines linger. Examples include:

• Trump’s trade chief lashes out after Canada broadens WTO fight (Seattle Times)
• The US can’t have its WTO and disregard it too (Toronto Star)
• US threat to leave NAFTA must be taken seriously: Freeland (Canadian Press)
• Industry responds after US decision to impose newsprint duties (P&P Canada)
• Newsprint tariffs decried by Higgins (Dem) and Stefanik (Rep) (Lockport Union)

Finally, an Irish whiskey traces “its flavor to one tree” and good news on the green building front. The Green Building Initiative—the only real competitor to LEED—acquired the worldwide rights to the Green Globes certification program (and competition is a good thing).

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

After the US Commerce Department announced its preliminary decision on newsprint duties—over objections by the companies, industry and US newspaper printers and publishers—Canada filed a sweeping trade case against the US at the World Trade Organization. Here is a sample of the (latter) story headlines:

• Canada is challenging the Trump Administration’s tariff system (The Hill)
• Canada Attacks US Tariffs by Taking Case to WTO (New York Times)
• BC lumber producers welcome the appeal to WTO (BC Lumber Trade Council)
• Canada has just detonated a bomb: Trade relations plummet (National Post)
• ‘Broad and ill-advised attack’: Washington lashes out (Bloomberg)
• Canada is now playing hardball on trade with US — Good (Terence Corcoran)

Other headlines of note include: a Q&A on how Oregon’s cap and trade system will work; research on how ecosystem changes over 10,000 years sheds light on climate change’s impact on the world’s forests; the Valhalla Wilderness Society calls for more old-growth set-asides for the Mountain Caribou; and Tolko receives SFI certification.

Finally, some new (wood-impersonator) products at this year’s International Builders Show.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

We’ve got stories today from both sides of the 49th parallel about US duties on Canadian paper makers. The US Department of Commerce announced that preliminary antidumping and countervailing duties will be imposed on about 25 Canadian plants. According to NORPAC’s CEO, this will level the playing field for “workers and families that have been victims of unfair Canadian trade practices“. Publishers of US newspapers are fearful that this move will have a devastating impact on their sector, already struggling to compete with digital. Newfoundland’s Premier Dwight Ball spoke out “against the increased protectionist environment that exists in the US“. 

Homebuilders in the US are feeling a pinch in the face of increased demand for homes. On top of growing wages and competition for workers, environmental factors and tariffs on Canadian lumber have pushed up the price of building materials, according to a Real Estate Consulting Group survey, and NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz.

In forestry, Port Renfrew old growth trees will soon star in a new IMAX movie; restrictions in Nova Scotia have been set up to quarantine the hemlock woolly adelgid; and forestry is a top employer in Georgia, where 145,000 are employed by the sector.

Finally, not sure what to do with your Christmas tree? How about returning it for a full refund?!

—Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

Today marks the centenary celebration by the Save the Redwoods League, one of America’s first conservation organizations. Other feature stories include claims that restrictions on old-growth logging haven’t increased the marbled murrelet population; and why sustainable forest management does not make wood a good climate alternative to fossil fuels.

Elsewhere, BC’s spruce beetle outbreak is now the largest in recorded history; researchers in Alberta determine that it’s people, not roads that threaten Canada’s grizzly bears; Canada defends BC’s market-based system of setting stumpage fees; US newspaper publishers keep pressing the downside of potential newsprint duties; and Tolko resumes building its fire-damaged mill in Williams Lake.

Finally, since I’ve got your attention, the Tree Frog News supporter roll-over date is February 1, 2018. And if you’re a regular reader of the Frog, you know that we exist solely because of the generosity of our sponsors and our many “frog-friends”. Bottom line, if you like what you read—you can ensure we continue via our Friend of the Frog donations page. Your small contribution truly makes a difference!

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Eight US senators joined a campaign to tout the virtues of US community newspapers as the US Department of Commerce prepares to announce its countervailing duty decision on Canadian newsprint. The implication of a duty is “a big deal”, according to the Newspaper Association representing 320 daily and weekly newspaper members.

In softwood news, the Canadian government is seeking a Chapter 19 dispute panel to “order the Commerce Department to reverse course” and, a WTO ruling that rejects the US use of “zeroing” in its anti-dumping duty calculation, which serves to [unlawfully] increase the duties. 

In other news: the UK plans to create a “northern forest” by planting 50 million trees, whereas planting trees in Ireland for carbon credits is being opposed because, once planted, the land “can never again be brought back to support food production”. Closer to home, Ontario researchers believe climate change will impact the “boreal forest most“; and Virginia’s cap-and-trade plan is being criticized for not covering emissions from biomass power plants.

Finally, the UK will have the world’s first wood chip acetylation plant—which will guarantee its wood panels for 50 years in outdoor use, and the world’s first “fire and wood roller coaster“; neither of which will surprise David Bengston, given his USDA blog titled “the revolutionary role of wood in our future“.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Brrr!

For all our readers NOT on the east coast: “Bomb cyclones” or “weather bombs” are wicked winter storms that can rival the strength of hurricanes, and are so called because of the process that creates them: bombogenesis. Bomb cyclones tend to carry hurricane-force winds and cause coastal flooding and heavy snow. And for you easterners – stay safe!

In Biomass and Climate news: Canada’s National Energy Board reports that biomass capacity and generation are up; Arizona regulators want to increase the use of forest biomass for power; Washington’s Public Lands Commissioner wants to implement a carbon policy to deal with climate change; and good news from researchers at the California Institute of Technology who discovered that methane emissions from forest fires decreased by almost twice as much as previous calculations. 

Elsewhere: new evidence on the western spruce budworm’s fireproofing effect; the grim scope of California’s 2017 wildfire season; and a caribou pen is being employed to protect calves from predators.

Finally, Europe and Canada are at the forefront in mass timber design; Vancouver gives the go ahead for the tallest hybrid wood structure in North America; and the largest share of door and window growth is projected to go vinyl.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The Canadian government has launched its legal challenge on softwood duties one day after the US finalized its anti-dumping and countervailing duty rates (with slight reductions). Meanwhile, Les Leyne writes about the threat of paper duties on BC’s coastal mills; Don Burnell says online Christmas sales were good news for Washington’s packaging and papermakers; and Russ Taylor forecasts higher lumber prices due to a shortage of North American softwood capacity.

In Forestry news: Nova Scotia environmentalists say clearcutting is destroying bird nests; forest officials in Oregon have authorized some harvesting to reduce the risk of wildfires; and DNA sequencing may have found a solution to the fatal white nose syndrome in bats.

In Product news: timber high-rises are an architectural trend in Australia and Germany, and Ontario is responding with code guidance for using mass timber, while the Mixed Concrete Association is stuck on fear-mongering about fire.

Finally, is tree water really organic?

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Premier John Horgan sat down with Tom Fletcher to talk about the BC government’s plans to tackle log exports, Interior ‘super mills’ and the impact of the 2017 forest fire season. On the latter topic, the Tyee has a feature story on how a “century of policy errors have set the stage for more deadly megafires“.

Other Forestry headlines include: why the recent extreme cold snap is unlikely to impact Alberta’s mountain pine beetle; why the plan to close Ontario’s Angus seed plant is short-sighted; and why thinning may be okay in some US spotted owl habitat.

In other news, the US Commerce Department lowered its softwood duty marginally; while US duties on Canadian newsprint makers could be worse than softwood.

Finally, three mass timber stories in The Architect’s Newspaper: lessons learned in 2017, how architects can rethink ‘basic services’ and Michael Green’s musings about the future of design.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

A single paper mill in Washington State could rock the newspaper industry in 2018, if as expected, President Trump slaps duties on groundwood paper from Canada. The higher costs will squeeze US newspapers already coping with 28 straight years of declining circulation and increased competition from the internet. “Witless protectionism” according to Allan Golombek of the White House Writers Group. 

In other news: Quesnel’s mayor worries that the Site C dam will hurt BC’s biomass industry; Northern Pulp is accused of bullying its Nova Scotia critics; a rare tree find may help to repopulate Ontario’s nearly doomed American chestnut; and plastic bag bans and bioplastics are challenging the oil industry’s growth plans. 

Finally, in his year end report, Tim Ryan signs off as BC Forest Practices Board Chair and board members Bill McGill and Ralph Archibald complete their terms.

We hope you had a great holiday break.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Forestry. Business. Carbon & Climate. Wood & Paper Products. Yes – the Tree Frog News is FULL OF IT. And if you’re a regular reader of the Frog, you know that we exist because of the generosity of our sponsors. Please click here to see who we’re talking about and join us in thanking them!

However, keeping the Frog a “free and open” service also requires many “frog-friends”. Suffice to say—if you like what you see—you can ensure it continues by making a small contribution. Click here to go to our Friend of the Frog donations page and Get Frogged!

Your support is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for a fabulous 2017 and we look forward to seeing you in 2018.

— Kelly, Sandy and Heidi, Tree Frog Editors

First day of winter solstice – so 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.

Three stories of note in today’s news. First, Vancouver’s Terrace House received approval to use mass timber in the top 7-storeys of a 19-storey building; second, Workplace Safety North says substance abuse is a major concern for Ontario’s sawmill industry; and finally, Rome’s mangy Christmas tree is front and centre in the New York Times.

Finally, an early Christmas greeting to all our readers and please note – tomorrow’s Tree Frog News is the last of 2017, barring any breaking news over the holiday. 

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The Conference Board of Canada, in a year-end report on the country’s wood products industry, says revenues are on pace to grow 8% despite US softwood duties paid of $500 million. And although strong prices will offset the expected $1.3 billion in duties in 2018, increases in US production and offshore imports will keep a lid on future price growth.

In other Business news: TimberWest published their sustainability progress report; Rick Jeffrey recaps BC’s largest-ever trade mission to Asia; Tolko signed an economic agreement with the Splatsin First Nation; Mackenzie Pulp is fined by WorkSafeBC; and a lack of timber is squeezing the housing boom in Australia.

In Forestry news: environmental groups criticized Alberta’s release of a plan to save the caribou; BC’s ban of grizzly bear hunting is called the “thin edge of the wedge“; and Oregon’s national monument is next in line for reductions.

Finally, a Billings forester has a secret weapon to stop tree vandalism – fox urine, and Rome’s official Christmas tree is a Charlie Brown special.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Canada could be hit by duties on newsprint exports to the US that are “worse than softwood lumber”, according to FPAC’s Derek Nighbor, but US newspaper publishers plan to oppose them. Calling this “silly time” as far as Canada-US trade goes, Nighbor adds that he’s not expecting either a softwood or NAFTA deal anytime soon. Fortunately, US housing starts are up again keeping demand for lumber high.

Is burning wood for energy green? The answer is no – according to a story on the “loophole in carbon-accounting rules” in Europe, but yes (according to the Guardian) if instead of coal, waste wood is being burned.

In other news, Jim Bowyer’s new book The Irresponsible Pursuit of Paradise is featured; the BC government has ended the trophy hunting of grizzly bears; and the province’s spruce beetle infestation doubled in 2017.

Finally, a story on how “vomiting fungi” could be a viable solution to the problem with plastics; and how tannins from tree bark can serve as battery materials.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The Ancient Forest Alliance wants the BC government to purchase an unprotected old growth forest near the town of Port Renfrew. TimberWest, the land owner, says the grove is already in conservation status and they have no plans to deviate from this. Meanwhile, the BC government made changes to their annual allowable cut process that will facilitate “protection of unique or valuable trees”.

Elsewhere: drones are being used to assess the health of BC’s forests after the 2017 wildfire season; new firefighting aircraft are being purchased in Georgia; a fire expert says the status quo approach to fire management is not working throughout the US West; and Oregon State researchers say old growth forests that contain large trees and a diversity of tree sizes and species may offer refuge to some types of birds facing threats in a warming climate.

Finally, the US Supreme Court is hearing a case where the “government seeks to seize control of land it does not own, to protect an endangered species of frog that does not live there“.

Oh – and only seven sleeps left until Christmas!

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions and boost absorption from forests as a way to tackle climate change were agreed to by the European Union. The agreement sets a “zero target” for the sector, which would be a 30% emissions cut by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.

Closer to home, the San Group has “thrown down the gauntlet” saying they want to purchase all of Western Forest Products’ assets in the Alberni Valley; the New Brunswick government is accused of favouring JD Irving in their dispute with woodlot owners; and former senator Max Baucus says Canada has crossed the line between fair and unfair trade with softwood lumber.

Finally, in Forestry news: BC environmentalists ask Ottawa to use the Species at Risk Act to protect the mountain caribou; Northwestern Ontario mayors are fed up being portrayed as environmental laggards; the Haida Nation says the BC government doesn’t have permission to grant logging contracts; and China enacts a ban on commercial logging in its natural forests.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The New Brunswick Forest Products Commission sided with Irving lumber in its eight-year dispute with the Sussex-based marketing board, allowing the company to purchase directly from private woodlot owners. However, it comes with licensing rules that affirm the board has authority to regulate wood sales and thus, according to the CBC, it’s “not a free market”.

In Forestry news: BC will resume helicopter logging of beetle impacted Douglas-fir trees; Saskatchewan is putting more money into stopping the mountain pine beetle; Ontario is clearing forests infested with the emerald ash borer; and the US Forest Service wants to log ahead of the spruce budworm in South Dakota.

Finally, MP Richard Cannings wants to make it mandatory for the Canadian government to consider the use of wood in all federal infrastructure projects.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Bigger, hotter fires—hotter, drier climate. US researches working in the Rockies conclude that many areas recovering from wildfires may no longer be suitable for growing forests. And, although single fire events may show that fires have a relatively small impact on soils, over decades, Stanford University has found that frequent fires can reduce stored nutrients, most notably in broadleaf forests. 

Despite fires and politics, wood continues to keep the attention of the building sector. The American Forest Resource Council president is encouraging Oregonians to use more renewable resources to make innovative building materials. And in the UK, a CLT dome presides atop a new mosque. Cladded in gold, and made from sustainably-managed forests, it will complete the prayer hall crafted from man-made trees and other timber elements. 

We’ve got two new tools that support architects and engineers in using wood. A new on-demand webinar released by reThink Wood features carbon-neutral, mass timber design, with a focus on passive design principles, and in BC, the latest expertise, resources and workshops are collected together as part of a web portal called Wood Innovates BC (see today’s ad).

—Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

Believe it or not, it might be hard to find a Christmas tree eight years from now because of a tree seedling shortage and closure of tree nurseries across the West.  In California, the Forest Service says an additional 27 million trees have died due to droughts and beetles over the past two years, bringing the statewide total to 129 million on 8.9 million acres.

In other news: North Carolina’s wood pellet industry offers 80% lifecycle reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to coal; Skeena Sawmills have earned SFI certification; European researchers say cascading wood use more than doubles the efficiency of wood utilization; and wood construction fire safety is amped up in Massachusetts with security cameras and guards. 

Finally, didn’t make it to the 2017 Global Buyer’s Mission at Whistler BC? Here’s a video of those that did.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The impact of protectionist trade policies [proposed on pulp] will hurt Americans most because it will “drastically raise the price of newsprint and threaten jobs in the newspaper industry“, according to the editorial board of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. NAHB economist Paul Emrath—writing in Builder Online—says lumber is a case in point. “What comes as a near-term win for a finite number of US producers could actually come back around to haunt them.” Meanwhile, the CBC reports that President Trump continues to defend his protectionist policies with “questionable statistics about international trade“.

In Forestry news: the New York Times editorial board calls Trump’s move on national monuments “the looting of America’s public lands“; an Arizona professor says “to live better with fire, we need to adapt to fire“; BC mayors educate the Premier on their fibre needs; central Canada is being ravaged by the emerald ash borer; and Ontario takes action to save Lake Superior caribou.

Finally, Norway is about to become home to the world’s tallest timber building at 81 meters, 28 meters taller that Vancouver’s Brock Commons.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The US International Trade Commission ruled that the American lumber industry has been harmed by Canadian softwood imports, locking in the interim duties. Here is a smattering of responses:

• Federal Minister vows to defend lumber sector (Ross Marowits, Canadian Press)
• Finding injury during US industry profitability proves bias (Susan Yurkovich, BCLTC)
• Ruling is a good indicator of how trade will work without NAFTA (Bill Kelly, Global News)
• Protectionism comes at expense of American consumers (Granger MacDonald NAHB)
• Canada’s massive subsidies cause real harm (Jason Brochu, US Lumber Coalition)
• Canadian producers already working on an appeal (Geoffrey Morgan, National Post)

In other news: a Nova Scotia MLA says cancelling the mill book signing infringes on free speech, although the author is benefiting from the headlines; and New Jersey lawmakers are reluctant to curtail wood use after the 2015 Edgewood apartment fire.

Finally, Michael Green explains why wood is the way we need to build in the future and how online education can spur the transformation.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The BC Forest Practices Board says government hasn’t followed up on many of its past recommendations and legislative changes are necessary to maintain public confidence in their management.

And speaking of government challenges, lawsuits are being filed against President Trump’s decision to reduce the size of several national monuments and PR campaigns are being launched, such as outdoor retailing giant Patagonia replacing its usual home page with “The President Stole Your Land.”

In other news: Irving turns its back on New Brunswick’s forest marketing boards; a UNH researcher assesses the climate benefits of wood heat; and [yet another story on how] record-high lumber prices are keeping Canadian mills from cutting production despite softwood duties.

Finally, a century after the Halifax explosion, grim reminders can still be found in trees; and the upside down Christmas tree trend is going viral – but comes with a steep price tag.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke called on President Donald Trump to shrink a total of four national monuments—including Southern Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou—and change the way 10 others are managed. Elsewhere, Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Waters monument is to remain unchanged, while Native American leaders are filing lawsuits over the changes to Utah’s monument.

In other news, Mayor Bob Simpson says BC’s Site C dam puts biomass energy at risk; pressure by Northern Pulp prompted Coles book store to axe a signing event, while its author says Nova Scotia is the last place she believed she would feel oppressed. Elsewhere, the Spruce bark beetle is returning to Alaska, while the state’s last big timber mill (Viking) faces an uncertain future.

Finally, Interfor’s Rick Slaco [and paparazzi wannabe] caught a Barred Owl making a successful kill in downtown Vancouver.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

As the clock inches towards the end of 2017, it seems unlikely a new softwood agreement will be inked, according to the Canadian Press’ Mia Rabson. But thanks to near-record prices and the insatiable demand from US builders, there haven’t been any layoffs yet. 

Other past year reflections include:

• Wood Business recaps the last year in forestry
• The BC Government announces a review of flooding and forest fires in 2017
• The TLA looks back on 75 years in book to be released at its AGM

In other news: Northern Pulp is trying to calm the fears of fishers over their proposed effluent-treatment plant, while longterm-employee Angus Pellerin “asks the public to keep an open mind“. Elsewhere, New Brunswick’s trade minister rebuffs the idea that the review of their softwood market “is itself a form of subsidy“.

Finally, Fast + Epp were honoured in London, UK with an award from the Institution of Structural Engineers for Brock Commons.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

CEO’s Susan Yurkovich (BC Council of Forest Industries) and Rick Jeffery (Coast Forest Products Association) announced Friday the merging of their organizations to “create a stronger, unified voice for the BC forest industry“. The change will be effective April 1, 2018 and until that time, both organizations will continue to operate independently.

In Forestry news; the BC government is seeking public input on its review of professional reliance—the practice of relying upon the decisions and advice of forest professionals; and Lake Louise (the ski resort) is in court after it cut down a stand of endangered whitebark pine trees. 

In Business news: plywood producers in Oregon applaud the imposition of US tariffs on Chinese hardwood plywood; log prices are at record highs in Washington State; and community leaders in Port Alberni BC and Camus Washington are asking how they can revive their shuttered mills.

Finally, University of Northern BC professor Thomas Tannert has been recognized for his work on Tall Wood Structures; the permits for Spokane’s CLT plant have been issued; and CLT panels are going up at Oregon State’s new forestry building.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The New Brunswick government plans to takes steps to help its lumber industry, including hiring the ‘best experts’ to review the province’s forestry market, while BC Premier John Horgan says “BC won’t back down“. Elsewhere, the Mayor of Port Alberni and the local union rep are putting pressure on WFP to “reopen its Somas mill or sell it to someone who will”.

In Forestry news, the BC Forest Practices Board released its review of government’s monitoring of forest practices [good but not great]; the Ancient Forest Alliance seeks policy changes to protect Vancouver Island lands with “high conservation, cultural or recreational value”; and forestry icon Chick Stewart released a memoir on his working life in BC’s sawmill industry.

South of the 49th: Grizzly bear managers in Montana face hurdles on way to ‘federal delisting’; the US Forest Service is combating tree mortality with biochar; and a new study assesses the impact of beetles on Montana’s logging and saw milling costs.

Finally, the ‘seduction of wood‘ takes value-added wood products to a new level.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

While BC Forests Minister Doug Donaldson announced more funding to help businesses affected by this summer’s wildfire season, Ottawa wants to tax some land owners 50 per cent on what they might receive from salvage logging their decimated property. “The ultimate kick in the guts“.

In other Forestry news: BC forest companies speak to careful, sustainable logging in Nelson area watersheds; wildfires may have affected the migration patterns of some west coast birds; a specific fungus is seen as a potential solution to the emerald ash borer infestation; and lawmakers in Indianapolis propose set asides of 30 percent on Indiana’s old forests.

Finally, CWC is applauding the Ontario government’s decision to employ a life-cycle assessment approach for major infrastructure projects and in a new video, Domtar claims it can do in a few days what Mother Nature does in millions of years. 

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

The Canadian Press reports that the Quebec government intends to create a 10,000-square kilometre protected area for caribou habitat. The decision has environmental groups cheering.

In BC, Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson says there won’t be any salvage logging in his area as the summer fires burned so hot there is nothing harvest. In the US, the Forest Service is looking to hire 900+ firefighting jobs. “You get to travel” and you “could make $35,000 in a season”. Sounds good to me!

Canada has taken softwood lumber to the World Trade Organization, their pitch “the United States made calculations that fail to comply with international trade rules”. However, it isn’t all doom and gloom. BC’s NDP government says “BC lumber prices are near record highs“, and EACOM Timber in Ontario says the US will continue to be their biggest market, despite high tariffs. 

Finally, have you started your Christmas shopping? A non-profit tree planting organization has some great forest-friendly gift ideas for you.

— Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) was established in 2012 to promote the benefits and uses of softwood lumber products and their investments to date have resulted in 2.6 billion board feet of new demand, enough to build about 160,000 new homes. 

In other Wood Product news: Stewart Muir in the Vancouver Sun says ‘old’ sectors like forestry are driving technological innovations, The Globe and Mail says timber-frame construction may gain momentum with new federal funding; the Architecture Newspaper says the US Congress is gearing up for a fight over mass timber legislation; and down-under expert Andrew Dunn says the use of timber in multi-storey buildings is not new, “we’re just re-finding old ways of building with modern products“.

In Business news: the US/Canada trade war on newsprint is heating up; Jerry Dias (Unifor) says only cynics would see Resolute’s lumber gift to hurricane victims as a threat; and former Sino-Forest CEO says he is sorry the shareholders lost billions of dollars but that it wasn’t because of his actions.

Finally, new analysis estimates that stopping deforestation and improving forestry practices could cut carbon emissions as much as getting rid of every car on earth.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Cyber Shopper!

On December 6, 1917, two cargo ships laden with explosives collided in the Halifax Harbour resulting in the largest artificial explosion up to that time. Boston authorities learned of the disaster and quickly dispatched a relief train with medical supplies and personnel. A 50-foot tree—the selection of which comes with exacting specifications—is sent to Boston as an annual acknowledgement and thank you from the people of Halifax.

In Forestry news, BC and Canada reached agreement on how to protect caribou habitat; an Ontario NGO refutes a forest industry website called Caribou Facts; David Suzuki has a new documentary called What Trees Talk About; and Ontario’s Tree Seed Plant closure in Angus has some wondering where next year’s seed crops will be processed. 

Meanwhile, on the House and Senate wildfire bills: the Montana Wilderness Assoc. says the current funding method is bankrupting the agency; the Nature Conservancy says the legislation would reduce the need for transfers from nonsuppression accounts; and the Centre for Biological Diversity says the bill exploits the public’s fears of wildfire and guts environmental protections.

Finally, architect Michael Green says the appeal of building tall with timber runs deep: “I’ve never seen anybody walk into one of my buildings and hug a steel or a concrete column. But I’ve seen that happen in a wood building.”

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Although the term was coined in the early 1960s to describe traffic jams in Philadelphia the day after Thanksgiving, and has become depicted in recent years by 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.

In Forestry News, new advances in Christmas tree innovation could help economic growth in Nova Scotia, notably a balsam fir that would retain needles for up to three months; the hullabaloo over logging and caribou in Northern Ontario continues to intensify; a draft agreement to support caribou recovery in BC has been reached; and a former Maine commissioner speaks out on forests, jobs and excessive CO2.

Finally, a Swedish power plant is using clothing discarded from H&M rather than coal and oil as part of its strategy to go fossil-fuel free by 2020. According to Johanna Dahl, “H&M does not burn any clothes that are safe to use”.

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

BC Premier John Horgan welcomed word of additional funds to help BC’s wildfire recovery effort after he [if he doesn’t mind saying] bluntly told Trudeau to “bring some cash”. Meanwhile, BC mayor Bob Simpson wants funding to reduce forest fuels in Quesnel’s wildland urban interface area; and Williams Lake Councillor Scott Nelson says the province needs to move faster in salvaging burnt timber.

In Business news, Alberta and BC will lead economic growth in Canada notwithstanding the softwood lumber duties, Nick Arkle says Gorman Bros. Lumber will continue shipping to the US despite the increased hassle; and Catalyst pulp mill workers have agreed to a new four-year contract.

Finally, an inciteful letter from Peter Lake on how common misunderstandings [on forest fires] can lead to climate change denial; and BC Forests Practices Board Chair Tim Ryan says although its doesn’t “have teeth”, the Board protects the public interest via following up on public complaints and undertaking audits, similar to the auditor general. 

— Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

If you’re buying a real Christmas tree, you better hit the lots soon – it’s going to be like Black Friday shopping this year for trees. Nine years ago many producers shut down, and today farmers are saying they won’t be able to meet demand – this has lot owners worried. If you’re thinking you’ll head out into the wild to cut your own tree you may want to hone your lumberjack skills by spending a day at Bad Axe Throwing – the latest fitness craze to hit Washington DC!

In Business news, after six months of negotiations, Florida-based Rayonier Advanced Materials has officially acquired Canada’s Tembec Inc. and “just like the fairy tale: all the investors ended up happy“! In the West, The Idaho Forest Group has acquired The St. Regis sawmill, calling the transaction “an excellent strategic addition to our existing operations in Northern Idaho”. 

In the Wood section today we share the grand opening of StructureCraft’s new all wood plant in Langley; a discussion about the safety of tall wood structures; a Japanese developer teaching glulam technology in Russia, who says, “In Russia they think a brick or concrete house is better than wooden – it is a mistake“; and a Swiss apartment prototype that applies experimental applications to beech wood making it rot and warp resistant. 

Sandy McKellar – Tree Frog Editor