The union representing Canada’s rail workers warns that a strike looms after CN and CPKC filed notices of dispute. In other Business news: Canada-US trade is said to be at an inflection point ahead of US election; the Steelworkers commend BC’s budget endorsement of mass timber; Alabama’s Phenix Lumber faces heavy fines after second fatality; and more on the WorkSafeBC investigation of the Canfor employee death in Prince George.
In Forestry/Climate news: a Q&A with US Forest Service Chief Randy Moore; Quebec First Nations take the province to task on forest consultations; a new study on the climate-effects of expanding forests; simulations point to more fires in the Pacific Northwest; a Canadian researcher on how genetic testing can be used to curb illegal logging; and the EU plans to establish a carbon removals certification framework.
Finally, Dave Coletto will keynote at COFI and Andrew Dunn plans another tour of Europe’s mass timber industry.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
Confidence in the market for new multifamily housing was in negative territory for the fourth quarter, according to results from the Multifamily Market Survey (MMS) released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The MMS produces two separate indices. The Multifamily Production Index (MPI) had a reading of 41 – below the break-even point of 50 – while the Multifamily Occupancy Index (MOI) reading was 77. Financing new multifamily projects continues to be difficult due to tight lending standards and the high cost of development loans. Given that, along with the historically high level of supply for multifamily units under construction, NAHB forecasts a major pullback in multifamily starts for 2024.
The Momerandum, of Agreement is… to establish a cooperative relationship to support development and delivery of a publicly accessible platform for accessing and estimating f
While many people have an affinity for wood furniture and interior spaces, few of us realize the extent to which wood can tangibly affect our mental health and wellbeing. But according to a scientific study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, this effect is measurable and significant. Fifty volunteers were observed in the wooden waiting room at the National Oncology Institute in Bratislava, Slovakia before and after their stays in the waiting room, via heart rate, respiration activity, and blood pressure. According to the study, the effects of spending time in the wooden waiting room were overwhelmingly positive. “The usage of wooden materials verifies their regenerative and positive impact on the nervous system, through the appealing aesthetics (color, texture, and structures), high contact comfort, pleasant smell, possibility to regulate air humidity, volatile organic compound emissions, and acoustic well-being in the space”.
In recognition of the critical role wildland firefighters play in keeping the province safe, the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of BC (FNESS), BC Wildfire Service, and FireSmart BC are partnering to create the new BC Wildland Firefighter Awards. Four recipients will be recognized during a special ceremony led by the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation during the Wildfire Resiliency Training Summit in April 2024. If it applies to you please help support this important new award by nominating your fellow colleagues in wildfire response, including any agency, organization, or community. Nominations will be open until February 28.
When should a road count as a road? Grizzly bears avoid roads — even ones that aren’t used by motor vehicles. So the Flathead National Forest is supposed to limit road density on forest land for that threatened species – and bull trout benefit, too. But a forest plan’s descriptions of roads — as “decommissioned” or “closed” or “impassable” — were one subject of arguments made this week in U.S. District Court in Missoula before Judge Kathleen DeSoto. In the case, conservation groups allege the U.S. Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service are again failing to protect grizzly bears and bull trout by skirting a tried and true way to account for roads. A lawyer for the Swan View Coalition and Friends of the Wild Swan said the agencies haven’t properly considered the displacement of bears or impacts to bull trout in a new forest plan with a new category of road.
Adidas has committed to Canopy’s CanopyStyle and Pack4Good initiatives and it is hoped the commitment will also help the brand to move to low-carbon and circular Next Gen alternatives for its textiles, paper and paper packaging products. The initiatives are said to be dedicated to eliminating the use of fibre sourced from climate-critical forests in textiles, paper, and paper packaging while promoting the adoption of low-carbon and circular alternatives. …In addition to committing to sustainable sourcing practices, Adidas is also exploring solutions to reduce waste and reliance on virgin forest fibre. This includes using discarded clothing for viscose production and agricultural residues for paper packaging, thereby repurposing waste materials while reducing the pressure on vital forests. Adidas aims to increase the use of recycled materials in its paper packaging and prioritise sourcing from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified forests when virgin forest fibre is necessary.
FSC is updating its sustainable forestry requirements with three concurrent public consultations. This consultation includes system-wide changes to align with the intention of FSC’s Policy to Address Conversion, the updated FSC Risk Assessment Framework and FSC Regulatory Module. The public consultation for these requirements is open until 1 March 2024 on the Consultation Platform. …FSC Risk Assessments contain 76 indicators for social and environmental protections, going beyond regulatory requirements to ensure material is sourced responsibly. Learn more 
Council and European Parliament negotiators reached a provisional political agreement today on a regulation to establish the first EU-level certification framework for for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products . The voluntary framework is intended to facilitate and speed up the deployment of high-quality carbon removal and soil emission reduction activities in the EU. Once entered into force, the regulation will be the first step towards… the EU’s ambitious goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050. The deal reached today is provisional, pending formal adoption by both institutions. The regulation will cover carbon removal including temporary carbon storage in long-lasting products (such as wood-based construction products) of a duration of at least 35 years and that can be monitored on-site during the entire monitoring period.
