Daily News for July 21, 2020

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Today’s Takeaway

UN’s 2020 analysis of forest resources goes interactive

July 21, 2020
Category: Today's Takeaway

The UN FAO released an interactive version of its 1990-2020 analysis of the world’s forest resources. In other Forestry news: fibre access challenges Aspen Planers in BC; Forest fires up, hectares lost down in Ontario; US House spending bills to address conservation; endangered species status sought for rare Alaska wolves; the sustainability (or not) of biomass electricity in the Netherlands; a New Zealand court decision emphasizes steep slope safety; and Iran’s forest fires attributed to human error.

In other news: Covid-19 fails to dampen US home purchase plans; 84 Lumber to expand with 200 new hires; Alabama Pellets secures incentives for new mill; Verso shutdown impacts Wisconsin’s loggers; and Rayonier Advanced Materials reports lower Q2 earnings.

Finally, as the affordable housing crisis intensifies, its granny flats to the rescue.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

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Business & Politics

Fibre access has been a challenge for Aspen Planers in Merritt

By Colton Davies
RADIO NL 610
July 20, 2020
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

It’s been a struggle to get logs for the Aspen Planers mill in Merritt, according to the local union president. Marty Gibbons of the United Steelworkers Local 1-417 says that mill has been outbid for logs in the Nicola Valley by Weyerhauser, which has a mill in Princeton. “They have been struggling to secure log supply, with Tolko basically taking logs out of the Nicola Valley and transporting them to other areas, and a mill in Princeton basically taking logs out from under our noses. It’s tough, but they have been up and down,” Gibbons says. “And they are working to secure additional timber. And the government has been fairly cooperative with that, as they have opened up some additional supply for us in Merritt. But they still are probably up as much as they’re down.”

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84 Lumber plans to open new stores in California, Idaho, Michigan

By 84 Lumber
Lesprom Network
July 21, 2020
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

84 Lumber, the nation’s largest privately held building materials supplier, is now hiring more than 200 store positions across the country by the end of 3Q 2020. As part of the new hiring plan, 84 Lumber has set up a new retention bonus program for new Manager Trainees that sign on with the company now through October 1, 2020. The program includes a bonus after 30 days of employment, another at three months and a final bonus at the end of six months. “We have been piloting this program since July 2019 in several markets, and our retention rate has increased,” said Paul Yater, head of human resources at 84 Lumber. …84 Lumber is continuing its plans to open new stores in California, Idaho and Michigan. 

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Verso shutdown would have devastating impact on forestry, trucking, construction industries

By Caitlin Shuda
The Wisconsin Rapids Tribune
July 21, 2020
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The papermaking industry has ties to other industries like forestry, trucking and construction, and Verso’s decision to indefinitely idle two of its mills affects those industries it works with. …Verso said options for the two mills included restarting operations if market conditions improve, selling the mills or closing them permanently. …Sen. Patrick Testin, R-Stevens Point, and Rep. Scott Krug, R-Nekoosa, started a task force to work with city leaders. …The task force was created to help keep the Rapids mill operating, help Verso find potential buyers and to help provide support for affected employees and their families. …Representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also attended the task force meeting, with their concerns focused on the forestry and logging industries. …One of the focuses of the task force will be to address the impact, especially in the forestry industry.

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Rayonier Advanced Materials lower earnings in Q2

By Rayonier Advanced Materials
Businesswire
July 20, 2020
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Rayonier Advanced Materials announced preliminary second quarter results which were impacted by COVID-19 market-related conditions. The Company expects earnings and Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter to be slightly below prior year, driven by an approximately 12 percent decline in revenues. Compared to the prior year period, results for the second quarter were aided by improvements in Forest Products and Paperboard segments driven by increased prices for lumber and lower raw material costs for paperboard, respectively. …With a focus on working capital and capital expenditures, liquidity improved $19 million in the quarter to $164 million, including $49 million of cash.

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Maine Forest Products Coalition selects Bangor marketing firm to lead industry growth and awareness campaign

Bangor Daily News
July 20, 2020
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

BANGOR — A statewide forest products coalition has awarded a two-year contract for marketing, public relations and coalition building to Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications of Bangor. Maine’s Forest Opportunity Roadmap, or FOR/Maine, released an action plan in September of 2018 with a goal of creating actionable steps to grow Maine’s forest-based economy. The plan included a combination of transportation, community outreach, workforce development, and strategic investment attraction. A federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration was awarded to the Maine Forest Products Council to help fund the communications and public relations effort. …Sutherland Weston has a 15-year history of working with businesses, organizations and causes throughout Maine. The firm will utilize that experience to develop strategies to increase awareness, participation, and collaboration among the key audiences outlined in the FOR/Maine’s initial report. 

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Alabama Pellets secures $10M incentive package to develop mill

By Rich Christianson
The Woodworking Network
July 20, 2020
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

DEMOPOLIS, Alabama. – Alabama Pellets LLC stands to receive more than $10 million in tax breaks from Alabama for the wood pellet mill it is constructing in Demopolis. The incentives include a $9.5 million investment credit and a $848,000 tax credit through Alabama’s Job Act Incentives program. To qualify for the full tax credit, Alabama Pellets will have to employ a minimum of 45 employees that earn an average hourly wage of $20. Both credits are spread over 10 years. The estimated $95 million project is expected to have an annual production capacity of 360,000 metric tons. The mill is scheduled to begin wood pellet production in mid-2021. Alabama Pellets is a subsidiary of Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. of Vancouver, British Columbia. …Westervelt Company of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Two Rivers Lumber Co. LLC of Demopolis hold stakes of 20% and 10% respectively.

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Finance & Economics

Home Purchase Plans Have Not Significantly Changed Because of COVID-19

By Rose Quint
NAHB – Eye on Housing
July 21, 2020
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

According to NAHB’s latest Housing Trends Report, the share of Americans who are considering the purchase of a home in the next 12 months was 11% in the second quarter of 2020, essentially flat when compared to the same quarter in 2019 (12%). In light of the COVID-19 crisis, this finding indicates that the overall propensity of Americans to want to buy a home has not been impacted by the pandemic. Similarly, the share of these prospective buyers who are first-time buyers is about the same in the second quarter of 2020 (59%) as it was a year earlier (58%).

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Granny Flats, Garage Apartments, In-Law Suites: Identifying Accessory Dwelling Units

Freddie Mac
July 16, 2020
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

As the nation’s affordable housing crisis intensifies, there is a growing movement in high-cost areas for the legalization and expansion of accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—also referred to as granny flats, garage apartments, and in-law suites. The concept of ADUs infilling housing in established neighborhoods is not new. …Analysis of past and current ADU development trends can help researchers better understand ADU’s role in the broader discussions taking place of ways to tackle the country’s inadequate housing supply. …By analyzing the flow rate of properties with listings mentioning ADUs for the first time we estimated the levels of change in new accessory units entering the market. The data shows an impressive national growth rate for ADUs. Between 2009 and 2019, the number of first-time listings of ADUs grew on average 8.6% year-over-year.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

‘Revolutionary’ Timber Set To Be Used For First Time In Boston Building

By Bruce Gellerman and Kathleen McNerney
WBUR Boston
July 21, 2020
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Frank Lowenstein

Construction is set to begin this fall on a five-story, mixed-use building in Roxbury. While modest in size, its development could mark the beginning of big changes to how buildings are constructed in Boston and beyond. The use of what some researchers call a “revolutionary” type of timber promises to reduce emissions that cause climate change, create affordable housing and jumpstart a new job-producing, homegrown industry in New England. …Frank Lowenstein, chief operating officer of the New England Forestry Foundation, is excited about recent test results from researchers in Amherst, who hope to put hemlocks to better use by turning the trees into what’s called “cross-laminated timber” (CLT). …Lowenstein believes with the region’s vast forest resources, CLT could become a homegrown industry in New England that could help solve the climate crisis.

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A new chapter in the plastic versus paper race

By Zita Goldman
Business Reporter
July 20, 2020
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

The packaging industry hasn’t maintained a great image during the pandemic, with images of streets littered with plastic gloves and masks in the headlines. But the paper and fibre industry has been busy behind the scenes: the first paper-based spirits bottle was announced, to be launched in 2021, as well as a recyclable, home-compostable food tray made of natural wood fibres, that won the bio-based Material of the Year 2020 Award. There’s also news of 100 per cent recyclable thermo boxes that could replace polystyrene containers of frozen food. If these and similar technological advancements prove economically viable and scalable, it could put a plus in the column for paper against plastic in terms of utility in the long run. But, as advocates of plastic like to remind us, there is so much more to paper packaging’s ecological footprint than recyclability. …The weak links …are tropical countries and China…

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Forestry

Forest Products – Climate Change Superheroes

Council of Forest Industries
July 20, 2020
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Did you know that forest products made from trees are superheroes in the fight against climate change? In our “Ask Jim” series, our forest education manager, Jim, answers great questions from school kids across British Columbia. Learn more about our Forest Education Program and ask your own questions here: https://www.cofi.org/forest-education/

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Regional District of Kootenay Boundary partners with BC Wildfire to clean up dead wood at Christina Lake Dog Park

By Regional District of Kootenay Boundary
The Castlegar Source
July 20, 2020
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary has entered into an agreement with the BC Wildfire Service authorizing use of the Christina Lake Dog Park at the south end of Swanson Road for chainsaw training to remove dangerous trees and accumulated deadfall on July 21 and 22. Crews will use the cleanup project to hone their manual falling and bucking skills for wildfire activity and to progress in the WorkSafeBC Faller Competency Program. “I would like to thank Christina Lake Stewardship Society board members Randy Gniewotta and Gary Shaw for connecting us with the BC Wildfire Service” said Paul Keys, Manager of Grand Forks and District Facilities and Recreation.

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McLeod Lake Indian Band opposes moose cow calf hunt

By Mark Nielsen
Prince George Citizen
July 20, 2020
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The McLeod Lake Indian Band has joined the outcry against hunting moose cows and calves in their traditional territory. In a letter sent Monday to Forests Minister Doug Donaldson, MLIB Chief Harley Chingee and Youth Councillor Jayde Durnleau say they are disheartened to learn that … the number of limited entry hunting tags for the animals have been increased to 400 from 357 in 2019, a of which are to be issued within MLIB’s territory. “Given the vulnerable current state of moose within our territory, and the significant further impact that hunting of cow and calf moose will have on already depleted moose populations, MLIB is strongly opposed to any hunting of cow and calf moose in our territory,” they say. “We therefore request that the Province of British Columbia immediately, prior to the commencement of the 2020 hunting season, declare a moratorium on the harvesting of cow and calf moose in our territory.”

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Forest fires up across the province, number of hectares lost down: Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

By Denis Puska
My Timmins Now
July 21, 2020
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

It’s been an unusual scenario for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry regarding forest fires this summer. The number of fires across the province has risen to 400 compared to 262 of a year ago, but the major change is the amount of land consumed by flames….from 262,000 hectares of a year ago, to just over 5,400 hectares this year. Isabelle Chenard with the MNRF says early detection was one of the reasons for the big shift in numbers. “Ontario implemented an aggressive approach to forest firefighting this year,” she said. “That was to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to keep our emergency services strong. “That new approach aims at detecting fires early and responding quickly. Many of the fires this year were contained by water bomber aircraft and more early detection flights.”

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Petition seeks endangered species status for Alaska wolves

Associated Press in The Helena Independent Record
July 20, 2020
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

JUNEAU, Alaska — A conservation group has filed a petition seeking endangered species status for a subspecies of Alaska wolves. The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on July 15 for the protections for Alexander Archipelago wolves, which live in southeast Alaska, CoastAlaska reported. “These wolves are being devastated by trapping and by clear cut logging of their forest home,” said Shaye Wolf, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement. “And they need some stronger protections if they’re going to survive.” The organization said the wolves are threatened by deforestation, hunting, trapping and climate change. This is at least the third time a petition has been filed to the Fish and Wildlife Service on behalf of the animals. The Center for Biological Diversity in 2016 petitioned for endangered species status for the wolves, the organization said.

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State eyes next steps for Moosehead Lake region after shelving controversial plan

By Renee Cordes
Maine Biz
July 20, 2020
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

MAINE — The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Land Use Planning Commission is set to launch a new regional planning process around zoning for the Moosehead Lake region after shelving a controversial development plan. LUPC’s decision concerns the Moosehead Region Concept Plan to develop more than 380,000 acres submitted by Plum Creek Timber Co. and recently withdrawn by its owner since 2016, Seattle-based Weyerhaeuser. It submitted a petition to withdraw the Moosehead Region Concept Plan last September. …The Natural Resources Council of Maine, welcomed the fact that Weyerhaeuser has agreed not to develop, submit development proposals or make clear cuts until December 31, 2022, or until the regional planning process concludes, whichever comes first.

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2019/20 bushfires could see 49 native species given threatened status

By Emma D’Agostino
Bendigo Advertiser
July 21, 2020
Category: Forestry
Region: International

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Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
July 21, 2020
Category: Forestry
Region: International

FAO completed its first assessment of the world’s forest resources in 1948. This, the latest of these assessments, examines the status of, and trends in, forest resources over the period 1990–2020, drawing on the efforts of hundreds of experts worldwide. The production of FRA 2020 also involved collaboration among many partner organizations, thereby reducing the reporting burden on countries, increasing synergies among reporting processes, and improving data consistency.   The results of FRA 2020 are available in several formats, including this report and an online database containing the original inputs of countries and territories as well as desk studies and regional and global analyses prepared by FAO. …Access to the complete FRA 2020 database through the interactive platform and dashboards.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

House Spending Bills Address Conservation Needs for Birds, People, and Places

By the National Audubon Society
Audubon.org
July 20, 2020
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States

Over the coming weeks the House will be voting on spending bills for the next fiscal year, including appropriations for the Departments of the Interior, Energy, and Commerce, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Environmental Protection Agency. If the full House approves the spending packages, then the FY21 appropriations process will be one of the most important efforts to fund conservation programs and improve environmental stewardship across the country. Speaking on one of the twelve bills, Chairwoman of the Energy and Water subcommittee Marcy Kaptur remarked that this will be “the most important climate change bill that Congress will pass this year.” …If we do not address climate change, two-thirds of North America’s bird species will face the threat of extinction.

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Wildfire smoke’s bad – but scientists find a silver lining

By Peter Aleshire
Payson Roundup
July 21, 2020
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US West

Wildfire smoke’s bad. …But maybe all that smoke’s still not as bad as we thought. That’s the mixed message emerging from recent studies on the impact of wildfire smoke… Researchers from Los Alamos National Laboratory discovered that as air and sunlight interacts with the massive smoke plume, it neutralizes sunlight-trapping “brown carbon” at the edge of the plume. …The discovery that the giant smoke plumes don’t produce quite as much heat-trapping brown carbon as feared offers a rare bit of good news. Studies have shown that the rapid increase in megafires are wafting smoke into the upper atmosphere. …The study demonstrates the huge potential benefit of burning biomass in power plants outfitted with pollution controls. Biomass power plants … capture more than 90% of the pollutants in the wood slash fuels they burn. So biomass burning plants to support forest thinning projects would reduce the threat of wildfires…

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The climate benefits of biomass

Bioenergy Insight Magazine
July 20, 2020
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Danish energy firm Ørsted has moved almost entirely away from coal, thanks to wood biomass. In this article, Ørsted’s Carsten Birkeland Kjær explains how the company is utilising wood chips to reduce carbon emissions. Using wood biomass for energy generation has allowed Ørsted to almost fully move away from coal. To ensure significant carbon savings, the biomass must meet strict sustainability criteria; otherwise, it should not be used in energy generation. In the late 1970s, the combined heat and power (CHP) plants in Denmark were converted from oil to coal to reduce oil import dependency. However, as the awareness of climate change and the demand for carbon reductions increased, politicians and energy companies began to explore greener alternatives to coal.

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Modern forests can work for carbon – and nature

Confor
July 21, 2020
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Planting and managing trees in the UK to produce wood can deliver biodiversity benefits as well as playing a vital role in the fight against climate change, a new report argues. After Forestry Minister Lord Goldsmith called for a “colossal endeavour” to more than double existing planting rates by 2025, Confor has produced an analysis of evidence to show that forests planted in the UK for wood production have significant value as biodiversity habitats. Policy researcher Eleanor Harris draws on a huge body of research and real-life case studies to argue that suitably-sited forests for wood production can deliver great benefits for wildlife – and that appropriate harvesting from native woodland can often enhance its biodiversity value. …The report also highlights that better management of all forests … to produce wood will benefit wildlife, support local jobs and reduce imports. New productive woodland can also buffer biodiversity-rich ancient woodland and provide species corridors.

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The Dutch have decided: Burning biomass is not sustainable

By Davine Janssen
Euractiv.com
July 20, 2020
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

The Netherlands should phase out the use of biomass for generating electricity as soon as possible, the advisory board of the Dutch government said in a report presented earlier this month. Biomass is an “indispensable” resource for the circular economy, but burning it is wasteful. That is the main message of the report issued on 8 July by the Socio-Economic Council, an independent advisory board of the Dutch government consisting of entrepreneurs, employees and independent experts. …The ball is now in the court of the Dutch government, which will use the advice to construct a national “sustainability framework” for bio-resources due to be presented after the summer. …In anticipation of the government’s new policy, Swedish energy company Vattenfall has already decided to postpone construction of a planned biomass plant in Diemen.

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Health & Safety

Working On Slopes Needs Astute Risk Management

By WorkSafe NZ
Scoop Independent News
July 21, 2020
Category: Health & Safety
Region: International

Working on slopes is a daily challenge for many New Zealand businesses navigating undulating terrain. WorkSafe says that a sentencing decision released this week in Wellington District Court is a reminder to all businesses working outdoors that things can go wrong… Logging extraction company Sabre Logging Limited was sentenced for failing to manage the risk associated with using machinery near steep slopes. The sentencing relates to an incident in December 2017, in which a worker was operating a skidder to haul logs from a hill in Makara, Wellington. …Mr Kelly said WorkSafe previously investigated Sabre Logging Limited in 2013 after a worker …suffered lacerations to his head when it rolled during log extraction. “A site specific hazard plan should have been implemented and reviewed daily, taking the changing terrain and gradient of the slope into account. This message should be heeded by all businesses working outdoors as the risk is not exclusive to forestry.”

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Forest Fires

The forest fires in Iran that won’t stop burning

By Tahereh Hadian-Jazy
The Atlantic Council
July 20, 2020
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Iran has been ravaged by hundreds wildfires spreading across thousands of acres since May 22. The phenomenon is not entirely new but, the number of fires have increased. The fires have raised questions and concerns as to whether they were caused by accident or arson. The Arasbaran forest in northwestern Iran was the latest to catch fire in early July. The Kurdistan, Kermanshah, and Bushehr provinces have also been dealing with forest fires in the past few months, while fires in the Khuzestan, Lorestan, and Ilam provinces in June not only destroyed forests, but acres of vegetation, pastureland, and grassland. …According to Deputy Agriculture Minister Masoud Mansour, 90 percent of the fires were caused unintentionally by human error.

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