Daily News for November 05, 2024

Today’s Takeaway

Labour strikes shut down Canada’s ports on both coasts

The Tree Frog Forestry News
November 5, 2024
Category: Today's Takeaway

Labour strikes shut down Canada’s ports from East to West, as the BC Maritime Employers lock out BC workers. In Company news: Boise Cascade and Louisiana Pacific report Q3, earnings; Domtar acquires Iconix paper’s label operations; Finland’s Ahlstrom closes sale of Aspa pulp mill to Sweden Timber; and more on International Paper’s mill closure in South Carolina. Meanwhile, the US is set to surpass Canada in lumber production; and what’s at stake for Canada in US election—quite a lot, apparently.

In Forest Product news: Sweden’s Timber City leads on mass timber; BC Fire Chiefs push back on stairway code changes; Japan launches world’s first wooden satellite; and surprising research on biobased vs plastic microfibres. In Forestry/Climate news: UN biodiversity talks stall; Drax welcomes Clean Power 2030 report; and Oregon’s Forestry second-in-command-firing is explained.

Finally, Global Wood Summit delegates take front row seat at Lumber Word Podcast.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News

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Business & Politics

Labor strikes shut down operations at Canada’s container ports from East to West Coast, with US trade left in limbo

By Lori Ann LaRocco
CNBC News
November 4, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Key ports on Canada’s West Coast, including its largest container port in Vancouver and the Port of Prince Rupert, were shut down by a labor strike on Monday. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship & Dock Foreman Local 514 began striking on Monday morning, stopping containers and cargo immediately. According to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, $800 million in trade flows through West Coast ports every day. Approximately 20% of U.S. trade arrives in the Canadian ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, where strikes broke out after union leadership and industry representatives failed to reach a deal before a cooling-off period expired. …This strike comes on the heels of a recent strike still impacting the country’s second-largest port, the Port of Montreal. Montreal processes 40% of all East Coast container traffic. Two terminals have been blocked since Thursday when a strike was announced by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 375.

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US Lumber Industry Set to End Canada’s Dominance as Tariffs Take Toll

By Ilena Peng and Thomas Seal
Bloomberg in Yahoo! Finance
November 4, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The southern US is poised to surpass Canada’s long-held dominance over the North American lumber industry as decades of trade restrictions take a toll. …It’s a remarkable turnabout that signals how much a key Canadian resource sector has diminished due to years of US duties and other challenges including wildfires, land-use regulation and insect infestation. The US hiked import duties on Canadian softwood lumber by almost 81% in August. Analysts anticipate that levies — currently at 14.54% — could double again by next year under the Commerce Department’s annual review. …As Canadian sawmills get squeezed by high costs and lower revenue — most notably in the forest-rich western province of BC, the US South is enjoying gains. The US Lumber Coalition has credited the duties for a robust boost to American investment and capacity. North America lost 4% of sawmill capacity through closures this year alone — and more than 40% of that was in BC, according to Dustin Jalbert, at Fastmarkets.

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B.C. port employers launch lockout at terminals over contract dispute with foremen

Canadian Press in CBC News
November 4, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Employers have locked out more than 700 unionized workers in the latest development in a labour dispute that the union says will shut down all ports in British Columbia until further notice. The BC Maritime Employers Association said Monday that its “difficult decision” to impose the lockout came after the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 commenced “industry-wide strike activity” at employers’ terminals. The B.C. Maritime Employers Association said its plan to lock out workers was meant to “facilitate a safe and orderly wind-down of operations” in light of “escalating and unpredictable strike action.” Last week, it said the move was being done “defensively” after International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 issued a 72-hour strike notice for job action, which was due to start at 8 a.m. PT. …Bridgitte Anderson, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, said she’s very concerned, adding that $800 million in trade flows through West Coast ports every day.

Additional coverage in Reuters, by Ed White: Employers at Canada’s Port of Vancouver to lock out workers as deadline passes

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Global Wood Summit delegates take front row seat at Lumber Word Podcast

Tree Frog Forestry News
October 30, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

On October 30, at the Sutton Place Hotel in Vancouver, BC, four lumberman — Mitchell Preger, Gregg Riley, Charles Delatorre and Ashley Boeckholt — talked about the complexities of lumber supply and demand. As the lunch keynote for the final day of the Global Wood Summit, “The Lumber Word” podcast team engaged with conference delegates, taking questions via Pigeon Hole while sharing their real-time trading experience in lumber and futures. Hosted by seasoned industry trading veterans this podcast delves deep into the complexities of the lumber supply and demand balance in the physical lumber market. “The Lumber Word” isn’t just for professionals in the industry; it’s for homebuilders and multi-family builders seeking guidance when making budgeting and project purchase decisions. Investors and venture capitalists with an eye on the lumber industry also benefit from the podcast’s grassroots conversations. Listen to the Global Wood Summit edition of the podcast on Spotify and Apple.

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Lockout of foremen at Port of Prince Rupert underway

By Radha Agarwal
The Northern View
November 4, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

PRINCE RUPERT, BC — Disruptions in operations at Prince Rupert’s port began at 8 a.m. on Nov. 4 and is now fully underway as employers have now locked out 75 members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship & Dock Foremen Local 514. The situation arose after the union issued a 72-hour strike notice last week. …Two of the seven terminals at the Port of Prince Rupert are directly affected: Fairview Container Terminal, operated by D.P. World, and Westview Wood Pellet Terminal, operated by the Drax Group. …The Westview terminal supplies biofuel energy to international markets and has handled 917,763 tonnes of wood pellets in foreign cargo from January to September 2024. …Both terminals are economically significant as a North American trade gateway to Asian and European markets. Bridgitte Anderson, CEO and president of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, estimated that a potential lockout could cost Canada $800 million daily.

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What’s at stake for Manitoba in US election? Quite a lot if Trump wins, experts say

CBC News Manitoba
November 4, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Donald Trump & Kamala Harris

Manitoba experts are weighing in on what the province stands to gain or lose amid what’s shaping up to be a close US presidential election. …Some say a Harris presidency would likely mean a continuation of current policies. …Barry Prentice, of the University of Manitoba says Canada’s trade relationship with the U.S. has been good, even if it’s had its hiccups — including the continuation of a years-long dispute on softwood lumber that’s been pursued by both Democratic and Republican administrations. Winnipeg is “a major distribution point” for lumber, Prentice said, and the local transportation industry has been hurt by higher tariffs. But other than that, Prentice said, “most of our trade has been pretty open and free”. …Trump has signalled he’ll impose a 10-per-cent tariff for all imports to the country. …If it did go ahead, Prentice said the impact could be described in one word: “disaster.”

In related coverage: CBC News Ottawa: Trump tariffs would hit Canada ‘faster and harder’ than most: former top Trudeau aide

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Will International Paper layoffs in Georgetown, South Carolina affect Riegelwood plant?

By Diana Mathhews
News Reporter Columbus
November 4, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

GEORGETOWN, South Carolina — International Paper announced a plan last week to permanently close its Georgetown mill. “The mill will shut down in stages, with a full closure expected by the end of 2024,” the Oct. 31 news release said. “The Georgetown mill produces approximately 300,000 tons of fluff pulp.” The announcement did not mention IP’s Riegelwood plant, which also produces fluff pulp. It did say that the company plans to “retain 100% of the [Georgetown] mill’s fluff pulp capacity by transferring production to other mills.” …“The details of where the Georgetown Mill’s fluff pulp capacity will go is still a work in progress,” Clewis replied Friday morning. “At this stage we don’t anticipate an impact to our staffing at the Riegelwood Mill.” At Georgetown, a total of “526 hourly employees and 148 salaried employees will be impacted” by the closure, IP’s announcement said. Clewis estimated the current employee count at the Riegelwood mill at 450.

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Domtar Acquires Iconex Paper’s Point-of-Sale Receipt Business From Atlas Holdings

By Domtar
PR Newswire
November 4, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

FORT MILL, South Carolina – Domtar Corporation announced the successful acquisition of Iconex Paper from Atlas Holdings. Iconex Paper converts thermal paper parent rolls into point-of-sale receipt rolls, serving customers in industries such as food service, retail, pharmacy and financial services from its five North American locations in Arizona, Kansas, Tennessee, Virginia and Mexico. “Receipt products used by consumers every day begin with thermal paper manufactured at Domtar’s West Carrollton, Ohio, facility,” says Steve Henry, Domtar’s president of Paper and Packaging. …Mike Rapier, president of Iconex Paper, will continue to lead the business and report to Domtar’s senior management.

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Ahlstrom closes sale of Aspa pulp mill to Sweden Timber

Packaging Gateway
November 4, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

HELSINKI, Finland — Ahlstrom, a fibre-based speciality materials company, has closed the sale of its Aspa pulp mill to Sweden Timber. The transaction, which includes the entirety of the pulp mill and its operations, was agreed upon on 14 October 2024. …The Aspa pulp mill, known for producing both bleached and unbleached softwood pulp, caters to a wide array of applications. The facility boasts an annual production capacity of approximately 200,000 tonnes and employs 174 individuals. Sweden Timber, a domestic producer of wood, paper, and wood composite products globally, acquired the mill as it aims to diversify its offerings by integrating pulp production into its portfolio. …This divestment allows Ahlstrom to focus on its core speciality materials portfolio. In 2023, the company reported net sales of €3.0bn ($3.2bn) and employed roughly 7,000 people. In July this year, Ahlstrom decided to move ahead with the closure of its plant in Bousbecque, France.  

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Finance & Economics

Boise Cascade reports Q3, 2024 net income of $91 million

Boise Cascade Company
November 4, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, US West

BOISE, Idaho – Boise Cascade reported net income of $91.0 million on sales of $1.7 billion for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, compared with net income of $143.1 million on sales of $1.8 billion for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023. …Wood Products’ sales, including sales to Building Materials Distribution (BMD), decreased $61.3 million, or 12%, to $453.9 million for Q3, 2024 from $515.2 million for Q3, 2023. The decrease in sales was driven by lower plywood sales prices, as well as lower sales prices for LVL and I-joists.  “In what has proven to be a moderate demand environment, once again, we were able to deliver good financial results in the third quarter,” stated Nate Jorgensen, CEO. 

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Louisiana-Pacific Corporation reports third quarter 2024 results

Louisiana-Pacific Corporation
November 5, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, US East

NASHVILLE, Tenn.– Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, a leading manufacturer of high-performance building products, today reported its financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. “LP’s teams executed our strategy to drive growth, margin, specialization, and efficiency in the third quarter,” said LP Chairperson and CEO Brad Southern. “As a result, the Siding segment set new records for net sales and Adjusted EBITDA, and the OSB segment delivered a solid quarter in a challenging price environment with operational efficiency, cost control, and outstanding safety.” Net sales for the third quarter of 2024 decreased year-over-year by $6 million (or 1%). …Net income decreased year-over-year by $27 million to $90 million ($1.28 per diluted share). The decrease primarily reflects a $37 million decrease in Adjusted EBITDA, partially offset by a $21 million decrease in the provision for income taxes. The year-over-year decrease in Adjusted EBITDA includes $88 million due to lower OSB selling prices, partially offset by a $46 million impact from higher Siding net sales.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Canada has lots to learn from Sweden’s ‘Timber City’

By Don Procter
Journal of Commerce
November 5, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, International

Over a span of several decades Växjö, a small city in southern Sweden, has grown a reputation as “a living research area” to test different construction materials and building solutions. Wood designed buildings have been a major part of the movement which is why the municipality of 100,000 residents has been nicknamed Timber City, Sweden, a hefty moniker in a country known as a world leader in wood construction. Fredrik Lindblad, who works at Växjö’s Linnaeus University in institutional management focusing on forestry, wood products and housing, said the city has come a long way from its environmental roots in the 1970s. He presented a seminar at Summit 2024, a WoodWorks conference recently in Toronto, highlighting the city’s shift to sustainable building practices primarily through using wood (mass timber in particular) as a building material.

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Are recent BC Building Code changes to single egress stairs playing with fire?

By Peter Caulfield
Journal of Commerce
November 4, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

The BC Building Code (BCBC) was changed recently to allow single egress stair (SES) designs in low- and mid-rise buildings. The B.C. government says it means “families and people will soon have more multi-bedroom apartment options available to them.” But the province’s firefighters are worried about safety and say the move needs to be paused. …The province says in the interest of safety, new single-exit buildings will require automatic sprinklers (including on balconies), smoke detectors and wider stairwells. The changes put a limit on the travel distance to the exit. They also limit the occupancy load to 24 people per floor. …The Fire Chiefs Association of BC (FCABC) second vice-president Jason Cairney says there is no evidence the BCBC changes are safe. …“The proposed changes should be paused or reversed and instead put through the rigorous National Building Code process, which is based on research, evidence and data.”

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Are Biobased Microfibers Less Harmful than Conventional Plastic Microfibers

By University of Plymouth
Phys.Org
November 5, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Bio-based materials may pose a greater health risk to some of the planet’s most important species than the conventional plastics they are designed to replace, a new study has shown. Such materials are increasingly being advocated as environmentally friendly alternatives to plastics, and used in textiles and products including clothing, wet wipes and period products. …Despite increasing quantities of bio-based products being produced and sold all over the world, there has been little research to assess their potential impact on species and ecosystems. The researchers say the study highlights the complex nature of global efforts to reduce the threat of microplastic pollution, and the importance of testing new materials being advocated as alternatives to plastics before they are released on the open market. The study was carried out as part of the BIO-PLASTIC-RISK project, led by researchers at the University of Plymouth and the University of Bath. 

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World’s first wooden satellite, developed in Japan, heads to space

By Kantaro Komiya and Irene Wang
Reuters
November 5, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

KYOTO – The world’s first wooden satellite, built by Japanese researchers, was launched into space on Tuesday, in an early test of using timber in lunar and Mars exploration. LignoSat, developed by Kyoto University and homebuilder Sumitomo Forestry, will be flown to the International Space Station on a SpaceX mission, and later released into orbit about 400 km (250 miles) above the Earth. The palm-sized LignoSat is tasked to demonstrate the cosmic potential of the renewable material as humans explore living in space. “With timber, a material we can produce by ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live and work in space forever,” said Takao Doi, an astronaut who studies human space activities at Kyoto University. With a 50-year plan of planting trees and building timber houses on the moon and Mars, Doi’s team decided to develop a NASA-certified wooden satellite to prove wood is a space-grade material.

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Forestry

Plan to address wildfires

Letter by K. Jakee
Castanet
November 4, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Okanagan is increasingly threatened by wildfires due to rising temperatures and drier conditions caused by climate change. To address this growing crisis, the B.C. government has outlined a climate action strategy with several measures that, if tailored to the Okanagan, could effectively mitigate wildfire risks and enhance regional resilience. …The government’s pledge to conserve 30% of B.C.’s lands by 2030 can support wildfire management in regions like the Okanagan, which hosts diverse ecosystems that can serve as natural firebreaks. …Sustainable forestry practices along transportation routes and near communities could help create additional fire barriers. Expanded firefighting resources, such as water reservoirs and aerial capabilities, would improve the region’s response capacity. Protecting watersheds and old-growth forests in the Okanagan is essential, as these ecosystems can act as natural barriers that slow wildfire spread. …Facing heightened wildfire threats due to climate change, the Okanagan has an opportunity to lead with a coordinated, community-driven approach to resilience.

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Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest welcomes new forest supervisor

Lake Chelan Mirror
November 4, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Tara Umphries

PORTLAND, Ore. — Tara Umphries, a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience in the U.S. Forest Service, has been appointed as the new Forest Supervisor for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Umphries, who has served as Acting Forest Supervisor since July 15, will officially take over the position on December 1, following her tenure in the Rocky Mountain Region as a Special Assistant to the Regional Forester, where she concentrated on Shared Stewardship and the Wildfire Crisis Strategy. …Umphries began her career in wildland fire in 2002 as a wildland firefighter, progressively advancing to key leadership roles, including Fuels Program Manager for the Willamette National Forest and Fire Planner for the Pacific Northwest’s Region 6. She also served as District Ranger on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, where her work further solidified her reputation for partnership building and proactive fire management strategies. 

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Are Our Forests Really in “Disrepair”?

By Rob Lewis
Post Alley, Seattle
November 4, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

SEATTLE — As candidate for Commissioner of Public Lands, Republican Jaime Hererra-Beutler has consistently asserted that, according to “the science,” it’s necessary to log our legacy forests to keep them from “burning up.” She asserts that “too many of our forests have been undermanaged or outright neglected, and they’ve turned into crowded, diseased tinderboxes, just waiting for a spark.” They’ve “fallen into disrepair,” she says, and need “cleaning up.” But is it true? Is there really a scientific consensus saying so? And what type of forest is she talking about? Washington is a big state. Legacy forests are identified only on the west side of the state and then only below 3,500 feet. There, you have to differentiate between forests that are naturally regenerated (legacy forests) and those already converted to timber plantations (managed plantations).

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Sustainable forest-based bioeconomy for climate change mitigation and adaptation

By Collaborative Partnership on Forests
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
November 5, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Forests are under pressure from climate-related stressors and the global demand for forest-based products is growing. Achieving a sustainable forest-based bioeconomy can support “enhanced efforts towards halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030” as recognized in the first global stocktake of the Paris Agreement, while contributing to achievement of the SDGs and the Global Forest Goals. The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) works collectively to support countries to accelerate progress towards achieving these forest-related goals and targets, and fully unlock the potential of forests and their goods and services, including for climate mitigation and adaptation. Under the umbrella of CPF, a range of initiatives are supporting the transition towards a sustainable forest-based bioeconomy, by strengthening collaboration on sustainable wood-based value chains and encouraging greater use of long-lived harvested wood products to extend forest carbon benefits, including in the building sector. Wednesday, 20 November 2024 | COP29 Forest Pavilion, UN Climate Change Conference (Blue Zone) | Baku, Azerbaijan

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Jim Everett wins Environmentalist of the Year and Rising Tide Alexa Stuart is Young Environmentalist winner

Bob Brown Foundation
November 5, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The Bob Brown Foundation’s Environmentalist of 2024 is Tasmanian Aboriginal forest-protector Jim Everett Puralia Meenematta. He was given the award at a ceremony for Environmentalists of the Year in Hobart last night. The 2024 winners of Bob Brown Foundation’s 13th Environment Awards are recognised for their real achievements for a world in environmental crisis. At the core of BBF’s work is the protection of endangered species habitat from destruction at the hands of governments and big business. The environmentalist of the year, Jim Everett, has been a prominent figure in many environment and First Nations justice movements, including the historic protests to protect the Franklin Dam in the 1980’s. His recent involvement in the protests against logging in the Styx Valley in March 2024 and in the Central Highlands in October 2024, continues his long-standing fight to protect these invaluable ecosystems from exploitation and destruction.

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UN Biodiversity Talks Stalled, but Protecting Nature Cannot Wait

By Crystal Davis and Charles Barber
World Resources Institute
November 4, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Colombia hosted some 23,000 people at the UN biodiversity summit. Political leaders from nearly 200 countries were joined by representatives from Indigenous communities, youth groups, business leaders, NGOs and others. All came to halt Earth’s rampant biodiversity loss. Momentum going in seemed strong. At the last biodiversity conference in 2022, national leaders reached a historic agreement to protect 30% of the world’s land and water by 2030 and to mobilize billions of dollars for nature conservation. This year’s summit, COP16, offered a chance to put forth plans for achieving those goals. But while the “People’s COP” in Cali brought diverse voices to the table and highlighted growing urgency around the biodiversity crisis, progress on its core objectives came up short. Negotiators faced gridlock over key finance decisions and many countries showed lagging ambition. The summit ultimately ended before Parties could reach agreement on a range of issues — most importantly, how to finance conservation at the scale needed.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Drax Group CEO, Will Gardiner, welcomes National Energy System Operator’s ‘Clean Power 2030’ report

Drax Group Inc.
November 5, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Commenting on the National Energy System Operator’s (NESO) report Clean Power 2030 Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, said: NESO couldn’t be any clearer, our power stations and plans to invest billions in renewable flexible electricity and carbon removals have a critical role to play in delivering the Government’s clean power target and wider climate goals. Drax Power Station’s secure biomass generation, and our intention to double the capacity of our pumped hydro site, Cruachan Power Station, are essential components of the pathways that NESO have set out. NESO says the deployment of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is required to meet the Government’s carbon removal targets. We aim to install at least two units of BECCS at Drax Power Station, with the first operational in 2030 removing 4 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere per year.

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Health & Safety

Bob Sallinger, ‘the face of conservation in Portland,’ dies suddenly at 57

By Joni Auden Land
Oregon Public Broadcasting in KLCC Public Radio
November 4, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US West

Bob Sallinger

Bob Sallinger, a longtime environmental activist involved in numerous conservation efforts across Oregon, died Thursday. He was 57 years old. For decades, Sallinger was the face of various conservation efforts throughout Portland and the rest of the state. He frequently appeared in local news stories about those efforts, whether it was peregrine falcons on the Fremont Bridge or raising concerns about a new baseball stadium. A graduate of Reed College, Sallinger worked for three decades with the Bird Alliance of Oregon, formerly known as the Portland Audubon Society, most notably as its conservation director. …That includes fighting to protect peregrine falcons nesting on the Fremont Bridge and other bridges across Portland. Today, the Fremont Bridge has one of the most productive falcon nests in Oregon. …Many of his efforts sprang from his passion for wild birds, especially protecting marbled murrelets and the northern spotted owl, the latter of which is a threatened species.

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Oregon Forestry second-in-command fired over ‘drama filled and volatile’ relationship with subordinate

By Noelle Crombie
Oregon Live
November 4, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US West

Oregon’s deputy forester was fired last week after an investigation determined he had a sexual relationship with a subordinate for about two years. Mike Shaw, the second highest ranking official at the state Department of Forestry, had been on paid administrative leave since Aug. 6. His last day with the agency was Thursday, according to a letter State Forester Cal Mukumoto sent Shaw. …“In making this decision, although it is not necessary to list any specific grounds, I considered factors that include my responsibility as agency head to safeguard the interests of this agency and make leadership decisions in alignment with the agency’s mission and my strategic goals,” Mukumoto told Shaw. …A former Forestry manager earlier this year complained about Shaw, alleging he and another agency manager undermined diversity and inclusion efforts by sidelining her. That complaint does not appear to be tied to Shaw’s termination.

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Forest Fires

Forest fire season officially ends, three fires still burning in Northern Ontario

By Elaine Della-Mattia
The Timmins Times
November 4, 2024
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

Forest fires across Ontario were relatively low compared to the previous year and the 10-year average, statistics show. The Ministry of Natural Resources Aviation, Forest Fires and Emergency Services division officially calls Oct. 31 the end to their annual wildfire season. In 2024 there were 480 fires reported, well below the 741 fires reported across Ontario in 2023. The 10-year provincial average is 694 fires. Despite the end of the official season, there are still three active fires burning. Sudbury 57 is an active fire that began Oct. 22. It is about five hectares in size and is under observation. Thunder Bay 24 is about 74.5 hectares in size and is not under control. It was reported Oct. 17. Thunder Bay 21 is also an active fire, but currently under control with 41 hectares of forest burning. It began Oct. 3.  

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