Daily News for May 31, 2024

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Today’s Takeaway

Tolko’s Pino Pucci succeeds Brad Thorlakson as president and CEO

The Tree Frog Forestry News
May 31, 2024
Category: Today's Takeaway

Tolko’s Brad Thorlakson has transitioned to executive chair and Pino Pucci is appointed president and CEO. In other Business news: the BC Supreme Court is set to decide on the fate of Northern Pulp’s deal; lumber tariffs are a priority for Unifor in upcoming CUSMA review; TimberHP’s wood-fibre insulation revives an old Maine paper mill; and CN Rail expands its firefighting fleet. 

In Climate news: Nelson Bennett opines on three Canadian net-zero reports; Stefan Labbe on Canada’s dire drought conditions; Roger Pielke’s climate change and drought presentation to a US Senate committee; and the UK Guardian on why carbon offsets dropped 61%. Meanwhile: Montana’s Governor on the value of active forest management; and South Carolina’s loggers struggle with mill closures. 

Finally, a once-booming lumber company-town in Michigan, told through its exhibits.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

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Business & Politics

B.C. Supreme Court to decide fate of Northern Pulp deal

By Jean Laroche
CBC News
May 30, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

NOVA SCOTIA — A BC Supreme Court judge will decide the fate Friday of a deal between Northern Pulp and the Nova Scotia government that Premier Tim Houston has called “fair to all sides.” At the heart of this negotiated settlement is the permanent closure of the company’s pulp mill in Pictou County, N.S., and the promise to look at opening a new operation in Liverpool. A $450-million lawsuit against the province would also be withdrawn. If the deal is approved, Paper Excellence has promised to begin work to determine the feasibility of building and running a new pulp mill in the South Shore. …But Kim Masland, the local MLA said she’s also heard from constituents concerned about living across the harbour from Northern Pulp’s mill. …Masland said she was encouraged by the fact a new mill would be using the latest technology and built to meet today’s environmental standards.

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Tolko Announces Leadership Transition – Pino Pucci succeeds Brad Thorlakson as president and chief executive officer

By Chris Downey, Communications Advisor
Tolko Industries Ltd.
May 30, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Pino Pucci

Brad Thorlakson

VERNON, BC — After 14 years as president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Tolko, and over 40 years with the company founded by his grandfather Harold, Brad Thorlakson has transitioned to the role of executive chair of the board. Further to Brad’s transition, Pino Pucci has assumed the role of president and CEO. Pino joined Tolko in 2015 as vice president, sales, marketing and logistics, leading the implementation and growth of the company’s customer-centric distribution network across North America. With 35 years of industry experience, his innovative approach to leadership continues to inspire and challenge his teams to be their best and deliver results. “Pino’s unwavering commitment to safety, people and values have him well positioned to lead Tolko into the future,” said Brad. “Tolko will remain a private, family-owned business and the family remains committed to the long-term success of the company.”

Related coverage in the Vernon Morning Star: New CEO in place for B.C.’s Tolko Industries

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Unifor lays down priorities for Canada-United States-Mexico (CUSMA) review

By Unifor
Cision Newswire
May 30, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

OTTAWA, Ontario — Unifor laid down the union’s priorities for the 2026 review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in testimony by Unifor National President Lana Payne to MPs on the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade. …Payne told MPs that Canada cannot shy away from communicating concerns and should use the scheduled six-year review of CUSMA as an opportunity to address the obvious gaps in the trinational agreement. Top concerns for the union on behalf of workers include the long-standing softwood lumber dispute, the monitoring of aluminum imports, the need for the U.S. to raise its WTO tariff on light duty vehicles and the ability of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico to react to the threat of Chinese EV imports, subsidized through forced labour, excessive subsidies, tech theft and other means. …The union also pointed out the need to increase in the labour value content rules.

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CN expands firefighting fleet with addition of two improved train sets

By Bill Stephens
Trains
May 30, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

MONTREAL — Canadian National has beefed up its ability to battle wildfires with the addition of two new firefighting trains. The Trident and Neptune trains, unveiled yesterday, will join CN’s original firefighting train, Poseidon, in combating fires along the railway’s right of way, particularly in isolated areas. “By deploying these new firefighting railcars, we’re not only reinforcing our commitment to securing the supply chain, but also helping to support the safety and security of our neighbors in communities along our network,” Matthew McClaren, assistant VP of safety, said. …Key improvements on Trident and Neptune include additional 360-degree cameras placed at both ends for real-time visibility, a separate 20-foot container to hold pumps, hoses, and generators, as well as a 40-foot container with a built-in staircase and crow’s nest. The crow’s nest has two additional water canons and provides greater visibility for crews.

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Maine-made wood fiber insulation is reviving the old Madison paper mill

By Don Carrigan
News Center Maine
May 30, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

MADISON, Maine — The machines are humming again at the old paper mill in Madison. …But unlike the days of giant paper machines, there are no harsh chemicals in use, no smell permeating the mill, and seemingly little leftover waste. Instead, TimberHP is producing building insulation, made from wood chips. Matt O’Malia, one of the co-founders and Josh Henry began working on the project eight years ago, looking for what they consider a better way to insulate buildings, with a product that is renewable, recyclable, and what they see as carbon-negative. And one where the raw materials come from Maine and are processed into the finished product here as well. O’Malia, an architect who specializes in energy-efficient buildings, and Henry, a chemist, teamed up to develop a building insulation alternative to foam, fiberglass, and mineral wool—the most commonly used materials. They found it in Europe.

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Finance & Economics

US GDP increased at an annual rate of 1.3% in Q1, 2024

US Bureau of Economic Analysis
May 30, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 1.3% in the first quarter of 2024, according to the “second” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the fourth quarter of 2023, real GDP increased 3.4%. …The increase in real GDP primarily reflected increases in consumer spending, residential fixed investment, nonresidential fixed investment, and state and local government spending that were partly offset by a decrease in private inventory investment. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.

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Strong year for business in vibrant forestry sector

The Scottish Business News
May 31, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

SCOTTLAND — Scottish Woodlands, the UK’s leading forestry business, has enjoyed another successful and profitable year, with an increasing headcount and continued focus on graduate recruitment. The company, which is 80%-owned by its employees, reported turnover of £111.6 million in the year to 30 September 2023, with operating profits remaining strong at £4.61 million. Scottish Woodlands Ltd, headquartered in Riccarton, Edinburgh, is involved in the creation of around one-third of all new woodland in Scotland. Its staff numbers have increased to more than 250. …The company has offices across Scotland (as well as northern England, Wales and Northern Ireland) and specialises in tree planting, forest management, harvesting, landscaping, utility services, investment and peatland restoration. Managing Director Ian Robinson said: “The timber market remained challenging – but all other areas of the business were strong.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

naturally:wood newsletter

naturally:wood
May 30, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

 

 

 

WoodWorks BC releases a guide for alternative solutions: Alternative solutions have been an important feature of the National Building Code since 2005, but there is still a lack of understanding among building professionals on how to approach their use while remaining compliant with building codes. Technical webinar on new building code provisions: Recent code changes have expanded opportunities for mass timber in BC, including building up to 18-storeys, new requirements for encapsulation, and new building types. Join WoodWorks and the BC Office of Mass Timber Implementation (OMTI) for a technical webinar. New student housing commons features culturally enriched mass timber design: The NIC Comox Valley Student Housing Commons builds two new four-storey buildings that provide 217 beds and community gathering spaces.

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Forestry

Manulife bets big on timber as it looks to harvest more than trees

By Christine Dobby
Bloomberg News in the Financial Post
May 29, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, International

At Manulife Financial Corp.’s asset-management business, a slow and steady investment with some novel revenue sources is proving lucrative for the Canadian insurer: timber. The firm has amassed more than US$16 billion of timberland and agricultural assets under management in countries including the U.S., New Zealand, Australia and Brazil as it sought alternative investments to help diversify both its own portfolio and those of its clients. When held over decades, the investments help Manulife match the longer-duration liabilities of its life-insurance policies and offer opportunities for extra revenue, its executives said. “Timberland is not correlated to the fate of equities,” Paul Lorentz of  the company’s wealth- and asset-management division, said. “There are also opportunities to generate other income,” he said, pointing to carbon-offset credits, renting the land out and selling forestry products such as pine straw.

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Cut limit reduced for region containing Fairy Creek old-growth trees

By Grant Warkentin
My Campbell River Now
May 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The annual allowable cut has been reduced for a section of South Island forest that’s been ground zero for anti-logging protests. Tree Farm Licence 46 covers the Fairy Creek Watershed and Walbran Valley. Both have have been lightning rods in recent years for protests against logging that could affect old-growth trees. This week the chief forester ordered a reduction in the region’s annual allowable cut by 5.5%, nearly 20,000 cubic metres, more than 500 truckloads. The province says the reduction is to support old-growth forests, account for wildlife habitat retention, visual quality and First Nations cultural heritage resources and practices, while allowing for sustainable harvest levels. The licence is held by Teal Jones, which filed for creditor protection in BC court last month.

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Forest Enhancement Society of BC Newsletter

Forest Enhancement Society of BC
May 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In this newsletter:

  • A safety tip from the BC Forest Safety Council.
  • Wildfire mitigation and fibre utilization work undertaken by Atli Resources LP.
  • Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. release video on their Pressy Lake pilot project. 
  • FESBC receives Gold Hermes Creative Award.
  • We are looking for a new Executive Director for FESBC.
  • Meet our Faces of Forestry featured person, Aurora Lavender.

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B.C., Blueberry River First Nations take next step to heal land, balance industry interests

Government of British Columbia
May 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Province and Blueberry River First Nations are moving forward with implementation of the Gundy High Value 1 Plan, consistent with the Blueberry Implementation Agreement, to protect Treaty Rights, support restoration and land protection measures, and create more certainty for everyone in northeastern B.C. who relies on resource industry jobs to support their lives and families. …The Gundy plan will establish and implement actions to support the restoration and ongoing practice of Blueberry’s Treaty Rights and essential elements of their way of life like hunting, fishing, trapping and sacred site preservation, while enabling limited petroleum and natural gas (PNG) development under new rules and conditions. The plan provides clearer direction to petroleum and natural gas tenure holders about where they can undertake development causing new disturbance, and where there are protections.

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A corner of Northeast BC amid worst drought in Canada

By Sefan Labbe
Vancouver is Awesome
May 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A corner of northeast British Columbia representing nearly a fifth of the province has reached high to extreme drought levels, a water shortage so dire it ranks among the worst drought conditions in Canada. Dave Campbell, head of the B.C. River Forecast Centre, said the latest drought data shows a wide swath of land in the Peace and Fort Nelson districts are facing multi-year drought conditions. In Fort St. John and Dawson Creek, the region’s rivers have experienced nearly two years of record low flows — conditions that impact both local people and wildlife. …B.C.’s northeast has been a major hot spot for wildfires over the past 18 months. About 160 kilometres to the north, holdover fires from the 2023 Donnie Creek wildfire — the largest the province has ever recorded — continue to burn, according to the BC Wildfire Service. This year, wildfires have already prompted the evacuation of nearly 5,000 people across the province’s northeast.

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Nova Scotia community hard hit by wildfire plants symbolic trees

By Aly Thomson and Gareth Hampshire
CBC News
May 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Two trees were planted at a park in a suburb outside Halifax Wednesday as a symbol of the community’s resilience after last year’s wildfires. About 80 residents and firefighters gathered at Timberlane Terrace Park in Highland Park subdivision for the ceremony, one year after the fire ripped through 151 homes in Upper Tantallon and Hammonds Plains. “We are all in this together,” Tricia Murray-d’Eon, who organized the event and lost her own home, bellowed to the crowd from a large rock. “We have been through hell this year. “I’m hoping that this occasion can mark a solid return to normal within our subdivision as we try to regroup and rebuild.”

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2024 Ontario Envirothon champions headed to New York State

By Forests Ontario
Cision Newswire
May 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

BARRIE, ON – This spring, more than 70 teams from high schools across Ontario competed in environmentally themed regional events that led 17 teams to meet at the University of Waterloo from May 26 to 29. From that series of training workshops, testing, and judged presentations, Grand River Region’s Waterloo Collegiate Institute came out on top as the 2024 Ontario Envirothon champions. All teams showcased their knowledge of Ontario Envirothon’s four core topics – forestry, soils, wildlife, and aquatic ecosystems and soils – along with this year’s current topic of “Biodiversity in a Changing Climate”.  The Waterloo Collegiate Institute team is now headed on to the National Conservation Foundation (NCF)-Envirothon in Geneva, New York, to represent Ontario against hundreds of students from across North America and Asia. “As lead agency of the Ontario Envirothon, we are proud to help the next generation of environmental leaders learn about the environment and hone their STEM skills,” Jess Kaknevicius, CEO, Forests Ontario, says.

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Montana is facing a statewide land management crisis

By the Society of American Foresters
The Western News
May 31, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Montanans appreciate locally grown food, from vegetables to fresh-picked huckleberries, raw honey and grass-fed beef. Can we say the same about our wood products? Your community would rally to keep a local rancher in business. Won’t you do the same to keep a local sawmill in business? By supporting the local forest industry in Montana you are ensuring that wood products are coming from forests managed with some of the most stringent environmental laws in the world. The Missoula Chapter of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) supports investment in our local forest products industry, especially right now. We are currently facing a land management crisis brought on by two recent mill closure announcements in Missoula County. …We urge Montanans who rely on the forest for their lifestyle and livelihood to realize that investment is not limited to a monetary value.

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Governor Gianforte: Active Forest Management Reduces Wildfire Risk, Fuels Timber Production

By Governor’s Office
Government of Montana
May 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Gov. Gianforte and Pete Seigmund

KALISPELL, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte this week continued his fourth annual 56 County Tour as governor, visiting Flathead and Powell counties to highlight the importance of active forest management to reduce wildfire risk and fuel the state’s timber industry. “When a forest is managed properly, we have less severe wildfires, more recreational opportunities, more wildlife habitat, and more jobs,” Gov. Gianforte said. “And as we better manage our lands, we increase timber yields to fuel our wood products industry – it’s a win-win for Montana.” …During the visit, the governor heard from foresters on the benefits of management for healthier forests and to produce commercial-value timber. Spotlighting the wood products industry and visiting Sun Mountain Lumber in Deer Lodge yesterday, the governor toured the mill and talked with owners on the legacy of the family business and the importance of forest management to produce timber.

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South Carolina loggers struggle as mill closures create wood surplus and economic woes

By Andrew James
WDPE News
May 30, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, South Carolina — This past year was historic for South Carolina timber harvesters, albeit for all the wrong reasons. A clear example of this in Georgetown County… Donnie Lambert and his team at Leo Lambert Logging were steady at work clearing and trimming their pine tree harvest. With one text message, production either stops or shifts. “It changes daily and hourly, really,” said Lambert pointing to messages from International Paper or WestRock in Florence saying orders are all filled. ….The shutdown of the mills, it’s the ripple effect,” said Crad Jaynes with the SC Timber Producer’s Association. “With the closing of West Rock and North Charleston, Pactiv Evergreen’s mill in Canton, North Carolina. Sonoco Products Company in Hartsville changing to 100% recycled material to make their products and not take raw wood fiber.

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$13 million boost to protect softwood timber forests and supplies during bushfire season

By the Minister of Agriculture
Government of New South Wales
May 31, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The NSW Government has announced a $13 million forestry funding package to provide much needed protection of critical timber supplies in the Murray region in the lead up to the next bushfire season. This package will build a better resilience into this important regional industry. The measures will deliver fire prevention, detection and response works that have been developed following consultation with forestry industry groups and government agencies. The NSW Government has a plan for developing regional NSW and a plan for delivering more housing. Protecting softwood forests and production is critical to delivering on both of those plans.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Net zero by 2050, an ever-receding target?

By Nelson Bennett
Business in Vancouver
May 30, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

Progress on the energy transition in Canada is highly fragmented, with provinces like Quebec doing more, according to a new provincial report card published by Clean Energy Canada. Another new report, published by Clean Prosperity, suggests Canada’s net zero targets can’t be met without substantial amounts of nuclear power. Meanwhile, the Fraser Institute published an essay by Canadian energy expert Vaclav Smil that puts the chances of industrialized economies like Canada achieving net zero targets by 2050 at close to zero. …The report card gives Quebec an A grade. B.C. gets a B grade. …Alberta and Saskatchewan both received a D. Ontario is middle of the pack, with a C grade. …In its report, Clean Energy Canada appears to have a bias against nuclear power. Clean Prosperity’s report says nuclear power will be crucial. …The chance of any country achieving net zero by 2050 is “highly unlikely,” Vaclav Smil says in the Fraser Institute essay.

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What the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change actually says about climate change and droughts

By Roger Pielke Jr., University of Colorado
The Financial Post
May 31, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States

Roger Pielke

The most recent IPCC report concluded about the detection and attribution of trends in drought at the global scale and also for the US. …It is more challenging to achieve detection and attribution of trends in drought than, say, hurricanes or tornadoes, because drought can be defined and measured in many ways. Detecting and attributing trends in drought impacts is even more challenging. …The IPCC finds with high confidence (i.e., an eight-in-10 chance) that human-caused climate change influences the global hydrological cycle and thus drought. …At the global scale, the IPCC has not detected and attributed trends in any of the three types of drought for any region with high confidence. For the US, the IPCC has only low confidence (i.e., two-in-10 chance) in detected or attributed trends in all three types of drought for all regions, except Western North America where it has medium confidence (i.e., five-in-10 chance) in the detection and attribution of trends in agricultural/ecological drought.

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Market value of carbon offsets drops 61%, report finds

By Patrick Greenfield
The Guardian UK
May 30, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

The market for carbon offsets shrank dramatically last year, falling from $1.9bn in 2022 to $723m in 2023, a new report has found. The drop came after a series of scientific and media reports found many offsetting schemes do nothing to mitigate the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. The research by Ecosystem Marketplace, found the market had shrunk 61%. It attributed the contraction to a flurry of studies and media reports that concluded millions of offsets were “worthless”, with some projects linked to human rights concerns. Each carbon credit is meant to represent the reduction or removal of one tonne of CO2 emissions removals or reductions. …Offsets generated by schemes protecting rainforests, the most popular type, lost 62% of their value between 2022 and 2023. These schemes were the focus of a joint investigation by the Guardian, which found more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets from a large sample of projects from Verra are worthless.

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Forest History & Archives

IXL Museum reveals lumber town’s past

By Terri Castelaz
The Iron Mountain Daily News
May 31, 2024
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: United States, US East

HERMANSVILLE, Michigan — Inside Hermansville’s IXL Historical Museum, a fascinating story of the once-booming lumber company town is told through its exhibits. The first floor of the 1881-82 Wisconsin Land & Lumber Co. building that was dedicated to the administration staff houses artifacts that are 99% original, with the office equipment still the way Dr. G.W. Earle left it. “When you enter the main floor, it looks like they closed the doors on a Friday night and didn’t return,” Board President Marilyn Popp said. Popp noted the desks are still in a neat and working order, complete with handwritten ledgers and sale orders that appear as if an entry has just been completed. The hardwood flooring business was big for such a small area, Popp said. Every piece of flooring was stamped with the letters “IXL” inside a circle, which stood for “I excel,” to reflect on quality products.

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