Daily News for December 04, 2024

← December 03, 2024
December 05, 2024 →

Today’s Takeaway

Unifor and PPWC target Kruger to begin Western bargaining

The Tree Frog Forestry News
December 4, 2024
Category: Today's Takeaway

Unions target Kruger to establish pattern bargaining for forestry in Western Canada. In related news: mill curtailments welcome BC’s new forest minister, Domtar emphasizes separation from APP, as FSC evaluates implication of potential links; and a Colorado biomass plant files for bankruptcy. Meanwhile: Sinclar Group announced Betty Ann Shiels as new Board Chair; and MNP’s Chris Duncan is recognized as forestry leader.

In Forest Product news: BC addresses knowledge gaps in mass timber construction; Google unveils its first mass timber office building; and Helsinki’s leadership role in architecture’s timber revolution. Meanwhile: Indonesia to test UN’s new forest carbon trading program; and New Zealand limits farm to forestry conversions.

Finally, Mosaic’s Season of Giving campaign reports staggering increase in food bank need.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Read More

Business & Politics

Sinclar Group announces our new Chair for the Sinclar Board of Directors

By Greg Stewart, President
Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd.
October 29, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

After 14 years of dedicated leadership, Dr. Charles Jago is stepping down as Chair of the Sinclar Group Forest Products Board of Directors. …Charles is a long-serving community member of northern BC, providing leadership and valued guidance on the boards of several local institutions. He is a former President of the University of Northern British Columbia and the namesake of the Charles Jago Northern Sport Center. …On behalf of the Sinclar Board of Directors, I express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Charles Jago for his leadership and commitment to the success of our company. With Dr. Jago’s departure, I am pleased to introduce our new Board Chair, Betty Ann Shiels. Betty Ann is a long-time resident of Prince George. She obtained her B. Comm from the University of Alberta and began her career in Prince George with Deloitte, Haskins & Sells. She … was an Assurance and Advisory partner with Deloitte for 20 years…

Read More

Winter mill curtailments welcome B.C.’s new forests minister and critic to their roles

By Michael Reeve
CFJC Today Kamloops
December 2, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

KAMLOOPS — While the Tolko Heffley Creek Mill was a hive of activity on Monday (Dec. 2) morning, come December 20, the mill will be shut down. “They’ve had significant curtailments at this plant alone. They have already lost 30 per cent of their capacity, they’ve dropped their graveyard shift,” said BC Conservative Forest Critic and Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer. “That also impacts the logging contractors. …And nobody has a crystal ball, but I’m quite sure there will be more curtailments as this unfolds.” …“This temporary downtime is due to high fibre costs, poor weather conditions during the fall harvesting season and weak North American lumber and plywood markets,” said Tolko Communications Advisor Chris Downey. …Keta Kosman, owner of the Madison Lumber Reporter, does however see a light at the end of the tunnel. “We’ve seen a bottom. …Now we know where that is and that gives a stability to the lumber manufacturers and the builders,” said Kosman.

Read More

Unifor and PPWC target Kruger, Inc. to begin Western pattern bargaining

By Unifor
Cision Newswire
December 3, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC – Two of the country’s largest pulp and paper unions, Unifor and the Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC), have selected Kruger, Inc. in Kamloops, B.C. as the target to establish pattern bargaining across the forestry sector in Western Canada. “We believe workers are stronger when we work together, strategically, to build and protect good jobs and advocate for the workers’ vision of a brighter future for the Canadian forestry sector,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Unifor and PPWC have a strong history of solidarity, and this partnership is one of the ways we walk the talk as we urge corporations, industry leaders and governments to work with us to build a strong and value-added domestic forestry industry.” … Payne shared some of the union’s vision for industry-wide collaboration on December 2 when she appeared before the House of Commons Committee on International Trade regarding the softwood lumber dispute.

Read More

West Michigan Timber Fraud Earns Prison Term

By Eric Freeman
The Lansing City Pulse
December 3, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

MICHIGAN — The former owner of a West Michigan timber harvesting business has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for cheating investors of more than $2 million. Authorities said Trent Witteveen of Montague ran a Ponzi scheme involving phony documents and misusing some investors’ money to repay others. U.S. Judge Robert Jonker also ordered Witteveen, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud, to pay $844,282 in restitution. The grand jury’s indictment laid out the background this way, saying Witteveen “earned his living in the timber harvesting business, initially as a subcontractor or independent contractor to sawmills: He registered a company called Tall Timber and ran the fraud scheme from June 2018 to January 2021, the indictment charged. It described how Witteveen approached landowners whose property had hardwood and softwood trees for purchase by the lumber industry and sawmills, mostly around Pentwater and elsewhere in Northwest Michigan.

Read More

Finance & Economics

UK pellet imports expected to reach record high in 2024

By Erin Voegele
Biomass Magazine
December 3, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

The U.K. is expected to import a record 9.641 million metric tons of wood pellets in 2024, according to a report filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network in November. The expected record in wood pellet imports for 2024 follows a significant decrease in U.K. wood pellet imports in 2023 and 2023, which the report attributes to changes in global wood pellet prices and competition from other energy sources. The U.K. primarily uses wood pellets for industrial energy production, with more than 93% of the country’s wood pellet demand in 2024 expected to be used for that purpose. …The U.S. is the largest supplier of wood pellets to the U.K., accounting for 73% of imports in 2023 by volume. Other sources of U.K. pellet imports are Canada, Latvia, the Netherlands, Estonia and Brazil.

Read More

Wood, Paper & Green Building

Is Canada running out of time to make its buildings net zero?

By Wallace Immen
The Globe and Mail
December 3, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Fiera Real Estate Canada – the current owner of Richmond’s Airport Executive Park (AEP) – is aiming to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, partly through the installation of electric heat pumps that will replace its gas-fired heating systems… And while 25 years from today may seem like a long time, experts warn Canada isn’t making progress fast enough to achieve its goal. The clock began ticking in 2021 when the federal government adopted the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, with an interim target of GHG reductions hitting at least 40 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. …“It’s hard to see how we’re going to achieve the interim standards for the building sector by 2030, and if we don’t reach them, the climb to 2050 is going to be a lot harder,” says Thomas Mueller, CEO of the Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC).

Read More

Closing knowledge gaps in mass timber construction

BC Forestry Innovation Investment
November 28, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jason Chiu

Through the Wood First program, FII helps expand B.C.’s capacity to make value-added wood products and building systems. …Mass timber use in  North America still faces knowledge gaps in the design, engineering, manufacturing, and construction sectors. To address this barrier to growth, the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Advanced Wood Processing (CAWP) organized a workshop dedicated to mass timber construction through Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA). DfMA prioritizes ease of manufacturing and assembly by minimizing time, waste, cost and labor, while improving quality and efficiency. …Now in its second year, the sold out workshop drew 16 industry participants and three UBC wood product students who collaborated on a pavilion using cross-laminated timber and glulam beams.

Read More

Google Unveils First Mass Timber Office, Cutting Building Emissions by 96%

ESG News
November 27, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

Google has announced the opening of 1265 Borregas, its first office building constructed using mass timber, in Sunnyvale, California. The building reflects Google’s commitment to sustainability, employee wellbeing, and community engagement. …According to Google, 1265 Borregas produces 96% fewer embodied carbon emissions than an equivalent steel and concrete structure, considering sequestration. The mass timber was sourced from responsibly managed forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). …The building prioritizes employee wellbeing with biophilic design elements, such as exposed timber interiors, ample natural light, and expansive views of Northern California landscapes. …Google planted three acres of pollinator-friendly native plants around the site, including species like California sagebrush and common milkweed. …Mass timber construction also reduces construction waste, traffic, and noise, benefiting the surrounding community.

Read More

Wooden World: How Helsinki Became a Leader in Architecture’s Timber Revolution

By Samantha Frew
Architizer
December 4, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

…In Finland, forests cover approximately 75% of the land area. Wood is an abundant, renewable resource. In recent years, advancements in technology have made it possible to use timber in exciting ways that were previously unimaginable. Taller structures, intricate designs and impressive durability are now realities when using wood in modern architectural practice. That’s why, as the rest of the world races to cut carbon and embrace renewable energies, Finland is taking an approach that does both — and so much more. This is a timber revolution, and Helsinki is leading the charge. The Wood City in the Jätkäsaari district is a prime example of Finland’s ambitions. The innovative development features residential and commercial buildings constructed primarily from cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (glulam). The site includes the headquarters of popular gaming company Supercell, known for hits like Clash of Clans. 

Read More

Forestry

Domtar emphasizes separation from APP, commitment to FSC certification

Domtar Corporation
December 3, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, International

Domtar is a separate company from APP with its own management structure and governance. Domtar and APP will remain distinct entities, with no operational overlap and independent governance structures. The companies under the Domtar brand have long been among the most supportive champions of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Domtar actively engages with FSC policies, procedures, and practices, consistently seeking opportunities to engage suppliers to source more FSC-certified fiber. Domtar is continuing that engagement directly with FSC International to analyze and understand the implications of the Policy for Association and the Remedy Framework in light of this development. Domtar’s historical commitment to sustainable forest management and responsible fiber sourcing – as previously affirmed by the FSC – and its distinct separation in governance from APP should be considered in regards to its certification. … Jackson Wijaya is a strong advocate and leader in forest certification.

Read More

Tree planting may not be effective climate change solution for the North, study finds

By Tori Fitzpatrick
CBC News
December 4, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Planting trees is a popular way to mitigate climate change, but in northern and Arctic regions, it may not be an effective solution. A recent study published in the journal Nature Geoscience, found that tree planting in northern boreal and Arctic regions is not only ineffective at mitigating climate change, but may actually cause net warming. …Climate change mitigation solutions are particularly important for the Arctic, where climate change has been happening three to four times faster than the global average. …Jeppe Kristensen nd his colleagues found that in northern boreal and Arctic regions, where the ground is snow-covered for much of the year, planting trees creates shade and prevents snow from reflecting sunlight. The resulting warming will counteract any carbon storage that trees provide. …The study also suggests that planting trees could disturb carbon stored in the soil and release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Read More

FSC evaluates implications of link between Domtar and APP

Forest Stewardship Council Canada
November 20, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, International

We are informed that Jackson Wijaya is becoming the beneficial owner of both Domtar, formerly known as Paper Excellence, and Asia Pulp and Paper (APP). Domtar is a company in good standing that has maintained FSC certification since 2008, covering over 7 million ha of forest area, as well as mills and processing plants. FSC disassociated from APP in 2007 due to significant conversion of natural forests to plantations that APP was conducting in Indonesia in violation of the Policy for Association. This policy defines six unacceptable activities that associated individuals and organizations and their corporate group commit to avoid in both certified and non-certified operations.  We are evaluating what the implications of the two companies being owned by one individual will mean for our Policy for Association. To determine the potential consequences of this change in ownership a rigorous legal review of relevant company connections will be initiated.  

Read More

Conserving just five per cent of watersheds can protect cities from floods: UBC study

By Tiffany Crawford
Vancouver Sun
December 3, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Matthew Mitchell

Researchers at the University of B.C. say there’s a nature-based way to protect cities from floods, like the 2021 catastrophic flooding in B.C. or more recently the deadly floods that wiped out towns in Spain. A UBC study says preserving just five per cent of watersheds and two per cent of Canada’s land could shield more than half of urban floodplains, saving lives, crops and infrastructure. Matthew Mitchell, the study author who is a UBC forestry expert, says this is the first research of its kind in Canada to explore how ecosystems function as natural flood buffers.Key ecosystems safeguard 54 per cent of built-up areas and 74 per cent of cropland in floodplains, according to the study. When these areas are preserved, they absorb water, slow run-off and reduce the strain on flood defences,” said Mitchell.

Read More

Spotlight on excellence: Chris Duncan

By Jennifer Ellson
Canadian Forest Industries
December 2, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Chris Duncan

Chris Duncan is a partner and national leader of forestry and forest products at MNP in Duncan, B.C. Chris, 38, has risen to become the national leader of the forestry and forest products practice at MNP, where he leads a team serving over 1,700 forestry clients across Canada. Growing up in a family-run logging business on Vancouver Island, Chris’s connection to the industry runs deep. “I remember taking days off school to watch my dad work as a logging contractor,” he says. “When I started with MNP, I naturally gravitated toward our forestry clients.” Over his 14-year career at MNP, Chris has earned a reputation for being a “dirty boots accountant,” regularly visiting client sites to offer hands-on business advice. His work spans accounting, tax services, and strategic consulting, and his influence extends to contractors, tenure holders, and Indigenous organizations, helping the industry adapt to evolving economic and environmental challenges.

Read More

Ucluelet – Toquaht community forest chops cut rate, branches out

By Andrew Bailey
Westerly News
December 3, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Barkley Community Forest Corporation is chopping its annual cut by more than half and hopes to branch out by planting roots for more recreational opportunities. The community forest was launched in 2014 in partnership between the District of Ucluelet and Toquaht First Nation and has since generated about $3 million in shared profits for the two parties. The Corporation hosted open houses in Ucluelet and Macoah last month to bring both communities up to speed on a new forest management plan that reduces the annual allowable cut from 27,000 cubic metres to 12,600. “That cut was based on the inventory data that was passed on from the previous major licensee and operability and harvesting assumptions that were maybe a little optimistic,” the corporation’s general manager Erik Holbek told the Westerly News during the Ucluelet open house on Oct. 24.

Read More

Room to grow: Cutting the forest of the future

By Patrick Larsen
VPM News
December 2, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Cumberland County, Virginia — Ash Latimer and his dad run Conservation Forests, a forest management and logging business that is taking a slightly unconventional approach to what he sees as an extractive industry. He’s cutting selectively, which is not an uncommon practice. It’s what he’s leaving behind that’s unusual. “We’re really looking to leave behind the highest-quality trees, leave the most money — so even if we’re taking out a fair amount of volume, we’re still leaving actually a lot of value,” Latimer said. Latimer and the landowners he works with are choosing to sacrifice some immediate profits for other benefits down the line. They’re still harvesting good wood, and enough of it to justify the costs of the work. It’s used for veneer, bourbon barrels, pallets, railroad ties and more. …Latimer’s driven by a widespread failure of eastern hardwood forest regeneration. …young white oak volumes in Virginia declined by 21% between 2003 and 2022. 

Read More

Amid EUDR delay, Forest Stewardship Council calls for swift action for deforestation-free future

Forest Stewardship Council
December 3, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Bonn – The European Parliament, Council of the European Union (EU), and EU Commission have agreed to a one-year delay in the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), amongst other outcomes. This decision underscores the complexity of tackling deforestation and degradation whilst ensuring regulations are both rigorous and enforceable. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) remains a staunch supporter of the EUDR’s ambition to create deforestation-free supply chains, in Europe and globally. This delay should not deter immediate action for sustainable forestry. …“Reaching this outcome has been a complex and emotional journey for the many who care about the future of our forests. It’s time to move forward and not delay action. The additional time is an opportunity to unite under a common goal: ensuring that EUDR delivers maximum impact when it comes into effect. Our forests—and communities—cannot afford complacency.” said Matteo Mascolo, FSC’s Lead, EU Affairs & Engagement.

Read More

Documents reveal plans to make 39,000 hectares of native Tasmanian forest available for logging

By Adam Holmes
ABC News, Australia
December 4, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Right to Information documents have shown the biodiversity values, extent of old growth, and potential logging methods for 39,000 hectares of native Tasmanian forest that could soon be made available for logging. The Tasmanian Liberals promised to transfer the forests from what it calls a “wood bank” — or Future Potential Production Forest — into a classification that would allow them to be logged at short notice. The exact location of the forests has remained secret despite questioning by the media and in parliament. But details have now been publicly released following a Right to Information request by BirdLife Australia, against the wishes of the government. They show the government asked the state’s public forestry company, which trades as Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT), in late 2021 if it wanted to access extra native forests.

Read More

Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Colorado’s first biomass energy plant closed, set for auction as owner files for bankruptcy protection

By Jason Blevins
The Colorado Sun
December 4, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US West

The biomass plant in Gypsum — the first in the state to convert beetle-kill trees into electricity — has shut down and its owner has filed for bankruptcy protection citing more than $40 million in debt. The closure has terminated wildfire mitigation efforts in Colorado’s forests and reveals the growing struggle of burning biomass for electricity as demand grows for more affordable renewable energy options like solar and wind. The highest bidder for the plant … is an Illinois-based real estate firm. The trustee in charge of the sale said the Urban Investment Research Corp. and the commercial real estate owner would not renew a contract to sell electricity to Holy Cross Energy. “This is a huge hit to our forests, forest health, wildfire mitigation, watershed protection and water quality in our communities on the Western Slope,” said Kendric Wait, of Forest Range Products, the company hired to mitigate wildfire threats and supply the plant with biomass.

Read More

Government announces sweeping changes to limit forestry conversions

Radio New Zealand News
December 4, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

NEW ZEALAND — The government has announced sweeping changes to limit the amount of full farm to forestry conversions. Farming groups and rural communities have been raising concerns over the amount of productive farmland being converted into forestry for several years now. The new changes include… A moratorium on exotic forestry registrations for Land Use Classification (LUC) 1-5 actively farmed land. …Transitional measures for landowners currently in the process of afforestation who can demonstrate an intent to afforest prior to 4 December 2024. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Todd McClay said the changes delivered on a key election commitment to protect food production for farmers while providing ETS certainty for foresters. …Climate Change Minister Simon Watts said the changes provided much-needed certainty for participants in the ETS, ensuring that foresters, farmers, and investors could plan ahead with confidence.

Read More

Will New Carbon Market Work? Indonesia Will Provide First Test

By Fred Pearce
Yale Environment 360
December 3, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

The United Nations’ market for carbon trading will soon be open for business. Approved at the U.N. climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, last month, it will for the first time give the U.N.’s seal of approval to large-scale trading of carbon credits between nations. …At the front of the queue for selling credits is Indonesia, whose newly elected populist president Prabowo Subianto is reportedly planning to generate billions of dollars in revenues through bilateral deals to sell credits generated in his country’s vast rainforests. …Critics say the new trading market, which is expected to launch as soon as next year, is wide open to the bad carbon accounting and outright fraud that has bedeviled recent company-to-company “voluntary” trades and to double-counting of credits, making a mockery of efforts to slash global emissions.

Read More

Health & Safety

WorkSafeBC now accepting expressions of interest from training providers

WorkSafeBC
December 3, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

From December 2, 2024, to February 28, 2025, WorkSafeBC is accepting expressions of interest from providers seeking to offer training that requires approval by WorkSafeBC. We are now accepting expressions of interest for the following training:

  • Asbestos abatement
  • Electrical safety: Working up to the adjusted limits of approach to energized conductors
  • Electrofishing
  • Forestry operations firefighting
  • Traffic control
  • Workplace first aid

Visit our Course review page for information on applying to offer training in these areas.

Read More

Mosaic’s Season of Giving Focuses on Food for Islanders Amidst Increasing Need

Mosaic Forest Management
December 3, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

2024 campaign shares $51,000 with Island schools and community nutrition programs. It’s an astonishing statistic indicative of trying times felt across Vancouver Island and Coastal BC. Nanaimo’s Loaves and Fishes food bank, a recipient of Mosaic’s Season of Giving campaign, is reporting the number of people accessing their services has increased by a staggering 94% compared to 2020. “In order to keep up with the need, we need to source over 400,000 pounds of food per month, and the majority of the food we provide to individuals is fresh foods,” said Abby Sauchuk, Director of Development at the Loaves and Fishes food bank. …Now in its fifth year, Season of Giving has shared over $200,000 since its start. One of Mosaic’s signature community initiatives, Season of Giving continues to have one important goal— to help those doing the important work of providing nutritious food to those who need it.

Read More

← December 03, 2024
December 05, 2024 →