During COP 15 in Montreal, Canada, FSC announced the launch of an initiative to fast-track Biodiversity Assessments in FSC-certified forests, taking a further step in demonstrating the value of forest biodiversity and contributing to the delivery of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. As the pioneer of the notion of High Conservation Values, FSC certification benefits biodiversity by protecting rare and threatened species and their habitats as required by FSC standards. However, data about this impact is not systematically available. In fact, global biodiversity data is insufficient, not comparable, and most importantly, does not aim to capture the true value of nature in society. For this reason, FSC will work with partners … to understand how it can provide better biodiversity data about FSC certified forests and create a framework for companies to make claims on biodiversity related to their FSC-certified products.

In order to evade Ukrainian assaults, the Russian Army started disguising military gas vehicles as timber trucks. The last image shows that the concept is not always particularly successful.

The timber industry is set for a major boost with an increased number of wood processing industries. Although this has come after the 2016 ban on timber harvesting, for export among others, full involvement of the private sector has been a blessing. This emerged here yesterday during a meeting convened by the ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism with the private timber dealers. Mr Ben Mfungo Sulus from the Federation of Tanzania Forestry Industries said the public-private partnership has opened a new chapter for the sub-sector. “Many obstacles affecting the timber sector are being overcome or removed entirely,” he told the meeting at an Arusha hotel. Without giving details, Mr Sulus cited 26 barriers which have been sorted out. The ban on timber harvest permits took effect in July 2016. …The benefits include access to engineered wood products from Tanzania to the African Continental Free Trade Area market.

Bats “don’t like wind turbines” and are steering clear of the growing number of forest-based projects in Finland, according to an academic study that flags possible damaging impacts on the creatures’ habitats. Studies of seven forest wind farms on Finland’s west coast showed two bat species keeping up to 1km or more between themselves and the turbines, according to researchers from the Universities of Turku and Helsinki. The team spent a summer observing bats including the Northern, Finland’s most common type, and the Myotis group of species. “Our results showed that bat presence was impacted by the presence of wind turbines as both studied groups were found more often further away from the wind turbines,” said lead author Simon Gaultier. “It is not yet clear if bats avoid the wind turbines themselves, or the surrounding area”, Gaultier added. 

Monique Dawson

VICTORIA’S state-owned logging agency has blamed legal headaches for a large monetary loss last financial year. VicForests said in its annual report it did not meet supply targets in large part because of legal injunctions that rendered planned harvesting of many coupes unviable or prohibited, leading, in part to a $52.4 million deficit. More than half of approved harvests were halted by litigation during planning or after they had begun, creating $10.4 million in direct legal costs. A further $6.2 million was paid to logging contractors who were stood down and another $7.5 million in compensation to customers for failing to meet contracted supply volumes. …“Despite our best efforts the comprehensive result for the year ended 30 June 2022 was a loss of $54.2 million,” CEO Monique Dawson said in the report. …Western Australia is banning native forest logging from 2024.

As global reforestation commitments grow, how will companies, governments and communities pay to restore forest ecosystems and help sequester carbon over the long-term? One option: Grow and sell timber on the same plots of land where reforestation work is underway, as exemplified by pioneering restoration projects in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest, where a single harvest of fast-growing eucalyptus grows up amid restored native trees. Eucalyptus sales then help pay for long-term restoration. Another approach is to concurrently grow tree plantations and forest restorations on separate, often adjacent, plots of land, with a large portion of the profits from timber harvests going to support the long-term management of the reforestation projects. But some scientists and forest advocates worry that projects or businesses that become over reliant on timber revenues to finance restoration could undermine an initiative’s environmental benefits, and lock in unintended harvesting within native ecosystems. Experts ask: Can we truly pay for new trees by cutting others down?