Surveys undertaken in British Columbia and Oregon demonstrate mixed but strong support for forestry. In related news: BC’s new Chief Forester, MNP’s Jason Fisher, and First Nation Joe Gilchrist share their visions for the future of forestry. Elsewhere: New Mexico legislators oppose prescribed fires; New York state is encouraged to emphasize forest conservation; and West Virginians worry about clear-cut logging.
In other news: woody biomass could fuel Ontario’s steel and mining industry; forest restoration as a defence against climate change; and mass timber highlights from Vancouver, BC, Waterloo Ontario, and Madison, Wisconsin. Meanwhile: some lumber price, wood pellet and furniture market outlooks.
Finally, leadership changes at International Paper and the BC Log & Timber Builders.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
…Soaring energy costs have made wood heat an attractive proposition. The cost of heating with wood can be cheaper and less volatile, but wood heat experts say it can be an uphill battle to convince people to switch to a less mainstream fuel. Rebates and tax credits are available that can make the equation more favorable. “We have so much of this as a resource, but for some reason it hasn’t caught on the way solar has caught on or energy efficiency,” said Andy Duncan, who runs the New Hampshire Rural Renewables program. …Duncan and those in the forestry industry have argued there are environmental benefits to using wood heat, like promoting sustainable forest management. It creates a market for low-grade wood and an incentive for taking that wood out of the forest to make space for healthy trees to grow in its place.