The authors of a BC wood pellet report emphasized the thoroughness of their review and the positives of sustainably sourced biomass. In other BC news: the state of the forest industry on the eve of a new premier; Gorman Bros.’ layoffs; Blueberry River First Nation’s new business; and Skeena Sawmills’ retiring president. Elsewhere: PotlatchDelta reports positive Q3 earnings; the US forest industry steadies; US consumer confidence falls; the European lumber market cools; and APA names new leaders.
In other news: Canada invests in sustainable forest resources; northern Albertans gather over proposed changes; Pacific HemFir has new design values; understanding mass timber’s embodied carbon; and the NY Times says country climate pledges are falling short.
Finally, Derek Nighbor on what the critics got wrong on Canada’s forest carbon emissions.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
What have been the downstream effects of the reduced timber harvest? Lumber production province wide is down 12.7% ytd (July). Coast production is down 6.8% ytd. And interior production is down by 13.5% ytd to levels not seen in many decades. Timber supply issues have been a large part of that decline, especially for the interior. Other contributing factors include the collapse in lumber prices as well as transportation issues. …The following is a list of manufacturing facilities which have either permanently closed or temporary curtailed since Q4 2021. …No other provinces are reporting closures to the same magnitude. Conversely, there is relatively little new capacity being added. This is where things are at for British Columbia’s forest sector, and it’s not good. Unfortunately, Eby has already said his 100- day plan includes a pledge to accelerate the old growth plan.
Last week, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and its partners at Nature Canada promoted a report that rightly mentioned the increasing carbon emissions in Canada’s forests. What the critics got wrong was trying to lay the blame at the feet of Canadian scientists and forest sector workers. Canada has a growing forest challenge. It is fueled by worsening drought conditions, pest outbreaks, and catastrophic wildland fires. Today, for every tree that Canada’s foresters sustainably harvest and regenerate, twenty-five are being damaged or destroyed by natural disturbance. The problem is impacting forest health and resiliency, local economies, human health, and community safety. …As Canadians stare down a likely recession, strengthening core Canadian industries, like forestry, and prospects for northern and rural workers and their families is critical. By embracing forestry – instead of attacking and undermining it – we can do more to mitigate growing fire risks, and protect carbon rich peatlands and wetlands, while providing jobs and sustaining rural communities.
A new chair, vice chair and two new members have been elected to APA – The Engineered Wood Association’s Board of Trustees. Ashlee Cribb, vice president of wood products for PotlatchDeltic Corporation, has been elected to serve as chair on APA’s Board of Trustees, succeeding Roy O. Martin III. Cribb steps into this position after being elected vice chair earlier this year. Doug Asano, senior vice president of sales & marketing for Roseburg Forest Products Co., has been elected to fill the vice chair position. Asano leads Roseburg’s sales, marketing, logistics, customer service and fulfillment teams. Two new members to the board include Stephen Williams, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Western Forest Products and Richie LeBlanc, president and CEO of Hunt Forest Products. “The engineered wood industry, like so many others, is experiencing tremendous change,” said APA President Mark Tibbetts. “We are grateful for our volunteer leaders’ service to the industry and APA.”
The mood at the 70th International Softwood Conference (held this year in Copenhagen was one of caution and concern. With global markets cooling off and many producing countries in Europe struggling with exceedingly high log and energy costs, some sawmillers expect losses – and increasing losses – for the rest of fourth quarter as well as first quarter in 2023. With too much production already evident in the market, European mills are not yet slowing down enough despite all of the red flags of shrinking demand already evident. This means that more European sawmill curtailments will occur in the short-term. …European lumber producers are also facing the proposed EU Deforestation Regulation. Once it has come into effect in the next 1-2 years, all business activities must be “deforestation- free” – which requires extensive documentation. If implemented, it could seriously restrict the harvesting of some forests, reducing the log supply in various countries in Europe.
Attention has been focussed on the sourcing and processing of concrete and steel as the industries attempt to reduce their GHG emissions. As the world looks for alternatives, mass timber construction (MTC) has risen in prominence and popularity for ever-larger construction projects. The argument in favour of wood over steel or concrete is quite simple: Trees capture and embody carbon, whereas steel and concrete production only emits it. However, wood’s embodied carbon story is complicated and far from emissions-free. Informed decisions concerning the use of MTC necessitate more than a simplified carbon embodiment claim. …Peter Moonen, national sustainability manager for the Canadian Wood Council, said Canada has more than double the hectares of “certified forest” than any other country in the world. …Yet that only matters if procurement processes require confirmation that the wood originates from a managed or certified forest. 
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced two contributions through the
SASKATCHEWAN — You will soon get a chance to hear about harvesting and reforestation plans in the province’s northeast. Public hearings are being held on the Pasquia Porcupine Forest Management Plan. It’s one of six main FMA’s in the province. “Basically outlining some of the draft operating plans proposed for the 2023 operating year,” said Travis Hedger, with Edgewood Forest Products. …Edgewood has made some capital improvements and is working on adding another production line. The $100 million expansion was announced about a year ago by Dunkley Lumber, the parent company. …The FMA helps support two mills. Hedger said around 150 people work at the sawmill in Carrot River, and another 100 work in harvesting timber for the mill. …According to Weyerhaeuser, 167 people work at it’s mill in Hudson Bay, and 160 people work in harvesting and hauling. Between the two of them, the companies harvest roughly 6,000 hectares of forest per year.
As a deforestation crisis reaches its breaking point in America, officials roll out a massive and ambitious plan to replant more than a billion new trees across the nation. The plan to tackle this monumental environmental task involves you. Wildfires are responsible for the destruction of millions of acres of forested land in the U.S. David Lytle of the U.S. Forest Service said. “We are facing a wildlife crisis in the U.S., size and intensity, more difficult to fight,” he said. “And as a result of our limited resources … backlog of 5 million acres in need of reforestation.” Seeds of hope in the form of federal legislation called the REPLANT act couldn’t have come at a more pivotal time. The bipartisan act delivers a much-needed infusion of funds and resources. 
The 2022 Fire Season will officially end for Klamath and Lake counties. Fire management personnel from the Oregon Department of Forestry, Klamath-Lake District, in cooperation with other local fire agencies and departments will declare the termination of the 2022 fire season as of Oct. 26. “Even though we have lifted fire season, it does not mean that people should be any less careful; they are still responsible for any fire that gets out of control and spreads. Debris Burning should be attended at all times, done only during daylight hours, in cleared areas, in ‘no wind’ conditions, and meeting Air Quality guidelines,” said Randall Baley, Protection Unit Forester. …During the 2022 season… 62 fires that burned approximately 1,230 acres. The total number of fires falls well below the 10-year average… Logging operation requirements have also been lifted, including watchman services and fire equipment on site, in effect on private, county, and state lands.
Forest owners in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and eastern Alabama breathed a sigh of relief on October 11, when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
Recently there have been many discussions of the use of fibre from B.C.’s forests for bioenergy. Biomass is already a mainstream source of renewable energy in B.C., as well as in many other jurisdictions… At the heart of the current debate in B.C. is the question of whether forests are being logged to produce pellets. Earlier this year, the Wood Pellet Association of Canada commissioned us to analyze government and industry databases of wood harvested in BC, confidential commercial data, and independent third party audit reports in order to evaluate what feedstock types are used to produce pellets. …No one else has gone to this level of detail to substantiate the source of B.C. wood pellets. Our report 
Countries around the world are failing to live up to their commitments to fight climate change… according to a report issued Wednesday by the United Nations. Just 26 of 193 countries that agreed last year to step up their climate actions have followed through with more ambitious plans. The world’s top two polluters, China and the United States, have taken some action but have not pledged more this year, and climate negotiations between the two have been frozen for months. …Wednesday’s report comes less than two weeks before nations are set to gather at U.N. climate talks in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, to discuss unfulfilled promises and take stock of the fight to stave off environmental catastrophe. But war in Europe, an international energy crisis, global inflation and political turmoil in countries like Britain and Brazil have distracted leaders and complicated cooperative efforts to tackle climate change. [to access the full story a NYTimes subscription may be required]
WorkSafeBC is holding a virtual public hearing on proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The virtual public hearing will be streamed live on December 16, 2022, in two sessions. We welcome your feedback on the proposed amendments. All feedback received will be presented to WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors for their consideration.