Scott Thomson is stepping down as CEO of Finning International and Kevin Parkes is named his successor. In other Business news: Teal Jones says tree spiking put workers’ lives at risk; Greenpeace pans UK over Drax settlements in Louisiana; Weyerhaeuser’s strike pushes its stock lower; and GreenFirst secures new financing from BMO. Meanwhile: FPAC award winners make news in Prince George, Kelowna and Radium; and the BC Log & Timber Association is seeking a new CEO.
In Forestry/Climate news: a Biden Proclamation for National Public Lands Day; US senators introduce resolution to establish National Loggers Day; a UBC researcher develops plastic alternative from forest waste; Oregon’s first ‘living building‘ is proclaimed in Portland; BC’s big tree protection is called ‘toothless‘; and the Battleship Mountain wildfire—BC’s largest this year—is now ‘held’.
Finally, a world-travelling filmmaker takes Ontario’s tree-planting to the big screen.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
The UK government has been accused of funding environmental racism by giving £2m a day in subsidies to an energy company that has paid out millions over claims it breached pollution limits in the US south. An investigation by Unearthed, Greenpeace’s investigative unit, found Drax Biomass paid millions of dollars to US regulators over claims it exceeded limits on chemicals emissions at wood chip plants close to black and low-income communities. Among the charges faced by Drax was that it exceeded limits on emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To fuel its operations, and to tap into an increasing global market for biomass fuel, Drax operates an extensive North American supply chain, with 13 sites in the US and Canada producing 1.5m tonnes of compressed wood pellets a year. Late last month, Drax agreed to two settlements of $1.6m each with the 
FRANCE – Firewood shortages in France are intensifying and prices have jumped by more than 20% since June due to soaring demand, more people in the market, and fears over the price of other fuel. Firewood providers are warning that there will not be enough wood for everyone this winter. This is partly due to a sharp increase in the number of households in the market. …However, in 2022, the energy agency l’Agence de l’environnement et de la maîtrise de l’énergie (Ademe) said that the government is aiming to have 9.5 million households using woodfired energy by 2023, and 11.3 million by 2028. Gérard Fellous, director of Quality-bûches: “Over the last few weeks, Ademe has greatly promoted heating with pellets. But this has caused a significant increase in the price of wood. “Pellet prices have tripled over the past six months, leading to rises in logs and our costs.”
The global market for mass timber reached a milestone last year, exceeding $1 billion for the first time. That market is expected to more than double, to $2.5 billion, by 2027, according to estimates from Research & Markets. But as mass timber continues to nudge its way from the fringe into the mainstream, is the industry prepared for that demand? Joining us to discuss mass timber’s future are two execs from the builder Timberlab, a Swinerton company that launched in Portland, Ore., in 2021: Erica Spiritos, Director of Preconstruction, and Sam Dicke, a Los Angeles-based Business Development Manager: Let’s talk first about demand. …What are the challenges to growth? Is the industry’s supply infrastructure able to handle the kind of demand projected? …Market watchers are predicting 15% compound annual growth for mass timber in the coming years. How does Timberlab see market demand, and where is it headed.
Officials in British Columbia’s Forests Ministry understood that a regulation introduced in 2020 to protect big trees on public lands would have little impact. They designed it that way. Internal records released to The Tyee in response to a Freedom of Information request confirm critics’ suspicions that the Special Tree Protection Regulation was meant to sound good to the public while continuing to protect the interests of the logging industry. “Timber supply and economic impacts associated with the use of the proposed specifications are predicted to be insignificant when viewed on a provincial scale,” said a Forests Ministry memo dated Jan. 14, 2020 — some eight months before the government enacted the regulation. The regulations apply to a dozen tree species on Crown and private lands managed under the Forest Act. Trees above set diameters are protected from logging. A hectare of forest surrounding each of those trees is also protected as a buffer.
B.C. is a lucky province. Not only are we blessed with a wide variety of natural resources, from coal to gold, but we also have two renewable resources in abundance: hydro power and forests. That is if we don’t squander them. …our forests have the potential to feed our provincial economy for centuries if they are managed properly. …The two keywords in that last statement are “managed” and “properly,” which are both hard to pull off. After all, for decades the path to profit in the forest has been to extract as much fibre as possible at the lowest cost. Luckily, the old model is changing and forest companies are recognizing that long-term profits come with preserving and enhancing the forest for the future. …There is a lot of research going into what makes a healthy forest, which also bodes well for the future…
The logging industry plays a critical role in the Northwoods economy, and a new bipartisan bill in Washington would recognize October 12 as National Loggers Day. The goal of the resolution, introduced by Democratic senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Republican Susan Collins of Maine, is to highlight the many contributions and economic benefits of the logging industry in the country. Baldwin said in announcing the resolution, “I’m proud to…spotlight the importance of logging businesses and workers who keep our forests healthy and support our Made in America forest products supply chain.” She added, “Wisconsin’s logging economy provides good-paying jobs and revenue for rural communities and the National Park System. Healthy forest management also provides public recreational opportunities that make the Wisconsin way of life a national treasure.” …This resolution is supported by the American Loggers Council and Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association.
