The first assessment of Biden’s climate bill says it will reduce GHG emissions 40% by 2030. In related news: BC’s forestry critic is dumped for questioning the role CO2 is playing in climate change. Meanwhile: Resolute’s merger valuation is tied to the lumber dispute; 84 Lumber is recognized for high growth; and New Zealand seeks to increase its onshore wood processing. In Market news: US inflation may have peaked, home-size trends down, and custom homebuilding stays flat.
In other news: Lakehead University has a new dean of natural resources management; BC launches a new air rescue team; and more on Nova Scotia’s new old-growth policy, and Oregon’s controversial wildfire risk map.
Finally, an invisible coating that fireproofs wood while retaining its natural aesthetic.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
NEW ZEALAND — Increasing New Zealand’ onshore wood processing capability and investing in developing our domestic woody biomass industry are two target areas that will drive sector growth, create jobs, and reduce emissions across the economy, Forestry Minister Stuart Nash says. The Minister of Forestry launched the draft Forestry and Wood Processing Industry Transformation Plan at the Canterbury West Coast Wood Council Awards in Christchurch. …“Through partnering with industry, Māori and unions, we can add significant value to the sector by processing logs domestically. “We need to move from a commodity resource producer to creating high value, low carbon products and jobs for Kiwis.” “This roadmap will lead to a future where high-rise buildings are built with engineered wood, where our planes, trains and boats are powered with fuel derived from wood, and a range of products, such as pharmaceuticals, are also produced from our forests.
US mortgage rates declined amid signs that inflation might have reached a peak. The average for a 30-year loan dropped to 5.13% from 5.22% last week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. This year’s run-up in mortgage rates has taken some of the froth out of the US housing market, slowing sales and easing bidding wars. It’s also pushed more buyers to cancel purchases and led homebuilders to slow construction starts. US inflation decelerated more than expected in July, which has eased some pressure on mortgage rates. “Inflation appears to be beyond its peak,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Over the rest of the year, purchase demand likely will continue to drag, supply will modestly increase, and home-price growth will decelerate.” The housing slowdown has also sent ripples throughout the real estate industry, hitting mortgage lenders, homebuilders and other companies.
Sustainability is completely integrated into our strategies and behaviors at Mercer Forestry Services when it comes to harvesting timber. It impacts every aspect of our work, including pre-planning, logistics, and post-harvest activities. The industry works together within an allowable annual cut to ensure timber is harvested on a sustainable basis within forest areas. Harvest plans are carefully compiled by forest professionals to determine special considerations for particular areas. Strategies include leaving certain tree species behind for structural diversity, habitat for wildlife, and coarse woody debris (CWD) recruitment. Maintaining CWD of all sizes and decay classes aids in forest productivity in terms of soil function, tree growth, and ecosystem productivity in terms of habitat. Plans also include requirements for retaining deciduous trees, small patches of advanced health regeneration, and saplings that exhibit good form and vigor.
People can get involved in the comprehensive timber supply review for the Lillooet Timber Supply Area (TSA) by submitting comments before Oct. 18, 2022. As part of the review, a discussion paper has been released that provides the results of the timber supply analysis. It also describes the geography, natural resources and current forest-management practices in the Lillooet TSA, all of which will be used by the chief forester in their allowable annual cut (AAC) determination. Before setting the new AAC, the chief forester will also consider feedback from Indigenous Peoples and the public. The Lillooet Timber Supply Area covers roughly 1.1 million hectares in the southwestern region of the province. The current AAC for the Lillooet TSA is 570,000 cubic metres, of which 400,000 cubic metres are for species other than pine. The area includes the territories of the St’at’imc, Nlaka’pamux, Secwepemc and Tsilhqot’in Nations.
Natural Resources Canada announced an investment of more than 
PORTLAND, Ore. — After a spat of backlash, the Oregon Department of Forestry is working on revising its Wildfire Risk Map it was required to make by the Oregon State Legislature in an effort to identify at-risk areas and dedicate resource to increase resilience. The map was a part of Senate Bill 672. The bill … required ODF to create a map by summer 2022 assessing the risk of wildfire to the state’s 1.8 million tax lots. ODF took into account landscape, historic weather patterns, plant life and other environmental factors to create the risk areas on the map released June 30. …ODF doesn’t have a timeline at the moment to release a revised map, but ODF communications manager Derek Gasperini says, there will likely be a draft map and a public comment period before risk advisories are sent out to home owners. While there may be revisions to some properties, he doesn’t expect wide-scale changes to the map.
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A wildland firefighter died while battling a wildfire in southern Oregon on Thursday, the second firefighter to lose their life on an active blaze this month in Oregon. No details about the death were released other than that the incident took place on a fire in Josephine County, where both state and federal firefighters are battling multiple lightning-ignited fires from a thunderstorm that hit the area earlier this week. The individual’s name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, officials said in a statement. “Our deepest sympathies are with the family, friends and fellow firefighters during this time,” a statement from the Oregon Department of Forestry and Bureau of Land Management said. “The cause is under investigation and more details will be released as they are confirmed.”
Thick smog blanketed Moscow on Thursday as it blew in from nearby forest fires, which the national forestry agency said were made worse by neglectful local authorities. Hundreds of firefighters and several aircraft were battling the blazes in the Ryazan region, some 250 kilometres (155 miles) southeast of Moscow, the emergencies ministry said. The Federal Forestry Agency accused the region’s authorities of downplaying the scale of the fires and delaying an adequate response. “The forestry authorities of the Ryazan region and its nature areas let the situation with the forest fires slip and hid its real scale,” the agency told the RIA Novosti news agency. The region’s governor Pavel Malkov said Wednesday that over 800 hectares (1,980 acres) had been affected by the fires. But the international environmental group Greenpeace put the figure at over 3,300 hectares.