US consumer confidence drops again in June as inflation tempers economic outlook. In related news: lumber suppliers cut prices to increase sales. In other Business news: Canfor releases 2021 sustainability report; Paper Excellence receives Corporate Citizens award (again); UFP acquires 50% of Dempsey Wood Products; and Ponsse divests its subsidiary in Russia.
In Climate & Bioenergy news: the European Union confirms GHG targets for land use and forestry; a UN study says deforestation progress is at risk; and US researchers are modelling how biomass evolves over time. Meanwhile, on the Forestry front: BC First Nations decide if and where logging is permitted; ENGOs pan logging companies in BC and the US South; and wildfires updates from California, Utah and Arizona.
Finally, and sadly, a helicopter pilot supporting forest firefighters dies in Alaska.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
VANCOUVER, BC — Canfor Corporation and Canfor Pulp Products jointly announce today the release of the 2021 Sustainability Report which includes additional performance targets for Climate Change, Water Management, Waste Management, and Air Quality. This is a continuation of their bold ambition to become an industry leader in sustainability and furthers their commitments to sustainable forestry; safety, health and wellness; inclusion and diversity amongst employees, and stronger partnerships with willing Indigenous communities. “Our vision is to create a future as sustainable as the forests, for people, our products and the planet we all share. Making sustainability a core value in our business is not only the right thing to do for the planet, our people, stakeholders, partners and customers, but it makes us a better company,” said Don Kayne, President & CEO. 
Fire seasons are now longer and the destruction more intense, as fires burn hotter and spread to more drought-stricken ground. …Historically, fires would leave seeds in the soil and at treetops, but the hotter, more intense fires that occur now burn up the treetops and destroy the seeds in the soil, so there is much less natural regeneration. DroneSeed is a Seattle-based startup that claims it can begin to restore thousands of acres of wildfire-ravaged land just 30 days after the fire is out. …DroneSeed uses seeds as well as seedlings, or young plants, from its own nurseries. It then uses heavy-lift drone swarms to spread them across the scorched land. …seedling production has been a major barrier to reforestation due to supply chain issues. DroneSeed recently purchased Silvaseed… and it is now expanding to become the largest private seed bank in the West…
While this woody biomass contains one of the largest pools of terrestrial carbon, changes in the magnitude of woody biomass over millennia are poorly known, with most direct observations of vegetation biomass spanning no more than a few decades. Because trees grow very slowly, this lack of data leads to a substantial knowledge gap. In the absence of empirical data, scientists make assumptions that lead to uncertainties about long-term carbon sink and projections of the future carbon-climate system. A new study seeks to fill this knowledge gap. Led by Ann Raiho of the University of Maryland… an international team of scientists reconstructed the natural pace and pattern of carbon storage. The findings have the potential to shift ongoing debates about how landscapes can be managed to maximise carbon storage while also meeting conservation goals.
Many big companies working in agriculture and other sectors that drive deforestation won’t hit their climate targets without immediate action to protect forests, according to a new study. Commissioned by the UN-affiliated Race to Zero climate campaign, the study analyzed the environmental programs of 350 companies in the forestry, land use and agriculture sectors. It found that 148 of those companies have committed to net zero but judged that only nine were making strong progress on curbing deforestation. …The companies deemed to be making the most progress largely come from the consumer-goods sector
Environment ministers from EU member states have confirmed a target for removing greenhouse gas emissions in the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector. The council of environment ministers adopted official positions on a range of measures, which aims to cut total emissions from the EU by 55% by 2030. …The LULUCF sector covers the use of soils, trees, plants, biomass and timber. The council confirmed an overall objective of 310MT of carbon dioxide equivalent of net removals in the LULUCF sector at EU level. This would represent an increase of removals of about 15% compared to today. From 2026, binding targets to be met by 2030 will be set for each member state for this sector. …The council has also proposed to exclude emissions from disturbances to the LULUCF sector (such as forest fires) from a member state’s emissions output from the sector.
BRIDGEPORT, Calif. — A wildfire that erupted in Northern California forced evacuations as it threatened about 500 homes and other buildings Tuesday, authorities said. The Rices Fire erupted at around 2 p.m. near the Yuba River in Nevada County and had spread to more than 500 acres (202 hectares) by nightfall, said Unit Chief Brian Estes of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The flames also threatened power lines, water delivery systems and a state park, Estes said. The rural area is in the Sierra Nevada, northeast of Sacramento and about halfway between the state Capitol and the Nevada border. Authorities earlier said the fire began with a burning building and the flames spread to nearby dry vegetation. …The fire was one of several in Northern California that flared Tuesday as the state sweltered under summer heat, with temperatures in the Rices Fire area hitting as high as 98 F (36.6 C) with low humidity.