US builder confidence is down for a fifth straight month on rising interest rates, growing affordability woes. In other Business news: Canfor extends Taylor pulp mill curtailment; Doman reports positive Q1; First Nation lays claim to Catalyst’s Powell River mill site; Mississippi’s export terminal welcomes first wood pellet vessel; and Atlantic Building Components plans new truss plant in North Carolina.
In Forestry/Climate news: Europe rethinks policies on biomass energy; Washington uses forests as a natural climate solution; and wildfire evacuation updates from Ontario and New Mexico.
Finally, the long and winding (and slow) court path for Fairy Creek protesters.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
The We Wai Kai First Nation has partnered with Mosaic Forest Management to harvest a Mosaic-owned tree farm licence on Quadra Island. A new organization has been formed by the First Nation and forestry contractor Roga Contracting called Way Key Ventures that will provide harvesting services for Mosaic. According to a release from Mosaic, the partnership will “benefit the continued employment and careful management of the working forests of Quadra Island.” The harvest area is within Mosaic’s Tree Farm Licence 47, and Way Key ventures will provide harvesting services to the We Wai Kai First Nation as well. “This new partnership is a significant opportunity for our Nation to experience economic, social and cultural benefits of forests within our traditional territory,” said We Wai Kai Chief Ronnie Chickite. “We all benefit from a thriving sustainable forest sector.”
Vancouver, B.C. – The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for the 2022 Forestry Scholarship. This year, COFI is awarding 13 $2,000 scholarships, including three COFI Indigenous Forestry Scholarships in continued partnership with the New Relationship Trust Foundation. “COFI is pleased to continue to support the next generation of foresters, biologists, technicians and more, as they advance their educational goals and work towards a career in the forest industry,” said Susan Yurkovich, President and CEO of COFI. “These bright young minds will contribute to the future growth and sustainability of our sector, including the Indigenous students that will be supported through our continued partnership with the New Relationship Trust Foundation.”
Backcountry road users are advised that the roads closed in October 2021 across the Thompson Okanagan region, following 15 severe wildfires, will remain closed. The closures were established under the Motor Vehicle Prohibition Regulation of the Wildlife Act and apply to backcountry roads across approximately 536,000 hectares. Roads were closed to allow areas to recover from wildfire impacts including: erosion of charred soils and impacts on fish habitat; increased vulnerability of wildlife due to migration disruptions, habitat loss and loss of vegetation cover; and increased open areas due to construction of approximately 2,900 kilometres of fire guards. Closure boundaries follow landmarks such as roads, rivers and streams near wildfire perimeters.
An evolving forestry industry was one discussion Castlegar City Councillors brought back from the recent Annual Kootenay Boundary Local Governments convention. One presentation asking “are we ready to modernize the Forestry Industry?”seemed to have hit close to home for Councillors Dan Rye and Sue Heaton-Sherstobitoff. “Forestry is important in our economic development and government thinks there’s going to be 4500 people without jobs. The forest industry itself is saying 18,000 people plus all the secondary jobs. So that’s something that we really have to pay attention to because it really could impact our community.” says Councillor Heaton-Sherstobitoff. “I don’t think we realize just how much it may affect us in our area, and it was interesting listening to other Mayors and other Councillors from areas around us that I would consider to be sort of on the green side, basically saying ‘wow this is going to hurt us’….” shared Councillor Dan Rye.
Europe’s power plants have slashed their use of coal by burning… millions of tons of wood, much of it imported from the US. A controversial European Union policy called the Renewable Energy Directive drove this transition by counting biomass as renewable energy. …But critics have long argued that the subsidies actually have few climate benefits and should be scrapped. Late Tuesday in Brussels, a committee of the European Parliament voted to make substantial changes to both how the union subsidizes biomass, and how it counts emissions from burning it — policies with major consequences if passed by the full Parliament. …This would encourage the use of industrial waste, like scraps or sawdust, rather than unprocessed wood. …A coalition of 10 European Union member states, say the amendments risked Europe’s ability to achieve its pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels. [to access the full story a NYT subscription may be required]
A forest fire has forced the evacuation of residents in a community north of Sudbury, Ont. Conservation officers and Ontario Provincial Police assisted with the precautionary evacuation of Shining Tree, Ont., residents Saturday afternoon after a forest fire broke out in the area on May 10. The fire is still burning out of control today, according to the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. The ministry says the perimeter of the fire is roughly 1,500 hectares, or 15 square kilometres. An implementation order is in effect until further notice that restricts access and use of certain roads and Crown lands in the area.