Daily News for May 12, 2022

← May 11, 2022
May 13, 2022 →

Today’s Takeaway

Interfor, GreenFirst and Cascades report Q1 results

The Tree Frog Forestry News
May 12, 2022
Category: Today's Takeaway

More Q1, 2022 financials — reports from Interfor, GreenFirst and Cascades. In other Business news, labour shortages impact Paper Excellence in in BC and despite increased funding the US can’t hire enough firefighters.

The Softwood Lumber Board releases their annual report celebrating 10-years of driving growth in demand for softwood lumber in North America; FSC supports sustainable mass timber construction; and Ireland looks to timber for social housing.

On the forestry front, BC is urged to protect bear dens; helicopters fertilize BC forests with urea; and Ontario sprays for moths.

Finally, the Black Press editorial board calls old growth logging blockades an antagonistic stunt, interfering with people’s rights.

Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor

Read More

Special Feature

Mass Timber can be a great option for construction – if it’s sourced sustainably

Forest Stewardship Council Canada
April 28, 2022
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada

Toronto, Canada—FSC Canada congratulates the City of Toronto for incorporating mass timber as part of an upcoming affordable housing pilot project. The pilot project, if approved, would create one of the largest wood buildings in Toronto, a 10-storey building with 200 rental units at Dundas and Ossington. The building will use the Toronto Green Standard Version 4, which outlines that 25% of the raw materials meet at least two of the criteria listed – one of which is the wood products must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or CaGBC-approved equivalent. “Right now, as the construction industry looks for sustainable ways to meet increased housing demands around the world, mass timber is taking centre stage.” says Francois Dufresne, president of FSC Canada. “However, not all mass timber is created equal. It is critical to assess not only the distance the timber needs to travel but also the source of the wood.”

During a recent discussion series, Material Worlds: Mass Timber, hosted by the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Dufresne shared that while mass timber remains a better option in construction versus steel and concrete, the worst-case scenario timber design (i.e. sourcing wood from unsustainable sources and transporting it over long distances) continues to emit carbon and contribute to global warming. Whereas the best-case scenario, timber design from sustainable sources transported over shorter distances, can sequester carbon and have a cooling effect. (To view the full Material World’s discussion click here.)

Read More

Business & Politics

When protests turn into stunts

By Terry Farrell and the Editorial Board
Black Press in BC Local News
May 11, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

It’s a shame protesters increasingly believe the only way to get their points across is by disrupting the lives of others. It’s one thing when they are disrupting the lives of those they are protesting, but when they start imposing their will upon society as a whole, they risk the danger of alienating themselves from supporters. Case in point: the latest series of protests by opponents of provincial logging policies. …But forming a human blockade along major highways is no longer a peaceful protest; it’s an antagonistic stunt — and a dangerous one at that. We are in favour of peaceful protests and understand the frustration of those who feel their protests are falling on deaf ears. However, when your right to protest interferes with someone else’s right to, say, health care or education, a line has been crossed. And when protesters completely block access along highways, they are interfering with other people’s rights.

Read More

Paper Excellence announces labour shortages impact on business

Paper Excellence Canada
May 10, 2022
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Richmond, BC – Paper Excellence today provided an update on skilled labour shortages in British Columbia that are impacting the company’s ability to execute many of its planned shutdowns on time. The company has been dealing with delays due to shortages of skilled pressure vessel welders at its Crofton facility which will impact the length of the shutdown resulting in incremental lost pulp production due to the delays. The company is concerned that similar shortages will impact upcoming shutdowns at Howe Sound and Skookumchuck.  The company currently expects a loss of about 10,000 tonnes of NBSK pulp production in total across all three sites. Paper Excellence remains committed to its customers and can supply pulp products from its other unaffected mills during these delays.

Read More

Finance & Economics

Interfor Reports Q1’22 Results

By Interfor Corporation
GlobeNewswire
May 11, 2022
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada West

BURNABY, British Columbia — INTERFOR CORPORATION recorded Net earnings in Q1’22 of $397.0 million, or $6.69 per share, compared to $69.7 million, or $1.15 per share in Q4’21 and $264.5 million, or $4.01 per share in Q1’21. Adjusted net earnings in Q1’22 were $392.5 million compared to $78.2 million in Q4’21 and $270.6 million in Q1’21. Adjusted EBITDA was $570.1 million on sales of $1.3 billion in Q1’22 versus $149.5 million on sales of $675.9 million in Q4’21. On February 22, 2022, the Company completed the transaction to acquire 100% of the equity interests of EACOM Timber Corporation from an affiliate of Kelso & Company. …Total lumber production in Q1’22 was 921 million board feet, representing an increase of 163 million board feet quarter-over-quarter and setting an Interfor production record. …On April 12, 2022, the Company announced it had reached an agreement to sell its Acorn specialty sawmill located near Vancouver, British Columbia to an affiliate of San Industries Ltd. 

Read More

Cascades Reports Results for the First Quarter of 2022

Cascades Inc.
Cision Newswire
May 12, 2022
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada East

KINGSEY FALLS, QC – Cascades Inc. reports its unaudited financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2022. Mario Plourde, President and CEO, commented: “Our first quarter performance was disappointing and lower than our expectations. While demand levels were stable for our packaging segments and continued to show positive underlying momentum in tissue, two main factors caused results to come in below our outlook. The first was the important escalation in production and operational costs, the effects of which were further compounded for our Tissue segment by persistently higher raw material prices. The second was logistics from both a cost and availability standpoint. Inflation driven fuel surcharges increased already elevated cost levels. The ongoing transportation constraints slowed order inflow levels from some customers experiencing shipping challenges while also delaying delivery of our products to some customers. Production was therefore temporarily adjusted in several of our operations, which impacted sales levels.

Read More

GreenFirst Reports Strong Results for the First Quarter of 2022

By GreenFirst Forest Products Inc.
Cision Newswire
May 11, 2022
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada East

TORONTO – GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. today announced results for the first quarter of 2022. The Company’s condensed consolidated interim financial statements and related Management Discussion and Analysis are available on GreenFirst’s website at www.greenfirst.ca and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.  All amounts are in thousands of Canadian dollars unless indicated otherwise. First quarter 2022 net earnings were $34.0 million, or $0.18 per share (diluted), compared to $8.0 million, or $ 0.04 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2021, which was the Company’s first full quarter operating its acquired forest-products assets. Q1 2022 Adjusted EBITDA was $44.9 million, an improvement of 144% compared to the Adjusted EBITDA in Q4 2021. Lumber pricing improved significantly in Q1 2022 and outlook continues to be strong for the remainder of the second quarter of 2022 and beyond, with continued volatility but above-historical levels expected

Read More

Wood, Paper & Green Building

The Softwood Lumber Board 2021 Annual Report: Advancing a Natural Climate Solution

By Cees de Jager, President & CEO, Softwood Lumber Board
The Softwood Lumber Board
May 12, 2022
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

I am pleased to share the Softwood Lumber Board 2021 Annual Report. For the 10th consecutive year, the SLB and its program partners—the American Wood Council (AWC), Think Wood, and WoodWorks—delivered year-over-year growth in demand and impact for the softwood lumber industry, generating more than 1.8 billion board feet (bbf) of incremental demand. Since 2012, the SLB and its partners have cumulatively generated more than 9.8 bbf in demand; this equates to an estimated $4.9 billion of incremental revenue and an average return of $39.82 for every $1 invested. And since 2014, the SLB’s efforts have created a net carbon benefit of more than 25 million metric tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions. …While we have accomplished much, there is more to come. Our programs, initiatives, and focus areas will continue to evolve to address the opportunities and challenges that are most impactful for the industry and offer the best return on our investment of time, talent, and treasury. 

Read More

Timber homes could help alleviate housing crisis, say foresters

By Barry O’Halloran
The Irish Times
May 12, 2022
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Rapidly-built timber homes could aid Government in solving the State’s housing crisis, foresters say.  Recent reports show the social housing crisis is growing, with about 60,000 families awaiting homes while surging property prices threaten to force many more out of the market.  Mark McCauley, director of Forest Industries Ireland (FII), says increasing the use of timber in home building would speed up social housing construction and ease help ease the crisis.  Timber-frame houses take three to five months to build, against eight to 12 months for conventional homes, the organisation, part of employers’ lobby Ibec, says.  However, just a quarter of new homes built in the Republic are timber-framed, while the comparable figure in Scotland is 70 per cent.  …Mr McCauley points out that the Republic has “hugely valuable” forests while it grows commercial timber used for building faster than other European countries.

Read More

Forestry

Province Fighting Climate Change by Fertilizing Forests with Urea, by Helicopter

By Michelle Gamage
The Tyee
May 12, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The B.C. government has committed $15 million over the next three years through its CleanBC fund to fertilize 25,000 hectares of the province’s temperate rainforests with urea, a nitrogen fertilizer synthesized to mimic animal pee.  …When the government first announced this initiative in late April, it said it would spend $15 million fertilizing 8,500 hectares that would result in 3.7 million tonnes of CO2 being absorbed by 2030.  That’s some impressive fertilizer — in that scenario, every hectare of fertilized forest would have absorbed 435 tonnes of extra CO2 over the next eight years. On May 4 the government changed the numbers to say it would spend the same amount of money to fertilize 25,000 hectares, thereby absorbing 1.3 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030 — which means each fertilized hectare would absorb an additional 52 tonnes of CO2.  …The funds will not go towards protecting old-growth forests or even trees in parks. 

Read More

Conservationists urge B.C. to protect bear dens ‘before it’s too late’

By Rochelle Baker
National Observer in the Toronto Star
May 11, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

BC Gov Photo

…This spring, as bears emerge from hibernation and logging season revs up, conservationists, First Nations and the wilderness tourism sector are urging the province to protect bear dens to guarantee the long-term survival of the culturally iconic species. More than a century of old-growth logging in coastal B.C. and on Vancouver Island has dramatically reduced the supply of suitable denning sites for black bear populations, said Mark Worthing, coastal projects lead at Sierra Club BC. Minor amendments to the provincial Wildlife Act, which already defends beaver dams and bird’s nests, could easily outline policy provisions and on-the-ground practices to protect bear dens, a recent report by the University of Victoria’s Environmental Law Centre suggested. …Protecting dens involves identifying them in cutblocks before timber harvesting begins, using best practices to protect them over time and during subsequent logging operations, and minimizing disturbances to bears.

Read More

Bringing Indigenous knowledge to forest conservation

The Kingston Whig-Standard
May 11, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Hunter Corbiere

Hunter Corbiere, an Indigenous forestry consultant, will present Two-Eyed Seeing, combining Western and Indigenous perspectives on forestry June 4. She will be the keynote speaker at the annual general meeting of the Quinte chapter of the Ontario Woodlot Association. The Ontario Woodlot Association (OWA) stands for healthy, productive woodlots and sustainable management of Ontario’s forests. We are a community of woodlot owners who are helping each other to become the best possible stewards of our woodlands. Come out and join us for the opportunity to learn and share ideas about practicing good forestry. …Corbiere is a recent forest technician graduate of Sir Sandford Fleming College. She sees value in both the scientific approach and the Indigenous tradition. At Fleming, Corbiere helped the forestry program obtain an Indigenous perspectives designation.

Read More

Mississauga begins aerial spray to control tree-killing insects

By Steve Pecar
insauga
May 11, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Mississauga’s aerial spray program begins early next week in an effort to save the city’s tree canopy. The spray is meant to control caterpillars that feed off a variety of trees before eventually turning into moths that then begin the cycle again. Low flying helicopters are scheduled to be out in the early hours of May 15 with the program continuing at various intervals until the middle of June. Mississauga has deemed the program necessary as the insect (formerly called the gypsy moth caterpillar but now known as the spongy moth or the LDD moth) feeds off leaves which can lead to the killing of trees and at an alarming rate. The spraying is done in the spring with the hope that it will kill larvae and caterpillars before they turn into the moths. The aerial spray program is expected to protect hardwood trees like maple, oak, elm, ash, poplar, willow and birch.

Read More

Labor shortage leaves US struggling to hire firefighters despite record wildfire funding

By Zach Urness
The Register-Guard
May 11, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

The United States government has committed a record-setting amount of money to fighting wildfires this year during what promises to be a busy season, but it remains unclear whether the number of firefighters needed will be available amid a nationwide labor crunch.  With a busy start to the fire season in the Southwest and drought fueling high wildfire danger from the Great Plains to Northern California, federal officials are scrambling to hire roughly 16,900 fire personnel that include hotshots, smokejumpers and helitack crews.  ..The lawmakers said staffing could be below 75% in some regions this season.  …In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee May 4, Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said the agency had hired about 10,200 firefighters, out of its goal of 11,300. But, he added, some areas had only reached 50% of the staffing goal.

Read More

4 reasons why the Morrison government’s forestry cash splash is bad policy

By David Lindenmayer, Brendan Mackey, Heather Keith
The Conversation AU
May 12, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: International

This federal election campaign has involved very little discussion of environmental or natural resource policies, other than mining. An exception is a A$220 million Morrison government pledge for the forestry industry.  The money will be invested in new wood-processing technology and forest product research, and used to extend 11 so-called “regional forestry hubs”. Some $86 million will aid the establishment of new plantations.  Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he would not support “any shutdown of native forestry” and claimed the funding would secure 73,000 existing forestry jobs. The spending on native forests, however, is problematic. In 2019-20, 87% of logs harvested in Australia came from plantations, and more investment is needed to bring this to 100%.   …Native forest logging has long been a marginal economic prospect. …Native forest logging in Australia generates around 38 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) a year. 

Read More

Wombat Forest salvage logging continues after Game Management Authority removes protesters

By Gavin McGrath
ABC News, Australia
May 12, 2022
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The removal of logs felled by last year’s ferocious storm through Victoria’s central highlands has resumed in the Wombat Forest after protesters were removed from the worksite.  Logging contractors were not impeded by local environmentalists from the Wombat Forestcare group on Wednesday, although several of the protestors continued to monitor the clearing work from a nearby road.  The contractors and the protesters have accused each other of threatening behaviour during the dispute.  Contractor Jim Greenwood said his team of four workers was employed by Vic Forest to remove the logs through 120ha of the forest at Babbington Hill.  He said it came at the request of the commercial arm of the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation.  …Wombat Forestcare spokesperson Gayle Osborne said her group was protesting the damage that was being caused by the group.

Read More

Forest Fires

Recent rain cools off wildfire risk in Northern BC

By Darin Bain
My Prince George Now
May 11, 2022
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

A cooler start to Spring as well as consistent rain through the start of May is helping reduce the risk of wildfire hazard throughout Northern BC. “Part of that comes in with both the accumulated over-Winter precipitation, which kind of refills the moisture in all of the available fuels, but also keeps that ground layer of forest fuels high in moisture content,” said Sharon Nickel, BC Wildfire Service Communications Specialist. “With everything being wetter, it’s harder to ignite, and therefore harder for fire to spread if one were to ignite.” Nickel added that we’ve received above normal levels of precipitation in the North so far. “We are expecting the cooler than normal temperatures to continue through May, but some of the levels we’ve had in the North, particularly up as far as Fort Nelson, we’ve seen almost 150-200% of the typical snowpack.”

Read More

Out-of-control Nova Scotia forest fire now believed to cover 3,100 hectares

By Alex Cooke
Global News
May 11, 2022
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

For the third day, crews continue to battle a large, out-of-control forest fire in southwestern Nova Scotia, which is now believed to be triple the size of what was estimated earlier in the day. As of 3 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, the fire in the area of South Horseshoe Lake in Yarmouth County was estimated to be about 3,100 hectares in size, equal to about 31 square kilometres. Wednesday morning, it was estimated to be 1,000 hectares. When crews first responded to the fire late Monday afternoon, the fire was estimated to be just 50 hectares. Kara McCurdy, the wildfire prevention officer for the Department of Natural Resources and Renewables, said estimates are bound to change as things like smoke and tree cover can affect visibility for the crews.

Additional coverage from the Nova Scotia government: Yarmouth County Forest Fire Update

 

Read More

Under an orange sky, largest U.S. wildfire menaces New Mexico towns

By Andrew Hay
Reuters
May 11, 2022
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

BLACK LAKE, N.M. – Firefighters in northern New Mexico labored under an apocalyptic orange sky, and vehicles streamed out of the ski area of Angel Fire on Wednesday as wind-driven flames from the state’s second-largest blaze on record roared closer to the mountain resort. With winds gusting beyond 50 mph (80 kmh) through dense, drought-parched forests, exhausted crews were at loss to stop a wildfire that has raged across a 45-mile swath of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains for more than a month, destroying hundreds of homes. Spreading through the rugged, tinder-dry landscape with explosive speed, the springtime conflagration has displaced thousands of residents while raising fears that the entire American Southwest was in for a long, brutal fire season. …The Sangre de Cristo mountains have traditionally seen spring storms dumping more than 2 feet of snow. But climate change has diminished the snowpack … drying out the region and leaving communities more vulnerable to fire.

Read More

← May 11, 2022
May 13, 2022 →