Australia’s Liberals vow to invest in forestry, while Greens call for an end to native forest logging. In other Business news: US building prices rise again; British Columbia seeks input on “polluter pay” system; Biewer Lumber ships its first load of lumber; Goodfellow Inc. reports positive Q1 results; and more on San Group’s purchase of Interfor mill. Meanwhile, stories on: mass timber, pulpwood insulation and wooden bellyboards?
In Forestry/Climate News: research groups claim BC is running out of trees; logging is exacerbating climate change; and that Drax and others receive subsidized logs. Elsewhere: Washington state is encouraged to save legacy forests; and National Geographic’s solution to the world’s threatened forests.
Finally, the Frogs are off until Monday, barring any breaking news. Happy Hopping!
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
San Group, an independent forestry firm based in Langley, has struck a deal to buy an under-utilized sawmill on the Fraser River in Delta from larger competitor Interfor Corp., the companies have announced. The purchase price wasn’t disclosed by either company, but San Group will be acquiring Interfor’s Acorn mill, which primarily cuts specialty timbers for traditional Japanese home construction. The buyer intends to continue that work, while integrating mill output into its own value-added manufacturing. …For the San Group, its purchase of Acorn caps off $200 million of investment in the province since 2020, which saw the company buy one mill in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island and build a new facility there designed to cut smaller, second-growth trees. …The Sangheras said San Group will hire all of Acorn’s existing employees, and noted their historical connection to Interfor. 
To protect the environment and avoid costs, BC is inviting feedback on ways to ensure owners of large industrial projects pay the full cost of environmental clean-up if their projects are abandoned. B.C.’s economy relies on its abundant natural resources, which are safeguarded by high standards of environmental protection. Responsible industrial development ensures B.C.’s resources, and the ecosystems and communities that rely on them, continue to support and enrich the province’s future. …George Heyman, Minister of Environment… “Upholding the highest standards of environmental protection, coupled with an effective system of financial protection, will encourage owners to develop cleaner, more sustainable business practices.” …In 2005, Neucel Specialty Cellulose purchased the Port Alice mill out of bankruptcy proceedings. Subsequently, control of the mill changed again, and in 2019, the site was abandoned. Since April 2020 site stabilization and chemical removal have been underway.
Mass timber is poised to join concrete, steel, and light-wood framing as a primary structural material for multifamily projects. …“Architects and developers are becoming increasingly interested in the technology,” said Mitch Warren, who represents Kalesnikoff, a Canadian mass timber supplier. That interest is being fueled by the 2021 edition of the International Building Code, which increased the maximum allowable height for mass timber structures in the U.S. to 18 stories. In Canada, the 2020 National Building Code allows wood buildings up to 12 stories high. California, Maine, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and Washington have adopted the IBS update in some form, as have Denver and Austin, Texas. Georgia, Idaho, and Wisconsin are in the process of adopting the new IBC height allowances. …We asked architects, builders, and developers involved in “big timber” work to share their advice and insights. Here’s what they told us. 
An international team of scientists has published a new peer-reviewed 
Climate change poses a profound new threat to forests around the world, as Craig Welch explains in detail elsewhere in this special issue of National Geographic. Deforestation is an older and even larger threat. There is nothing more important that humans can do for forests, which have been on this planet for hundreds of millions of years, than cut our greenhouse gas emissions and s]top cutting down old-growth trees. But climate change won’t be stopped for decades at best, and trees and forests are already confronting it. Scientists are working on solutions to help them adapt. Here we look at four of them. [the access the full story a National Geographic subscription may be required]