BC building code changes now allow for 18-storey mass timber buildings. In related news: Canadian Wood Council applauds BC code changes; Ontario moves to upgrade its building code; and the case for tall wood buildings isn’t new. In other Business news: Allegheny Wood Products’ owner facing criminal charges; US inflation stays hot; what economists say about Canada’s rate hold; the Southern Pine lumber Community hosts its Spring meeting; and Southern Cypress Manufacturers elects its 2024 officers.
In Forestry news: BC moves to allow quicker access to fire-damaged timber; Alberta eyes greater reliance on wildfire technology; Vancouver releases Stanley Park logging stats; CO2 watchdog approves carbon credits for value chain emissions; the Washington State Society of American Foresters reflects on 50-years; and fears of a ‘forest collapse’ event in Western Australia.
Finally, COFI Conference 2024 kick-off reception was the scene of a forest sector reunion of sorts.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) kicked-off their annual forestry conference in Vancouver, with a sold-out Ice Breaker (more than 700 delegates and 51 booths). The two-day conference promises to be an outstanding event given the expected attendance and high profile speakers such the Hon. David Eby, Premier of BC, Regional Chief Terry Teegee, BC Assembly of First Nations, Arun Alexander, Canada’s Deputy Ambassador to the United States; BC Minister of Forests, Hon. Bruce Ralston and BC Minister of State for Sustainable Development, Hon. Andrew Mercier. Linda Coady, President and CEO of COFI opened the conference noting her delight to be in a room connecting with so many provincial, municipal and First Nation leaders as well as the many firms and individuals that service and supply our mills. The event sponsor, KPMG Partners John Desjardins and Andrew James shared the stage, emphasizing their firm’s work with many forest industry clients, the challenges industry currently faces and the importance of working together to address the issues of concern.
Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, has released the following statement in response to the April 2024 snowpack bulletin: The latest snow survey and water supply bulletin from the River Forecast Centre indicates we may be facing drought conditions in B.C. once again this year. The April survey shows that the overall snowpack level for B.C. is at 63% of normal, the lowest in 50 years. The experts at the River Forecast Centre tell us these low levels and the impacts of year-over-year drought are creating significantly higher drought risk for this spring and summer. We know this is concerning news. Communities around B.C. experienced serious drought conditions last summer. It fuelled the worst wildfire season ever, harmed fish and wildlife, and affected farmers, ranchers, First Nations and industry. 
The B.C. government is making regulatory and pricing changes to allow for quicker recovery of timber from wildfires for use in sawmills, pulp and pellet mills. Timber salvaged after forest fires can still have value, if only for pulp and pellet production, and can reduce the risk of future fires. But it needs to be salvaged quickly. …Bruce Blackwell, estimated there may be up to five million cubic metres of fibre each year – about 11% of the province’s total annual allowable cut – that could be salvaged after forest fires. But after about a year, fire-damaged trees dry out, crack and become useless for any kind of sawmilling. That requires some regulatory streamlining. …”Salvaging wildfire-damaged timber on a timely basis can help restore areas for wildlife and recreation, make communities safer, and provide residual fibre that can help sustain jobs and local economic activity,” added COFI president Linda Coady.
ALBERTA — What if you showed up for an Alberta wildfire and your water source was frozen over? That was just one of the many challenges crews faced last year in a long, arduous and record-breaking season that burned a combined area the size of Prince Edward Island – times four. Todd Loewen, the minister of forestry and lands, said an internal review followed the unprecedented season. Among its recommendations are more use of high-tech support like night vision and thermal imaging. Effective wildland firefighting overnight is key to Alberta doing a more effective job, the member for Central Peace-Notley said. Fires tend to settle down at night because of cooler, sometimes humid conditions. The overarching goal is keeping communities, their residents and firefighters as safe as possible in 2024, Loewen said. Loewen witnessed the situation up-close. “…The experience convinced him that more night firefighting is a viable approach.
Nearly five years ago, New York state passed an ambitious climate law intended to reduce and counteract fossil fuel emissions contributing to climate change. Storing carbon dioxide, a gas released from burning fuel, is key to achieving the goals outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Much of that can be accomplished through protecting carbon-absorbing forests across the state. Although the Adirondacks has millions of acres of forest, most land in the state is privately owned. Which puts a critical network of interconnected properties at risk of development. To achieve goals set in the climate act, experts say the state needs to roughly double the size of its carbon sink by fostering new forests and avoiding further loss. Researchers with the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry developed an accounting system with detailed satellite imagery to help agencies identify where forests are most vulnerable.