Canfor announced a restructuring plan to optimize its operations in southern Alabama. In related news: Canfor’s new mill plan for Houston, BC may be delayed; Peak Renewables’ Alabama pellet plant nears commissioning; Origin Materials launches wood-based alternative; and a Washington bill spurs Rake Force’s biochar business. Meanwhile: A new study released by the BC Council of Forest Industries confirms BC’s forestry industry is a vital part of the province’s economy.
In other news: mass timber reaches new heights in Ontario, Vancouver and Seattle; ENGOs in the National Observer pan FPAC’s Forestry for the Future campaign; and Greenpeace says IKEA is sourcing wood from old-growth forests in Romania. Meanwhile: Quebec is on a wildfire fighter hiring blitz; Wawanesa announces wildfire grants; Purdue University hosts forest researchers’ workshop; Ontario’s professional foresters are set to meet; and the Biomass Power Association has a new name.
Finally, for the balance of the week, the Frogs will be reporting live from the COFI conference floor. Follow us here or see you there!
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
VANCOUVER – A new 
ALABAMA — Canfor Corporation announced that it will optimize its footprint in southern Alabama by permanently closing its Jackson facility and expanding production at its Fulton facility with a second shift. These steps, together with the previously announced construction of a new, state-of-the art greenfield sawmill in Axis, will grow the Company’s regional manufacturing platform by 100 million board feet of production capacity and consolidate operations at modern facilities that are well positioned to be competitive for the long-term. …Lee Goodloe, President, Canfor Southern Pine said, “To this end, we are making the difficult decision to close the aging Jackson mill at the end of June, while expanding production at our nearby Fulton facility. …We expect the majority of our [Jackson] employees will have an opportunity at either our expanded operation in Fulton, which will add a second shift, or in Axis once the new facility opens later this year.”
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There is an even larger impact on our local economy beyond the significant loss of direct and indirect jobs from the impending closure of Pyramid Mountain Lumber. The mill directly affects the flow of revenue to our community’s education system and local infrastructure. State Trust lands are managed to return revenue to the school trust to fund our public school system. Forest products have been the backbone of state trust land revenue for generations. Without a mill to sell logs to, the state will not be able to generate revenue from managing forests. ….In the short term it will mean less money for public education. …Without mills, and a strong network of foresters and logging contractors this money is off the table. …There are two likely outcomes … either taxes will go up, or the funding available for education and road maintenance will go down.
The Scottish Government has confirmed that wood burning stoves can still be installed in new houses but only “to provide emergency heating, where a need can be justified.” Changes to the building standards – the regulations governing the requirements for all building in Scotland – came in last week, forbidding the use of ‘direct emission heating systems.’ Effectively, that means that new houses and conversions are not allowed to use gas or oil boilers, or any form of bioenergy where electricity or heat is generated from organic matter such as wood. Instead, housebuilders are expected to use what are known as ‘zero DEH’ systems such as heat pumps, solar thermal storage systems or electric storage heaters. …A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Heating our homes and buildings represents about a fifth of Scotland’s carbon emissions so tackling the climate emergency requires us to address these emissions.