Hines, one of the world’s largest real estate developers, is using mass timber to de-risk its portfolio. In related news: the Portland Mass Timber conference explored material lead times, erection speed, and cost savings; and 15 incredible wood buildings courtesy of Architectural Digest. In Business news: West Fraser to permanently close its Perry, Florida mill; Pyramid Mountain Lumber’s last load of logs; and the latest on the shuttered Port Alice, BC pulp mill.
In Forestry/Climate news: ENGO’s question Canada’s GHG emissions from logging; BC affirms Haidi Nation title over Haida Gwaii; Quebec invests in forest industry training; and a Washington state judge blocks timber sale. In Wildfire news: Alberta’s wildfires season is off to a blazing start; Colorado announces wildfire grants; Florida deploys drones for prescribed burns; and California’s epic snowpack helped relieve its yearlong drought.
Finally, improving the accuracy of fuel typing — Forsite’s contribution to Wildfire Week.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
Wildfire management is of critical importance. In many cases, contemporary landscapes have been altered from their natural condition due to a variety of factors including decades of fire suppression causing a build-up of fuels to unnatural and non-historical levels. …As land managers, our opportunity to make a difference is through active fuel management to reduce potential fire behaviour. As such, it is imperative that we have the best available information when making management decisions.
PERRY, Florida. (WCTV) – West Fraser’s sawmill in Perry is closing down at the end of March. …Joyce Wagenaar, Director of Communications said, “Following the decision in January 2023 to indefinitely curtail the Perry Sawmill in Florida, West Fraser is now moving to permanently close the mill by the end of March, 2024. The few remaining workers will complete their last shifts this week. High fiber costs at Perry and a low-price commodity environment have impaired its ability to profitably operate. Prior to the indefinite curtailment announcement in January 2023, the Perry Sawmill employed approximately 126 people.” In a 
…dozens of the fires whose smoke darkened North America’s skies last year are still burning — with some smouldering beneath layers of snow. These so-called “zombie fires” are a sign of a grim new normal that’s wreaking havoc even in far northern countries like Canada: A fire season that almost never ends. B.C. had 90 zombie blazes still burning as of mid-March, holdovers from last year’s record fire season, while Alberta started the year with 64 fires carried over from 2023 — more than 10 times the five-year average. As spring temperatures melt snow and uncover land parched by drought, those fires and new ones are poised to flare up, posing a fresh threat to Canada’s forests, not to mention the world’s atmosphere. …This year, with 71 per cent of Canada abnormally dry or in drought in February and swaths of the country as much as 5 degrees warmer than normal, governments and companies are bracing for a repeat. 
NORMANDIN, Q.C. — The Ministry of Employment announced an investment of $428,823 for the training of mechanics in the wood processing and paper manufacturing sector, to meet the needs of businesses in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. Work-study program – The mechanics and equipment maintenance training offered, tailor-made to meet specific needs, includes a total of 800 hours of training. This will take place in the form of a work-study program, consisting of 480 hours in class and 320 hours of paid internship in a company. Mainly focused on learning industrial mechanics, the training also includes a block devoted to understanding wood transformation processes. Tailor-made training now – As part of this cohort training, the Pays-des-Bleuets School Services Center, through its Business Services , will offer training to 16 workers from seven companies in the region, namely Sciages GP , PFR, Opiticiwan Sawmill, JAMEC, Tackipotcikan Sawmill Limited Partnership, Wemotaci and NJR Sharpening.
HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Forest Service is deploying new drone technology to help fight fires and control prescribed wildfires. New legislation permits the Florida Forest Service to use American-made drones. Each drone is equipped with a series of chemical-infused balls that — upon deployment — fill with anti-freeze. The mixture causes a chemical reaction inside the ball, starting a fire. It’s changing the way firefighters are conducting prescribed burns. “It’s just going to make it safer for our folks not being entrapped,” said Keith Mousel, Withlacoochee Center Manager for the Florida Forest Service. “Not having to deal with the heat, fatigue, and the dangers that go with walking through unburnt woods.” …The drones will be used by firefighters across seven different districts, ranging from the Alabama state line down to Fort Myers.
Nearly a dozen environmental groups are calling on the federal government to expand its review of Canada’s forestry sector emissions, saying the current scope fails to address their concerns about underreporting. In an open letter, the groups say the federal government’s review must consider how forestry emissions are estimated in the first place. The letter, signed by representatives from 11 environmental groups including Nature Canada, says the review’s scope undermines its credibility. The letter comes after the federal environment commissioner issued a report last year recommending Ottawa initiate an independent review to look at how it estimates and reports on emission related to logging. In response to that report, the government agreed that independent review was important but noted that the science underlying its carbon reporting was peer-reviewed.
The Sierra snowpack has reached its seasonal peak. The snowpack plays an important role in providing water to millions of Californians. Throughout the winter months, snow accumulates on the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada and slowly melts in the spring and early summer. The runoff fills dozens of major reservoirs downstream. Last year’s epic snowpack helped relieve a yearslong drought, reaching an eye-popping 252% of normal on April 8. By that date, the mountains held an average equivalent of 64.2 inches of water. The current snowpack now holds a healthy 27.3 inches of water on average after a series of winter storms alleviated concerns that California was facing a “snow drought.” The California Department of Water Resources tracks the snow water equivalent in the Sierra using a network of 130 electronic sensors. …This graphic plots a 20-year history of the Sierra snowpack, showing wet years interspersed with severe droughts.
