Interfor has agreed to purchase four sawmills from Georgia Pacific (3 in US South, 1 in Oregon). In related news, pundits say: forestry stocks are down but investor interest remains high; rising prices may portend a pullback in housing sales; the return of the softwood lumber war is based on specious arguments; and—even pledging to name your first-born child after the home seller—doesn’t work in this crazy market.
In other news: CN blockade causes safety concerns for Canfor; wildfires are increasing in high elevation forests; and the US is bracing for a rough wildfire season. On the BC old-growth front: more arrests—some by officers with climbing training; commentaries by Vaughn Palmer and Andy McKinnon, a call for fed monies; and a recap by Justine Hunter.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
If your instinct is to sell Canadian forestry stocks out of concern that record-high lumber prices can’t possibly be sustained, you’re not alone: The stocks have fallen about 15 per cent as a group over the past three weeks. But should you tame that instinct? Weaker stock prices… are reflecting… U.S. single-family housing starts [which] fell 13.4 per cent in April. The setback suggests to some observers that sky-high lumber prices are starting to bite. …As well, the U.S. released a preliminary ruling that proposed 
BURNABY, BC — Interfor has reached an agreement with Georgia-Pacific to acquire four of its sawmill operations located in Bay Springs, Mississippi, Fayette, Alabama, DeQuincy, Louisiana and Philomath, Oregon. The total purchase price of US$375 MM, which includes working capital, will be funded entirely from cash on hand. …“This acquisition enhances Interfor’s growth-focused strategy as a pure-play lumber producer, and provides significant economies of scale given the complementary geographic fit with our existing US operations” said Ian Fillinger, President and CEO. …The Sawmill Operations have a combined annual lumber production capacity of 720 million board feet. …On a pro-forma basis, Interfor’s total annual lumber production capacity will increase to 3.9 billion board feet, of which 3.0 billion board feet or 77% will be US-based and not subject to softwood lumber duties. The completion of the acquisition… is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021.
Musicians are often concerned about environmental problems, but entangled in them through the materials used in their instruments. The guitar industry, which uses rare woods from old-growth trees, has been a canary in the coal mine — struggling with scandals over illegal logging, resource scarcityand new environmental regulations related to trade in endangered species of trees. We spent six years on the road tracing guitar-making across five continents, looking at the timber used — known in the industry as tonewoods for their acoustic qualities — and the industry’s environmental dilemmas. Our goal was to start with the finished guitar and trace it to its origin places, people and plants. …We learnt about the guitar’s environmental footprint, while appreciating the skills and experiences of behind-the-scenes people, and the capacities of the forests and trees to adapt. 
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Wildfires in the western United States are increasingly happening at high elevations, in mountainous areas that were previously too wet to burn, according to a new study. Scientists say climate change and ongoing drought conditions in the West are drying out high-elevation forests, making them particularly susceptible to blazes. With several Western states plunging deeper into a megadrought, and experts predicting a hot and dry summer, the findings add to a distressing outlook for this year’s wildfire season. …researchers examined records from 1984 to 2017 of all fires in the western U.S. that were larger than 1,000 acres. They found that the amount of scorched land increased across all elevations during that period, but observed that the biggest increase was at elevations above 8,200 feet. … global warming is melting mountain snowpack earlier in the year and disrupting that natural cycle. …Scientists are concerned that wildfires in high-elevation forests could have worrisome consequences for the ecosystem.
Welcome to the Summer edition of Forest Safety News, covering news about safety topics in forestry. This is YOUR safety newsletter. Headlines this month include:
A veteran tree planter has died after he was exposed to COVID-19 while travelling to a reforestation operation in Quesnel. The 80-year-old man worked for Dewan Enterprises as a reforestation sub-contractor. Health officials in northern B.C. declared the outbreak at the reforestation operation in Quesnel on May 21, three days after he died. A total of nine people have tested positive in the outbreak. The outbreak involved Dewan Enterprises and MikeGroSite Consulting. Both businesses were ordered to close on May 10 after public health investigations found employers failed to ensure safety protocols were in place and being followed, including wearing masks. …Dr. Trevor Corneil, an acting medical health officer with the Northern Health Authority says the man… was working within the city when he was exposed to the virus. Jordan Tesluk, B.C.’s forestry safety advocate, says the entire tree-planting community is grieving the loss of a beloved veteran member. 
Suppression efforts on four large forest fires burning in the Kenora and Red Lake areas continues, with two of the fires now classified as being held. Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services (AFFES) said Kenora 25, which is about 2,000 hectares, and Kenora 30, which is about 1,160 hectares, are not under control. Both fires are burning east of Kenora. However, Kenora 27, which is burning north of Kenora and is about 4,480 hectares, and Red Lake 10, which is burning in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park and is about 6,000 hectares, are both now classified as being held. Elsewhere in the region, Thunder Bay 8, which is 97 hectares and burning in Oliver Paipoonge, remains under control.