The first meeting of US and Canadian trade officials included discussion on softwood duties, but ended with no breakthroughs. In related news: lumber futures gyrate 10% in wild trading session; police warn of more construction thefts; and lumber’s rise adds to Canada’s Consumer Price Index. Meanwhile: Columbia Pulp tree-free paper is slowly starting up again and Pirelli launches FSC certified tires.
In Forestry news: Suzuki / ENGOs up the pressure on BC old-growth, as police arrest five more people, including one journalist; controlled burns are deemed key to achieving forest health in California; Brazils’s environment minister is probed for timber trafficking; and wood’s green credentials take some heat in the Daily Commercial News and Kwantlen University student newspaper.
Finally, is it just me or is the CP/CN showdown at the OK Corral getting a bit weird.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
The first meeting of the Free Trade Commission, a panel established under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is now history. The first day saw U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai meet one-on-one with Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng… but the parties involved did not signal any new or major breakthroughs were scored. Tuesday saw the three trade chiefs meet together and get presentations from various working group committees. …There appears to be a difference of opinion between the U.S. and Canada on the issue of softwood lumber. …To be fair, the first meetings involving all three trade chiefs from the three countries should not have been expected issues raised by each country resolved. …For example, an agreement suddenly on something like softwood lumber would have been shock since that dispute has been around for a long, long time.
Construction companies in 
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today the appointment of Meryl Harrell as Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) and the appointment of Terry Cosby as Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). They will begin their positions on Monday, May 24. Meryl Harrell most recently served as the Executive Director of the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards. She has also served as a consultant, advising non-profits, foundations, and government agencies working to conserve America’s public and private working lands. …Over Cosby’s 42 years with the USDA, he has served in numerous capacities, most recently, Acting Chief of NRCS and State Conservationist for Ohio. Prior to serving as Ohio State Conservationist, he served in leadership positions in Iowa as an Area Resource Conservationist, in Missouri as an Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations and Idaho as a Deputy State Conservationist.
U.S. EIA published our sector’s production and sales data for December 2020. …Despite my predictions, we were not able to eclipse the 2019 sales figure (2.22 million tons), falling just short with total sales of 2.18 million tons. …In the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed that the industry was on the precipice of managing the biggest business disruption in the sector’s history. …Considering the uncertainty that surrounded the industry and the others that wood pellet producers rely on—not only for their fiber, but also to sell their finished product in the early months of the year—2020 must be considered a runaway success. This year also underscored how vitally important wood pellet manufacturers are to our upstream and downstream partners. 
Almost 840 B.C. Interior forest workers have gained early retirement in the 18 months since a bridging program was put into play, the provincial government said recently. The program is part of a $69-million package 
Nanaimo, BC – With its partners, Mosaic is celebrating the success of the Indigenous Internship Leadership Program – an initiative created in 2019 that pairs Indigenous learners with internships to gain experience and accelerate their career development. “This internship program originated through the Champion’s Table – a group of First Nations and private sector leaders brought together under a memorandum of understanding between the BC Assembly of First Nations and the BC Business Council,” said Greg D’Avignon, President of BCBC. “This program supports a core aim of our group – to enable capacity and people to pursue sustainable economic development that supports Indigenous people and families while building toward full reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. I’m proud of these success stories that truly represent the partnership in action, and Mosaic has been a key partner from the beginning.” …For Lil’wat GM of Forestry Operations Klay Tindall, nothing is more important than developing leadership and skills within the Nation
B.C.’s forestry watchdog is calling on the provincial government to undertake better planning of recreation sites in the bush. Almost 80 per cent of B.C., consisting of Crown lands outside of parks, is under management of the provincial Ministry of Forests. …A special 
Wall Street is built on trading in stocks and bonds. Now it is turning its attention to the financial value of the natural world and how to fit that value into investment strategies. This has left academics puzzling over weighty questions, such as “what is a bee worth?” Earlier this year, the Natural Capital Investment Alliance was founded by Lombard Odier, Mirova and a joint venture between HSBC and environmental investing firm Pollination. It aims to raise $10bn by 2022 and to latch on to new revenue streams from natural habitats, such as forests, oceans and coral reefs, as part of projects designed to protect or restore these environments. These natural capital initiatives have ranged from simple solutions, like investments in companies preventing plastic pollution, to more esoteric ones such as purchasing and improving undesirable land.
