Export Development Canada is forecasting a dramatic jump in the US economy in 2021, with Canada going along for the ride. In related news: fewer new-for-sale homes adds to home-price woes; choppiness ahead for construction jobs; homebuilders brace for skilled-labour shortage; and lumber CEOs say the new-normal will be different post-pandemic, but the future is bright.
In other news: timber prices plummet in Lake States, but soar in China; wood pellet demand is rising in Europe; and feds fund capacity building in Northern Ontario. Meanwhile; BC forest communities push back on ENGOs, as BC activists dig-in on old-growth, take aim at wood pellet industry.
Finally, COFI’s 2021 Convention is tomorrow, and safety strategies for the upcoming planting season.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
VANCOUVER, B.C. – A new economic study released today by the BC Council of Forest industries shows that B.C.’s forest industry continues to generate significant economic activity in every region of the province. “This study demonstrates again that B.C.’s forest products sector is an important part of the provincial economy, putting paychecks in people’s pockets, helping small businesses pay their bills and supporting a good quality of life for British Columbians,” said Susan Yurkovich, President and CEO. …The study –
Vancouver, B.C. – More than 600 forest industry leaders, government officials, local government and Indigenous leaders will attend COFI’s 2021 Virtual Convention on Thursday, April 8, 2021, from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. The conference will explore issues facing the B.C. and Canadian forest sectors, such as trade with United States, reconciliation with Indigenous communities, and forest policy. The agenda includes opening remarks by Hon. Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations & Rural Development, a keynote address by Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s Ambassador to the United States, and a closing keynote address by Hon. John Horgan, Premier of British Columbia. Media are invited to attend specific sessions or the full convention.
Anti-forestry activists are declaring a new “war in the woods.” In March, anti-logging groups held marches, rallies, and actions at 28 locations to lobby the government and push their nonsense agenda during this year’s BC Forest Marches Day of Action. Meanwhile, activists are blockading Fairy Creek, spreading misinformation about mature forests, and vilifying loggers. With an injunction order served, the protesters promise to make a spectacle, and the media is sure to eat it up. It’s time forestry fights back. The BCFA is launching a campaign to turn the tide: the Forest Communities Week of Action. But we need your help. … In the coming days, we’ll launch our campaign and ask you to join us in calling representatives to tell them exactly how you feel about mature forests and these saboteurs. …With your help, we’ll have the phones in Victoria ringing off their hooks. Let’s stand up to these protesters and make some noise. Email Carl Sweet (bcforestryalliance@gmail.com) to get involved!
Europe’s pellet industry is the largest in the world and is expected to continue to grow strongly, at least until 2025. The key factors driving this increase include: EU has ambitious and rising targets for renewable energy supply; biomass will play an important role in meeting those targets; and pellets offer several advantages over other forms of biomass in many applications. Pellet demand is likely to grow by 30-40% over the next five years, and depending on how imports develop, European production might need to increase by up to 10 million tons. Europe represents about 75% of global pellet demand and is more diverse in its pellet usage than are other regions. …According to a study of European Wood Pellets, the rise in wood pellet consumption will put significant pressure on raw material markets in Europe and require new sources such as forest residues, recovered wood, and energy crops.
Timber prices in China soared as imports have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has put much stress on companies in the sector. But experts predicted that the situation will ease as the pandemic wanes and conditions improve. …”Shortages of imported wood partly reflect the situation where Chinese workers, who’d been willing to move abroad and work long hours, can’t go to work at Russian timber-processing firms due to travel restrictions,” Pan added. …China is the world’s largest importer of timber and the second-biggest timber consumer, media outlet China News reported in December. China imported 93.74 million cubic meters of logs and converted timber in 2020, a 2.63-percent year-on-year decrease… [and] imported timber accounted for more than half of total consumption.
New research conducted by scientists at Yale, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Maryland could help phase out traditional plastics. Researchers at the Yale School of the Environment, the Biological Systems Engineering Department at the University of Wisconsin and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UMD have created a lignocellulosic bioplastic that is a promising alternative not just to plastics derived from petroleum but also to existing bioplastic materials. Research on the bioplastic’s properties, manufacturing process and environmental impacts are outlined in a study published on March 25 in the journal Nature Sustainability. …Wood powder, a cheap wood processing residue, is the raw material that forms the basis of the bioplastic, according to the study. To deconstruct the wood powder, which has a loose structure composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, the researchers used a deep eutectic solvent, or DES, specifically composed of choline chloride and oxalic acid.
Conserving, restoring and growing 1 trillion trees by 2030 could help restore biodiversity and fight climate change. This is the vision of the 1t.org, the World Economic Forum’s global reforestation initiative, launched at Davos 2020. Together with UpLink, it launched the Trillion Trees Challenge, a call for solutions and innovations to end the loss of forests, which are critical to the health of the planet. Despite significant efforts, the world continues to lose about 15 billion trees a year – or an estimated 10 million hectares, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.With the World Economic Forum’s Global Technology Governance Summit under way, we showcase three start-ups shortlisted for the UpLink Trillion Trees project. Here’s how they’re contributing to reforestation efforts. …A non-profit sustainability association based in Zurich, Switzerland, GainForest uses artificial intelligence to try to reverse deforestation.
The 2021–2023 Forestry High Risk Strategy (HRS) is a comprehensive prevention strategy to address workplace safety in forestry operations. The intent of the Forestry HRS is to execute focused and impactful inspectional activity in those areas of the timber harvesting segment that represent exceptional risk to workers. Identified high risk work activities typically fall into five areas of operations: