Daily Archives: September 18, 2018

Today’s Takeaway

Trump’s tariffs on wood products make the Carolinas rebuild more expensive

September 18, 2018
Category: Today's Takeaway

Tariffs on Canadian and Chinese wood products—as well as new tariffs announced on China yesterday—will make rebuilding in the Carolinas more expensive. In other Business news: the BC Forest Practices Board is hiring; Oregon State U names an interim forestry dean; US fencing sales will grow 5% per year; and Armstrong Flooring breaks ground on a new plant in West Virginia.

In Forestry [opinion] news: BC communities want a say in caribou recovery; herbicide spraying is an election issue in New Brunswick; Nova Scotia is serious about reducing clearcutting; a Quebec hydro line will ruin Maine’s forest; and the Montreal Economic Institute says our forests are not over-harvested.

Finally, in the UK a CLT Head Above Water brings awareness to mental health; Planet Ark’s Make it Wood campaign touts low-carbon design; and a fire tornado in BC pulls a fire hose into the air before melting it.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

Read More

Froggy Foibles

Fir real: how to eat your Christmas tree

By Felicity Cloake
The Guardian
September 17, 2018
Category: Froggy Foibles
Region: International

You may be desperately clinging on to the last rays of summer but, with fewer than 100 days to go until Christmas, the food world is in full festive fig. Indeed, thoughts have already turned to the aftermath, with chef John Williams encouraging readers of the newly released Ritz London: The Cookbook to butcher the ceremonial tree for its “fragrant and spicy” needles. He says they lend a zesty kick to dishes such as his douglas fir and lemon verbena cream, and salt-baked celeriac with douglas fir sprigs. “Wouldn’t it be beautiful,” he said in 2010, “if families gathered after Christmas, festively removed the decorations and then cut off the tasty needles of the tree to flavour their food?”

Read More

Business & Politics

Forest Practices Board seeking a Manager of Audits & Investigations

BC Forest Practices Board
September 17, 2018
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Are you a biologist looking to lead challenging and diverse projects promoting sound stewardship of British Columbia’s forest and range resources?  We are looking for a key individual to lead a broad range of projects including: examining significant issues affecting public confidence in the management of BC’s public forests; addressing public complaints; and assessing forest and range practices. You will be accountable for leading all aspects of the preparation and execution of complaint investigations, special investigations, and you may be required to assist on audits of licensee performance. You will provide peers and management with expertise and advice on wildlife, ecology and biodiversity issues relating to forest and range practices.

Read More

Trump Hits China With Tariffs on $200 Billion in Goods, Escalating Trade War

By Jim Tankersley and Keith Bradsher
The New York Times
September 17, 2018
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

President Trump, emboldened by America’s economic strength and China’s economic slowdown, escalated his trade war with Beijing on Monday, saying the United States would impose tariffs on $200 billion worth of goods and was prepared to tax all imports. Mr. Trump, in a statement released late Monday, showed no sign of backing down from the type of full-blown trade war between the world’s two largest economies that has rattled financial markets, saying he was prepared to “immediately” place tariffs on another $267 billion worth of imports “if China takes retaliatory action against our farmers or other industries.” …The tariffs are aimed at hurting China, but they could hamper the American economy and bring pain for consumers. …China is expected to further retaliate against the United States

Read More

US Residential Fencing Sales to Grow 5.3% Annually Through 2022

By Freedonia Group
Cision Newswire
September 17, 2018
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

CLEVELAND — Through 2022, demand for fencing in residential applications is forecast to rise 5.3% annually to $4.8 billion, outperforming sales in other major markets. Gains will be driven by increased spending on residential improvement and repair projects, additional growth in housing completions, and the increased usage of high-value fencing, including ornamental metal and plastic and composite. Wood accounts for the largest share of fencing demand in the residential market in both value and length terms. Wood is popular for residential uses because wood fences are generally inexpensive as well as attractive, enhancing property values.

Read More

Fire burns lumber processing plant in Palermo

Chico Enterprise-Record
September 17, 2018
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

PALERMO — A fire Monday in Palermo ripped through a lumber processing plant, destroying one commercial building, firefighters said. Cal Fire-Butte County responded about 12:20 p.m. to the 1900 block of Kusel Road, south of Ophir Road and less than a mile east of Highway 70. Firefighters confronted a fully involved, 5,000-square-foot lumber processing plant at Apex Lumber, according to a news release. Crews aggressively attacked the fire, contained a related vegetation fire and protected other structures in the area, according to the news release. The fire burned the commercial building and was pegged at two acres in size. About 40 personnel responded to the fire. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Read More

Davis named interim dean at Oregon State University forestry school

By Bennett Hall
The Corvallis Gazette-Times
September 17, 2018
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

Anthony Davis

The acting dean of Oregon State University’s College of Forestry will continue to lead the college in an interim capacity while a search is conducted for a permanent dean, the university announced on Monday. Anthony S. Davis has been acting dean of the College since January, when Dean Thomas Maness went on leave for health reasons. Maness died in July after a lengthy illness. OSU announced it will launch an international search early next year to fill the dean’s position, which Maness had held since 2012. As interim dean, Davis will head the College of Forestry and serve as interim director of the Forest Research Laboratory.

Read More

Hardwood industry grows in Randolph County

By Leah Knicely
12WBOY News
September 17, 2018
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

BEVERLY, W.Va. – The hardwood industry is growing in West Virginia, and Randolph County is taking full advantage of the economic growth.   Armstrong Flooring in Randolph County held a groundbreaking to begin work on an 85,000-square-foot expansion of its hardwood floor manufacturing facility in Beverly. “The hardwood industry is the prime industry in this region of West Virginia, and Armstrong Flooring, with their footprint, they are really an anchor institution for the hardwoods industry,” said Randolph County Development Authority Executive Director Robbie Morris. …Since opening in 1989, the facility is the largest pre-finished hardwood flooring plant in the country.

Read More

Magnolia Timber Mill to be Reopened, Creating New Jobs

Arkansas Money and Politics
September 18, 2018
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

A Texas investing group is set to reopen a timber mill in Magnolia in a move that is expected to create 40 to 60 jobs. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission approved a $750,000 bond guarantee for Texas CLT LLC to reopen the mill. Texas CLT LLC, an investor group based in Nacogdoches, Texas, is planning a $3 million investment in the mill, with further investment expected.The mill is set to begin hiring employees in November and start operating in January. The Magnolia mill will focus on producing cross laminated timber, a type of timber that is made by stacking boards in alternating directors and bonding them with adhesive. The boards are then pressed together to form a solid wooden panel. Typically, cross-laminated timber panels are composed of odd numbers of layers from three to seven layers.

Read More

Donald Trump’s tariffs cement costly recovery from Hurricane Florence

By Stuart Leavenworth
The Toronto Star
September 17, 2018
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

WASHINGTON—The tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump has slapped on imports from China, Canada and other countries —as well as new tariffs he is expected to announce late Monday —are almost certain to make it more expensive for homeowners in the Carolinas to rebuild and refurnish their after Hurricane Florence. While prices naturally rise after a natural disaster, given the spike in demand for building materials, Trump’s trade war has already boosted costs for imported plywood and lumber, which jumped 30 per cent in the six months after the Trump administration announced tariffs on Canadian softwood timber in December. …Plywood and drywall are two key building items that could face further price spikes, if the trade war intensifies. China continues to be the leading supplier of plywood to the United States.

Read More

Wood, Paper & Green Building

Timber Construction Progressing for 80 Atlantic Office Building

By Jack Landau
Urban Toronto
September 17, 2018
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

…In the Liberty Village neighbourhood, Hullmark’s 80 Atlantic Avenue is getting attention for another reason, with the five-storey, Quadrangle-designed office development being built with timber construction instead of the more prevalent steel and concrete methods. Construction started in 2017, and by early last month, the building’s concrete elevator core and first two poured concrete levels were in place, as assembly got underway for the building’s Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) structural elements. In the weeks since, plenty of work has been accomplished. A recent photo update posted on Twitter by contractor Eastern Construction reveals much change since the last update, with the bulk of the second floor’s CLT structure now in place. Another big change since our last update is the start of installation for the building’s Nail Laminated Timber (NLT) panels, a mass timber panel system which is being used for floors and walls within the building. 

Read More

Head Above Water: Giant interactive sculpture that challenges the nation’s mental health stigma

By Darren Clanford
Creative Boom
September 17, 2018
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

As part of the London Design Festival, and designjunction, British designer Steuart Padwick has made a dramatic change to the London skyline in support of mental health and the anti-stigma campaign, Time to Change. Head Above Water is a nine-metre-high, interactive sculpture on London’s South Bank with panoramic views of St Paul’s Cathedral and the iconic city skyline. Taking the form of a giant wooden head elevated above the Thames, this striking and powerful piece aims to inspire and spark debate. …The Head sculpture is a model of sustainable, smart design and build and sourced from PEFC certified Forests. It is made using Stora Enso precision engineered, cross-laminated timber panels, and to resolve the structure Steuart Padwick worked with structural engineering experts, Ramboll.

Read More

Planet Ark’s Make It Wood campaign works towards acceptance of a more sustainable future with wood

Architecture and Design
September 17, 2018
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Thanks to a growing awareness of the value of timber in sustainable, low-carbon design and recent changes to the National Construction Code (NCC), the use of timber construction systems is rapidly gaining popularity. Forest and Wood Products Australia’s (FWPA) WoodSolutions brand addresses the design and build sector, while Planet Ark’s Make It Wood campaign expands the positive messages of the forest and wood products industry to a broader consumer audience. To some, a relationship between a company representing the forest and wood products industry and an environmental organisation may seem like the odd couple, but Planet Ark undertook extensive research before deciding they could support Forest and Wood Products Australia’s promotion of sustainably sourced timber. Sean O’Malley, Planet Ark’s Technical and Research Manager, explains, “FWPA came to us in September 2009, and we kicked off the conversation about the environmental advantages of timber as an alternative to concrete and steel.”

Read More

Forestry

Burning of wood piles planned near Grand Forks

By BC Wildfire Service Southeast Fire Centre
Government of British Columbia
September 17, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The BC Wildfire Service is planning to burn about 100 piles of wood debris near the Copper Ridge subdivision, north of Grand Forks. These controlled burns could start as early as Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018, and continue until the end of October, weather permitting. Groups of these piles will be lit in sequence as weather and site conditions allow. Smoke and flames may be visible from Grand Forks and surrounding communities. BC Wildfire Service personnel will be on site with firefighting equipment to monitor and control these burns at all times. Activities such as pile burning help reduce wildfire hazards by reducing accumulations of fuels (e.g., dead wood or brush) on the landscape. This pile burning project will proceed only if site, weather and venting conditions are suitable.

Read More

B.C. communities want say in caribou recovery

By Tom Fletcher
BC Local News
September 17, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

B.C. community leaders have joined the call by a national forest industry group to include them in federal efforts to protect dwindling caribou herds. The federal Species at Risk Act has listed northern boreal and southern mountain caribou as “threatened,” and the B.C. government is continuing its program to restore habitat and reduce the impact of predators on vulnerable caribou calves. In the Kootenay and Peace regions, those efforts have included capturing mothers with newborn calves in protective pens, and shooting or poisoning wolves that target caribou herds in winter and early spring. Chetwynd Mayor Merlin Nichols got support at last week’s Union of B.C. Municipalities convention for the federal and provincial governments to include local governments in discussions, and include issues like back-country tourism and other industries in new rules.

Read More

Forest Practices Board to audit small scale-salvage program near Williams Lake

BC Forest Practices Board
September 17, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will audit the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development’s small-scale salvage program and salvage licence holders in the Cariboo-Chilcotin Natural Resource District, starting Sept. 24, 2018. Auditors will examine whether harvesting, roads, silviculture, fire protection and associated planning, carried out between Sept. 1, 2017, and Sept. 28, 2018, met the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act. Small-scale salvage is the recovery of trees that are wind-thrown, beetle-killed, damaged by fire or considered to be residue. Licence volumes must be 2,000 cubic metres or less. In the past year, most salvage activities in the district took place near Williams Lake, Horsefly and McLeese Lake.

Read More

Our forests are in good health: They are not overharvested

The Montreal Economic Institute
Cision Newswire
September 18, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

MONTREAL – Contrary to a widespread myth, forest harvesting is not synonymous with deforestation and does not threaten the sustainability of our forests, which are actually under-harvested. Thanks to innovation, the forestry industry is more and more productive and our forests are doing better, shows a publication launched today by the MEI. “It can seem counterintuitive to some, but the profit motive protects our forests. By this logic, forestry companies make substantial investments to reduce waste and get the most out of each tree harvested in the forest,” explains Alexandre Moreau, Public Policy Analyst at the MEI and author of the publication. Canada’s forest cover has remained relatively stable since 1990, despite the activities that take place there, and innovation has a lot to do with that. 

Read More

How herbicide spraying in N.B. became an election issue

By Shane Fowler
CBC News
September 17, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Caroline Lubbe-D’Arcy stares down at a large yellow sign lying flat in the grass as highway traffic roars by. …Lubbe-D’Arcy and the Stop Spraying New Brunswick group went through all the proper channels to register SSNB as a third party in this fall’s election. …The province allows forestry companies and NB Power to use the spray to prevent plant growth. Forestry companies often use herbicides to prevent the growth of certain species of tree to encourage the growth of select softwoods. …Lubbe-D’Arcy has worked to make the spraying of glyphosate and other herbicides in New Brunswick a campaign issue since 2015. The Stop Spraying New Brunswick campaign is funded by the sale of lawn signs that can now be found in every corner of the province. The yellow and red plastic boards usually sport the silhouette of a whitetail deer and cost customers between $11 and $15.  

Read More

Nova Scotia ‘serious about reducing’ clear cutting: email

By Michael Gorman
CBC News
September 17, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Work has started behind the scenes in Nova Scotia to reduce clear cutting on Crown land, a month after a review recommended much stricter ecological management of lands owned by the province. Lands and Forestry Minister Iain Rankin said in an interview last week the province accepts “the premise that we could do more for ecological-based forestry,” but government officials haven’t committed publicly to implementing forestry recommendations made by Bill Lahey. However, a department email addressed to major players in the industry on Sept. 11, which CBC News has obtained, shows steps are already being taken that will see reductions in clear cutting. “For the time being, all forest management keys that direct you to non-clearcut treatments should be followed,” writes Allan Smith, the province’s director of resource management.

Read More

National Forest Foundation Plants a Record 2.6 Million Trees in 2018

National Forest Foundation
CSRwire
September 17, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

MISSOULA, Mont. – The National Forest Foundation (NFF) is pleased to announce it has planted more than 2.6 million trees in 2018, the largest number of trees planted in a single year by the NFF. …The NFF works with the U.S. Forest Service to restore priority sites on America’s 193-million-acres of National Forests and engages Americans across the country in stewarding and enjoying these landscapes. The NFF announced a campaign to plant 50 million trees on National Forests on Earth Day 2018. Every dollar donated to the NFF plants one tree on a National Forest.

Read More

Juneau crowd questions forest service on new roads in the Tongass

By Elizabeth Jenkins
Alaska Public Media
September 17, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The U.S. Forest Service is on a tour through Southeast Alaska and Anchorage to talk about the prospect of building new roads in wilder parts of the Tongass National Forest. The controversial initiative, which was announced in August, is up against a November deadline. That’s when the state hopes to have a proposal ready for environmental analysis. …In 2016, a forest service plan for the Tongass included moving away from old growth logging. …Meredith Trainor, the director of the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, wondered how the possibility of new road building in the Tongass would alter previous plans like the one from 2016. …Alaska has been fighting this for decades, and this latest attempt to green light new roads in the Tongass could potentially change that earlier management decision.

Read More

Wildfire smoke, science and perspective

By John Prendergast, profession forester
The Mail Tribune
September 16, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Having recently returned from my fourth wildland fire assignment this year, which is my 38th fire season, it has been pretty frustrating reading some of the guest opinions and letters to the editor in the Mail Tribune regarding wildland fires and the smoke in our valley. Many have tried to point to a single cause of these fires, while often referencing “science” to promote their personal agendas. …Let’s look at some facts regarding many of the fires that have contributed a substantial amount of the smoke our valley has experienced in recent years. …There are a number of valid factors contributing to our fire seasons becoming longer, more severe, and complex. …Those that try to point the finger at one agency or one cause for the fires and smoke we have been experiencing aren’t helping to find solutions.

Read More

Rapid City Changes Ordinance To Prepare For Emerald Ash Borer

By Al Van Zee
Keloland Media Group
September 17, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

The emerald ash borer is already in eastern South Dakota. It hasn’t yet reached West River towns. But officials in the Black Hills area are getting ready. City officials say the emerald ash borer could hit Rapid City within the next two years. Rapid City’s Legal and Finance Committee has just approved a change in the city ordinances to help them respond. “Currently it’s kind of just written for mountain pine beetle and dutch elm disease and it’s really exclusive, so we’re trying to be inclusive of all the possible threats that are out there,” with Rapid City Parks and Recreation, Andy Bernard said.  The new ordinance would include the emerald ash borer and other future pests. The ordinance has to do with the question of what you should do with the wood that you suspect might be infested with ash borer.

Read More

Quebec hydro line will ruin Maine’s ‘golden egg’ — our beautiful forest

By Roger Merchant
The Bangor Daily News
September 17, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

I walked into the Maine woods in 1965 as a forester and photographer, and spent the next 50 years exploring and appreciating these woods. Maine’s natural resources contribute to our rural quality of life, tourism and forestry economies. Central Maine Power’s proposal to construct a new 53-mile corridor, as part of a larger 145-mile transmission line, through the woods of the Upper Moose River Basin will degrade these treasured natural assets. Yet, CMP and Hydro-Quebec expects us to embrace this project’s extensive visual and environmental impacts, all in the name of delivering Canadian hydro power to Massachusetts? …They carve up the woods, fragment forest cover and wildlife habitat, and degrade one-of-a-kind magnificent scenic viewsheds.

Read More

Tree Breeding: Creating Tomorrow’s Healthy Forests Today

By Paul Zankowski and Sarah Federman
Georgia Forestry Today
September 17, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Immobile and long-lived, trees endure extreme weather, fires, and pests for tens, hundreds, and even thousands of years. In Fishlake National Forest, Utah, there is a quaking aspen colony spanning 106 acres that is roughly 80,000 years old. …Why all this emphasis on time and longevity? Trees can tell us a lot about the histories of their ecosystems. Knowing these histories can help us develop plans to sustainably manage healthy forests into the future, which is in keeping with USDA’s strategic goals to ‘strengthen stewardship of private lands,’ and to ‘foster productive and sustainable use of our national forest system[s].’ In other words, any plan for a healthy forest today must also account for tomorrow, and the tomorrows after that.

Read More

Bunnings, Officeworks will dump Victorian native timber in two years unless sustainability proven

By Stephanie Anderson
ABC News Australia
September 17, 2018
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Victorians will be unable to buy native timber from their own state at major retailers within two years because the local product is environmentally unsustainable, throwing the future of the industry into further doubt. Bunnings and Officeworks have both announced they will only stock Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified products by 2020, ruling out timber and paper from the state-owned logging company VicForests. …Bunnings director of marketing and merchandise Clive Duncan said the company wants to ensure all its timber and wood products come from legal and well-managed forest operations. “The recent update to our policy and the 2020 timing is a significant milestone that reflects our continued focus on responsible timber procurement,” he said. “We believe customers and team members have the right to expect that timber is sourced from well managed forestry operations.”

Read More

Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

PatentReal Corp launches new emission-free biomass technology

PatentReal Corp.
September 18, 2018
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

PatentReal Corp is a technology-driven solutions provider that has made a name for itself thanks to its innovative solutions across different industries. The company recently took a giant step towards solving the energy problem faced by different countries in the world while keeping the earth clean and safe with the launch of a new emission-free biomass technology called the Biomass Ultima technology, which has been predicted to make Eastern Europe the provider of “the best solutions for green energy.” …“This is the first project of this kind in Europe- even global- it is also a cornerstone for a very profitable production of electrical energy gained from wooden biomass and for the production of organic carbon. I estimate that this will bring changes to the methods of producing green energy in the future,” these are the words of Project manager and representative of investors in Croatia, Ing. Danijel Maric.

Read More

Supposedly cleaner fuels still cause massive air pollution, NUI Galway study finds

Galway Daily
September 17, 2018
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Fuels like wood and peat, that are supposed to be cleaner for the environment than coal, are still causing severe air pollution, a new study from NUI Galway has found. This air pollution study was led researchers from NUIG’s School of Physics and the Ryan Institute’s Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies. It found that during a three month period from November 2016 to January 2017 the air pollution levels in Dublin breached World Health Organisation guidelines every one in five days. The research team… deployed a never before used air pollution network, AEROSOURCE, that uses next-gen pollution fingerprinting technology to identify the source of even the smallest amount of air pollution. It found that despite only accounting for a small percentage of homes using them as a primary fuel source, peat and wood burning accounted for 70% of “extraordinarily high pollution levels”.

Read More

Forest Fires

B.C. firefighters battle a fire tornado near Vanderhoof

By Scott Brown
The Vancouver Sun
September 17, 2018
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

If smoke and flames weren’t bad enough, sometimes firefighters battling blazes in the bush are forced deal with fire tornadoes. Fire tornadoes, or fire wirls, are formed when strong winds come into contact with raging forest fires. The updrafts of air catch fire and the swirl sucks in ash and debris. B.C. firefighters battling a blaze near Vanderhoof recently had to contend with a fire tornado that pulled their hose 100 feet in the air. “Fire tornado destroyed our line. It threw burning logs across our guard for 45 minutes and pulled our hose 100 plus ft in the air before melting it. That’s definitely a first,” wrote Mary Schidlowsky on her Instagram post.

Read More

Fire danger rises in northwestern Wyoming

The Billings Gazette
September 18, 2018
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US West

The fire danger rating has been elevated to very high for the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, National Elk Refuge, and remaining portions of the Teton Interagency Dispatch area in northwestern Wyoming. The area has seen exceptionally dry conditions since the last appreciable rain in late August, and fuel conditions are at their driest of the season. In addition, several days of red flag warnings have elevated local fire conditions. A red flag warning is issued by the National Weather Service when relative humidity is expected to be at or below 15 percent and strong gusty winds are anticipated, and conditions are ideal for wildland fire combustion and rapid spread.

Read More