Daily Archives: March 7, 2019

Today’s Takeaway

US Coalition seeks revision of current duties on 1000 Canadian companies

March 7, 2019
Category: Today's Takeaway

Under the Dept of Commerce’s annual review process—which takes 12-18 months—the US Coalition is seeking duty revisions on 1000 Canadian companies. In other Business news: concern over the future of Northern Pulp spurs legislation by Nova Scotia’s premier; COFI confirms BC premier Horgan will speak at upcoming conference; and a construction overview for the state of Oregon.

In Forestry news: BC introduces protection for heritage and archeological values; the U of Victoria has a study on BC’s freshwater challenges; a New Brunswick group wants to save the Acadian forest from climate change; the Guardian recycles the Big Lonely Doug story; and CBC plans a week’s worth of Vancouver Island forest industry stories.

Finally, its last call for Rainier Beer’s Tabs for Trees program.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

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Business & Politics

NAHB National Association of Home Builders : Domestic Lumber Producers Seek Revision of Current Duties

MarketScreener
March 6, 2019
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The domestic softwood lumber group that spurred the Department of Commerce to impose countervailing and anti-dumping duties on softwood lumber imports from Canada is now seeking a revision of the current duties. This is a routine request provided for under Commerce’s regulations governing annual administrative reviews. What is not routine is the number of companies named by the Coalition. It has targeted more than 1,000 Canadian producers and exporters for a revision of the anti-dumping duty rates, and more than 1,000 Canadian producers and exporters for a revision of the countervailing duty rates. Many Canadian companies and U.S. importers also requested reviews. Administrative reviews take between 12 and 18 months to complete and will likely result in a revision of the rates for future importations, as well as a retroactive adjustment of duties deposited during the periods under review by Commerce.

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Proposed Forest Act affront to Indigenous authority, says Dene Nation

By Kristen Murphy
CBC News
March 6, 2019
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Norman Yakeleya

The national chief of the Dene Nation says a proposed Forest Act from the Northwest Territories government is an affront to treaty rights and Indigenous authority. Norman Yakeleya said the territorial government consulted with some, but not all, of the Dene Nation’s member nations when writing the draft legislation. The legislation is scheduled for first and second reading this year prior to the fall election, and it applies to regions as far north as the Sahtu. The territorial government is amending and combining two existing acts — the Forest Management Act and the Forest Protection Act — to create the Forest Act. According to the government’s website, the new act will include management of non-timber forest products, like biomass, requirements on industry to make fire prevention plans, and the recognition and affirmation of Aboriginal and Treaty rights. …The first reading of Forest Act will happen Friday in the N.W.T. Legislative Assembly.

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Premier John Horgan to Speak at 2019 COFI Convention

Council of Forest Industries
March 6, 2019
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

John Horgan

Vancouver, B.C. –The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) looks forward to welcoming Premier John Horgan as a keynote speaker at its 2019 Annual Convention, April 3-5, 2019 at the Parq Vancouver Hotel & Convention Centre in downtown Vancouver. The Premier will address delegates at 12:15pm on Friday, April 5. “We are very pleased to have Premier John Horgan back this year to speak to our delegates at the COFI Convention,” said Susan Yurkovich, President & CEO of COFI. “The Premier understands how significant a strong forestry sector is for jobs, communities and prosperity in our province, and we look forward hearing from him about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.” More than 600 delegates are expected at this year’s annual gathering.

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Houston introduces legislation aimed at securing a future for forestry

The News – Halifax
March 6, 2019
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Tim Houston

HALIFAX, N.S. — Progressive Conservative leader Tim Houston introduced legislation last week, that he said aims to ensure the forest industry continues to thrive in Nova Scotia. The Forestry Industry Sustainability Act calls on the Liberal government to strike a task force of stakeholders and experts to chart a path toward a sustainable forestry industry. …The task force, led by a conciliator, would make a recommendation, no later than June 30, 2019. …With the deadline for the closure of Boat Harbour approaching, people in the forestry industry have indicated that there could be significant financial impact if Northern Pulp has to close even temporarily. …“It needs to be said: without Northern Pulp there can be no plan B that does not include massive job losses,” stated Jean Francois Guillot, VP Operations East with Paper Excellence.

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The 50 States of Construction: Is Oregon’s growth sustainable?

By Kim Slowey
The Construction Drive
March 6, 2019
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

Mike Salsgiver

Like many other U.S. states, Oregon has a booming construction market. Mike Salsgiver, executive director of the Associated General Contractors’ Oregon-Columbia chapter… said, with the industry at record employment levels, companies cannot find enough workers to fill their payrolls. And more major construction projects could be on the way. There’s a possibility that the region will see a $42 billion high-speed rail system… and the state was the first to adopt mass timber codes for tall buildings, which could lead to a wave of commercial wood construction. “Is it widely adopted? No. It’s being tested, and it’s just now beginning to come to market. …There’s discussion about building 8-story or 10-story buildings using mass timber, but it is nowhere near making a real dent in [commercial] construction. …I would characterize it more as an experiment than a real movement.”

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Swanson to close Glendale sawmill

By Janelle Polcyn
The News Review
March 5, 2019
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

Steve Swanson

OREGON — Swanson Group announced the permanent closure of its sawmill in Glendale on Friday. The mill will stop bringing in new supplies for production by the end of this week and all of the employees will be reassigned to two of the three other facilities in the next few weeks according to President and CEO Steve Swanson. The mill will be fully shut down by the end of May. “The issue is simply timber supply,” Swanson said. “The region is starving for timber and it’s just not being sold by the biggest landowner which is the federal government.” …Swanson Group will be adding capacity at the Glendale Plywood and Roseburg Stud mill facilities. The change will not affect the Springfield Plywood facility.

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College of the Ouachitas receives $25,000 gift

Malvern Daily Record
March 5, 2019
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Bowen architect receives one of B.C.’s premiere wood design awards

By Bronwyn Beairsto
Bowen Island Undercurrent
March 7, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

No matter where you live on Bowen, if you don’t know his name, you definitely know his work. James Tuer, architect of Cove Commons, the Bowen Island Pub, the First Credit Union-Ruddy Potato expansion and the Buddhist International Society Retreat (if you’ve circumnavigated Bowen you’ll have seen its swooping cedar outline) received the Wood Design Awards in B.C. 2019 Architect Award March 4. The award recognized his career portfolio of wooden buildings, many of them on Bowen, where Tuer’s lived since 2004. “The jury was impressed with the portfolio of wood buildings, both residential and nonresidential, that have inspired other designers to take advantage of BC’s extensive and beautiful wood resources,” read out presenter Hardy Wentzel, CEO of Structurlam, at the awards gala at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

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These angels have money, expertise

By Steve MacNaull
The Kelowna Daily Courier
March 6, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Kris Stewart

Kris Stewart, CEO of Advanced Home Care Solutions in Kelowna, will be in Japan, April 1-3, to explore Canada’s role in helping the Asian country transition to western-style elder care. …young people in Japan are increasingly living and working in cities and aren’t around to look after their aged parents. That means there’s increasing need for care so seniors can stay in their own homes and care facilities for when they can’t remain in their own homes. Stewart is one of 23 business owners selected for the Canadian Women-Only Business Mission to Japan. The women will see if they can land consulting jobs and also encourage the Japanese to build care homes with Canadian wood products. …“I’m also thrilled about the possibility of consulting on the development and build of western-style care homes in Japan, using Canadian wood and support our Canadian wood manufacturers.”

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Developers propose above-ground walkway, lookout tower at Bamberton on Malahat

By Carla Wilson
The Times Colonist
March 6, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

The developer of the proposed wooden Malahat Skywalk at the southern end of Bamberton estimates the 40-metre-tall structure would attract about 200,000 visitors a year to gaze out at Finlayson Arm and beyond. The basket-shaped walk was inspired by elevated forest walks in Europe. …Visitors would first travel along a… wide wooden deck would run among second-growth Douglas firs, stands of Arbutus trees and other trees. …Tall logs in a tripod shape would support the rigid walkway. …The tower would be built of wood, other than metal structural struts for the spire, Greenfield said.

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The Government of Canada supports research promoting the development of forest products with a small environmental footprint

By Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Cision Newswire
March 6, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

AMQUI, QC – There is strong potential for growth in the development of forest products and processes with a small environmental footprint. Focusing on collaborative research with industry members, the Service de recherche et d’expertise en transformation des produits forestiers (SEREX) intends to develop this niche. To maintain momentum, the organization will receive a non-repayable contribution of $280,000 from Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. This funding, awarded under CED’s Quebec Economic Development Program, was announced today by Rémi Massé, Member of Parliament for Avignon–La Mitis–Matane–Matapédia and Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.

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What’s that thing in front of Clapp?

By Paul Hamby
The Montana Kaimin College News
March 6, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

Construction crews worked in the snow to erect a 40-foot-tall wooden tower in front of the Clapp Building, just before the Foresters’ Ball. …The tower, made of cross laminated timber, represents the inspiration for a new College of Forestry building. Organizers intend to construct the building using only CLT beams, creating the University’s first energy-neutral facility. Graphics posted at the base of the kiosk describe the benefits of CLT and how its composition makes it an ecologically-viable alternative to steel and concrete. Tom DeLuca, forestry dean, said the “CLTree” signifies the future of the program. …After the Franke family made a $24 million donation… one stipulation they made was the construction of a new building for the program’s students, staff and faculty. …Planning remains in its infancy and early cost estimates range from $45 to $60 million.

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Engineered microbe may be key to producing plastic from plants

By Chris Barncard
University of Wisconsin-Madison
March 6, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

With a few genetic tweaks, a type of soil bacteria with an appetite for hydrocarbons shows promise as a biological factory for converting a renewable — but frustratingly untapped — bounty into a replacement for ubiquitous plastics. Researchers, like those at the University of Wisconsin–Madison-based, Department of Energy-funded Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, hoping to turn woody plants into a replacement for petroleum in the production of fuels and other chemicals have been after the sugars in the fibrous cellulose that makes up much of the plants’ cell walls. …“They say you can make anything from lignin except money,” says Miguel Perez, a UW–Madison graduate student in civil and environmental engineering. …Enter the bacterium, which was first isolated while thriving in soil rich in aromatic compounds after contamination by petroleum products. Where other microbes pick and choose, N. aromaticivorans is a biological funnel for the aromatics in lignin.

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Busch Gardens announces tallest hybrid rollercoaster in North America

By Benjamin Coren
Travel Weekly UK
March 6, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has started construction of what it says will be the tallest hybrid rollercoaster in North America. The yet-to-be-named ride, to be constructed from wood and steel, is slated to be the fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the world. It will be more than 200 feet tall and feature restored elements of Gwazi, a wooden rollercoaster which operated in the park from 1999 to 2015. It is due to open in 2020…

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Peter Pichler designs Tree House hotel rooms for forest in the Italian Dolomites

By Lizzie Crook
Dezeen
March 6, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Sharply pointed roofs and blackened wood cladding characterise these treehouses that Peter Pichler Architecture has designed for a mountain forest in the Dolomites of northern Italy. The Milan-based studio, led by architects Peter Pichler and Silvana Ordinas, designed the Tree House structures to serve as hotel rooms, offering tourists the opportunity to connect with nature. “The project is conceived as a ‘slow down’ form of tourism, where nature and the integration of architecture within it plays the primary role,” said the studio. …The structures will be built almost entirely from locally sourced larch and fir wood, while the cladding will be stained black to blend with the surroundings.

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Forestry

A decade of freshwater promises has put the province on track, but draught, fires and floods are urgent reminders that water security is imperative.

By Rosie Simms and Oliver Brandes
Policy Options
March 7, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The year 2018 will be remembered as a wild roller-coaster of climate and water extremes in communities from coast to coast to coast. …BC was hit particularly hard.  …With minimal fanfare, 2018 also marked the 10-year anniversary of BC’s provincial water strategy. …Although it’s a decade old, Living Water Smart’s commitments and objectives are still highly relevant to today’s water challenges. …University of Victoria completed a comprehensive review of the BC government’s promises for sustaining fresh water from the past decade. We were not surprised to see mixed results; that is often the nature of government promises. …Eight of its 45 specific commitments were achieved. Most notably, BC’s water law – which is more than 100 years old – has been modernized, reaching an important milestone in 2016 with the passing of the Water Sustainability Act. …But more than one-third of important commitments have not been met with meaningful — or in some cases any — follow-through.

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Province needs to deal with wildfire smoke, Harrison says

By Grace Kennedy
BC Local News in the Agassiz-Harrison Observer
March 6, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Harrison Hot Springs council members will be asking the province to take a “more proactive approach” in assessing the risks of wildfire smoke, after a summer of heavy smoke saw fewer visitors at the resort town. …Councillor Samantha Piper first brought forward the idea at the Feb. 19 meeting, after council received the village’s newest community wildfire protection plan. The report was designed to help define and mitigate threats to Harrison Hot Springs because of wildfires, which have been increasingly severe in the past few years. Although the report largely focused on risks associated with fire, it also discussed potential problems coming from wildfire smoke, which was the basis of council’s motion Monday.

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On The Island Explores Vancouver Island’s Forest Industry

CBC News
March 6, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Forestry on Vancouver Island is a complex industry, firmly planted in government policy. The B.C. government has announced changes are coming to some of those policies to help rebuild the coastal forest sector. These changes include everything from revised fees on raw log exports, to how much fibre can be left behind in the bush, and plans for more First Nations involvement. Tune in to On The Island at 7:10 a.m. PT, March 11 – 15 for Mill Towns — a weeklong series that explores the towns that have persevered through years of decline in the forest industry… and what it means for Vancouver Island’s forest industry. March 11: Port Alberni​ [optimism]… March 12: Port Alice [a town in limbo]… March 13: Port McNeill [worried]… March 14: Gold River [challenge]… March 15: Vancouver Island [the future of forestry].

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Logging plans not done deal

By Colin Dacre
Castanet
March 6, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Opponents of proposed logging within a recreation site just outside Penticton say BC Timber Sales is not listening to their concerns and did not suggest any substantive changes to their plans during a stakeholder meeting last week. This comes at the same time emails released to Castanet News via a Freedom of Information request reveals the provincial government’s local recreation officer voiced concerns about the cut blocks back in 2017. BC Timber Sales planning forester Julius Huhs reached out to Okanagan recreation officer Ian McLellan in October 2017, requesting feedback on a batch planned cut blocks in the region, including those proposed for the Carmi trails four kilometres east of Penticton. McLellan responded Oct. 19, 2017 that he didn’t “have many concerns” with the batch as a whole, but singled out the Carmi blocks as “the only ones that I have a few.” …Throughout the process, BC Timber Sales has said they are committed to working with the trails groups to allow recreational use of the area alongside logging.

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In the line of wildfire

By Jennifer Thuncher
The Squamish Chief
March 6, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Fort McMurray’s Tara Power was downstairs, working on her home-based clothing line, as unbeknownst to her, a wildfire moved dangerously close. When she had gone downstairs earlier that morning of May 3, 2016, the sky had been clear. When she came back up… her home was “a wall of flames.” …Squamish Fire Rescue Chief Bill Stoner calls the threat of wildfire in the “Top 5” of concerns for Squamish. And the report “Adapting to Climate Change in Squamish: backgrounder report” identifies increased forest fires as a priority. …About 70 per cent of Squamish is considered as having a moderate, high or extreme wildfire threat rating, according to the Provincial Wildfire Threat Analysis. The updated District of Squamish Community Wildfire Protection Plan… lays out 48 recommendations for the municipality.

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Changes to act will enhance heritage conservation in B.C.

By Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
Government of British Columbia
March 6, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Amendments to the Heritage Conservation Act, introduced on March 6, 2019, will mean greater protection for areas with heritage and archeological values in the province.  “The changes we are making today will enable us to take more decisive action to conserve heritage and archeology sites and objects,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “Strengthening protection for archeological sites also acts on our commitment to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.” …The purpose of the act has always been to encourage and facilitate the protection and conservation of heritage and archeological sites in B.C., but it has not been updated in 20 years. The changes announced make targeted improvements to the act in order to significantly increase its effectiveness. The amendments also bring B.C.’s heritage legislation into alignment with other jurisdictions. 

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The last great tree: a majestic relic of Canada’s vanishing rainforest

By Harley Rustad
The Guardian
March 5, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

…The cutblock represented a small sliver – around the size of 12 football fields – of the kind of old-growth forest that once spanned the island nearly from tip to tip and coast to coast. But this small patch of trees was a prime example of an endangered ecosystem. Black bears and elk, wolves and cougars passed quietly under its canopy. Red-capped woodpeckers knocked on standing deadwood; squirrels and chipmunks nibbled on cones to extract seeds; and fungi the size of dinner plates protruded from the trunks of some of the largest trees in the world. As a forest engineer, Cronin’s job involved taking stock of the timber, and producing a map for the fallers to follow. …As Cronin waded through the thigh-high undergrowth, something caught his eye: a Douglas fir, larger than the rest… He scrambled up the mound of sloughed bark and dead needles that had accumulated around the base of the giant tree.

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Was Port Alberni’s decision on trains the right decision?

By Editorial Board
Alberni Valley News
March 6, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

How badly do supporters of McLean Mill National Historic Site and the Alberni Pacific Railway want to see these two attractions continue in the Alberni Valley? For two years, we have been hearing about how much the train and mill are draining public coffers. Two years’ worth of a McLean Mill Society has only served to muddy the waters, as the arms-length society is still struggling to figure out how to run one of Port Alberni’s main tourist attractions. City council finally took a stand by separating the two attractions and shuttering the trains for the year so they can figure things out. …The JJ Logging Oldtime Logging Show is the only one of its kind in Canada, portraying a way of logging that began disappearing in the 1950s and 1960s.

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Miawpukek Mi’kamawey Mawi’omi looking to reclaim the land

By Adam Randell
The Compass
March 6, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

CONNE RIVER, N.L. — After six years of work, the Miawpukek Mi’kamawey Mawi’omi is hoping to make a deal with the province for a 20-year forest management agreement that could see its people reclaim traditional grounds. According to Greg Jeddore, forestry manager for the reserve’s Natural Resources Department, the land agreement would encompass more than 200,000 hectares, running from the Gander River to True Hill, the west country of central Newfoundland. …Jeddore said having ownership of the land would continue to provide that support, as it would turn over control of timber to create economic opportunities, while maintaining the province’s goals within the foresty sector. …The biggest concern that needs to be addressed, he said, is how it might impact softwood lumber tariffs on exports to the United States. Currently, Newfoundland and Labrador can export softwood lumber to the U.S. tariff free.

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Group blocks timber harvest southeast of Bozeman

By Michael Wright
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle
March 7, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Logging planned for state land southeast of Bozeman has been blocked after opponents of the sale outgunned a timber company at auction. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation announced Wednesday afternoon that it awarded Save Our Gallatin Front a 25-year conservation license for the 443 acres of state trust land slated for the Limestone West Timber Sale. DNRC sent the group a letter on Wednesday confirming that its bid of about $400,000 was accepted and beat out the only other bidder — RY Timber. It’s the first time opponents of a state-run timber sale have won a deferral on an entire project. Dan Rogers, chief of DNRC’s Forest Management Bureau, said in a statement that the agency prefers “active forest management on Trust Lands” but congratulated the group on its successful bid. “Their high bid will produce good revenue for the trust beneficiaries,” Rogers said.

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Last call for 2019 Tabs for Trees from Rainier Beer

Brew Public
March 7, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

In addition to filling the beer needs of Pacific Northwesterners, Rainier Beer is also keen on planting trees throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Once again Rainier Beer is partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation and local environmental stewardship groups on its fifth annual Tabs for Trees. Since 2014, Rainier has planted more than 100,000 trees across the Pacific Northwest as part of Tabs for Trees. This year, Rainier’s goal is to plant an additional 20,000 trees – 5,000 each across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. …“Caring for the environment and the communities in the Northwest is central to Rainier’s culture and true to our brand,” said Rainier Brewing Company’s Brand Manager Michael Scott in a statement. “The program provides a special opportunity for us to make a positive impact on the health and future of our forests while sharing the experience with our employees, our loyal customers as well as newcomers to the region we call home.”

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Is Hemp A Solution For Downed Timber Industry?

By Blaise Gainey
WJCT NEWS
March 6, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

North Florida’s timber industry suffered a more than one-billion-dollar loss in result of Hurricane Michael. To replace the loss many have proposed hemp farming. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has been an advocate of hemp but understands getting North Florida ready to accept it is a process. “We certainly will have an opportunity to get hemp in that area if they so choose to,” said Fried. “But reforestation in that area and the ecosystem in there and that quality of life can’t be replaced. So our first goal is to get the timber of the ground and to give these individuals an opportunity to reforest, and to have an opportunity to have an opportunity to have prosperity again in that area.”

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Origin and species: fighting illegal logging with science

By Robin Millard
Phys.org
March 6, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: International

A timeworn laboratory in Britain’s Royal Botanic Gardens may not seem like the obvious epicentre of efforts to halt international illegal logging. …But scientists at the Wood Anatomy Laboratory, part of the research centre at the gardens in Kew, southwest London, are working on a new global project to help precisely identify the origin and species of timber. Illegal logging is estimated to account for 15 to 30 percent of all timber traded worldwide, according to Interpol, with an estimated annual value of $51 billion to $152 billion (45 billion to 134 billion euros) in 2017. Much of the import and export business relies on paper trails for verification. However experts hope that their new project can, in future, provide enforcement agencies with some hard science that can quickly identify through checks whether a wood species is as claimed, and exactly where it was grown.

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Tropical Forests Naturally Regrow Quickly, But Without Species Variety

By Robin Chazdon
University of Connecticut
March 6, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Tropical forests are threatened by high levels of deforestation, mostly driven by agricultural expansion. But, once agricultural fields are abandoned, they tend to naturally regrow, leading researchers to ask whether that process reverses species loss and brings native species back. An international team of ecologists inventoried trees in 1,800 tropical forest plots located in 56 sites across 10 countries in Latin America, and found that forests recover growth in a few decades, but that it may take centuries before the abundance of the species present returns to the what is found in old-growth forests. …Tree species found in regrowing forests are usually different from those in neighboring old-growth forest. After 20 years of regrowth, only 34 percent of the original species composition recovered.

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Iranians Mark National Tree Planting Week

Tasnim News Agency
March 6, 2019
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The tree planting event is marked every year just ahead of the advent of the Persian New Year, which starts on March 21. The nationwide tree plantation campaign is aimed at protecting the environment and fighting air pollution especially in major cities. …Trees are considered sacred in the Iranian culture, which is why Iranians celebrate the National Arbor Day and spend an entire week in tree planting events just a week before the Persian New Year and the beginning of the spring.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Forestry group prepares plan to save Acadian forest

By Nathalie Sturgeon
CBC News
March 6, 2019
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

New Brunswick-based Community Forest International is trying to adapt forests worldwide to the effects of climate change — including forests right here in New Brunswick. Megan de Graaf, manager of the Canada Forest Program and a forest ecologist with the group, said climate change will have a major effect on the Acadian forest, which grows throughout New Brunswick.  “What we haven’t really known yet is what we can do about it in terms of forest managers to adapt our forest to be more resilient to climate change,” she said in an interview… The Acadian forest spans the Atlantic provinces and some of the New England states. It is not found anywhere else in the world, according to de Graaf. …Community Forest International is a charity that works in East Africa and Eastern Canada. It is based in Sackville and establishes community forests, promoting sustainable forestry techniques and initiating environmental education.

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Climate change puts additional pressure on vulnerable frogs

By Graham Readfearn
The Guardian
March 5, 2019
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Australia’s frog species, already threatened by habitat destruction and disease, are being put under extra pressure by shifting rainfall and rising temperatures from climate change. Some of Australia’s leading frog experts are worried that serious impacts could be unfolding out of sight, with one saying climate change could push certain species to extinction before they are documented by science. Many of Australia’s frogs are found nowhere else in the world, but the continent is also at the coalface of climate impacts with extreme heat, droughts and rising temperatures. Frogs are known to be at a high risk from climate change because they are ectotherms, animals with a body temperature regulated by their environment.

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‘Whole thing is unravelling’: climate change reshaping Australia’s forests

By Graham Readfearn
The Guardian
March 6, 2019
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Australia’s forests are being reshaped by climate change as droughts, heatwaves, rising temperatures and bushfires drive ecosystems towards collapse, ecologists have told Guardian Australia. Trees are dying, canopies are getting thinner and the rate that plants produce seeds is falling. Ecologists have long predicted that climate change would have major consequences for Australia’s forests. Now they believe those impacts are unfolding. “The whole thing is unravelling,” says Prof David Bowman, who studies the impacts of climate change and fire on trees at the University of Tasmania. “Most people have no idea that it’s even happening. The system is trying to tell you that if you don’t pay attention then the whole thing will implode. We have to get a grip on climate change.”

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EU sued to stop burning trees for energy; it’s not carbon neutral: plaintiffs

By Justin Catanoso
Mongabay
March 6, 2019
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Plaintiffs in five European nations and the United States filed an unprecedented suit Monday, 4 March, in the European General Court in Luxembourg against the European Union. They charge that the EU’s 2018 Renewable Energy Directive, known as RED II – which obligates member nations to generate at least 32 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2030 – will produce a surge in demand for wood pellets and wood chips because a current United Nations policy considers the burning of biomass for energy carbon neutral. As a result, emissions from burning wood are not counted against a country’s total carbon emissions. The Kyoto Protocol originally defined the carbon neutrality of so-called bioenergy more than 20 years ago, but many scientific studies since have shown this finding to be wrong. This new conclusion identified as the “bioenergy carbon accounting loophole” is at the heart of the lawsuit.

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Health & Safety

Truck cab impaled by lumber after sudden stop in Vernon

By Howard Alexander
InfoTel News
March 6, 2019
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

VERNON – The driver of a semi hauling a load of lumber through Vernon is sure to be counting his lucky stars after avoiding serious injury when he engaged his emergency braking system to avoid hitting a small car. Thousands of pounds of manufactured lumber loosened when he slammed on the brakes and was propelled into the cab of the truck, according to an RCMP media release. Police say a small black vehicle allegedly cut off the semi and then stopped suddenly for a pedestrian in the crosswalk… “The driver of the semi truck was very fortunate to have sustained only minor injuries during this incident, given the amount of lumber that shifted and impaled the back of the drivers cab,” Vernon RCMP spokesperson Const. Kelly Brett said in the release.

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