Today’s Takeaway

Early signs point to another bad wildfire season

The Tree Frog Forestry News
March 28, 2024
Category: Today's Takeaway

The 2024 wildfire season has started and BC experts warn it’s likely to be another bad one. In related news: NASA quantifies how fire and drought effects the US West; Washington State is set to start prescribed burning; a NCASI webinar on fire ecology and forest resilience in Pacific Northwest; and Europe prepares for a challenging fire season of their own.

In Business news: the Baltimore bridge collapse impacts include lumber and pulpwood; the Financial Times opines on the DS Smith suitors; Canada’s forestry unions’ proposal to save BC’s forest industry; New England calls for more sustainable forestry; Conifex reports Q4, 2023 loss; and Belarus evades EU sanctions on imported timber. 

Finally, the Frogs are off for Easter, back Monday for the start of WildFire Resilience and Awareness Week [a Tree Frog News week-long feature in partnership with the Western Canada SFI Implementation Committee].

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

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The Mother Tree idea is everywhere — but is it real?

The Tree Frog Forestry News
March 27, 2024
Category: Today's Takeaway

The journal Nature explores the Mother Tree idea as some ecologists say its been oversold. In related news: the US Supreme Court declines a challenge to California-Oregon’s National Monument; ENGOs say US consumption of palm oil is linked to deforestation; an EU group exposé on biomass as a renewable energy; and the EU’s Nature Restoration plan is deadlocked.

In Business news: International Paper creates bidding war over DS Smith; Montana mill closures a symptom of broader challenges; the looming shortage of Canadian wooden utility poles; Quebec supports FPInnovation’s truck platooning effort; US wood pallet industry secures exemption from EU requirement; Canada may precede US on interest rate cuts; and US consumer confidence remains stable in March.

Finally, a conversation with BC Forest Industry Leaders is coming to COFI in April.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor

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Business & Politics

Forestry unions team up to push government to help struggling workers

By Grant Warkentin
My Campbell River Now
March 27, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

BC’s three biggest forestry unions are teaming up to push the province to help workers in the struggling sector. Representatives from Unifor, United Steelworkers, and the Public and Private Workers of Canada were at the BC Forestry Workers summit in Victoria this month. The unions have since published a video of summit highlights, including comments from United Steelworkers central Island rep Brian Butler. “There’s a lot of movement in this province around old growth and preservation, but what we need to see is movement from government to protect the working forest,” he said. The unions presented government with a proposal to overhaul the industry, including creation of a Forestry Sector Council made up of all stakeholders, as well as more planning oversight.

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COFI announces: A Conversation with BC Forest Industry Leaders

Council of Forest Industries
March 27, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Interest in the present and future of BC’s forest industry has never been higher, and neither have the stakes. The current drop in harvest levels due to insects, fire, market conditions and new policies extends beyond what could have been expected. There is an urgent need for collaboration on solutions across government, Indigenous and local communities, workers, and companies. To navigate the transition now happening in the BC forest sector, new partnerships are taking shape, with industry and First Nations leaders working together to stabilize fibre supply and attract the investment that can help build a more predictable and sustainable path forward. Join us as Laura Jones, President & CEO of the Business Council of BC moderates a panel of industry leaders, with Sean McLaren, President & CEO, West Fraser; Steven Hofer, President & CEO, Western Forest Products; Dallas Smith, President, Nanwakolas Council; Robert Dennis Sr., Former Chief Councillor, Huu-ay-aht First Nations; and Nick Arkle, CEO, Gorman Group.

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Bridge Collapse Ripples Include Hits to U.S. Trade, Supply Chains

By Sala Levin
Maryland Today
March 27, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

The bustling Port of Baltimore is at a near-standstill today. The stunning collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River on Tuesday halted all ship traffic in and out, and shut down a portion of Interstate 695 indefinitely. The port handled a record 52.3 billion tons of foreign cargo worth $80 billion in 2023, and consistently ranks No. 1 in the nation for cars and light trucks, heavy farm and construction machinery, and imported sugar. Its closure has dealt a blow to U.S. commerce, said Philip T. Evers, associate professor of supply chain management at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. …It’s not in the category of the largest ports, like Los Angeles or New York/New Jersey, but it is a very important midsize port… it does handle a lot of automotives, farm machinery, lumber and pulpwood.

Related coverage in the Washington Post: Top ten port imports and exports in 2023

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Belarus evading EU sanctions by importing timber to Poland with false documents

Notes From Poland
March 27, 2024
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

Belarus is circumventing sanctions by exporting timber into the EU through Poland using false documentation suggesting it is from Kazakhstan – a country with hardly any forests – an international journalistic investigation has found. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, imports to the EU of timber supposedly from Kazakhstan have boomed, rising in 325-fold in value, from around €387,000 in 2021 to nearly €126 million in 2023. Imports to Poland, at almost €68 million, accounted for over half that latter figure. However, an investigation has found that at least part of these imports from Kazakhstan are actually Belarusian timber that has been falsely documented to evade EU sanctions in place since June 2022. Documents obtained by the journalists from sources within the industry indicate that Belarus-based companies are falsifying shipping records for timber. 

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Finance & Economics

Housing construction starts stagnant in Canada’s major cities, despite growth in apartment construction

By Jordan Gowling and Annie Bergeron
CTV News
March 27, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

In Canada’s six largest cities, 2023 started with stagnated housing construction, with a 20% drop in the construction of single-detached homes compared to the year before.In a report released by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) on Wednesday, housing started with a dip of 0.5% in 2023, with 137,915 units built in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver and Calgary.In the same period, apartment construction started with an increase of 7%, reaching a record-high of 98,774 units. …“There’s huge demand for rentals, I think single-detached is just coming out of reach, it’s becoming unfordable, it’s practically impossible to build those in city centres anymore,” said Aled ab lowerth, CMHC Deputy Chief Economist. …While experts acknowledge improvements in government policy in relation to the housing market, many say it’s not enough in the face of challenging economic conditions.

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Conifex reports Q4, 2023 loss of $3.5 million

By Conifex Timber Inc.
GlobeNewswire
March 27, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC — Conifex reported results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023. EBITDA from continuing operations was negative $3.5 million for the quarter and negative $25.8 million for the year, compared to EBITDA of $2.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $46.7 million for the year. We generated net income of ($30.6) million or ($0.77) per share in 2023. …Our lumber production was 155.8 million board feet in 2023, reflecting an annualized operating rate of 65%. Lumber production was impacted by a reduction in our operating schedule to a one-shift basis for a twelve-week period beginning in October to address unsustainable lumber inventory levels. …Our Power Plant sold 177.6 GWh of electricity under our EPA with BC Hydro in 2023, representing approximately 80% of targeted operating rates. 

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Business leaders say housing biggest risk to economy: KPMG

By Ian Bricks
The Canadian Press in BNN Bloomberg Economics
March 27, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Business leaders see the housing crisis as the biggest risk to the economy, a new survey from KPMG Canada shows. It found 94 per cent of respondents agreed that high housing costs and a lack of supply are the top risk, and that housing should be a main focus in the upcoming federal budget. The survey questioned 534 businesses. Housing issues are forcing businesses to boost pay to better attract talent and budget for higher labour costs, agreed 87 per cent of respondents. …High housing costs and interest rates are straining households that are already struggling under high debt, she said. …Higher housing costs are themselves a big contributor to inflation, also making it harder to get the measure down to allow for lower rates ahead, she said.

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Ontario home construction levels up, but still far off pace for 1.5M target

By Allison Jones
The Canadian Press in Yahoo! News
March 26, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada East

TORONTO — The pace of new home construction is picking up in Ontario, though it is still far off the levels needed for the government to achieve its pledge to build 1.5 million homes by 2031, the budget released Tuesday shows. In last year’s budget, projections for housing starts had Ontario building fewer than 80,000 new homes in 2024, but that number is now expected to be nearly 88,000. Those figures are set to continue rising slowly but steadily over the next few years, up to 95,800 in 2027, according to the projections in the budget based on the average of private sector forecasts. However, Ontario needs to be building at least 125,000 homes this year, ramping up to at least 175,000 per year to get to 1.5 million homes, since the first few years of the 10-year period also saw below-needed levels.

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US Consumer Confidence Remains Stable Despite Concerns About Future

Fan-Yu Kuo
NHAB – Eye on Housing
March 26, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Consumer confidence held steady in March, with optimism about current conditions offset by concerns about the future economic outlook. This pessimism was primarily driven by persistent inflation, especially elevated food and gas prices. The Consumer Confidence Index, reported by the Conference Board, stood virtually unchanged at 104.7 in March, the lowest level since November 2023. The Present Situation Index rose 3.4 points from 147.6 to 151.0, while the Expectation Situation Index fell 2.5 points from 76.3 to 73.8. Historically, an Expectation Index reading below 80 often signals a recession within a year. Consumers’ assessment of current business conditions fell slightly in March. …Meanwhile, consumers’ assessments of the labor market were more positive. …The Conference Board also reported the share of respondents planning to buy a home within six months increased to 4.9% in March. Of those, respondents planning to buy a newly constructed home remained at 0.3%.

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DS Smith should find a better cardboard coupling at home

By Roula Khalaf, Editor
The Financial Times
March 28, 2024
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

For DS Smith shareholders the packaging may matter more than the paper when comparing competing efforts to buy the company. The British boxmaker said on Wednesday it had received a second all-share offer, this time from International Paper. …That valued DS Smith at £7.5bn ($9.5bn) including net debt, with a per-share price about a tenth above UK rival Mondi’s approach in February. …The gap between the two deals was under 4 per cent. …Both deals are defensive, rooted in the need to consolidate given excess industry capacity and peaking demand for cardboard and paper. But a tie-up with Mondi would create a European champion, and with it cost savings. …DS Smith shareholders should be wary of a suitor willing to overpay simply to stay in the game.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Health Canada banned this chemical used on hydro poles. Now power producers say they’re running out

By Peter Zimonjic
CBC News
March 26, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

In a newly published report, electricity providers across the country warn a looming shortage of wooden utility poles is threatening the reliability of Canada’s electricity grid. That warning comes just as Ottawa invests billions of dollars in expanding transmission and production to meet the demands of a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. The problem stems from a Health Canada decision to ban pentachlorophenol (PENTA), a chemical pesticide used to protect and preserve some utility poles, without approving an alternative treatment to take its place.  “An orderly phase-out of [PENTA] could have been planned alongside a scale-up of alternatives,” says a new report from Electricity Canada, the industry association representing energy companies. …”While several oil-borne wood preservatives that can serve as alternatives to PENTA are available in other countries, they have either not been approved by Health Canada or are not easily accessible in Canada,” Ontario’s Minister of Energy Todd Smith wrote.

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Canada’s First Nations are building the densest neighborhood in the country by reclaiming their ancestral land

By Eliza Relman
MSN – Business Insider
March 27, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER — Much like in the US, Canada is experiencing a severe housing affordability crisis, and the country’s indigenous communities have long suffered disproportionately from inadequate housing. But Canada’s indigenous communities are fighting to address the issue. In Vancouver alone, several First Nations are leading a major push to build housing on indigenous-owned land, in some cases partnering with the federal government to build entirely new communities that will house tens of thousands of people. Ground has already been broken on one of these projects. …Because the development, named Sen̓áḵw, is on Squamish Nation reserve land, it’s not subject to the same governmental land-use regulations as land elsewhere in the city, allowing for a speedier approval and construction process. The first three towers are set to be completed in November 2025, and the rest of the development is scheduled to be done in about eight years.

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Canadian Wood Council and George Brown College’s Brookfield Sustainability Institute to co-host WoodWorks Summit in Toronto

By The Canadian Wood Council
LinkedIn
March 27, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Ottawa, Toronto – The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) and George Brown College’s Brookfield Sustainability Institute (BSI) are thrilled to announce a strategic partnership aimed at fostering education in sustainable construction practices. Under this partnership, the CWC and BSI will join forces on various initiatives dedicated to accelerating the adoption of sustainable wood construction. Central to this effort is the WoodWorks Summit, which the organizations will co-host in Toronto October 21-25, 2024. The Summit promises to be a dynamic collection of events that will bring together industry leaders, practitioners, academics, and policymakers to explore the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities in wood construction and sustainability. “We are excited to embark on this collaborative journey with the Brookfield Sustainability Institute,” said Martin Richard, VP of Market Development and Communications at the Canadian Wood Council. The WoodWorks Summit will feature an engaging lineup of events, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, tours, and networking sessions. 

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Fay Jones School Hosts Wood Innovations Program Workshop on Mass Timber, Housing

University of Arkansas
March 27, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations Program, hosted “With the Grain / Against the Grain,” a workshop on mass timber for affordable housing. This workshop brought together a consortium of recent Wood Innovations Grant Program recipients focused on affordable and workforce housing utilizing mass timber and other innovative wood products/by-products, along with partners in industry, real estate, government, higher education and design. …The intent is to identify barriers and solutions to the design, manufacturing and construction of affordable housing, and to explore how participants can move toward a vision of sustainable, affordable housing in mass timber and other wood products. More generally, the workshop aimed to catalyze housing that is more readily reproduced, more swiftly scaled up, and economical and affordable. …The workshop events were recorded and will be promoted initially through a specific consortium website.

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This Office Building Is Made of Something Different

By Dan Beyers
CoStar News
March 27, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

It is not exactly a tree growing in Brooklyn, but Baltimore can now claim its first mass timber office building on Boston St. The aptly named 40Ten Boston, for its location at 4010 Boston St., stands out for being the city’s first office building built largely from heavy lumber, rather than steel or concrete, earning it an Impact Award as judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market. The unique building material required the team at 28 Walker Development to work closely with local building code and fire officials to familiarize city officials with the construction process and its safety attributes. …”The innovation with the mass timber construction is not only beautiful aesthetically but more importantly it champions environmental sustainability through the project,” wrote Lacey Johansson, assistant vice president for leasing at St. John Properties.

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BIG unveils mass timber transit hub design for Toulouse, France

By Josh Niland
Archinect News
March 26, 2024
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

TOULOUSE, France — BIG has unveiled renderings for its new Marengo Multimodal Transport Hub project in Toulouse, France’s fourth largest city. The 129,000-square-foot building connects the city center to the UNESCO-listed Canal du Midi. …The local studio A+ Architecture is also contributing to the project. The design is for a mass timber structure topped with a rose-colored folded roof replete with photovoltaics and finished in the same tone by a low-carbon concrete floor. …Pursuing low carbon solutions in the design, we employed mass timber, low carbon concrete, and natural ventilation throughout, with photovoltaics on the roof. This simple yet multifunctional design transforms the roof into Toulouse’s new landmark,” Jakob Sand, BIG’s Partner in Charge for the project, described of their ambition. …Another European mass timber transit hub design, the Västerås Travel Center in Sweden, is expected for 2025.

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Forestry

The 2024 wildfire season has started – here’s what we need to know

The University of British Columbia
March 27, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Lori Daniels

Last year’s wildfire season marked B.C.’s most destructive on record: 2.8 million hectares burned, more than double any previous year. UBC researchers Dr. Lori Daniels and Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais actively work on projects enhancing wildfire resilience, collaborating with community, government, private-sector and academic partners, and First Nations. Dr. Daniels is the Koerner Chair in the Centre for Wildfire Coexistence at UBC, focusing on proactive management to increase ecosystem and community resilience to climate change and wildfires. Dr. Bourbonnais is a former wildland firefighter and now assistant professor at UBC Okanagan who employs advanced technologies to study wildfire risk and behaviour. We spoke with Drs. Daniels and Bourbonnais about the outlook for wildfire season, and how communities can prepare for a challenging year.

Additional coverage in CBC News by Arrthy Thayaparan: Experts advise B.C. residents to prepare early for wildfire season

Global News by Simon Little & Cassidy Mosconi: Early signs point to another bad B.C. wildfire season, expert warns

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Forestry documentary Silvicola to screen in Williams Lake

By Monica Lamb-Yorski
The Williams Lake Tribune
March 27, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

An award-winning documentary about forestry will be screened by the Williams Lake Film Club Wednesday, April 3. Silvicola was directed by Jean-Philippe Marquis, a filmmaker living in Bella Coola, and explores the human impact on forests in the Pacific Northwest. “I tried to make a film that could be both enjoyed by forestry workers and environmentalists,” Marquis said. “Now it’s time to show it in communities where forestry is an important industry.” The name of the film – Silvicola – comes from the Latin word for living in the forest, he explained. In making the film, he really wanted to get feedback from everyone involved in forestry. …Aside from Williams Lake, Marquis is hoping to tour with the film in Quesnel and Prince George. …For a decade he was a tree-planter and it was his experience reforesting in remote places in B.C. that inspired him to make the film.

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Alberta Students Grow In Their Learning At Forest And Wildlife Youth Summit

By Galen Hartviksen
CKVG Country 106.5
March 27, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Sherwood Park, AB. — In March, Vegreville Composite High was chosen as one of 20 high schools in Alberta to attend the 13th annual Regenerate Forest and Wildlife Youth Summit. …Hosted by Inside Education, the four-day summit takes place in Canmore, Alberta. …“The Inside Education team was amazing, and they alone were a huge highlight for students. On the first day, Elder Heather Poitras welcomed us. Students then had an amazing time learning from the keynote speaker Colin Angus and all the different presenters, especially those from the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Stewardship, Alberta Forest Products Association, Alberta Forestry and Parks, Cenovus Energy, NorQuest College and TC Energy. I was blown away with the amazing opportunities shared with us. Students had the chance to learn about emerging careers, post-secondary opportunities and get hands-on experience in these fields,” said Andrew MacLean, the Off-Campus Facilitator and Environmental Stewardship Teacher at Vegreville Composite.

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The Government of Québec announces financial assistance to FPInnovations on major projects

FPInnovations
March 20, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The Québec Minister of Natural Resources and Forests and Minister Responsible for the Bas-Saint-Laurent Region and the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine Region, Maïté Blanchette Vézina, today announced a maximum financial assistance of $2M, over three years, to FPInnovations to support the next phases of a truck platooning project aimed at modernizing forestry operations and mitigating the shortage of qualified drivers, during a visit to FPInnovations’ Québec laboratories along with president and CEO Stéphane Renou. The project aims to operate highly automated platooning trucks on low-traffic forest roads. Platooning involves connecting two or more trucks in convoy, using connectivity technology and automated driver assistance systems. The truck at the head of the platoon, with driver, acts as leader, with the vehicles behind it automatically adapting to changes in movement.

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Major progress in effort to protect CA giant sequoias from megafires

By Suzanne Potter
Public News Service
March 28, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Crews have been ramping up wildfire resilience projects to thin out brush and dead wood in California’s giant sequoia groves, clearing twice as many acres in 2023 compared with 2022. The Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition is trying to avoid a repeat of the disastrous mega-fires of 2020 and 2021 – which killed about 20% of large mature trees in their native Sierra Nevada range. Joanna Nelson, Ph.D. is the director of science and conservation planning with the nonprofit Save the Redwoods League. “We remove fuel,” said Nelson, “we get to a safe place to do prescribed burning and to do cultural burning – which is always led by indigenous people, which is another practice of taking care of the forest and reducing wildfire risk.” Sequoia National Park is just one part of California’s giant sequoia groves, which stretch over 26,000 acres. A new report shows that in 2023, the program treated nearly 9,900 acres in 28 groves – and more than 14,000 since 2021.

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Fire Ecology and Forest Resilience in the Pacific Northwest (Webinar 4 of 8)

By Garrett Meigs and Derek Churchill
National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI)
March 28, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

In recent years, wildfires have burned millions of acres in Washington State, inducing a wide range of effects across environmental gradients and forest types. In 2017, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) launched the 20-Year Forest Health Strategic Plan to accelerate landscape-scale wildfire risk reduction, ecosystem restoration, and climate adaptation across all lands in eastern Washington. To better understand the widespread impacts of the 2021 fire season, we piloted a rapid assessment to evaluate the work of wildfire – i.e., the degree to which fire effects were consistent with the landscape resilience and wildfire risk reduction objectives of the 20-Year Plan. Here, we present lessons from the 2021 and 2022 fires across eastern and western Washington. We highlight how wildfires have both positive and negative effects, depending on location, forest type, and landowner objectives. [Zoom webinar series by NCASI and the Washington Chapter of the Wildlife Society]

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Washington State to Conduct Prescribed Burns on 2,580 Acres to Enhance Forest Health, Cut Wildfire Risk

By Aaron Washington
Hoodline
March 27, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources is set to start prescribed burns across 2,580 acres of state trust lands starting next week, a move to bolster forest health and mitigate wildfire risks. The burns, announced Monday and spreading through central and eastern Washington, are a strategic push to revitalize aged trees, support wildlife, and provide safer conditions for firefighters battling future blazes. While these controlled fires are pegged to ignite during spring and could stretch into early summer, each is tethered to a slew of safety checks, influenced by weather patterns and the availability of resources, some may get pushed to later dates if conditions aren’t just right, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Prescribed burns have long been in the arsenal of land managers and private stakeholders alike, serving as a shield against catastrophic wildfire events.

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NASA Data Shows How Drought Changes Wildfire Recovery in the West

By Emily DeMarco, NASA Earth Science Division
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
March 27, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

A new study using NASA satellite data reveals how drought affects the recovery of western ecosystems from fire, a result that could provide meaningful information for conservation efforts. The West has been witnessing a trend of increasing number and intensity of wildland fires. Historically a natural part of the region’s ecology, fires have been exacerbated by climate change—including more frequent and intense droughts—and past efforts to suppress fires, which can lead to the accumulation of combustible material like fallen branches and leaves. But quantifying how fire and drought jointly affect ecosystems has proven difficult. In the new study, researchers analyzed over 1,500 fires from 2014 to 2020 across the West, and also gathered data on drought conditions dating back to 1984. They found that forests, if not burned too badly, rebound better than grasslands and shrublands because some forest roots can tap into water deeper in the ground. 

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Montana mill closures are bad news for forestry and trade students

Editorial Board
The Montana Kaimin College News
March 28, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

UNIVERSITY of MONTANA — With the Missoula Composites mill and the Seeley Lake mill closing, 250 jobs will be lost, according to reporting by Montana Free Press. It’ll likely impact future job prospects for students enrolled in the University’s forestry and trade school programs. …According to the job search service Handshake, Roseburg has employed around 82 University of Montana students, with three currently working for the company. Three current UM students also work for Pyramid Mountain Lumber. With the mills’ closures, the prospects for employment post-graduation in forestry-related fields diminish, impacting not only the education and training of future professionals, but also the Missoula economy’s reliance on having enough skilled, trained workers interested in pursuing these industries. …The closure of the local mills presents a significant setback for students pursuing degrees at UM’s College of Forestry, which has 10 degree programs and currently enrolls 760 undergraduate and 128 graduate students.

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As ski resort develops, federal protections may not keep whitebarks standing

By Billy Arnold
Jackson Hole News & Guide
March 27, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Endangered Species Act rules protecting whitebark pine trees may not prevent people from cutting them down. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed whitebark in 2023, saying the iconic western conifer was existentially “threatened” by a fungus known as white pine blister rust, tree-eating beetles, altered fire regimes and climate change. Human development is not included in the government’s list of threats. Still, federal agencies permitting development on federal land are required to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether that activity will “jeopardize” the species’ “continued existence.” For whitebark, federal land managers and conservation advocates say that’s a high bar. The tree’s range stretches from Canada to California’s Sierra Nevadas and east to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. …Conservationists worry the regulations appear to be written in a way that doesn’t consider the cumulative impact of smaller human developments — and downed whitebarks — that could add up over time.

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Conservationists to sue for better protections of Oregon’s coastal martens

By Nathan Wilk
Oregon Public Broadcasting
March 27, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

A conservation group says it’s going to sue the U.S. Forest Service for failing to protect a rare and endangered species in Oregon. There are fewer than 400 coastal martens in the wild, according to estimates from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The small, weasel-like animal was federally recognized as a threatened species in 2020. Coastal martens have been found in isolated populations across Oregon and California, including around 70 estimated individuals in the Oregon Dunes between Florence and Coos Bay. Now, the Center for Biological Diversity says the rising popularity of off-road vehicles in the Dunes is threatening that population, by tearing through habitats and creating disruptive noise. Meanwhile, the center accuses federal officials in charge of the area of putting few protections in place to stop the devastation.

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Montana can’t have healthy forests without a healthy timber industry

By Dawn Terrill, Duane Simons & Roman Zylawy – Mineral County Commissioners
Clark Fork Valley Press
March 27, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The recent closures of Pyramid Mountain Lumber and Roseburg Forest Products in Missoula County is a warning for Montana and a symptom of broader challenges threatening the region’s forest and wood products sect of which is pivotal for thousands of private sector jobs and crucial for federal efforts to improve forest health, mitigate wildfire risks, and cater to the escalating demand for carbon-friendly wood products. Montana’s timber industry, an integral component of the state’s identity and economy, faces a multitude of challenges – from workforce shortages and affordable housing crises to the whims of volatile markets. However the underlying issue driving mill closures across the west is a declining supply of raw material to manufacturers, a critical concern given that Montana’s wood products manufacturers are surrounded by federally owned forests. …Currently, the milling demand in Montana, spurred by the public’s demand for wood products, surpasses the available and projected log supply.

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Three conservation groups challenging Bureau of Land Management forest plan in Medford federal court

By Luke Doten
KDRV ABC Newswatch 12
March 26, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

MEDFORD, Ore. – On April 2, three organizations are taking the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to federal court in Medford. The three conservation organizations — Klamath Siskiyou Wild, Cascadia Wild and Oregon Wild — are fighting to prevent BLM from what they consider excessive logging in a forest in Josephine County. They are specifically fighting BLM’s Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) in Josephine County, about two miles northwest of Williams. According to BLM’s website, the purpose of IVM is to “promote and develop: safe and effective wildfire response opportunities that reduce wildland fire risk to Highly-Valued Resources and Assets; Fire- and disturbance-resilient lands and fire-resistant stands; and habitat for Special Status Species and unique native plant communities.” 

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New England Study Calls for Dramatic Increase in Sustainable Forestry

By Caitlin Littlefield and Basil Waugh
The University of Vermont
March 28, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

A new report highlights the opportunity for New England to dramatically expand forest protections and sustainably meet the region’s wood product needs by reducing consumption and reorienting production. The report calls on New England states to permanently protect roughly 70% of the region’s landscape—a significant increase from the 25% currently protected—while expanding sustainable forest management across two-thirds of New England’s forests. Researchers from the University of Vermont, Harvard Forest, Conservation Science Partners, University of Massachusetts, and Brandeis University found that New England only produces three-quarters of the wood it consumes—and meets some of this shortfall with wood drawn from places with weaker environmental and social oversight. Even starker disparities exist in the region: 70% of the region’s production comes from Maine, while 70% of the region’s consumption occurs in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The report challenges these and other states in the region to boost production and reduce consumption of wood products.

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European fire services preparing for the upcoming wildfire season

International Association of Fire and Rescue Services
March 28, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The wildfires in South America – and early fire season start in Canada – have recently once again highlighted the devastating impact of forest and vegetation fires. The past summers in Central and Northern Europe have also been characterized by drought and dried-up forests, prompting European fire brigades to intensively prepare for the upcoming dry spell. Preparation includes training for emergency responders, as well as tactics, handling of equipment, and planning for the use of firefighting agents and reserves. One major challenge, particularly in many non-urban areas, is the availability of water for firefighting. As witnessed in recent summers, high temperatures and prolonged dry spells have caused a decline in groundwater levels in lakes and rivers, with some even drying up completely. This significantly affects drinking water supplies in some regions, and firefighting efforts heavily rely on these natural “water reservoirs.”

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Australia’s forest products sector welcomes strengthened laws to fight illegal logging

The Australian Forest Products Association
March 28, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Diana Hallam

Australia’s forest products sector welcomes legislation introduced into the Australian Parliament today by the Albanese Government that will strengthen Australia’s fight against illegally logged timber, CEO Diana Hallam said. The provisions of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment (Strengthening Measures to Prevent Illegal Timber Trade) Bill 2024 will improve Australia’s ability to identify and act against those who undermine our legal and sustainable trade in wood and timber products. Diana Hallam said, “Illegal timber not only undermines the environmental sustainability of the forest products industry, it also undermines our domestic biosecurity protections creating a heightened risk of potentially devastating pests and diseases that can devastate local industry. The Bill will amend the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 to: Strengthen audit, compliance and enforcement of offence penalties. Enhance monitoring of compliance and streamline investigation powers; and Require notice of products being brought into Australia.

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Palm oil and other commodities linked to US’s deforestation footprint

Global Witness
March 26, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: International

As the world’s biggest importer, trillions of dollars’ worth of products from around the globe find their way into the US every year – with the amount of food imports growing in recent years. According to new analysis provided to us by Trase, US imports of seven everyday commodities were linked to the destruction of 122,800ha of tropical and subtropical forest – equivalent to an area the size of Los Angeles – in just two years. Imports of palm oil were the most significant contributor, linked to 41,500 hectares of deforestation – and making up more than a third of the US’ total exposure in this analysis. This palm oil was overwhelmingly imported from Indonesia, where deforestation trends have begun to tick back up over the last two years following a decade of decline.

Related coverage in the NY Times: Why Palm Oil Is Still a Big Problem

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

BC Has Ambitious Climate Goals. Do They Leave Room for Gas?

By Zoë Yunker
The Tyee
March 27, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

Natural gas made its debut in the City of Vancouver over a century ago… Today, it’s the primary way B.C. powers its buildings, and a major problem for B.C.’s pursuit to cut its emissions by 40 per cent in a mere six years. …Fortis has its own plan to cut pollution while keeping the gas lines flowing. The company’s “Clean Growth Pathway” projects a scenario where growing appetites for gas and electricity can coexist by supercharging its supply of “low-carbon gases” like renewable natural gas, hydrogen and syngas, a type of gas produced from non-fossil sources via thermal conversion. …Fortis also has plans to use syngas, likely to be produced from wood, to bolster its supply. …Syngas can’t be delivered into pipelines like RNG, but it can be used directly in some industrial facilities, like a lumber mill that uses wood-produced syngas to power a pulp mill next door, for example.

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What’s So Green About Burning Trees? The False Promise of Biomass Energy

By Sam Davis, Partnership For Policy Integrity
Eurasia Review
March 27, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, International

Renewable energy comes from matter that nature produces and replenishes constantly. The power generated through this source does not significantly threaten the environment, especially in comparison with fossil fuels… according to the United Nations. Renewable energy derived from wind, solar, geothermal, hydrokinetic, and hydro energy has a much lower environmental impact than fossil fuels. It harnesses the power of readily available elements and does not diminish with use. …And because wind and sunlight are inherently free, there are no ongoing feedstock costs. Bioenergy, otherwise known as biomass energy, is, however, different. This kind of power involves using living matter or matter that was recently been alive. …Trees are also used, most oftenfrom the forests of the U.S. South, including pine and hardwood species. …Supporters argue that bioenergy is a climate-friendly, sustainable power source that helps local economies. The truth is that wood pellet plants are as dirty and problematic as coal plants. 

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A major European nature protection plan stumbles at the final hurdle. ‘How could we give that up?’

By Raf Casert
Associated Press in Herald and News
March 25, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

BRUSSELS — A European Union plan to protect nature in the 27-nation bloc and fight climate change was indefinitely postponed Monday, underscoring how farmers’ protests sweeping the continent have had a deep influence on politics. The deadlock on the bill, which could undermine the EU’s global stature on the issue, came less than three months before the European Parliament election in June. The member states were supposed to give final approval to the biodiversity bill on Monday following months of proceedings… But the rubber stamp has turned into possible perpetual shelving. …The Nature Restoration plan is a part of the EU’s European Green Deal to establish ambitious climate and biodiversity targets, and make the bloc the global point of reference on all climate issues. The bill is part of an overall project for Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, demanding short and medium-term changes and sacrifices from all parts of society…

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‘Pretending to grow forests in the desert’: New research questions integrity in safeguard mechanism scheme

By Krishani Dhanji
ABC News, Australia
March 26, 2024
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

A major Australian study has found some of the nation’s biggest polluters are meeting their emissions obligations using carbon credits that have not actually resulted in emissions reductions. …Andrew Macintosh, one of the lead authors of the paper and an environment law and policy professor at the Australian National University first sounded the alarm two years ago, calling the carbon market “largely a sham”. His calls were rejected by a government-commissioned review, but Professor Macintosh said the new research shows further evidence that human-induced regeneration – a core part of the Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) scheme – hasn’t worked. …Researchers monitored 182 Human Induced Regeneration (HIR) projects, which make up about 30 per cent of all ACCUs and have cost taxpayers nearly $300 million over their lifetime. They found many of the projects to grow native forests were claiming to be regenerating them in uncleared desert and semi-desert areas.

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Health & Safety

Labour ministry continues probe into Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper explosion

By Gary Rinne
The Thunder Bay News Watch
March 26, 2024
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada East

THUNDER BAY — Ontario’s labour ministry has issued numerous instructions to Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper and one of its contractors following a fiery explosion Friday that injured four people, including two who were flown to a Toronto hospital burn unit for treatment. Video of the incident obtained by TBnewswatch shows that a fireball – lasting two or three seconds – erupted from a building where the hog fuel feed system is located. …The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development revealed Tuesday that it has issued 11 “requirements” to the mill owner, and 10 requirements to Skyway Canada, a contractor that offers a variety of industrial services. But the ministry said no further details will be released while the investigation is still underway. A Thunder Bay Fire Rescue spokesperson has said he was told a bearing overheated prior to the explosion.

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