After approving a statewide hazard rating that will incorporate up to 300,000 properties with elevated risk of wildfires, Oregon forestry official are anticipating some blowback—especially from rural residents. Many of those rural tracts expect to face new defensible space and building code requirements.
News in timber
Pacific Woodtech to Acquire LP Building Solutions’ Engineered Wood Products Business and SolidStart® Brand
LP Building Solutions (LP) today announced an agreement with Pacific Woodtech to acquire LP’s engineered wood products business for $210 million. The acquisition includes LP’s laminated veneer lumber and I-joist manufacturing facilities in three states/provinces, associated timber license assets, and the SolidStart® brand.
US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for June 21, 2022: Hot & Dry Conditions Continue to Increase Wildfire Danger Throughout the US
The US National Interagency Fire Center reported on Tuesday that 5 large new fires were reported yesterday: 3 in Alaska and 1 each in Florida and North Carolina. That increases the total number of wildfires currently burning throughout the US to 38, with more than 1,726,992 acres in nine states now burning.
US to Add $103 Million to Support Wildfire Reduction and Burned-Area Rehabilitation
US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced that the U.S. will be adding $103 million this year for wildfire risk reduction and burned-area rehabilitation throughout the country. The same funding will also pay for the establishment of an interagency wildland firefighter health and well-being program.
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Has Timber Prices and Shortages Impacting EU and UK Wood Projects
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions applied by the EU and UK on Russia for that action have European architects and designers struggling to source wood for their projects. In 2021, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine provided nearly a quarter of the worldwide lumber trade and 53% of the EU’s timber imports.
American Loggers Council Expresses Concern About High Fuel Costs for Logging Company Operations
The rapid increase in fuel costs is forcing loggers and log trucking companies to shut down operations, according to the American Loggers Council. The association states that fuel costs have risen from 25% to as much as 60% of operational costs and expects more shutdowns will occur. The ALC suggests a number of actions to ease the current strain.
U.S. National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for June 13, 2022, Shows Wildfire Danger Remains High
The U.S. National Interagency Fire Center reported on Monday that 5 large new fires were reported yesterday, 2 each in Alaska and Arizona and 1 in California. That increases the total number of wildfires currently burning throughout the U.S. to 33, with more than 1,089,844 acres in five states now burning.
New South Wales Announces Renewal of All North Coast Wood Supply Agreements, Extending Native Forest Logging Until 2028
Australia’s New South Wales Agriculture Minister Dugland Saunders has announced that all North Coast Wood Supply Agreements that were to expire next year have been renewed and extended until 2028. The renewal, Mr. Saunders says, was done to provide “certainty” for the industry to “invest in their businesses.”
Bois Forte Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe to Resume Forest Management on Over 28,000 Acres
In the largest land-back agreement in Minnesota and one of the largest-ever in Indian Country, the Bois Forte Band of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe restored more than 28,000 acres of land within its reservation boundaries back to tribal ownership. The Band plans to directly manage the restored lands under a forest management plan.
Economic Pressures Have Maine Loggers Facing Difficult Business Decisions
The Professional Logging Contractor of Maine conducted a survey of its members during the winter in regard to their operating costs. The results of that survey revealed that operational costs have gone up an average of 24% over the last two years—on everything from tires and hydraulic filters, to brake parts and labor.