After an extremely dry winter, which left water levels low and vegetation dried out, much of the State of California is already in wildfire season. Fire experts says that with increasing winds and hot temperatures forecasted to start this week, and no rain or snow expected in the near term, wildfire conditions are not likely to get any better.
News in timber
BC Provincial Government Announces Harvest Deferrals on 1.7 Million Hectares
The BC government announced harvest deferrals on 1.7 million hectares of timberland in the province. In November 2021, the Province announced it would engage with First Nations rights and titleholders to find agreement on deferring harvest of old growth forests. The B.C. Government is reporting that it has received responses from 188 out of the 204 First Nations in the province.
Western Oregon State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan Released
The Habitat Conservation Plan for state forests in Western Oregon has been released for public comment. The plan is designed to protect critical habitat for 17 threatened species and includes wider no-logging zones near waterways and prohibits or limits harvesting near nesting and foraging grounds for threatened birds.
Plan to Protect Endangered Wildlife While Allowing Logging to Continue in Oregon’s Forests Advances
The Western Oregon Habitat Conservation plan, which was first developed by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) in 2018, would provide protection for 17 federally listed endangered species while ensuring logging in other parts of the forest to limit the potential of harm to those species.
Spruce Bark Beetle Continues to Eat Through Southcentral Alaska Forests, With Time to Salvage Running Short
The spruce bark beetle is continuing to eat its way through the forests in Southcentral Alaska. According to estimates, over 1.6 million acres are now impacted. Time is quickly running out to salvage any marketable value out of the effected wood.
Nuchatlaht First Nation Asks B.C. Supreme Court to Halt Logging on Parts of the Nation’s Territory
Lawyers for the Nuchatlaht First Nation asked the B.C. Supreme Court to recognize its rights and title and put a stop to logging on their land. The lawsuit filed in 2017 asserts that the governments have denied Nuchatlaht rights by authorizing logging and “effectively dispossessing” the nation of parts of its territory on Vancouver Island’s west coast.
Domain Timber Advisors Completes Purchase of 1,672 Acres of Timberland in West Georgia
Domain Capital Group, LLC, an Atlanta-based comprehensive private investment and management firm, today (3-21-22) announced that its subsidiary, Domain Timber Advisors, LLC, has finalized the purchase of 1,672 acres of timberland in west Georgia, expanding the firms’ Southeast timber portfolio.
Mosaic Forest Management to Defer Timber Harvesting on Some of its Timberland, Opting to Sell Carbon Credits Instead
Mosaic Forest Management, which oversees forest holdings for two B.C. companies—TimberWest Forest Corp. and Island Timberlands L.P.—which are owned by three large pension plans announced on Wednesday that it will defer the harvesting of 40,000 hectares of “old forests” on Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii for at least 25-years.
Saskatchewan’s Forestry Products Sales Hit New All-Time High in 2021
Saskatchewan’s forest sector hit an all-time record high of $1.8 billion in forestry product sales in 2021, up 60% from 2020, according to a press release from the provincial government. The forest industry has been rapidly expanding in the province.
Russia Bans Export Sales of Wood and Wood Products to “Unfriendly” Countries
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, Russia will ban the export of wood and wood products to countries from “unfriendly” states, including the U.S. and the EU countries, until the end of 2022. The ministry notes that the ban will ensure the needs in the domestic market for affordable raw wood.