The National Interagency Fire Center reported today (10-4-21) that there are 52 large wildfires burning nationally on over 2,985,979 acres. No new large fires were being reported as of today.
News in timber
Alberta Forest Companies Plant Over 100 Million Trees in the Province’s Forests in 2021
Alberta’s forest companies have planted over 100 million trees in the province’s forests in 2021. That number amounts to planting three trees for every one that is harvested — or 23 trees for every resident of the province, or (even more impressive) 100,000 trees for every grizzly bear in Alberta.
Hurricane Ida’s Winds Inflict an Estimated $300 Million of Damage to Louisiana Timber Industry
Economist Kurt Guidry estimates that about half of $584 million dollars in losses was damage done to the timber industry, which is Louisiana’s top-grossing ag commodity. Over 168,000 acres were affected by the hurricane’s winds, causing an estimated $300 million in damage.
65 Large Wildfires Continue to Burn Across the U.S. with Only 1 Listed as Contained
The National Interagency Fire Center reported today (9-27-21) there are 65 large wildfires burning nationally on over 3,154,071 acres. Two new large fires were being reported on Sunday (9-26-21), with one located in Oklahoma and the other in Texas.
B.C.’s 2021 Wildfire Season Ranks Third Worse on Record with 8,680 Square Kilometers Burned
British Columbia’s 2021 wildfire season is in the process of winding down. The B.C. 2021 wildfire season to date has burned an area of 8,680 square kilometers (3,352 square miles) and ranks as the third highest on record but is only 61% of the all-time high reached just 3-years ago.
Ikea’s Owner Purchases 5500 Hectares of New Zealand Farmland with Plans to Plant it into Forestland
Ingka Group, which owns retail giant Ikea, has purchased 5500 hectares of Otago, New Zealand farmland that it plans to plant into forest. In August, the Overseas Investment Office approved the purchase of Wisp Hill buy the Ingka Group.
Hurricane Ida Hits the Louisiana Timber Industry
Unlike with Katrina, during Ida a lot of small, scattered trees as well as big ones went down. “Anything 15 years and up that was on commercial forest land that was planted and thinned before Ida hit, those stands have been pretty much totally devastated.”
British Columbia Ends Provincial State of Emergency for Wildfires
The B.C. wildfire season came one step closer to coming to an ending with the province’s announcement on Tuesday evening (9-14-21) that it was lifting the provincial state of emergency. The state of emergency, which was put in place on July 20, 2021, came into effect to co-ordinate the response to one of the worst wildfire seasons on record.
B.C. Ministry of Forests Releases Strategic Review Entitled “A New Future for Old Forests”
British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests on Saturday (9-11-21) released the government mandated old growth strategic review, entitled “A New Future for Old Forests.” It was written by two retired foresters, Garry Merkel and Al Gorley, who spent months touring the province talking to stakeholders about how the trees, some more than 1,000 years old, should be logged and protected.
Two More Saskatchewan Mills Receive Province Timber Allocations
The forestry industry in Saskatchewan received additional good news on Friday (9-10-21), with the announcement that two more timber mills will be receiving timber allocations from the province. These latest allocations come at the end of a week that saw two mills in Prince Albert receive timber allocations as well.