With the opening of Basaga International, the Port of Wilmington, after years of inactivity due to Hurricane Florence’s damage, now has an operating wood chip facility. Basaga shipped its first major shipment in late July and a second and larger shipment is scheduled to depart later this month.
News in timber
USNR Acquires Timber Automation Company
USNR, a division of Wood Technologies International, announced on Thursday that it had acquired Timber Automation Company, located in Hot Springs, Arkansas. According to USNR’s press release, the combination will add more than 250 employees and 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space.
US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for August 1, 2022: 4 New Wildfires Reported
The US National Interagency Fire Center reported on Monday that the total number of large wildfires and complexes currently burning in the US has been reduced to 55, with more than 1,580,475 acres across 13 different states currently burning. Four large new wildfires have been reported within the past 24 hours.
BC Government Funding Helps Company Convert Damaged Trees Into Engineered Wood Products
The BC provincial government has made funds available to Deadwood Innovations, a joint venture with the Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nation. Deadwood Innovations has received $200,000 (CAD) to support the creation of jobs and accelerate Indigenous participation in the forest sector.
US to Plant More Trees to Offset Impact of Climate Change
As US officials work to counteract the increasing toll on the nation’s forests from wildfires, insects, and other signs of climate change, the Biden administration said the government will plant more than one billion trees across millions of acres of burned and dead woodland in the Western US.
Biden Administration Takes Steps to Reverse Changes to the Endangered Species Act
On Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USF&WS) canceled a policy adopted during the previous administration that weakened its authority to identify lands and waters where declining animal and plants could receive government protection—the latest move to undue changes to the Endangered Species Act.
US National Interagency Fire Center Wildfire Update for July 25, 2022—5 New Wildfires Reported
The US National Interagency Fire Center reported on Monday that the total number of large wildfires and complexes currently burning in the US has expanded to 93, with more than 3,116,631 acres across 15 different states currently burning. Five large new wildfires have been reported within the past 24 hours.
Stz’uminus First Nation and BC Provincial Government Sign New Reconciliation Agreement
The signing of the reconciliation agreement is an incremental step toward the parties’ together identifying potential provincial Crown land for transfer, and a commitment to land transfer agreements as much as $28.5 million. Implementing the agreement will be an immense undertaking over several years.
The Lheidli T’enneh First Nation Reaches Timber Harvesting License Agreement With BC Government
The Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, located in the Prince George, BC, area, has reached an agreement with the BC government and will have exclusive timber harvesting rights to an estimated 217,312 hectares within the Nation’s territories east of Prince George.
West Fraser Issues Statement Regarding Recent Media Speculation About CVC Capital & Kronospan’s Interest in Acquiring the Company
Reuters reported on Tuesday (7-19-22) morning that according to a source familiar with the matter, private equity firm CVC Capital and wood panel manufacturer Kronospan have submitted a joint expression of interest in acquiring Canadian lumber company West Fraser Timber Co.