A proposed sweeping plan of “treatment” to remove trees burned and killed along roads within the scars of Beachie Creek, Lionshead, and Holiday Farm fire has been proposed by the U.S. Forest Service. There are roughly 550 miles of road within the trio of fires and about 390 are proposed for “treatment” — meaning the cutting dead trees that might fall onto the road in the future.
News in timber
Washington State Looks to Forest Lands for More than Just Logging
Washington state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently held a timber auction to sell off part of a 180-acre patch of state forestland where some of the state’s largest Douglas firs have stood through more than a hundred years of logging. The sale netted the state $4.2 million, and the trees were headed for a plywood mill.
Oregon Wildfire Log Salvaging Could Bring Counties Funds and Environmental Challenges
There are 18 counties in Oregon that get a share of timber revenue off Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land known as O & C lands. Those lands are named after the Oregon and California Railroad, which was granted land by the federal government in the 1800s as an incentive to build railroad lines. The federal government later took the land back.
Shortage of Seedlings Leave Oregon Small Landowners in a Bind
As a result of last year’s wildfires, small landowners in Oregon find themselves in a predicament. Oregon law requires replanting after harvesting trees for timber, but there now is a surge in demand for a product that takes two years to grow. Seedlings that will be ready this year already are sold, and those planted because of new demand will take time to grow.
Weyerhaeuser Devotes All Logging Resources to Wildfire Salvage Operations in Oregon
Weyerhaeuser continues to concentrate all of its logging resources into fire salvage. As an example, the Weyerhaeuser Santiam Lumber Mill is busily producing lumber from logs salvaged from the wildfires last summer — the Holiday Farm Fire that burned along the McKenzie River and into the Mohawk and upper Calapooia areas, and the Santiam Canyon fires, which damaged timber in the Snow Peak area.
Louisiana’s Timber Losses from Last Year’s Hurricanes Amount to $1.5 billion
According to LSU AgCenter’s forestry experts, the Louisiana’s forestry industries losses from hurricanes last year — $1.5 billion — was double the amount of the revenue the industry generates yearly.
China’s Ban on Imported Logs from Australia Creating Hardship on Australian Timber Industry
Diplomatic ties between Australia and its largest trading partner deteriorated last year after Canberra called for an international inquiry into the source of the coronavirus, angering China. Any hopes of a quick reconciliation have been dashed as Canberra and Beijing have now ensnared bureaucrats, who would usually stay engaged during a temporary disagreement.
Poland Announces Plans to Resume Logging in the former Bialowieza Forest
Poland sighting the need to clear roads and protect trees from the spruce bark beetle has announced it plans to resume logging in the former Bialowieza Forest.
Northeastern Minnesota Loggers Dealing with a Challenging Year
For loggers in Northeastern Minnesota, this has been a very difficult year. First came the closure of Verso’s paper mill in Duluth which slashed demand for several species of wood, and then there was the mild winter which has shortened the prime logging season.
Aftermath of Hurricane Michael Continues to Pose Wildfire Threat in Northwest Florida
More than 2 years later the aftermath of the storm is still visible and continues to pose a wildfire threat, which according to State Forester Erin Albury could continue over the next five to eight years.