Weyerhaeuser Company today (2/25/21) announced that they had reached an agreement to purchase 69,200 acres of high-quality Alabama timberland from Soterra, a subsidiary of Greif, Inc., for approximately $149 million.
News in timber
German Forests Deteriorated at Record Levels in 2020
According to Germany’s Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner, the condition of German forests has deteriorated to record levels due to a combination of fire, drought, windstorms, and a bark beetle infestation. More trees died in 2020 than ever before and only 21% of trees under observation had an intact canopy, an indication of how healthy a tree is, an annual survey on forests found.
Oregon Logging Companies are Racing the Clock Trying to Harvest Damaged Logs from the Archie Creek Fire
Logging throughout most of Oregon and especially in Douglas County is bustling as logging companies rush to harvest whatever damaged lumber they can from the 131,542-acre burn scar which was the Archie Creek Fire. Log decks at Douglas County sawmills have not been this full since the late 1980’s.
Berthoud Colorado Company Takes Wildfire Residue and Creates Carbon-Rich Charcoal That Helps Soil Retain Water and Nutrients
As Colorado recovers from its worse wildfire season on record, many foresters are looking for products that could provide the financial motivation for fire mitigation products, which reduce fuels but also create massive piles of unwanted timber. It is difficult to overstate the size of the problem.
Brazilian Exports of Wood-Based Products Increase 22% Year-Over-Year in November 2020
According to the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) the value of Brazilian exports of wood-based products (except pulp and paper) in November 2020 amounted to $299.3 million (USD), an increase of 22% when compared to November 2019 (when the value was $245.1 million USD).
Charred Timber from Woodhead Wildfire in Idaho to Help Fund Idaho Schools
The Woodhead Fire, near Council Idaho, which started from unknown causes on September 7th, 2020, had not even been partially contained before the Idaho Department of Lands forestry team, knowing that for a limited time blackened timber still have a value, began evaluating the potential for selling burned trees as salvage sales.
Federal Government Amends Decades Old Ban on Logging Trees 21-inches or Greater in Eastern Oregon and Southeast Washington State
The decades-old ban on logging trees 21-inches or greater in diameter in national forest across eastern Oregon and southeast Washington was amended on Friday, January 15th, 2021, when U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary James Hubbard signed off on the change.
Critical Spotted Owl Habitat Reduction Increased 17 Times Above Original Proposal
When originally announced last year, the federal government said it wanted to reduce the spotted owl habitat by 205,000 acres. However, as the implementation moved forward the owl’s habitat reduction increased 17 times above the original 205,000 acres to 3.47 million acres.
Sealaska To Exit Logging Business
Southeast Alaska’s regional Native corporation Sealaska, one of thirteen Alaska Native Regional Corporations, announced on Monday (1/11) that after 40-years they are transitioning out of the logging business.
Limited Seedling Nursery Capacity Has Potential to Slow Oregon’s Wildfire Recovery
The Oregon wildfires of 2020 destroyed nearly 1.2 million acres of forest land. Within days of the wildfires starting, nurseries were receiving calls from frantic foresters wanting to place additional orders for conifer seedlings, above what they already had on order for planned replanting operation, needed to replant areas devastated by the fires.