Wood Markets News


Canadian National Railway Hopes to Reopen its Rail Network in Southern B.C. Over the Weekend

The Canadian National Railway Co. (CN) on Friday afternoon (12-3-21) said it was aiming to reopen its rail network in southern British Columbia over this weekend. This followed another round of heavy rain and strong winds, which prompted a second shutdown of service. CN said on Friday that engineers and construction crews continue to work on the Vancouver-Kamloops corridor.

USDA to Issue Final Pandemic Payments to Timber Harvesters and Haulers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Thursday (12-2-21) it will begin issuing final pandemic assistance payments to timber harvesters and timber hauling businesses through the Pandemic Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers (PATHH) program starting next week. In total, $200 million will be provided to loggers and log trucking businesses.

U.S. Nonfarm Payroll Increases by 210,000 in November, Unemployment Declines to 4.2%

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today (12-3-21) that total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 210,000 in November. This growth follows increases of 531,000 in October, 194,000 in September, 235,000 in August, 1.1 million in July, and 962,000 in June. Nonfarm payroll employment has increased by 18.5 million since April 2020 but is down by -3.9 million.

Indigenous Leaders and Experts in B.C. Present their Concerns Regarding Old-Growth Deferred Logging

While emphasizing the importance of preserving at-risk ecosystems, indigenous leaders and experts in British Columbia presented their concerns on Wednesday (12-1-21) over the B.C. provincial government’s process to defer logging in old-growth forests. On November 2, 2021, the province announced that an independent panel of scientific experts had mapped out 26,000 square kilometers of old-growth forests at risk of permanent biodiversity loss.