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The Oregon Board of Forestry narrowly approved reducing timber harvest by 34% for the next 70 years. The plan was revealed in January 2023 and passed recently despite alarm by counties, taxing districts, businesses, and residents. Despite the input from stakeholders, there were no amendments to the plan.

Source: https://www.lesprom.com/en/news/Hampton_Lumber_responds_to_Board_of_Forestry_decision_to_approve_State_Forest_Habitat_Conservation_Plan_112205/

In 2020, the Beachie Creek Fire burned 1/3 of the Freres Lumber timberland. Freres feels that the Forest Service didn’t follow the fire plan and saw equipment parked when it could have been used on the fire. Instead, the fire was unattended for nine days while the Forest Service fought other fires. While the Federal Government enjoys a high level of immunity from lawsuits, entities can sue for damages caused by negligent acts of government employees.

Source: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2024/01/23/oregon-timber-company-sues-forest-service/72316342007/

Plastics are everywhere. Unfortunately, wherever there is plastic, there are microplastics. Plastic is in our air, water, blood, and now…the clouds?

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/15/weather/microplastic-pollution-weather-study-climate/index.html

One might get into the business of carbon credits for several reasons. The idea is that one is getting paid for not harvesting trees that would have been harvested. There are ways to sell fake carbon credits. An easy way to do this is to sell a credit for an area of forest that would NEVER be harvested (too difficult to harvest, too close to water, already protected, etc.). Carbon credits are valuable when the reference forest is cut down, while the protected forest isn’t. The amoral solution? Burn down the reference forest. It’s not good for the environment, but it’s great for your bottom line.
Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2023-10-17/you-can-t-sell-trees-no-one-cuts-down?embedded-checkout=true

Flatbed rates have been lower in recent history, partially due to the lack of demand. Recent signs indicate that we’ve hit the bottom of that valley, and flatbed rates are starting to increase. Plan accordingly for your long lead-time projects.
Source: https://www.dat.com/blog/flatbed-report-higher-commodity-prices-drive-higher-farm-equipment-sales?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=marketupdate

The wildfires in Canada are devastating, with smoke billowing southward and covering much of the United States. Approximately 25% of the softwood lumber used in the United States comes from Canadian forests. As beetle kill has decimated the forests of the west, more softwood lumber is burning on the stump. Canadian production has been on the decline for the last decade and is projected to continue to do so for decades. With the vast demand in the US, where will this supply come from?
Source: https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/will-wildfires-have-an-impact-on-canada-s-lumber-industry-1.1933131

Currently, it takes years for state-managed land to get approval for logging. Legislation winding through could shorten that time to days in the most extreme cases. Proponents say that the bill will alleviate fire danger and revitalize its ailing logging industry. Opponents are concerned that lacking specificity gives the Department of Natural Resources too much discretion to decide which forests can be speedily sold and cut.

Source: https://alaskabeacon.com/2023/04/26/house-passed-bill-would-trim-the-time-needed-for-alaska-loggers-to-cut-state-owned-forests/

Located about an hour north of Green Bay, WI, the Menominee tribe has sustainably logged its forest in Wisconsin since 1854. Most of that was white pine, red oak, aspen, hemlock, and hard maple. Despite the over 200 million board feet of lumber harvested since then, the forest has more trees on the same acreage than it did when harvesting started, with some trees over 200 years old.

That careful balance was done by putting the forest first and profits as a by-product of healthy forest management. A crisis is emerging, though. There are too many trees and not enough loggers. With aging equipment and a labor shortage – the mill is only producing around 9-12 million board feet a year with sustainable harvesting goals between 22 and 25 million. The unharvested trees create dangers to the forest as trees age and die. These dead and dying trees will be home to disease and pests. Furthermore, the density of the forest will increase – creating an environment that invites invasive diseases and pests and making the forest less resilient to wildfires.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/22/climate/menominee-forest-sustainable-earth-day.html

According to researcher Michael A. Gayed, lumber prices give insight into economic downturns. It directly affects the housing market and the housing market the broader economy. And right now, lumber is looking pretty dismal.

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/savingandinvesting/housing-market-crash-alert-why-investors-should-pay-close-attention-to-lumber-prices/ar-AA1aNHcB

See-through plastic? Hard to believe but it’s right around the corner. Resolute Forest Products is nearing the completion of its new plant at Kénogami, Quebec, Canada. This plant will allow Resolute to manufacture cellulose filaments, a translucent film that can be disposed of in the same recycling stream. Just toss it in with your existing cardboard or paper.
Source: https://www.paperage.com/2023news/04-04-2023resolute-new-cellulose-filaments-plant.html