Markets for forest products respond to technology

New Southern Forest Outlook report now available

USDA Forest Service ‑ Southern Research Station

Asheville, NC — Technology is changing every facet of the forest products market. That may mean fewer jobs in the future as the industry shifts to labor-saving technology, with the steepest declines in the pulp and paper sector, according to a new report released by the USDA Forest Service’s Southern Research Station and Southern Region, as well as the Southern Group of State Foresters.

“From how trees are cut, to how they are processed at sawmills, and every step in between, technology is changing the industry,” said Forest Service scientist Jeff Prestemon who specializes in forest economics. “Researchers are partnering with the forest products industry to find ways to recycle and use materials that typically would be discarded as waste.”

Prestemon co-authored the report – Markets in the Southern Forest Outlook – with economist Jinggang Guo from Louisiana State University.

The new report analyzes six scenarios for the future and how each might impact the forest products markets in the South. The analysis considers how changes in income, population, climate, technology, and trade openness could affect markets.

The report also found:

• The South is projected to continue to be a net exporter of forest products.
• Prices of industrial roundwood are projected to rise, reversing recent downward trends.
• If mass timber were more widely used, the southern softwood market would strengthen.
• Additional trade barriers would enhance softwood exports and reduce hardwood exports.
• Most scenarios project a growth in wood pellet production in the South.

The report is part of a regional assessment, known as the Southern Forest Outlook. Its goal is to inform forest sector decision makers and the interested public about observed trends, anticipated futures, and critical issues based on authoritative synthesis and interpretation of existing science, data, and projections. This is the first of four reports that will be released in the coming months. A report on water is expected next month.

For decades, Forest Service scientists have conducted region-wide assessments of natural resources in the South. In fact, results from past assessments were used to develop research priorities for the Southern Research Station, including fire, water, markets, and restoration. The Southern Research Station and the Forest Service’s Southern Region work closely with the Southern Group of State Foresters, and the results of the markets report are organized by state.

The Southern Forest Outlook relies on the same core scenarios as the 2020 Resources Planning Act Assessment, which in turn relies on climate projections developed by the 2014 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The four main scenarios vary along two axes: high, moderate, or low amounts of economic growth and warming. The research team modified two scenarios to explore how markets would be affected if mass timber became more widely used in construction and if existing forest product trade restrictions were tightened.

“Wood is actually a new trend in sustainable building,” said Prestemon. “Mass timber, as it’s called, is produced to be strong enough to replace concrete or steel. If mass timber continues to catch on, then the South’s softwood market would grow.”

In all scenarios, the number of jobs across forest product sector is projected to decline. The steepest declines are projected for the paper manufacturing sector, due to labor-saving technologies and reduced demand for newsprint and printing and writing paper. The pulp and paper sector also includes packaging and sanitary papers, which is closely related to economic growth and are generally not projected to decline, and wood pellets. Wood pellet production is projected to rise across all southern states except in the scenario that combines high warming and low economic growth. The chapter also includes a section on the market effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new report builds on the Southern Forest Futures Project, which was completed in 2012. Since then, the southern forest products sector has experienced significant changes including rising timber inventory, declining softwood timber prices, increased barriers to international trade, and continued contraction of the forest sector workforce despite growth in production.

Read the report. 

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About Us 

The Southern Research Station, headquartered in Asheville, N.C., is comprised of more than 100 scientists who conduct natural resources research in 20 locations across 13 Southern states, from Virginia to Texas. The station’s mission is to create the science and technology needed to sustain and enhance southern forest ecosystems and the benefits they provide. Learn more about the Station.

The Forest Service’s Southern Region oversees 14 national forests and two special units in 13 states and Puerto Rico, working with states and private landowners to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Learn more about the Southern Region.

The Southern Group of State Foresters represents state forestry agencies within the 13 Southeastern U.S., and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Its members collectively provide leadership, coordination, expertise and resources to sustain the economic, environmental, health and societal benefits of Southern forests. Learn more about the Southern Group of State Foresters.

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DOI

10.2737/SRS-GTR-275 

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Markets: An Analysis to Support the Southern Forest Outlook

Article Publication Date

14-Nov-2024

B.C. forest sector prognosis becoming progressively grim

When an annual allowable cut cannot be achieved, data suggests forestry companies cut and run south.

Nelson Bennett
about 19 hours ago

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A West Fraser Lumber mill.Submitted

With North American lumber prices below break-even costs for many sawmills in Canada and the U.S., plus ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, recessionary conditions in China and declining timber supplies around the world, the global outlook for the forestry industry is not particularly rosy.

In British Columbia, once North America’s forest-sector powerhouse, it seems downright dismal. And low lumber prices—a result of inflation and high interest rates squelching North American homebuilding—are only one of a myriad of challenges facing the industry.

According to Natural Resources Canada, the average price for Western SPF (spruce-pine-fir) was below US$400 per thousand board feet—a quarter of the record-high US$1,600 per thousand board feet seen in 2021.

“Through the first two weeks of July, prices have continued to move lower where almost all ‘average’ or typical sawmills in North America are at or below break-even costs,” Global Consulting Alliance noted in a recent quarterly outlook, which does offer a glimmer of hope that lumber prices have reached their bottom.

“North American lumber prices bottomed in July and have since been steadily increasing. While weak sawmilling margins are still evident in North America, the market tone is finally changing and sawmills in the U.S. south are making good margins while mills in B.C. and the U.S. Pacific Northwest are getting closer to break-even levels.”

The outlook says Canada’s lumber output was 4.4 per cent higher in the first seven months of 2024 compared with 2023, but that B.C.’s output was lower by 2.8 per cent.

A shrinking timber supply has turned B.C. into a high-cost jurisdiction. There have been more than a dozen sawmill and pulp mill closures in the past four years, and a flight of capital to the U.S., where B.C. forestry giants such as Canfor (TSX:CFP) and West Fraser Timber (TSX:WFG) now own as many, if not more, sawmills than they do in Canada.

While the pine beetle infestation that devastated B.C. forests two decades ago is partly responsible for B.C.’s shrinking fibre supply, both federal and provincial government regulations have also eaten into the available timber supply in Canada, and especially in B.C., according to Rob Schuetz, president of Industrial Forest Services, who spoke at last week’s Global Wood Summit organized by Russ Taylor Global and ERA Forest Products Research.

Rob Schuetz, president of Industrial Forest Services, speaks at the Global Wood Summit. | Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog

In short, B.C. has an allowable annual cut that is increasingly not allowed to be cut.

In the 1990s, B.C. was harvesting 95 per cent of the province’s annual allowable cut (AAC), Schuetz said. In the 2000s, that fell to 80 per cent, partly because of the 2008-09 financial crisis in the U.S. that caused a housing market collapse.

Since the BC NDP came to power in 2017, the percentage of the AAC that is actually cut has fallen below 50 per cent, Schuetz said.

“The last few years, since the NDP came in and they started this more aggressive approach to reconciliation, and the different initiatives get to support that, we’ve harvested about 47 per cent of the annual cut, irrespective of the fact that lumber was US$1,600 (per thousand board feet) in the 2021 period,” Schuetz said. “We couldn’t recover with respect to our harvesting, for various reasons.”

Those “various reasons” include a stack of new policies and regulations: Old growth harvesting moratoria, new forest landscape plans, ecosystem-based land management, increasing parks and protected areas, shared land-use decision-making with First Nations, and federal and provincial caribou habitat protection plans.

Since 2020, 16 sawmills, three pulp mills and four paper mills have closed in B.C., Schuetz said.

The federal government’s caribou habitat protection regulations under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) has impacted the fibre supply across the country, he said. B.C.’s caribou recovery plan, as per SARA, led to a planned expansion of the Klinse-za provincial park, Schuetz said, which led Canfor to pre-emptively shut down a sawmill in Chetwynd.

“Canfor shut down their Chetwynd facility a couple years ago simply because they knew that the writing was on the wall for their fibre supply because of caribou habitat,” Schuetz said. “It took a couple of more years for the park to be put into place, but the writing is on the wall for a lot of sawmills across Canada.”

Even if lumber prices recover, Schuetz suggested B.C. producers will be in no position to capitalize on them.

“Even in a good market … there won’t be a real recovery in B.C. towards the AAC and towards our ability to respond to an increase in lumber prices, simply because of either economics or a few other issues,” he said.

For more than a decade now, B.C. forestry companies have been investing in the U.S. This is, in part, a hedge against the softwood lumber duties applied to Canadian lumber imports.

But the U.S. also has a growing fibre basket, thanks in part to the fact that species like southern yellow pine have shorter rotation periods of 20 to 30 years, compared to rotations of 60 to 80 years for species grown in B.C.—lodgepole pine and Douglas fir, for example.

The great recession of the late 2000s also had a major impact lumber demand, resulting in a build-up of fibre inventory. Additionally, U.S. timberlands are mostly privately owned tree plantations, and do not face the same encumbrances as B.C. public lands.

Amanda Lang, COO of the U.S. forestry consulting firm Forisk Consulting, said the growth-to-drain ratio in the U.S. south is now 1.4.

“That means the forest is growing 40 per cent more volume than we’re harvesting, which means the timber supply is growing at 40 per cent above harvesting levels,” Lang said.

“That timber resource really increased after the great recession. We’re actually forecasting more of an increase into 2033 and 2035 for the region.”

nbennett@biv.com

@nbennett_biv

How Newly Discovered ‘Midwood’ Trees Could Fight Climate Change

By Luis Prada

VICE
September 17, 2024, 12:04pm

Tulip tree photo by Frederik/imageBROKER/Shutterstock.

A whole new type of wood discovered by scientists might help do something extraordinary despite its lackluster name: Midwood, as it’s called, could help in the fight against climate change.

Wood usually falls into two major categories: hardwoods and softwoods. Oak maple and mahogany are examples of hardwoods, while cedar, pine, and spruce are all softwoods. The primary differences between the two are in their cellular structure and reproductive methods. But now scientists have called attention to another common difference: the microfibrils, a key feature of a woody plant’s anatomy.

Macrofibrils are bundles of smaller fibers in plant cell walls that contribute to wood’s overall structure and strength. At the microscopic level, a hardwood tree often has macrofibrils around 15 nanometers in diameter, while a softwood is around 25 nanometers. A midwood is exactly as it sounds like—it fits somewhere in between.

The particular tree in question that’s upending the tree world is the tulip: specifically, the American tulip tree called the Liriodendron tulipifera, or tulip poplar, and its Chinese tulip tree relative, Liriodendron chinense. The nanoscale architecture of both is suited to absorb huge amounts of CO2. On top of that, tulip trees grow extremely fast.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Jagiellonian University used low-temperature scanning electron microscopy to analyze hydrated wood samples. They found that the unique internal structure of the tulip trees made them significantly better suited to capture carbon than hardwood and softwoods. Tulip trees were able to absorb 2 to 6 times more carbon than trees around them in the same forest.

Tulip trees can get up to 150 feet tall. They are often used to make furniture or musical instruments. But now after it’s been discovered that they can gobble up tons of CO2, it might have some other applications besides playing “Wonderwall” with an acoustic guitar or sitting on as you play “Wonderwall” with an acoustic guitar.

It’s going to take a lot more than planting some trees to reverse the effects of climate change, but this discovery is making the researchers wonder what other trees out there fall into the midwood category because if there are they could play a key role in detoxifying our air.

U.S. officials discussed hitting Canada with trade sanctions over Quebec's language law

CBC
Tue, June 11, 2024 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends a bilateral meeting with Quebec Premier Francois Legault in Montreal on March 15, 2024. The government of Canada is tracking U.S. concerns about Quebec's new language law, a federal official confirmed. 

\(Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press - image credit)


U.S government officials have discussed behind closed doors the possibility of imposing trade sanctions on Canada over Quebec's controversial Bill 96 language law, CBC News has learned.

Documents obtained by CBC News under the U.S. freedom of information law also reveal that American government officials are being told that the implementation of Bill 96 could result in fewer American products being shipped to Canada — not just to Quebec.

According to the documents, officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) have debated whether the legislation — which includes provisions that could affect things like commercial signs, trademarks and labels on products — contravenes trade agreements between Canada and the United States.

U.S. officials have discussed in private whether the restrictions in Bill 96 constitute a technical barrier to trade, a breach of trade-related intellectual property rights or a violation of Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, and whether those breaches would justify trade sanctions.

The documents, which cover the period of November 2022 to late January 2024, don't reveal whether USTR officials have reached a conclusion on trade sanctions.

Asked for an update, USTR deputy press secretary Catherine White pointed to the readout of a meeting between Canadian and American trade officials in January, which mentions U.S. government concerns about Bill 96.

Jean-Pierre Godbout, spokesperson for Global Affairs, said the Canadian government is "closely following developments."

"The Government of Canada is aware of the concerns expressed by various stakeholders regarding Quebec's amendments to the Charter of the French Language as modernized under Bill 96 and accompanying regulations," Godbout wrote in an e-mailed response. "We have shared these concerns with the Government of Quebec and continue to closely follow developments."

Quebec Education Minister Jean-François Roberge said Wednesday was a 'great day' because he was announcing a possible return to normality for students in September.

Quebec Language Minister Jean-François Roberge is preparing the final regulations for Bill 96. (Radio-Canada)

Thomas Verville, spokesperson for provincial French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge, gave little indication of what the Quebec government thinks of the USTR's internal discussions of trade sanctions.

"We are still at the stage of enacting the regulation. It will soon be final," he wrote. "We held a consultation period to gather all the comments."

Bill 96, which tightens up Quebec's language laws, was given final assent on June 1, 2022 and draft regulations to implement the legislation were made public on Jan. 10, 2024. The final regulations to implement Bill 96 are expected to be made public in coming weeks.

A number of provisions of Bill 96, including those on trademarks, are set to go into effect in June 2025.

Bill 96 was among the subjects raised by American officials during a Jan. 24 meeting between USTR senior adviser Cara Morrow and her Canadian counterpart Rob Stewart, deputy minister for international trade.
Industry pressing Washington for action

In its readout from the meeting, the USTR's office said Morrow "shared concerns about trademark provisions of Quebec's Bill 96 and their potential implications for U.S businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises."

The documents obtained by CBC News show that Bill 96 has been on the U.S government's radar since at least November 2022, and the International Trademark Association (INTA) has been urging the U.S. government to raise their concerns about Bill 96 with the Canadian government and to consider trade sanctions against Canada.

On Dec. 12, 2023, INTA organized a meeting between USTR officials, including Morrow, and executives from several large corporations who outlined their concerns with Bill 96. The companies included Stanley Black & Decker, Hershey, Microsoft, Marriott, Agilent Technology, Cody and Proctor & Gamble.

The Microsoft logo is pictured at the Mobile World Congress 2023 in Barcelona, Spain, on March 2, 2023. Microsoft and Meta have released initiatives designed to help voters know when they see a political ad containing altered images, video or audio. Meta owns Facebook and Instagram and says it will put labels on political ads created using artificial intelligence.

Microsoft is one of the major American multinationals with concerns about Bill 96. (Joan Mateu Parra/The Associated Press)

"Of note, they want USTR to investigate 'a complaint for a violation of an international agreement' or bring a Section 301 action against Canada," wrote deputy assistant U.S. trade representative Jacob Ewerdt.

In e-mail exchanges and briefing notes, INTA's director of government relations Jenny Simmons wrote that even if U.S. companies want to register their trademarks in Canada before Bill 96's provisions take effect in 2025, they can't because the Canadian Intellectual Property Office — which registers trademarks in Canada — has a four-year backlog of applications.

In a separate document, a coalition of "businesses, practitioners and trade associations" warned the U.S. government that Bill 96 could affect the products available in Canada.

"The Quebec consumer is who will be hurt, as they will either be deprived of goods available to others or will pay higher prices to recoup compliance cost," the document says.

"In some instances, where distribution models are more national, withdrawing from Quebec may also mean withdrawing from Canada entirely. As a result, consumers in other provinces may also see fewer options on their shelves."

People take part in a protest against Bill 96 in Montreal on May 26, 2022. A Quebec Superior Court judge has temporarily struck down two articles of the province's new language law, saying they could prevent some English-speaking organizations from accessing justice through the courts.
(Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)

USTR officials pointed out that while Canada is responsible for trade agreements, Bill 96 is a provincial law.

"A complicating factor is that our counterparts are federal and Bill 96 is Quebecian [sic]," Ewerdt wrote to Simmons on Dec. 14, 2023. "It is as if Canada would come to the USTR with a law in Wisconsin — we could figure it out if needed, but it's not something that we commonly deal with."

Simmons suggested that pressure from Washington could force the Canadian government to act.

"I appreciate that this is a provincial issue," she wrote. "But given that it puts Canada in a position of noncompliance with various international obligations, and directly impacts U.S. exports to all of Canada, I think that the federal gov't has no choice but to deal with this, especially if pressured by the U.S."

Another USTR official, Jennifer Stradtman, suggested she was skeptical about the chances of bringing trade sanctions to bear.

"There is no obligation in the WTO about language use," she wrote on Dec. 19. "I can't see raising an issue in TBT [technical barriers to trade] because a different language is required. Sometimes we ask for stickering in that case, but we don't claim a trade violation or request dispute."

There was no mention of trade sanctions in the USTR's talking points for the January meeting with Canadian officials, but concerns about Bill 96 were included.

"U.S companies that sell products and services in Canada are generally supportive of Quebec's Charter of the French Language, but some of the amendments threaten to seriously limit some trademarked products and services in Quebec, and potentially all of Canada," says the briefing memorandum for that meeting.

Simmons told CBC News that INTA is continuing to talk with U.S. government officials about its concerns but it does not know if the USTR will support its call for trade sanctions.

"To date, I have not heard one way or the other what the thinking is of USTR," she said. "They remain engaged, which we're very grateful for."

Simmons said INTA has been meeting in recent months with Quebec government officials and is waiting to see if its concerns are addressed in the final regulations.

Mark Warner, who practises international business law, said Bill 96 hadn't been on his radar as a potential trade conflict with the U.S.

While Warner said he believes Bill 96 is low on the list of frequent Canada-U.S trade irritants, such as automobile rules of origin and softwood lumber, it's still something Canada should keep an eye on.

"I don't think it's a priority to [the U.S.] right now but I would think it is something that you would want to watch," he said.

Eliane Ellbogen, an expert in trademark law in the Montreal office of the law firm Fasken, said Bill 96 presents a number of problems for businesses with trademarks. She said its provisions conflict with federal trademarks law and Fasken is studying a possible constitutional challenge.

Canfor to close sawmill, curtail pulp production citing B.C. policy changes

The Canadian Press

Canfor has announced it is permanently closing its Polar sawmill in Bear Lake, B.C., shutting a production line at its Northwood Pulp Mill in Prince George, and suspending its "planned reinvestment" in Houston, B.C.

The company says in separate news releases that the closures will impact 400 jobs, 180 at its Polar mill and 220 at the Northwood facility.

The company says a shortage of fibre is the reason behind the indefinite curtailment of one production line at the Northwood pulp mill, while Canfor president Don Kayne says timber is critical for its sawmill, but the harvest level has "declined dramatically."

He says the decline is partly due to natural disturbances, like beetle infestations and wildfires, but also to policy and regulation changes that have "hampered" Canfor's ability to access enough fibre to support its facilities, forcing the closures. 

Canfor announced last September that it was planning to spend $200 million on a state-of-the-art mill in Houston, west of Prince George, shortly after it had announced the closure of its sawmills in Houston and Chetwynd. 

The Polar sawmill, about 70 kilometres north of Prince George, had an annual production capacity of about 300 million board feet, but has been shut since January.

Kayne says in a news release that the company's ability to reliably access enough timber to run the facilities is critical for the business. 

"Unfortunately, while our province has a sufficient supply of timber available for harvest as confirmed by the allowable annual cut set by B.C.’s chief forester, the actual harvest level has declined dramatically in recent years.

"In 2023 the actual harvest was 42 per cent lower than the allowable cut, a level not seen since the 1960s," Kayne says. 

Canfor Pulp, a subsidiary company, says it currently operates two pulp production lines out of its Northwood facility, which will continue to operate for the next few weeks, followed by an "orderly wind-down process" of one line.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2024.

Hundreds of jobs affected as Canfor makes 

cuts in northern B.C.

CBC
Thu, May 9, 2024


The Northwood Pulp Mill in Prince George produces bleached softwood kraft pulp. (Canfor - image credit)


B.C. forestry giant Canfor has dealt a major blow to communities in northern B.C. with announcements affecting hundreds of jobs.

In a series of releases issued Thursday, the company said it is curtailing a production line at its Northwood pulp mill facility in Prince George, permanently closing its Polar sawmill in Bear Lake and suspending plans to reinvest in its facility in Houston, B.C.

Four-hundred existing and 200 anticipated replacement jobs are impacted by the decision.


One-hundred-eighty employees will lose their positions at the Polar sawmill in Bear Lake, an unincorporated community of roughly 150 people located 75 kilometres north of Prince George. Operations at the mill had been curtailed since January.

CANFOR office is pictured in Vancouver, British Columbia on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.

Canfor's head office is pictured in Vancouver in 2022. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

A further 220 jobs will be impacted by the indefinite curtailment of a single production line at the Northwood pulp mill in Prince George, a processing plant that converts wood chips to pulp and paper products.

Approximately 450 people work at that facility.

And in Houston, about 300 kilometres west of Prince George, an anticipated 200 new jobs are now on hold as Canfor suspends its promise to build a new $200-million manufacturing facility after eliminating 300 jobs with the closure of the community's sawmill last year.

Canfor will continue to operate Northwood at a reduced capacity, as well as Intercontinental and Pulp and Paper, also in Prince George.

Jonathan Blacker, who works at Northwood and is president of Unifor Local 603 in Prince George, said the news was a blow to workers.

"They're pretty depressed right now, angry, shaken up, not knowing what the future holds because there's no clarity … It's so fresh that nobody knows what's going on," Blacker said.

Two of Canfor's pulp mills are located in the river valley of Prince George.

Two of Canfor's pulp mills are located in the river valley of Prince George. (CBC News)

Series of reductions

In its announcements, posted online, the company blames a decline in the amount of available fibre in the region, as well as "policy changes and increased regulatory complexity" for the decisions.

In one of the written statements, Canfor Pulp CEO Kevin Edgson said the decision to cut back production is a direct result of reductions and closures of sawmills in the region.

With less wood waste being produced, he said, there is less material available for the pulp mill to convert.

"Despite exhaustive efforts, including expanding well beyond our traditional operating region, there is simply not enough residual fibre to supply the current production capacity of all our operations."

Those closures include Canfor-run sawmills in Chetwynd, about 300 kilometres north of Prince George, and Houston, one year ago, which resulted in more than 490 jobs being lost as part of a series of curtailments and closures across the industry.

Houston was supposed to recover some of those jobs with a new manufacturing facility being built over the next three years, but now Canfor is suspending that decision, citing an uncertain economic future.

It did not say if any form of operations will resume at the site, or if it will simply remain closed.

Stephen Mackie, executive vice-president of North American operations at Canfor, says the cuts are a result of a drop in harvest levels related to natural disturbances such as beetle infestations and wildfires.

He also said policies such as old-growth deferrals at the provincial and district levels have constrained supply. Policies like the Tripartite Framework Agreement on Nature Conservation — an agreement between Ottawa, the province and First Nations to mutually support protecting 30 per cent of lands and waters by 2030 — have the potential to create uncertainty, he says.

"The pace and scale of those policy choices and changes and the increased regulatory complexity that has been introduced over the last several years, all of those things are serving to constrain the fibre supply and add cost to British Columbia," Mackie said.

Blacker says the industry is in "dire straits" due to corporate and government mismanagement.

Trees have been replanted, he says, but have been harvested too quickly.

"They were greedy," he said of the industry. "You don't let a kid into a candy shop and say, 'Have at it, manage it,' which the government allowed ... So they cut and they cut and they cut."

Cutting too quickly forced workers to go farther into the forest to get fibre, he said, which became less economical.

"It's been mismanaged and now we're losing jobs because of it," he said.

In a statement, B.C. Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston said he was disappointed by Canfor's decision, saying the province will be there to support affected workers and communities.

"Workers shouldn't bear the brunt of commodity cycles as they have been forced to for years," he said, adding that the province has been working to stabilize the sector.

Hundreds out of work in Terrace Bay, Ont., after pulp mill idles operations

OCCUPY UNDER WORKERS CONTROL


CBC
Fri, January 5, 2024 

An employee loads logs at Ledwidge Lumber Co. in Halifax in 2017 to be shipped to pulp and paper mills for processing. This week, the company that owns the paper mill in Terrace Bay, Ont., announced it would be shut down indefinitely. (Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press - image credit)

The Terrace Bay Pulp Mill in northwestern Ontario is temporarily shutting down with no opening date in sight.

As the northwestern Ontario town braces for the potential loss of its biggest employer, the mayor and union representing mill workers say they're trying to stay positive.

On Tuesday, the mill's owners, AV Group, which is part of Aditya Birla, announced there will be a "temporary idling of its pulp operations, with immediate effect, due to prevailing market conditions," meaning 400 workers are off the job.

"It's obviously a big blow for Terrace Bay. I mean, we're a population of 1,600 people," said Mayor Paul Malashewski.

The shutdown will be devastating for businesses in the town and ripple through other surrounding communities on the north shore of Lake Superior, he said.

NBSK pulp used in everyday paper products

The type of pulp produced in Terrace Bay is premium grade, said pulp industry analyst Brian McClay, chair of Trade Tree Online and Brian McClay & Associates (TTO BMA).

Northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) is used in items like tissue, toilet paper and paper towels.

"It's really the best pulp fibre in the world," he said. "It's the thing that holds the sheet together."

Terrace Bay Mayor Paul Malashewski says he's disappointed to see the pulp mill shut down again.

Terrace Bay Mayor Paul Malashewski says he's disappointed about another pulp mill shutdown. (Marc Doucette/CBC)

As mills producing NBSK shut down, manufacturers could face greater difficulty and higher expenses in making these products, and consumers could find themselves paying more for flimsier toilet paper.

Terrace Bay, which is about 220 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, was once an economically thriving town. The pulp mill, which was established in the 1940s, grew to employ thousands of people by the late 1970s.

The mill fell on hard times in the early 2000s when the pulp and paper industry entered a period of uncertainty. It went through cycles of shutting down, changing ownership, then shutting down again as different owners found themselves in debt.

The current owner, Aditya Burla, stepped up to buy the idled pulp mill in 2012. The mill was fined $250,000 after pleading guilty in 2015 to seven offences under the Environmental Protection Act, and was temporarily shut down in wake of an explosion that killed a worker in October 2011.

Malashewski said he's optimistic the mill will reopen as it has after previous closures. It will be kept in a state of warm idle to allow for a potential future restart of operations, leaving the mayor hopeful.

"It's a positive sign," he said. "I mean, they just didn't shut it down, and turn the heat off and all that."

Union mill workers also hope the market conditions cited as the reason for closure will improve.

"The markets change. There's really good reason to keep that place operating. It's an efficient mill," said Cody Alexander, staff representative for the United Steel Workers (USW) in Thunder Bay.

Workers 'kind of in shock,' union says

The union represents approximately 275 of the mill's steelworkers who are now without employment, said Alexander.

"Everybody's kind of in shock right now about it. It's a really small community and that pulp mill is the anchor."

A worker guides toilet paper on a conveyor belt at the Tissue Plus factory, Wednesday, March 18, 2020, in Bangor, Maine. The new company has been unexpectedly busy because of the shortage of toilet paper brought on by hoarders concerned about the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

A worker guides toilet paper on a conveyor belt during the manufacturing process. An industry analyst says continued closures at pulp and paper mills could lead to higher prices for common consumer items like toilet paper. ((Robert F Bukaty/Associated Press) )

Currently, pulp prices are low and demand is weak, said McClay.

"We went through a couple of pretty volatile years where prices reached record levels and now they've come back down," said McClay.

Pulp mills are expensive to operate and maintain, he said, and inflation has exacerbated this. Some mills have closed even when pulp prices are high due to the sheet capital investment required to operate.

"It's not just a question of where the market is today; it's what companies have to spend to keep the mills in decent running order."

McClay said he couldn't predict whether the Terrace Bay mill will reopen.

Hundreds out of work in Terrace Bay, Ont., after pulp mill idles operations

Story by Michelle Allan • CBC

21h


The Terrace Bay Pulp Mill in northwestern Ontario is temporarily shutting down with no opening date in sight.

As the northwestern Ontario town braces for the potential loss of its biggest employer, the mayor and union representing mill workers say they're trying to stay positive.

On Tuesday, the mill's owners, AV Group, which is part of Aditya Birla, announced there will be a "temporary idling of its pulp operations, with immediate effect, due to prevailing market conditions," meaning 400 workers are off the job.

"It's obviously a big blow for Terrace Bay. I mean, we're a population of 1,600 people," said Mayor Paul Malashewski.

The shutdown will be devastating for businesses in the town and ripple through other surrounding communities on the north shore of Lake Superior, he said.
NBSK pulp used in everyday paper products

The type of pulp produced in Terrace Bay is premium grade, said pulp industry analyst Brian McClay, chair of Trade Tree Online and Brian McClay & Associates (TTO BMA).

Northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) is used in items like tissue, toilet paper and paper towels.

"It's really the best pulp fibre in the world," he said. "It's the thing that holds the sheet together."





Terrace Bay Mayor Paul Malashewski says he's disappointed about another pulp mill shutdown. (Marc Doucette/CBC)© Provided by cbc.ca

As mills producing NBSK shut down, manufacturers could face greater difficulty and higher expenses in making these products, and consumers could find themselves paying more for flimsier toilet paper.

Terrace Bay, which is about 220 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, was once an economically thriving town. The pulp mill, which was established in the 1940s, grew to employ thousands of people by the late 1970s.

The mill fell on hard times in the early 2000s when the pulp and paper industry entered a period of uncertainty. It went through cycles of shutting down, changing ownership, then shutting down again as different owners found themselves in debt.

The current owner, Aditya Burla, stepped up to buy the idled pulp mill in 2012. The mill was fined $250,000 after pleading guilty in 2015 to seven offences under the Environmental Protection Act, and was temporarily shut down in wake of an explosion that killed a worker in October 2011.

Malashewski said he's optimistic the mill will reopen as it has after previous closures. It will be kept in a state of warm idle to allow for a potential future restart of operations, leaving the mayor hopeful.

"It's a positive sign," he said. "I mean, they just didn't shut it down, and turn the heat off and all that."

Union mill workers also hope the market conditions cited as the reason for closure will improve.

"The markets change. There's really good reason to keep that place operating. It's an efficient mill," said Cody Alexander, staff representative for the United Steel Workers (USW) in Thunder Bay.

Workers 'kind of in shock,' union says

The union represents approximately 275 of the mill's steelworkers who are now without employment, said Alexander.

"Everybody's kind of in shock right now about it. It's a really small community and that pulp mill is the anchor."



A worker guides toilet paper on a conveyor belt during the manufacturing process. An industry analyst says continued closures at pulp and paper mills could lead to higher prices for common consumer items like toilet paper. ((Robert F Bukaty/Associated Press) )© Provided by cbc.ca

Currently, pulp prices are low and demand is weak, said McClay.

"We went through a couple of pretty volatile years where prices reached record levels and now they've come back down," said McClay.

Pulp mills are expensive to operate and maintain, he said, and inflation has exacerbated this. Some mills have closed even when pulp prices are high due to the sheet capital investment required to operate.

"It's not just a question of where the market is today; it's what companies have to spend to keep the mills in decent running order."

McClay said he couldn't predict whether the Terrace Bay mill will reopen.

ENCHANTMENT

Remote Woodland – Home to Scotland’s Oldest Wild Pine – Saved as Part of Rewilding Initiative

The oldest pine has been dated to at least 1458 by St Andrews Tree-Ring Laboratory, and is believed to be even older.

December 30, 2023 by Pressat 


By Trees for Life

A remote ancient woodland – home to Scotland’s oldest wild Scots pine, which is at least 565-years-old – has been saved from being lost forever and given a chance of regeneration thanks to Trees for Life, as part of the charity’s vast Affric Highlands rewilding initiative.

The pinewood remnant of some 57 pines, all several centuries old and scattered through Glen Loyne in the northwest Highlands, was at risk from overgrazing by excessive numbers of deer – a key threat to surviving Caledonian pinewoods that prevents them from naturally regenerating.

The oldest pine has been dated to at least 1458 by St Andrews Tree-Ring Laboratory, and is believed to be even older. The ancestry of such pines stretches back to the last ice age.

In cooperation with the landowner, whose love of the pinewoods made the project possible, Trees for Life has created a new deer-proof ‘exclosure’ of fencing to protect the woodland, including the most ancient pines, and to allow young seedlings to grow without being eaten.

“Glen Loyne’s wild pines and other Caledonian pinewoods are globally unique, and a special part of Scotland’s character and culture. Saving and restoring them offers a major opportunity for tackling the nature and climate crises,” said James Rainey, senior ecologist at Trees for Life.

Trees for Life surveyed the site as part of its four-year Caledonian Pinewood Recovery Project, one of the most comprehensive surveys of the health of Scotland’s pinewoods. The team found that some of the oldest pines were outside an area of fencing which had been erected in the 1990s to protect the trees from grazing pressure. Deer had also breached the fenced area.

Trees for Life has now erected 1.5 kilometres of new fencing, and has connected up, extended and repaired existing sections, with the heavy-duty materials having to be transported into the remote glen by helicopter. The pinewood will now be able to naturally regenerate for the first time in decades.

“Fencing is only a temporary fix, but for now it’s a vital way of giving these precious pinewoods a fighting chance of recovery until effective landscape-scale deer management can be properly established,” said James Rainey.

Historically part of the royal hunting grounds of Cluanie, the Glen Loyne woodlands would once have been home to capercaillie, wildcat, and lynx. Ordnance Survey maps from 1874 show a more extensive woodland in the glen, but by the 1990s there were only 85 ancient pines left – a number that has since been reduced further to just 57.

The nature recovery project has been funded by the family of Harry Steven, who with Jock Carlise wrote The Native Pinewoods of Scotland, published in 1959. This pioneering book recognised the special status of the pinewoods, and documented 35 wild pine populations that had managed to survive centuries of deforestation.

In the 1990s, the work of Steven and Carlisle led to the then Forestry Commission Scotland compiling Scotland’s official Caledonian Pinewood Inventory, which today recognises 84 sites.

Glen Loyne, on East Glen Quoich estate, lies within Affric Highlands – the UK’s largest rewilding landscape. Led by Trees for Life and Rewilding Europe, this 30-year community-focused initiative will restore woodland, peatland and riverside habitats over half a million acres from Loch Ness to the west coast, supporting re-peopling and nature-based economic opportunities.

The Caledonian forest once covered much of the Highlands, but today less than 2% survives. The pinewoods are one of Scotland’s richest habitats, and offer refuge to declining wildlife such as red squirrels, capercaillie and crossbills. Trees for Life is dedicated to rewilding the Highlands, including by restoring the Caledonian forest. See treesforlife.org.uk


Ends

Press release distributed by Pressat on behalf of Trees for Life, on Tuesday 12 December, 2023. 

Lost rainforest dubbed ‘jewel’ of UK wildlife could be brought back to life

Ben AshtonPublished Dec 30, 2023

An ‘incredibly rare’ and ‘special’ habitat in the UK could be revived (Picture: Andrew Michael/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The last remaining fragments of once-thriving temperate rainforests in the UK could be brought back to life.

Known as Atlantic woodland or Celtic rainforest, what was ‘one of the jewels of Britain’s nature crown’ used to cover a vast expanse of the west of the UK and Ireland.

It previously stretched all the way from Cornwall to the west of Scotland.

The archipelago’s wet, mild conditions meant it was rife with wildlife including lichens, mosses and liverworts.

But only small, isolated pockets have survived to this day because of destruction through the centuries.

In England, just 72 square miles of the ecosystem still remain – and what little is left is under threat from overgrazing sheep, invasive species and nitrogen pollution.

Now, after three years of campaigning, a new government strategy has been launched to revive the ‘incredibly rare’ and ‘special’ habitat.

Only 72 square miles of temperate rainforest remains in England, but conservationists want to see that figure doubled by 2050 (Picture: FLPA/Bob Gibbons/REX/Shutterstock)

Conservationists have praised the plans to protect and recover England’s temperate rainforests with £750,000 being committed to research and development.

The government has said it will work alongside farmers and landowners to protect the rainforest areas.

‘Before 2021, no politician had even mentioned temperate rainforests in the UK parliament,’ said Guy Shrubsole, who leads the Lost Rainforests of Britain campaign.

He told The Guardian the plans are exciting but wants the target to be to double the area of rainforests in Britain by 2050.

The Wildlife Trusts head of policy said it’s ‘really cool’ to see the plans coming together (Picture: FLPA/REX/Shutterstock)

‘’Now, the government themselves have not only mentioned it,’ he said. ‘They’ve actually devoted entire official policy documents to this habitat. That’s really cool to see.’

Joan Edwards, director of policy for the Wildlife Trusts, said: ‘Temperate rainforest is a globally rare habitat that was once one of the jewels of Britain’s nature crown. 

‘The remnants that still exist contain some of the highest floral diversity in the world, including a vast array of mosses, lichens, liverworts and ferns.

‘We welcome the government’s intention to invest in temperate rainforest restoration and management, as part of protecting 30% of land by 2030, and look forward to a more detailed strategy in the coming months.’

Britain’s temperate rainforests are thought to be ‘more threatened than the tropical rainforest’ accoeding to The Woodland Trust (Picture: Christopher Jones/REX/Shutterstock)

The Woodland Trust says of Britain’s temperate rainforests: ‘Also known as Atlantic or Celtic rainforest, this special habitat is incredibly rare. 

‘In fact, it’s thought to be more threatened than tropical rainforest.

‘Its lush conditions are perfect for scarce plants, lichens and fungi, as well as remarkable birds and mammals.’

Suspected tornado splits ancient oak tree

31st December 2023
BBC

The tree which has stood for 150 years is now being assessed for safety

A 150-year-old tree has been "split in half" by what was believed to have been a tornado in east Devon.

Simon West, the tree's owner, said he was inside his house in Tipton St John, near Sidmouth, when he heard rain followed by an "enormous cracking sound" on Saturday evening.

Part of the tree fell on a driveway and knocked down a telegraph pole, which was replaced on Sunday.

A yellow wind warning was put in place by the Met Office for Devon and the wider south west region until 23:59 (GMT) on Sunday.

Simon West

The tree was hit while it was dark

Several other trees reportedly fell in the area at Tipton St John near Sidmouth following the weather event.

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) posted on X on Sunday: "Whilst the maximum intensity is still being assessed TORRO can confirm based on a site investigation that Venn Ottery & Tipton St John were hit by a tornado yesterday afternoon."

Mr West told the BBC: "It was extremely strong wind... Sufficient to rip a 150-year-old oak tree in half."

He added: "We heard the enormous creaking and cracking sound of the tree falling apart, followed by taking out all of our electricity."

Part of the tree fell on a driveway and had to be chopped up and cleared

Mr West, who set up a reforestation charity with his wife in Kenya seven years ago, said the tree supports "over 200 species of animals directly and over 2,000 species indirectly".

He added: "I understand quite a few have come down, smaller ones, bigger ones, and it's quite devastating when we lose trees like that."

The pair vowed to replace the tree and said the charity would also continue to plant more in Kenya.\

Can Forest Expansion Balance Climate Change, Economic Growth and Ecological Health?

 

When it comes to managing woodlands to meet multiple needs, Irish activists underscore the importance of considering the forest as well as the trees.

December 31, 2023 by Ensia 

 

By Mike Waltman

When it comes to managing woodlands to meet multiple needs, Irish activists underscore the importance of considering the forest as well as the trees.

December 19, 2023 — Thousands of years ago, oak, ash and hazel trees blanketed with moss and ivy grew from a teeming understory of fern, willow and scattered mushrooms, nearly completely covering Ireland in lush green layers. That was before Vikings began pillaging Irish monasteries and chopping down trees to build their notorious raiding fleet. It was before the English felled Ireland’s forests to construct vessels bound for distant shores. Centuries of deforestation for lumber and agriculture reduced Ireland’s forest cover from 80% to around 1%.

While that number has rebounded to about 11%, Ireland remains one of Europe’s least forested countries. So, in 2022 the island nation launched an aggressive forestry expansion initiative, with a goal of increasing forest cover to 18% by planting 450,000 hectares (more than 1 million acres) before 2050, partly in an effort to uphold international commitments to carbon neutrality.

Acting on these ambitions, Coillte, a government-private organization that manages 440,000 hectares (1 million acres) of woodland and other land, including 50% of Ireland’s forests, has partnered with UK investment firm Gresham house in a US$37 million (€35 million) forestry initiative. The partnership promises to address the needs of a changing climate while enhancing socioeconomic development. However, the initiative has been met with resistance from some.

“They’re addicted to profit,” said Andrew St. Ledger, the founder of the not-for-profit organization The Woodland League, while discussing Coillte’s forestry expansion approach. (St. Ledger, who spent his life advocating for the restoration of native Irish forests and promoting the healing power of trees for both people and the environment, passed away not long after speaking with Ensia about his beloved “Inis na Bhfiodhadh,” an ancient Celtic-Bardic term for Ireland meaning “Island of the sacred trees.”)

Resistance to Coillte’s initiative was seen earlier this year when farmers and environmentalists joined forces in an unlikely alliance to express outrage over the deal. “We had protests on the street with … people assembled at Coillte headquarters for a celebration of public ownership,” said St. Ledger.

The Coillte–Gresham House deal aims to fuel the expansion of Irish woodland by funding the purchase and conversion of rural land to forestry. Opponents of the deal argue that the influx of private money will lead to a land grab, driving up the cost of land and pricing out locals.

Many also worry that the investment might continue to support the aspects of Coillte’s forestry management practices that emphasize timber harvesting by planting fast-growing tree species like Sitka spruce, which can be harvested sooner rather than later, leading to monoculture plantations and short-cycle clear-cutting.

Ecological Concerns

“They’re not forests,” said St. Ledger of nonnative Sitka spruce plantations, which account for close to half of Ireland’s tree cover. The monoculture method, where trees stand in tight rows and allow little sunlight to reach the ground, discouraging growth in the understory, is not unique to Ireland. Timber companies worldwide pack spruce, firs, pines and other fast-growing species into uniform farms to maximize profit, often at the expense of ecological health.

The dense uniformity of such plantations can cause biodiversity to suffer — creating habitat less capable of supporting varied species of flora, insects and animals; altering protection from pests; and fostering poor soil composition.  

Adding to the ecological concerns is the plantation model’s reliance on chemical inputs. Seeking faster, more reliable returns on investment, timber companies apply fertilizers to accelerate growth and pesticides to defend against disease. However, without diverse ground cover or a strong root system, erosion and runoff are common problems, potentially contaminating freshwater with those chemicals.

Carbon Sequestration

Despite the ecological effects, monoculture is an effective model for rapidly planting trees at scale. Coupled with the lure of economic gains from timber, it is an attractive choice for countries pursuing ambitious climate goals, such as Ireland’s target of a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (a target the country is currently not on track to achieve). Proponents of fast-growing tree species with short life cycles often point to the higher carbon sequestration rate the trees experience in their early years. However, the reality of a forest’s carbon storage potential is complex.

“Young trees can sequester more carbon in a plantation because they’re forced to grow with fertilizer,” said St. Ledger. Proponents of monoculture plantations “really cling onto that argument. The problem is that these trees are so immature that carbon isn’t given a chance to accumulate. And it’s not just the carbon in the tree. The root and soil carbon are ignored in the debate.”

A carbon sequestration study published in 2016 supports the value of mixed-species stands for carbon sequestration, stating, “Our results suggest that local species composition plays an important role on [soil organic carbon] stock.” The research found that a diverse leaf litter, in addition to higher root turnover rates in mixed species stands, contributed to greater carbon storage than observed in single-species stands.

Additionally, a 2022 study conducted in Spain highlights the benefits of the complementary effect in mixed-species forests. The study, using a 100-year simulation period, suggests that ecological diversity allows mixed forests to more efficiently use resources, and the researchers found “a clear tendency toward higher CO2 stocks in mixed stands emerged over long simulation periods, which is consistent with previous studies.”

Balancing Economics and Ecology 

Forestry management strategies play a pivotal role in determining the ultimate value of a forest. Strategies can range from pure conservation prioritizing ecological health to intensive forest management (IFM) focusing on economic outcomes. Seeking a balance between these two ends of the management spectrum, extensive forest management (EFM) uses less intensive, nature-based silviculture practices to achieve diverse forestry values.

Nature-based silviculture utilizes natural regeneration and promotes mixed species through planting techniques such as incorporation of mosaic patterns that create clusters of diverse tree species with varied spacing and ages to mimic a natural forest structure. The approach also integrates these planting techniques with sustainable harvesting practices, eliminating clear-cutting in favor of selective tree cutting that maintains a multilayered, continuous cover forest.

“Suggesting any potential commercial use from native forests on private land, particularly harvesting timber, can be met with strong opposition from some environmentalists,” says Paul Quinlan, a trustee at the nonprofit Tāne’s Tree Trust in New Zealand. “Naturally, they fear it might erode the hard-won gains of the conservation movement.”

Quinlan’s background as a landscape architect informs his work with forestry projects that strive to balance ecological health, carbon sequestration and economic incentives. He worries that a pure preservationist approach to conservation segregates land use between commercial production and natural restoration, often marginalizing ecological priorities.

The trust’s projects implement nature-based silviculture management methods that encourage active forest management that replicates natural conditions, promotes biodiversity and balances diverse forest functions such as habitat creation, watershed regulation, timber production, carbon sequestration and public recreation. The trust also emphasizes planting, maintenance and harvesting decisions influenced by site-specific conditions.

“While there is a preference for indigenous species, stands can include exotic species or involve managing a transition from exotic monocultures to mixed species or native forest,” explains Quinlan.

“Silvicultural practices and systems could be used to convert existing stands to more suitable stand structures,” reads a 2021 study on forest carbon management, “which may increase [carbon] sequestration as well as mitigate and adapt ecosystems to the effects of global change.”

Examining the carbon sequestration differences across three strategies — pure conservation, IFM and EFM — the research finds that EFM “is a compromise between conservation and IFM and is more effective in the long term.”

As an alternative diversification strategy, integrated farming systems such as agroforestry and silvopasture aim to blend forestry and traditional agriculture, while fostering biodiversity, mitigating climate change and preserving rural cultural heritage. A 2020 study details the ecological and agricultural advantages of agroforestry systems. These benefits include enhanced productivity through improved soil health, reduced soil erosion, less need for chemical inputs, increased water retention, diversified farm income and overall resilience to pests and diseases. The study also acknowledges agroforestry’s role in combating climate change through the carbon sequestration potential of planted trees and improved soil carbon storage.

Institutional Change 

“We always place emphasis on scientific data,” says Joe Gowran, the CEO of Woodlands of Ireland (WOI), in reference to their strategies for influencing policy. The charity organization advances native woodland conservation and nature-based silviculture in Ireland by, among other things, lobbying for institutional change. They collaborate with other entities, including Coillte, offering constructive, research-based feedback informed by a panel of industry, academic and landowner stakeholders.

In their 2022 Strategic Vision for Our Future Forest Estates, Coillte emphasizes a commitment to delivering multiple benefits from forests, with a renewed focus on climate action, biodiversity and recreation, while also delivering timber products. (Efforts to contact Coillte went unmet by the time of publication.)

But, says Gowran, “Coillte presents challenges because their main focus is perpetuating and expanding softwood timber supplies.” Even so, he points to entities such as Coillte Nature and The Nature Trust supported by Coillite that carry out native woodland restoration projects across Ireland.

“A main driver for these projects is the availability of native woodland scheme grants, which WOI had a key role in developing,” says Gowran. These government grants provide funding for projects that protect, enhance and establish native forests across Ireland. Gowran also highlights that the absence of institutional education in sustainable forestry management is a major obstacle in shifting toward silvicultural systems of continuous cover forest in Ireland. “There is no forestry education and training strategy here currently,” he says.

Working to fix this shortcoming, WOI collaborates with Ireland’s National Parks Wildlife Service and the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, helping identify missing elements in woodland management courses as well as reviewing the requirements for establishing a silviculture apprenticeship.

Community Forestry 

“We’re seeing people come together and have conversations. And the conversations are more robust than ever,” says Daniel Wear, forest program manager at Sustainable Northwest in the U.S. At this Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit, Wear empowers local groups to take the lead on land use projects through community forestry.

“Community forestry helps to create a conversation between community members, timber companies and government agencies where they feel like their voice is being heard and their perspectives are being represented,” he says, while emphasizing that community forestry doesn’t operate by specific standards but on a case-by-case basis to meet community needs.

Gowran believes community forestry can provide the Irish public with a voice as well. “It would be useful to have committees linked to a local authority,” he says, “so that all forest owners must engage with the public and community involvement in forest management is strengthened.”

Helping empower community forestry through grassroots education, The Woodland League in Ireland has facilitated government-sponsored Forest Knowledge Transfer Groups to educate small-scale landowners on sustainable forestry practices. “Our objective is to create cooperatives to join the woodland owners together,” St. Ledger said of The Woodland League. He hoped these cooperatives would allow group participants to establish community support systems and share information.

“Ireland is a small country and could actually lead the way in natural forest restoration,” said St. Ledger. “It has a rich cultural woodland history, the tragic loss of it and now a revival. I firmly believe Ireland could be a beacon.”

Previously Published on ensia.com with Creative Commons License