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Being on board a wooden boat certainly feels good, but is it true it’s better for our health? Since the noxious whiff of curing fibreglass first triggered alarm in a shipwright’s nose, protagonists of production boatbuilding have been dissing talk of wood’s better smell, feel or look as mere stick-in-the-mud nostalgia. But there is mounting scientific evidence that working and living with wood is actually better for our health. Source: Classic Boat UK Recent experiments monitoring brain activity, cardiovascular and endocrine functions have shown that volatile organic terpenes given off by resinous softwoods pass directly into the bloodstream leading to measurable reductions in stress, even enhancing immunity through increasing lymphocyte ‘killer cells’ active against disease. The sense of well-being commonly felt among fragrant conifers and their timbers being planed-up for spars or planking is real, not imagined. Below deck, where the compartmentalised interior of even a large yacht can stir unease, natural wood’s tactile and visual qualities are especially beneficial. Finger-tip touch experiments comparing furniture materials found that wood’s minutely ridged and furrowed texture has a significant and lasting calming effect after only brief exposure. Wood surfaces cut glare, reduce eye fatigue under artificial light and improve cognitive performance, but if the natural material is entombed beneath a glass-smooth finish these benefits are lost. A wooden boat’s intrinsic qualities pay forwards even to the future restorer working sympathetically with saw, plane and chisel, pausing to savour the forest fragrance built into her by a past generation.  

On the first anniversary of the state government’s closure of Gippsland’s native forest industry, France’s rebuilt historic Notre-Dame Cathedral has been completed in all its glory – and French timber was at the heart of this historic project. Source: Philip Hopkins, Latrobe Valley Express The oak hardwood timber used came from trees in French forests between 80-150 years old, with some more than 200-years-old. The rebuilding of Notre Dame received PEFC certification, the world’s largest forest certification standard, which certified the sustainability of the solid oak used to rebuild the cathedral’s roof structure. Oak is regarded as the queen of the French forest. PEFC, founded in 1999, is present in 56 countries. Victoria’s hardwood native forest, and native forests in Tasmania, New South Wales and Queensland, are certified to PEFC standard through Responsible Wood and the Australian Forestry Standard. However, France’s achievement stands in contrast to Victoria, where the state government closed the native forest industry due to a mix of factors, which some believe was little more than political malice and cowardice, environmental hysteria, and intellectual ignorance and naivete. The government claimed native forest harvesting was unsustainable. The medieval frames of Notre Dame’s nave and choir, built in the 13th century, and those of the spire designed by French architect Viollet-le-Duc, and both arms of the transept, dating from the 19th century, were destroyed in the fire on April 15, 2019. They were restored identically, using the same techniques and materials as the original, solid oak. The contracting authority for the restoration project, ‘Rebatir Notre-Dame de Paris’, noted in a statement that by rebuilding Notre-Dame de Paris’ roof structure in wood, part of which – the great roof – is also known as “the forest”, the shared history of the cathedral and French forests would continue to be written for centuries to come. “Like Notre-Dame de Paris, France’s forests are living symbols of our tangible and intangible cultural heritage, so it’s important to preserve them to ensure their longevity for future generations,” said the authority’s president, Philippe Jost. The certification from PEFC and the FCBA Institute of Technology (Forêt Cellulose Bois-construction Ameublement) confirms the sustainable origin of the solid oak wood materials used, and the responsible nature of the work carried out by the contracting authority, chief architects of historic monuments and project managers. The mission of the FCBA, founded in 1952, is to promote technical progress and contribute to improving efficiency and quality assurance in industry. The institute’s scope covers the entire forestry-wood and furniture sector: forestry, pulp and paper, logging, sawmills, carpentry, joinery, structures, wood-based panels, furniture, packaging and miscellaneous products. The entire French forestry and timber industry mobilised to supply the wood needed to meet the specifications of the project. Actors from state-owned forests, community forests, forestry cooperatives, forestry experts, private owners and processing companies were all involved in ensuring that each stage of the reconstruction of the frameworks was carried out using a sustainable forest management approach, which is maintaining the balance between the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the forest. This systemic approach enables the renewal of the forests from which the timber was sourced, thereby maintaining their multifunctionality, while preserving diversity, vitality, productivity, and regeneration capacity. According to PEFC, sustainably managed forest is a forest where biodiversity, soil health, water courses and wetlands are preserved. “It is healthy and able to renew itself, whilst providing a range of benefits including timber and timber products, carbon sequestration and opportunities for leisure activities.” PEFC project certification stipulates that at least 70% of the total volume of wood used is PEFC-certified, ensuring that PEFC’s forest certification requirements, which define and control a set of forest management rules applicable to all forest stakeholders (forest owners, forest managers, forest operators, forestry contractors), have been implemented. Additionally, the implementation of PEFC chain of custody in project certification certifies that all parties involved in a construction or renovation project, whether certified companies or subcontractors, have applied the control principles defined by PEFC, making it possible to track the flow of certified wood at every stage of the supply chain. The Notre Dame project involved 35 PEFC-certified sawmills, 175 PEFC-certified forests, and the use of more than 80% PEFC-certified logs. PEFC’s rules for sustainable forest management and chain of custody enabled PEFC certification for the entire Notre-Dame de Paris timber reconstruction project. The tree selection process began in early 2021. Chief architects from historic monuments aimed to find the straightest trees possible. This enabled restorers to work on logs measuring 7-20 metres, with diameters ranging from 50-110cm, while still having the strength required to support several hundred tonnes. The trees had to be between 80-150-years-old, with some more than 200-years-old. The final trees were selected, but they had to be harvested in a way that respected the existing area. For example, PEFC said the trees cut for Notre Dame had reached maturity and had already seeded the surrounding soil, enabling a new generation of trees to replace those harvested. Most of the selected oak trees came from either state-owned, communal or privately owned PEFC-certified forests. The first trees were felled on March 5, 2021, and the final oak on February 8, 2023. Once harvested, the logs, each weighing 10-15 tonnes, were transported to their destination – sawmill, warehouse or processing site. Sawmilling into structural sections took place between September 2021 and June 2022. In all, more than 2000 oak trees, the equivalent of 4000 cubic metres of logs, were needed to rebuild the spire and the framework of the choir and nave. According to PEFC, these 2000 harvested trees made up less than 0.2% of the oak trees harvested annually in France. FCBA calculations show that France’s oak forests regenerate 1500 cubic metres of wood per hour. The first phase of the project began with the reconstruction of the spire and two transept arms designed by Viollet-le-Duc, using 19th century techniques. The second phase of the choir and the nave involved rebuilding the medieval frameworks. This required mastery of traditional, […]

University of Maine’s Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub in the US will receive an additional US$22 million to position Maine as a global leader in forest-based biomaterial production and manufacturing, the university is advancing plans to launch its Forest Bioproducts Technology Maturation Program, a critical component of the Tech Hub. Source: Timberbiz The Forest Bioproducts Tech Hub’s goal is to accelerate research and development of natural polymers and other wood fiber bioproducts that can sequester carbon and replace plastics and toxic chemicals, while bolstering “Made in America” supply chain goals. Launched in 2023, the Tech Hub is led by the Maine Technology Institute and the Mills Administration, and supported by more than 70 partners, including Sappi, IDEXX, Thornton Tomasetti, FOR/Maine, the Maine Forest Products Council, the Manufacturers Association of Maine and the Maine Venture Fund. As a primary Tech Hub partner, UMaine will provide world-class innovation expertise, cutting-edge bioproducts equipment and infrastructure, and intellectual property to build talent pipelines and help private sector companies rapidly accelerate product commercialization and operational growth. “Maine’s Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub represents the future of sustainable innovation, building on two centuries of forest industry leadership and 160 years of University of Maine excellence in research, development and education along with world-class facilities,” said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, president of the University of Maine and its regional campus, the University of Maine at Machias, as well as vice chancellor for research and innovation for the University of Maine System. “This investment will transform cutting-edge ideas into real-world solutions, powered by the expertise of our talented faculty, staff and students. Together with our partners, we are charting a bold course to position Maine as a global leader in sustainable materials, economic growth and innovation.” UMaine’s Forest Bioproducts Technology Maturation Program, funded at US$10.5 million in the award announced this week, will support startups and established companies in the forest bioproducts space. “The technology maturation program will provide companies with the talent, expertise and access to equipment to demonstrate new technologies and manufacturing processes at commercial scale, unlocking the potential for forest biomaterials to reach new high-value markets such as plastics and fuels replacements, textiles, building materials, biomedical applications and packaging, and create new economic development opportunities in Maine and beyond,” said Renee Kelly, associate vice president for Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources, and Engagement. From tailored work plans that include specific technical and business development milestones to access to a robust network of companies and research institutions and facilities, companies who participate in the Technology Maturation Program will receive wraparound support from UMaine. In addition to facilitating technology development for individual companies, UMaine will work with companies with similar technical barriers to help reach new markets. The opportunity to work directly with experts at UMaine facilities, including the Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMC), Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) and Process Development Center (PDC), will allow companies to test and validate new bioproducts and processes, focusing on scaling production and meeting safety standards. Finally, students, including undergraduate, graduate and doctoral level innovation fellows, will be embedded with participating companies to support their growth. “UMaine’s near-commercial scale Process Development Centre has a decades-long history of advancing biobased technologies,” said Colleen Walker, director of the PDC. “Our team is very excited to expand our work with emerging companies and offer access to our expertise and facilities to propel the development of forest-based bioproducts through the Forest Bioproducts Technology Maturation Program.” Melissa LaCasse, co-founder and CEO of Tanbark Molded Fiber Products said that Tanbark is excited to be part of the Tech Hub network. “We see many opportunities to accelerate new forest biomaterials applications in collaboration with UMaine, and to work with talented students who are the future of our skilled workforce,” she said. Maine is one of just six Tech Hubs selected to receive an award under new funding for the Tech Hubs Program included in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The rise of increasingly sought after, timber framed lifestyle dwellings is helping to free up housing stock across Australia. In the Fraser Coast, home to Hyne Timber, one of Australia’s oldest and largest softwood manufacturers, their framing is currently being used for almost 800 new lifestyle dwellings being built by Brighton Homes alone. Source: Timberbiz These are located across three village developments on behalf of Brighton Homes clients, Ingenia, Stockwell Group and Green Fort Capital. Typically, over 50s homeowners sell their home to move into a ‘right size’ lifestyle village without a mortgage – thereby freeing up housing stock for next generations. According to the 2021 ABS Census, 250,000 Australians reside in retirement communities which is a 23% increase from the 2016 data. This number is expected to exponentially grow with our aging population and 458 operators of retirement communities across the country. According to the Retirement Living Council ‘Better Housing for Better Health’ report, the current pipeline of retirement communities will reduce the housing shortage by 18%. Further growth of this pipeline to meet the ongoing demand, could further reduce Australia’s housing shortage by 67% by 2030. (Source: https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/submissions/better-housing-for-better-health) Brighton Homes Business Development Manager, Patrick Cumner, said their own pipeline for retirement villages will deliver almost 12,000 dwellings across Queensland in the next few years. “Lifestyle villages have been hugely popular across America for many years and this model is taking off here in Australia. “These centrally located villages can have hundreds of low maintenance dwellings along with the popular, shared facilities, services and social programs which make these communities so desirable for healthy and active retirees. “In the most part, homeowners do not own the village land on which their home sits, and therefore, by law, the home must be relocatable. This type of construction lends itself to timber while also delivering the many user-friendly and environmental benefits our locally grown timber provides. “Evidence demonstrates that his shift to lifestyle villages can only have a very positive impact on our retirees, the broader community and the Australian economy including housing availability for our next generations.” Mr Cumner concluded. James Hyne, Stakeholder Engagement Manager for the Hyne Group said this is a great step in the right direction for housing availability, “With the housing and land availability challenges here in Australia, this type of lifestyle model is contributing positively to our communities in many ways. “Not only are these lifestyle villages in hot demand, but they’re also being largely built using timber for a range of benefits including the ability to relocate them, quieter buildings, locally grown, locally manufactured and locally processed into frames and trusses at companies such as Brett’s Timber and Hardware and CQ Building Supplies. “From a pine seedling to a new home, thousands of local jobs make up these dwellings, further supporting our regional economy.” With an estimated 3,500m3 of timber to be used for the three Hervey Bay lifestyle villages, this volume of timber will sequester approximately 2,500 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere which is the equivalent to 1,270 cars off the road for a year. This volume of structural graded, softwood plantation pine will have regrown across the Australian softwood plantation estate in just 10 hours. Construction doesn’t get more renewable than that.

A Malaysian-born forestry giant, Ernslaw One, continues to remain at the centre of the storm after wreaking havoc on Te Tairāwhiti’s fragile environment with forestry debris. Source: New Zealand Herald Despite being fined for the catastrophic destruction caused during the 2018 cyclones, the company is yet to fully rectify its forestry processes as ordered. Now, it has left the Environment Court with no choice but to extend deadlines, further delaying peace of mind for a region heading into cyclone season. Ernslaw, a dominant force in New Zealand’s forestry industry, commands an empire of 100,000ha of forest, including vast holdings in Ūawa/Tolaga Bay and the West Ho forest within the Gisborne District. The company is headed by the Oregon investment company owned by the Tiong family, who also own New Zealand King Salmon and The Neil Group. Following a severe storm during Queen’s Birthday weekend in June 2018, substantial environmental damage occurred with sediment, slash and logging debris from the Ūawa Forest entering water bodies, streams, rivers and ultimately Tolaga Bay. Around 47,000 cubic metres of woody debris washed up on Tolaga Bay with an estimated 4000,000 cubic metres left through the Ūawa catchment. The Gisborne District Court charged Ernslaw with a breach of the Resource Management Act 1991 and in 2022 they were fined $225,000 and ordered to pay $130,000 reparation to locally affected families. In August last year, the Environment Court imposed enforcement on Ernslaw, Timbergrow and Chiong Yong Tiong to comply with a number of orders specifically in the West Ho Forest of Tolaga Bay. The conditions set by the Environment Court had a deadline of December 2024, however when the Gisborne District Council conducted a site visit in November, it noted areas of the forest remained non-compliant and still had high-risk issues. The council told the Environment Court that although some work had been done, the work was “piecemeal” and representatives for Ernslaw who also attended the site visit expressed surprise at the minimalist nature of the works completed. The council found woody debris remained at a number of locations, waste logging material had not been pulled back from skid sites (generally the side of hills) and water controls were inadequate. When the respondents advised the council the orders would not be complied with by December, they proposed no optional dates, forcing the council to apply for extensions due to the lack of compliance. The council also raised throughout the remediation period that the group had no director, manager or employee taking responsibility for overseeing the project, making it difficult to gain any feedback. The respondents acknowledged they had not fully complied but said the work that had been implemented had significantly improved West Ho Forest over time. Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti (MTT) submitted to the court that every additional day granted to the organisations to rectify issues posed additional risk with disastrous consequences. MTT said as long as the work remains incomplete, “the burden of fear weighs heavy on the communities”. Chief Environment Court Judge David Kirkpatrick made an extension of the order relating to the West Ho Forest for a number of compliance targets to be met the end of August. Judge Kirkpatrick directed all slash and waste logging at the edge of skid sites be removed by February 14. Water controls to eliminate risk of erosion must be completed by February 28. Ernslaw chief executive Darren Munn has since been assigned as fulfilling the monitoring role until the works in the order are complete.