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US Pacific County Superior Court Judge Donald J Richter rejected a lawsuit by anti-forestry groups claiming the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) violated state laws in approving a timber sale in mature forest stands, also politically labelled as “legacy forests,” on public working forests known as state trust lands. Source: Timberbiz This case on the Freedom Timber Sale is the first to reach the merits stage in a long line of nearly identical legal challenges by anti-forestry groups to other sales developed through DNR’s timber program, including the Last Crocker Sorts, Carrot, Bologna, and the Stilly Revisited timber sales. The ruling affirms the agency’s forest practices in managing these lands. Under the state constitution and law, DNR state trust lands are required to be managed to provide revenues to defined beneficiaries, which include public schools, local public safety agencies, and various community services. These public working forests also provide clean water, wildlife habitat, climate change mitigation and recreational opportunities. As the representative of DNR timber purchasers, AFRC intervened in the litigation on behalf of its member Stimson Lumber because of its potential impact to the forest products sector and state trust land beneficiaries. “Judge Richter’s decision is a major win, not only for the DNR, but for state trust lands beneficiaries, our rural communities, and our forest sector that supports thousands of jobs and provide green, Washington-made wood products that store carbon and help combat climate change,” said AFRC President Travis Joseph.  “The case sets an important precedent and confirms that the agency is correctly balancing old-growth protections with sustainable timber harvesting on these working forests.” The case revolved around the classification of timber stands within the Freedom Timber Sale area. Anti-forestry groups argued the DNR misrepresented these stands as not being “structurally complex,” violating both the Public Lands Act and the State Environmental Policy Act. However, Judge Richter determined there were no “structurally complex” stands in the Freedom Timber Sale, and the agency approved the sale in compliance of its Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and its own 2006 Policy for Sustainable Forests that guides the achievement of policy “targets” designed to sustain and develop old growth forests. In their ongoing legal campaign, anti-forestry groups have been challenging sales on state trust lands that have been determined to be suitable for sustainable timber harvesting activities under the HCP. Currently, nearly 800,000 acres of state trust lands in western Washington are already off-limits to timber harvesting under this science-based, landscape-scale HCP developed by state and federal scientists.  According to DNR data, older forests are projected to increase significantly over the life of the HCP. The same groups are also pushing the Board of Natural Resources and candidates for Commissioner of Public Lands to close an additional 77,000 acres of public working forests. Under this proposal, beneficiaries of state trust lands would lose an estimated US$1.35 billion in timber revenue over 15 years, while state, county and local governments would lose US$400 million in tax revenues generated by forest sector businesses. DNR would lose $600 million in timber revenue to fund agency operations and another US$100 million in road funding. “Ultimately, this case is about two different visions for our communities and forests,” Mr  Joseph said. “We believe we can and should steward our forests to help prevent wildfires and smoke, create jobs and economic opportunities that support rural communities, and meet our needs for carbon friendly wood products under the strongest labour and environmental laws on the planet.  Anti-forestry groups want to continue to control our public forests through litigation, stir up controversy and conflict in communities, and import wood from other countries that don’t share our environmental values, like Russia and Brazil, to meet our needs.  That’s what’s at stake in these constant anti-forestry legal challenges.” While anti-forestry groups claim these set asides will benefit our climate, a recent case study of a DNR timber harvest makes clear that proposals to set aside more DNR state trust lands will actually increase CO2 emissions as the supply of Washington-made wood products is reduced and carbon sequestration slows in these older forests.  

The Supreme People’s Court of China has directed judges nationwide to continue handing down harsh punishments against those who destroy forest resources. Source: China Daily It also disclosed details of four concluded environmental cases to highlight judicial efforts to protect the environment and beautify the country. In one case, three people in Huishui county, Guizhou province, were given prison terms ranging from 42 months to 44 months after they were found to have cut down Masson pine trees without permission. Two others who helped them transport the trees to mills for processing and sale received three-year sentences. In addition, the criminals were ordered to restore the damaged environment by purchasing forestry carbon credits and paying for the planting of replacement trees. “It’s a typical case in which everyone involved in the forest destruction was severely penalized, whether they were destroyers or transporters,” said Yang Di, a judge who specializes in tackling environmental cases at the top court. “The crackdown on illegal transport while fighting deforestation was conducive to strengthening the protection of forest resources,” she said, adding that the environmental restoration helped reestablish the dynamic balance of the regional ecosystem. In the past few years, the Miyun District People’s Court in Beijing has also ordered people who have damaged forests to repair them. After finding a villager surnamed Qi had cut down chestnut trees in fields to grow food crops in October 2019, the Miyun court chose the land and time and ordered Qi to plant new trees. It also supported a fine previously imposed by the district landscaping bureau. “Punishment is one thing. What’s more important is to enhance the legal awareness of forest vandals to help them realize the severity of the destruction and learn the necessity of environmental remediation,” the court said. “Only in this way can the environment be better protected and the ecology be balanced.” Data released by the Beijing High People’s Court on Wednesday showed that courts across the city concluded 374 environmental cases last year, 84 of which were related to deforestation, illegal hunting and illegal fishing. To increase the public’s awareness of the importance of protecting the environment, many courts in the capital have established education centers or stations to introduce environmental laws and examples of related disputes in communities or parks, said Li Xuhui, vice-president of the high court, adding that they have also endeavored to improve the handling of such cases. “A number of environmental specialists, for example, have become a think tank for the capital’s No 4 Intermediate People’s Court and Yanqing District People’s Court to assist judges in improving the quality of case hearings,” he said. Last month, the Pinggu District People’s Court set up a station at the Tianyun Mountain scenic spot, where tourists can learn about environmental laws and related issues.  

Canada’s International Trade Minister, Mary Ng, has criticized the US Department of Commerce for nearly doubling duties on Canadian softwood lumber, calling the increase unfair and unwarranted, as reported by Financial Post. Sources: BPM, Timberbiz The duties have been raised from 8.05% to 14.54%, which Ms Ng describes as “groundless and unfair,” arguing that they harm both consumers and producers on both sides of the border. This development is the latest in a long-standing bilateral dispute that Ottawa claims hinder efforts to improve the cost and supply of housing. The increase in the “all others” combined duty rate has sparked strong reactions from the government and industry in British Columbia. BC Forests Minister Bruce Ralston reiterated that the only solution to the dispute is the removal of the unfair softwood lumber duties. The US Department of Commerce determines duties under the Tariff Act based on whether goods are being sold below fair value or benefiting from subsidies provided by foreign governments. In Canada, lumber-producing provinces set stumpage fees for timber harvested from Crown land. US producers argue that these fees constitute an unfair subsidy since they are lower than market rates. Canadian lumber producers have already paid over Can$9bn in duties, which remain in deposit until the dispute is resolved. The BC Lumber Trade Council has stated that the increase exacerbates already challenging conditions for the industry. Canada is challenging the increased rates through a dispute panel under the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). Ottawa has previously seen success at World Trade Organization dispute panels, which ruled that Canada’s stumpage-fee system is not a subsidy. Last year, a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) dispute panel found aspects of the US calculation of duties to be inconsistent with federal law. The fifth administrative review of the duties by the US Commerce Department, released recently, set the new rate slightly higher than the preliminary rate of 13.86 percent announced in February. This rate is expected to remain in effect until mid-August 2025, when the sixth administrative review will be applied. The move has been welcomed by the US lumber industry, including the US Lumber Coalition. The coalition’s chairperson, Andrew Miller, stated that the US does not need unfairly traded Canadian lumber imports to meet current levels of home construction. Minister Ng emphasized that it is in the best interests of both Canada and the US to find a lasting resolution to the dispute. She reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to defending the interests of Canadian workers, businesses, and communities reliant on softwood lumber. Unifor, representing 320,000 workers including 24,000 workers in Canada’s forestry sector, is disappointed and frustrated with the United States’ continued attack on Canada’s softwood lumber industry. Unifor says that the US falsely states that Canada’s softwood lumber harvested on public land constitutes unfair trade and uses this to justify its unwarranted penalties on exports and says it is an outrageous and reckless claim that, along with other industry pressures, puts Canadian jobs and the industry in peril.

This week is National Science Week, 10 – 18 August, and the Tasmanian forestry industry is reminding students across the state of the many great science-based jobs on offer in our forests. Source: Timberbiz National Science Week is Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology, and features hundreds of events around Australia, including those delivered by universities, schools, research institutions, libraries, museums and industries. Chief Executive Officer of the Tasmanian Forest Products Association (TFPA), Nick Steel, said the state’s forest industry is proud to support the event, with hundreds of science-based jobs on offer in the forestry industry. “The Tasmanian forestry industry offers our state’s young people great opportunities in science-based fields,” Mr Steel said. “Forestry isn’t just the harvesting of trees. There is a plethora of jobs that require science training to make our sustainable industry thrive. Some of the jobs that require science-based training in our forests include: Forest ecologist Resource planner Harvest manager Conservationist Environmental scientist Biosecurity scientist Geospatial scientist “Our industry is innovative, forward-facing and sustainable,” Mr Steel said. “Science plays a huge role in our industry, and science jobs in our forests give young people the chance to secure high-quality jobs in the communities where their friends and families live. “I’d urge all young people interested in a science career to see what opportunities exist in Tasmanian forests.” For more information on jobs in forestry in Tasmania visit www.arbre.net.au and www.forest-education.com

A free Heavy Vehicle Rollover Awareness Program (HVRAP) to enhance safety in the Australian road freight industry has been released by the Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association. Source: Timberbiz HVRAP is a comprehensive program developed by LBRCA to provide the industry with the necessary tools and resources to foster a culture of safety. Funded by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI) and supported by the Australian Government, the program allows individuals to learn from the real-life experiences of professional drivers at their own pace, in their own time, and on their own terms. There are specific logging and woodchip modules that will be released soon. These were developed in cooperation with some very credible operators across the country. Key features of the Heavy Vehicle Rollover Awareness Program include: Understanding Heavy Vehicle Rollovers Understanding the Forces The Contributing Factors Tackling the Issue Additionally, load-specific modules such as grain, cotton, and fertiliser are included, addressing the unique challenges associated with various cargo types. Each module is accompanied by informative learning videos, providing a dynamic and engaging educational experience for participants. The program’s website houses the HVRAP Toolbox, a comprehensive resource centre containing links, tools, and other valuable information to support individuals and organisations in their commitment to safety. HVRAP empowers the road freight industry to create a culture of safety, recognising that a culture of safety is synonymous with success. By providing accessible and flexible learning opportunities, LBRCA aims to significantly reduce the incidence of heavy vehicle rollovers and crashes, enhancing the overall safety of Australia’s road freight network. “The Heavy Vehicle Rollover Awareness Program is a testament to our commitment to the safety and well-being of our industry professionals,” LBRCA Chief Operating Officer Bec Coleman said. “We believe that by equipping individuals with the knowledge and tools to prevent rollovers, we can create a safer working environment and save lives.” Alan Pincott from Australian Trucking Safety Services & Solutions said that an enormous amount of support and participation from the industry has gone into developing the program. It makes us all proud that their efforts have gone into a program that is available to everybody and is free to all users. To enrol in the Heavy Vehicle Rollover Awareness Program, visit www.hvrap.au

New Zealand’s Canterbury West Coast Wood Council (CWCWC) held its second ever awards night in August at the Te Pae Convention Centre in Christchurch. It was a sellout event with 420 guests attending from all parts of the industry. Source: Timberbiz CWCWC is unique in that its membership welcomes all those from across the supply chain, including nursery growers, forestry companies, contractors, distributors, sawmillers, timber retailers, local port businesses and councils. Opening the night was Glenn Moir, chair of CWCWC, who highlighted the importance of forestry to our local regions and the 2000 plus jobs it creates. He attributed this mostly to the benefits of growing Pinus radiata. Local MP for Selwyn Hon Nicola Grigg and Minister of State for Trade, Minister for Women, and Associate Minister of Agriculture spoke of the improvements the new government aims to make for the industry. Also in a video presentation, Forestry Minister Todd McClay talked on current forestry initiatives and promoting economic growth in the regions. The Canterbury West Coast Forestry Awards showcases the exceptional skills of the local workforce and acknowledges those businesses that are accomplishing notable achievements. This year there were 40 nominations received that went on to be judged by John Hawkins, Dr Elizabeth Heeg and Mark Grover. The judges were impressed by the high standard of nominations. Winners were selected for each of the 10 award categories. First up on stage was the award winner for Business Innovation – TrackIT Logistics developed by Chris Murphy and his team. TrackIT logistics is an easy-to-use software solution for businesses to streamline their logistics management with efficiency. Next for the Business Awards section was C3 Limited taking out the award for Crew of the Year. For the Individual Awards this year’s winner for Harvesting Excellence was David Button from Button Logging. Mr Button and his team play a crucial role in the success of the harvesting environment. They have the ability to regularly adapt to meet the forever changing challenges that harvesting brings. The award for Wood Processing Excellence went to Ben Millar from Mitchell Bros. Nominated more than once was Jason Lyon better known as Bert from Steve Murphy Limited for Distribution Excellence. Mr Lyon excels in his role and is extremely well respected. He spends his day in a constant juggling act between logging contractors, forest managers, sawmills and the port. Aaron Tahuhu from SRS New Zealand Limited was the deserving recipient of the Emerging Talent of the Year award. The Forestry Excellence award went to an indispensable forestry representative Nathan Sew Hoy of Central Forestry Services. Achieving the Outstanding Environmental Management award was Ryan Lee from Lee Logging. The worthy winner of the Outstanding Health and Safety Management award was Ebony Hillman from Westco Lumber. To finish the night the Outstanding Contribution to the Forestry Industry award was presented to Derrick Parry of Rangiora Nursery. Mr Parry has given a lifetime’s commitment to forest nursery production in New Zealand and has always been passionate about growing the highest quality trees. Special mentions were also given to all the sponsors that contributed significantly towards the night, making the event possible. The Canterbury West Coast Wood Council was thrilled to see the people of the regions coming together for this very important occasion. Sponsors: GOLD – Rayonier Matariki Forests, Port Blakely, Laurie Forestry Limited, Forest Management Group, Rangiora ITM, TrackIT Logistics, C3 Limited, Westco Lumber, McAlpines Timber, SRS New Zealand SILVER – WIDE Trust, Competenz, FISC, Te Uru Rakau BRONZE – Patchell, Forest360, Trans Tasman Forestry, Total Energies, UDC, Sutherland Timber, One Stop Deck Shop

Road access has been improved in State forests over the past two years under the largest ever infrastructure program rolled out across the NSW State Forest estate. Source: Timberbiz The $60-million Forest Infrastructure Repair Program (FIRP), undertaken by Forestry Corporation, has now seen 160 road, bridge and culvert projects planned, constructed and completed in State forests since 2022. Forest Infrastructure Project Supervisor Peter Walsh said a further 60 projects are currently operational and a further 54 are in planning stages across the state. Mr Walsh said the fund has improved public and emergency firefighting access in State forests and generated regional returns through public infrastructure investment for local communities. “Restoring and improving vehicle access to the forest estate has been a major focus for Forestry Corporation with these major works creating regional employment and adding significantly to regional economies,” he said. Laurieton-based company Green Construction Management is completing one of the latest projects on the Mid North Coast. The firm has overseen the installation of a concrete bridge on Geary’s Flat Road in Kippara State Forest, north-west of Wauchope, and is now undertaking road widening works. “The great thing about the projects is they allow contractors completing the work to source all of the labour and supplies from the local area,” owner operator Rob Green said. “When you look at this project, we have replaced a damaged old timber bridge no longer fit for traffic with a new precast concrete structure that carries a life span of around 100 years,” he said. Across NSW, Forestry Corporation maintains a 60,000km road and fire trail network that complements the public road network providing access for community use, forest management and fire protection. After years of significant weather damage, a statewide audit found more than half of the State forest road network was in areas heavily impacted by flooding. Consecutive weather events damaged between 10,000 and 50,000 kilometres of forest roads. This prompted the NSW Government in 2022 to provide $60 million in funding spread over three years to fix flood-damaged roads, bridges and culverts and restore vehicle access for the wider community. To find out more about the Forest Infrastructure Repair Program go to www.forestrycorporation.com.au

Durable eucalypt timbers are hard, strong and naturally resistant to decay, so can be used without any chemical treatment and Gippsland farmland has emerged as a key region to grow this valuable timber. Source: Philip Hopkins, Gippsland Times The importance of this trend has been underlined by the state government’s decision on the native forest industry, the traditional source of durable hardwoods. Of Australia’s approximate 900,000 hectares of eucalyptus plantations, less than 5% have a natural durability ratings of Class 1 and 2 (above-ground). Enter Heartwood Unlimited, founded in 1995, a boutique management company based in Gippsland that researches, plants and harvests native durable hardwoods. It manages about 2000 hectares (ha) of plantations, about 40 properties ranging in size from 10-20ha to 100ha and is probably the largest grower of such timbers in Victoria. Heartwood is driving a new plantation model that encompasses genetics, silviculture, harvesting, nutrition, biodiversity and agroforestry. “Animals are an important part of our operation,” Heartwood Owner and Manager, Jon Lambert said. Heartwood has been a driver in getting together a group of fellow travellers around Australia and even in New Zealand who have formed the Durable Eucalyptus Growers Forum. “The idea is to visit one of the members each year,” Mr Lambert said. The group started with its first forum at Yarram in 2018, which was followed by forums in northern NSW (two members), South-East Queensland and NZ last year after missing 18 months due to COVID-19. This year, the group was back full circle to South Gippsland, with a role in central Victoria through Wood 4 Good. Next year will be hosted by a relative newcomer, Ironwood, based in central NSW. Mr Lambert said growing durable hardwoods – trees such as spotted gum, yellow stringybark, mahogany, grey box, sugar gum, and ironbark was the common binder for the group. “We don’t want to open the group for a whole lot of growers to come along as individuals. The values of the group are important; you have ‘skin in the game’ and are prepared to offer something up, knowing others will do the same – intellectual property, R&D, collaboration,” he said. “It’s important to have a group that meets those requirements; we have protected that fairly well, but we do have guests invited to forums. All groups are growing and selling in some capacity; even Wood 4 Good sells firewood and poles from durable resources.” Heartwood aims to be at the forefront of growing durable eucalypts, hence the emphasis on genetics, silviculture, harvesting, nutrition, biodiversity and agroforestry – an innovation that requires interaction with animals. “We recently changed our name to Heartwood Unlimited to become more focussed on these key five areas, rather than just focus on forestry. These are all areas that require development to get right. We are burrowing away doing trials and tests, using different technologies to remain at the forefront. That parallels what our partner Radial Timber Australia in Yarram is doing,” he said. Apart from Radial, Heartwood’s main investors are individuals grouped in investment trusts with two-to-10 members. There is not a single farmer. “Farmers are inclined to do their own thing, or finances are an issue – farmers don’t usually have large amounts of finance up front,” Mr Lambert said. Forestry is more suited to people with high taxable incomes and self-managed super funds, otherwise it is too difficult to fund or to make it stack up. “We are finding that people have shifted, they don’t want to just get some trees, they want more than that – conservation qualities, carbon, farming forestry and capital growth,” he added. Mr Lambert said Heartwood spent a lot of time aiming to do harvesting and thinning better. “Harvesting in Australia and Victoria is geared to industrial-sized plantations. We’re smaller, looking at ways to make it more cost-effective as a business,” he said. The emphasis on thinning plantations also has downstream impacts – a proliferation of grass and weeds, sometimes noxious weeds. Unlike pine plantations, which are thick and dark and rarely let in weeds and grasses, Jon said Heartwood thinned early to get some saw logs. “So, you get extra light and water on the ground, creating grass and weeds,” he said. That led to problems such as spreading weeds to neighbours, creating potential fire hazards and competition with the trees. Heartwood’s solution has been to run animals through their plantations, creating a business called Heartwood Herds in 2018. “Animals have become part of what we do. We run a number of our own herds – cattle and sheep, as well as recent trials with goats. Genuine agroforestry. It can be a juggle, grazing the animals amongst the trees,” he said. Some aspects were counter-intuitive to farming alone. For example, forestry required sites at the end of December to have the grass well fed down, whereas farmers prefer the grass to last through summer. “Sheep have been the most successful. We started with Wiltshire and did some breeding… they have a high lambing rate, eat a broader range, more like goats, are not quite as aggressive as others, so there is less need for intense fencing. There are trade-offs everywhere,” Mr Lambert said. “Some Strzelecki blocks have major weed problems. We have been able to control the majority of weeds and minimise the chemicals we put out and still get good breeding numbers on those blocks. They protect their young from eagles and foxes.” Goats have not been as successful. “They have been fantastic in what they eat. I believe they are one of the only animals that neutralises the blackberry seeds, and don’t spread them through dung, like other animals do,” Mr Lambert said. “But the problem with the goats, the breeds we have had, they’ve got terrible footrot on high rainfall blocks. The trim and bath management costs go through the roof, but they do a great job, have knocked out a lot of noxious weeds. They will climb up the trees as far as they can to get to the […]