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John Deere has rolled out Auto Pickup for its skidder line-up. Industry-exclusive Auto Pickup within John Deere TimberMatic Maps makes it easier for skidder operators to collect production information while enhancing the ability to monitor job progress. Source: Timberbiz Without using Auto Pickup, operators must manually interact with the display to show the production completed on the job. This time-saving feature simplifies the collection of operation, requiring less engagement from the operator. “This brand-new feature was developed to help meet our customer needs and boost efficiency and awareness in the woods, and we are confident that Auto Pickup will improve jobsites and operator performance upon first use,” said Matt Flood, product marketing manager, John Deere. “The technology will automatically collect critical jobsite data, taking the guesswork out of the collection process.” Helping to simplify collection, Auto Pickup can be activated at the beginning of a shift by simply tapping an icon on the TimberMatic Maps display. Once engaged, the Auto Pickup feature stays on between key cycles unless manually disengaged. Therefore, the operator does not need to focus on frequently turning the feature back on, keeping the operator concentrated on the job. Once activated, the operator simply selects the appropriate landing where loads need to be placed, and using machine intelligence, Auto Pickup will continually monitor machine functions to determine if a bunch is properly being picked up. As the operator picks up a bunch, Auto Pickup will automatically select it, and after an adjustable, preset amount of time, the bunch is added to the chosen landing. This new feature helps simplify the collection process, and is ultimately a hands-free method, requiring less engagement from the operator. While using Auto Pickup, skidder operators no longer need to pause and track their production. This helps confirm that production information and inventory moved to the loader is up to date in live time, instead of calculated hours after collection. As the job progresses, production data and logging routes are updated in real-time on TimberMatic Maps, displaying the actual status of the jobsite, helping to minimize guesswork. While Auto Pick data is being collected, owners, supervisors and foremen can monitor live progress remotely using TimberManager. This provides full visibility of a jobsite from any remote location, minimizing the need to be present on the logging site to monitor operations. Auto Pickup is now available on existing machines where TimberMatic Maps is installed.

Crucial information on the condition of nature and the variety of wildlife in UK’s forests is being gathered at a speed and level of detail never before available thanks to innovative biodiversity monitoring techniques being rolled out. Source: Timberbiz Working with partners NatureMetrics and AgriSound, Forestry England is collecting eDNA samples of soil, water and air from across some of the 1,500 forests and woodlands in their care, and in March began installing 130 bioacoustic listening devices in four wild areas in the nation’s forests, to track the presence of winged insects. Already these biodiversity monitoring techniques are giving Forestry England ecologists enormous amounts of data revealing previously unknown species and helping them plan their actions to restore nature. Across 21 forests, 656 eDNA soil samples taken over four months showed the presence of more than 5,000 unique species of fungi, more than have ever been discovered in the nation’s forests in the last hundred years using traditional sampling methods, alongside a further 1,000 species of invertebrates. Biotechnology company NatureMetrics has converted the large species lists discovered through eDNA monitoring into accessible, robust data, giving Forestry England’s teams a new ability to track these biodiversity metrics over time and space. As well as gathering data through eDNA, Forestry England is working with agriculture technology company, AgriSound, that has developed specific algorithms that will track and report on pollinator activity via its bioacoustic monitoring device ‘Polly’. These Polly monitoring devices are producing real-time data on the presence of the common bumblebee in four wild areas in the nation’s forests. AgriSound’s Polly monitoring devices’ algorithms enable them to track bees’ flight by recognising wingbeat sounds and vibration, showing when they are present and their activity levels. Acoustic sensors are also being used to detect the presence and behaviour of bats across the wild areas, with 87 installed over the last two years in a survey partnership with the Bat Conservation Trust. Forestry England is taking a new approach to forestry in these wild areas, putting landscape-scale nature restoration at the forefront. The eDNA information and bioacoustic data on the bumblebee and bat populations present in each is a valuable piece of the jigsaw the teams will use to plan, measure and change their activities. Landscape management changes which respond to the data findings may include bringing in naturalistic grazing with low density cattle herds to improve soil health, rewiggling streams to create larger wetland habitats, and changing the tree species diversity and structure in woodland areas.

Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities is a non-profit, organization that advocates for active forest management throughout the West in the US. In a statement the organisation said that rural voters turned out in record numbers in the 2024 election and were a decisive factor in the presidential race. Source: Timberbiz According to Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities rural voters sent a strong message: our voices can no longer be ignored in Washington, DC. The organisation said that for years, timber communities have pleaded for active forest management to protect their homes from wildfire; keep nearby national forests green and healthy; provide timber to support local economies; and to maintain safe access to their local public lands. So, they said it was reasonable to expect the new Trump administration, combined with the new Congress, to respond by prioritizing active forest management and restoring the federal agencies’ traditional mandate to manage public lands for multiple uses. Maybe the new administration will continue President Biden’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy that aims to double the current rate of forest health treatments in areas most susceptible to severe wildfires, pests, and diseases. Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities said that it was likely the new administration will reverse the Biden policies that directly undermined the strategy. This includes the political and self-defeating “Old Growth” rule that would have made it even more costly and bureaucratic to properly manage national forests and sustain older stands of trees. The Fix Our Forests Act restores forest health, increases resiliency to catastrophic wildfires, and protects communities by expediting environmental analyses, reducing frivolous lawsuits, and increasing the pace and scale of forest restoration projects. The new Congress should put the Fix Our Forests Act back on the agenda when it convenes in January.  

Three and a half years ago, Karst Kreun bought 60 hectares (150 acres) of land by Mount Buller in memory of his late wife, Lindy. Located in Mansfield in Victoria’s north-east, the property, named “Karlindy” after his wife, had been used for generations for intense farming and seed production. Source: The Guardian “It had 11 mature trees on it,” Kreun says. “That’s it.” Kruen has planted 13,500 native trees and shrubs so far and is aiming for 90,000 by the time he is finished. “I’ve always been keen on conservation, and I thought this was a good project to work on,” he says of his mission to attract more birds and wildlife. Kruen has planted 13,500 native trees and shrubs so far and is aiming for 90,000 by the time he is finished Gang-gang cockatoos are listed as endangered under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act due to habitat loss in the cool alpine forests they call home. A similar project is under way at Tillabudgery, a property in the hamlet of Woodfield, near Bonnie Doon, owned by Kirsten Hutchison and her sister Neridda. They inherited the land after their father’s death four years ago and have been continuing his conservation efforts with help from the Victorian government’s BushBank program. The scheme is funding 20,000ha of native forest replanting across the state through partnerships with private landowners. Hutchison says their aim is to provide foraging habitats for the native wildlife, including gang-gangs, through restoring 43ha of native forest. The site is steep and challenging to work on but they have managed to plant thousands of trees and to control weeds, rabbits and sambar deer. “It is gang-gang cockatoo country,” Hutchison says. “We sometimes see or hear them during the warmer months when they return to the higher, wetter forests.” Conservation was their father’s passion. “We always grew up with a strong sense of moral social conscience when it came to the environment,” Hutchison says. “It is our hope that our restoration project will help provide more foraging habitat and help buffer the adjacent Maintongoon bushland reserve to reduce any edge effects for [the gang-gang].” “Edge effects” are the intrusion of invasive plants and animals into native vegetation through adjacent cleared farmland. Sean Dooley, the public affairs manager of Birdlife, an Australian non-profit organisation, says gang-gang cockatoos were first listed as endangered in 2022. “Many people attribute this uplisting of threatened status to the impacts of the black summer bushfires, however, the declines in population were happening well before this,” Dooley says. The most reliable surveys of the species show population declines of as much as 69% between 1999 and 2019. “The black summer bushfires were another hammer blow with somewhere between 28 to 36% of their habitat burnt, and an estimated 10% of the population killed in the fires,” Dooley says. According to the Action Plan for Australian Birds 2020, habitat loss, particularly nesting hollows, due to land-clearing and continuing native forest logging is the main threat to the bird. Hutchison says she and her sister are also working with the conservation organisation Trust for Nature to permanently protect the property in a conservation covenant, ensuring it remains a long-term habitat for the cockatoos. “Dad spent most of his time on the property and really threw himself into planting trees on the land,” she says. “We thought we would fulfil Dad’s dream and legacy, transform his property and leave something for the future.” At Karlindy, Kruen has a similar plan: “The aim is to bring it as close as I can to what it was 200 years ago.”

With parts constructed from four cypress species, eucalyptus flooring, poplar plywood ceiling linings and Douglas-fir roof framing, the Specialty Wood Species Cabin might look like a collection of disparate timbers, but it’s that way for a reason. Source: Timberbiz The cabin showcases what can be done with alternative timbers and without using chemicals. It came about following the seven-year Specialty Wood Products Research Partnership (SWP). The SWP investigated new wood products derived from specialty species. It aimed to increase the productivity and profitability of specialty species and develop a high value specialty wood products industry. It focussed on the three New Zealand-grown, leading alternatives to radiata pine – Douglas-fir, cypresses and eucalypts. The government and industry-funded SWP research project ran from 2015 to 2022 and included representatives from Forest Growers Research, Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service, the Ministry for Primary Industries, Scion, New Zealand Farm Forestry Association, NZ Dryland Forests Innovation and University of Canterbury. Scion was a key research provider. Vaughan Kearns of Ruapehu Sawmills had been heavily involved in the SWP project and when it finished, he wanted to find a way to showcase the thermally modified cypress created during the project. The cabin itself aims to challenge the durability of thermally modified cypress in a real-world environment rather than just the research environment where durability testing is ongoing. “It was an opportunity to showcase the other products that came out of the SWP such as the eucalyptus laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and eucalyptus engineered flooring. On the back of that there was the opportunity to showcase the timbers that Ruapehu Sawmills produces such as some cypresses,” Mr Kearns said. The building was roughly half funded by Ruapehu Sawmills with contributions from SWP partners and the Industry Transformation Plan. The cabin, roughly 5m by 3.5m is currently housed on Scion’s Rotorua campus for the public to view. Along with strategically placed double-glazed windows, it is designed to be oriented to make the most of the sun’s natural light and heat. The timbers used in construction were supplied from trees grown in New Zealand and the only treated timber used in the build is the skids in contact with the ground. The rest of the wood is either naturally durable or thermally modified (baked at high temperatures to remove sugars and increase durability and stability) showing you can build without added chemicals and still meet building code requirements. Wood used in the build includes Grand fir, Douglas-fir, Western red cedar, poplar plywood, Eucalyptus fastigata and Eucalyptus obliqua and four cypress species of macrocarpa, lusitanica, Cupressus x Nootkatensis and Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Lawson cypress). Some of the cypress used was from a cypress hybrid trial established by Scion in 1997, meaning Scion has been able to track the trees from cuttings, through to finished products. Scion’s work researching naturally durable or thermally modified wood is longstanding with recent research focussing on thermally modifying tōtara to enhance its durability enough for exterior building uses. Senior technologist Rosie Sargent says it is great for people to be able to see the types of products that can be made from these species, and the cabin provides an opportunity to learn how these products perform in real life situations. Trees to High Value Wood Products interim portfolio leader Elizabeth Dunningham says the cabin will provide useful data about product performance as Scion staff make ongoing assessments. The cabin is made up of a range of wood and wood products including Eucalyptus obliqua flooring and a thermally modified cypress feature wall. “A wide range of collaborators contributed years of hard work and key technical know-how into the SWP, so it’s great the cabin is at Scion to showcase some of the products from that important collaboration.” Marco Lausberg, Forest Growers Research’s SWP programme manager, says the cabin was a talking point when on display at last year’s FGR annual conference and there could be a growing market for these products. “There’s a different consumer that is happy to pay more for less of an environmental impact. There is interest and demand for non-treated products.” The SWP had a $14 million budget made of annual contributions of NZ$710,000 from industry, NZ$710,000 from MBIE and also had annual aligned funding of NZ$550,000 from Scion. It was driven by reducing sectoral risk, creating products for new markets and spurring regional development. As a key research provider for the SWP partnership, Scion led the research into many of the products featured in the cabin. In some cases, research is ongoing, and the cabin will provide data about product performance in service over time as Scion staff make assessments of the cabin’s different components.

FWPA has launched its new Data Dashboard, which is now accessible for anyone interested via a subscription model. This enhanced data platform provides valuable insights and data specifically tailored for the forestry and wood products sector, empowering businesses to make informed decisions based on trusted, impartial information. Source: Timberbiz “We are excited to make our upgraded FWPA Data Dashboard available to a broader audience. This platform not only enhances FWPA’s member experience but also empowers all users in the forestry and wood products sector with critical data and insights.” said Erick Hansnata, Statistics and Economics Program Manager at FWPA. “Our commitment to providing reliable, impartial information supports effective decision-making, helping businesses navigate an ever-changing market landscape.” For the past decade, FWPA has collated and made available a wide range of data on the forestry and wood products sector. The public domain and industry data included in the FWPA Data Dashboard is designed to enable users to respond effectively to market trends and has applications for a variety of business functions including leadership, business development, occupational health and safety, and human resources. The upgraded Data Dashboard is available as a complimentary benefit to full levy-paying FWPA members. FWPA Associate members and the wider public can now access this comprehensive resource for an annual subscription fee of just $950 (including GST). Key features of the new FWPA Data Dashboard: FWPA Softwood Volume and Price data: Exclusive Australian softwood industry volume and price data, updated regularly. Monthly Trade Activities Data and Forecast: Reports on export-import activities and provides forecasts for key trade products. Australian Forest and Wood Products Statistics (AFWPS): Utilising the ABARES-FWPA Program, this twice-yearly publication delivers insights into national log harvesting and timber processing activities, including indicators of forestry sector activity. The Weekly Brief Analysis: A data driven update combining most recent industry data with current market and economic issues. Macroeconomic Indicators: Access key economic measures such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Consumer Price Index (CPI), and Wage Price Index (WPI). International Forest Production and Sustainability Data: Analyse progress towards sustainable development goals by country, using data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. ABS Building Activities Data and Forecast: Focused on building activity in Australia, this feature includes data on construction projects and future trends. With a new data series added as part of the redevelopment, the FWPA Data Dashboard is a valuable source of information, forecast data and market analysis. Subscribers will also get access to further research papers from some of FWPA’s data related research projects and joint programs with public or academic institutions.

New Zealand’s Forest Growers Research (FGR) Annual Science Report is now available that looks at recent research as well as reviewing some of the successes and challenges of the research model. Source: Timberbiz Forest Growers Research is owned, governed, managed and directed by the forest industry. Stephen Franks, chair of the Forest Growers Levy Trust said in the report that the Annual Science Report should remind forest growers that in depressing times we should be putting more into industry good investment, not cutting back. He said that this report was a celebration of the resulting 10 years of research investment and that for every NZ$1 invested, Forest Growers Research has secured an extra NZ$2.50. This year marks a decade since the Forest Growers Levy was introduced and this year forestry research has received NZ$4.7 million from the levy. Levy funding is essential to continuing forestry research. The overarching goal is to improve forest values, resilience, safety and environmental performance, and keep abreast of innovations. FGR is looking forward to developing new programs in 2025. You can download the report here.

This summer, Forest Fire Management Victoria’s helicopter rappel program is celebrating 40 years’ delivering forest firefighters to fight some of the state’s most remote and inaccessible bushfires to control them before they impact communities and the environment. Source: Gippsland Times Rappelling uses specialist equipment to transport firefighters from a hovering helicopter to the ground. It means fire crews can be deployed quickly to remote and mountainous locations where there may not be road access or space to land a helicopter. This allows them to bring small fires under control quickly using ‘dry firefighting’ techniques to slow spread until other resources can reach the fires, or clear areas to allow helicopters to land. Dry fire techniques include using rakehoes to establish mineral earth breaks and using chainsaws to create fire breaks or improve access to other firefighting resources. Since its establishment in 1985, more than 350 firefighters have taken part in the program. Chief fire officer Chris Hardman said 40 years was an incredible milestone. “Rappelling is a critical part of the way we fight fires in remote or difficult terrain, allowing us to stop small fires before they become big fires,” he said. Crews are based at Heyfield and Ovens and can be deployed across the state. When they are not deployed to fires, rappel teams help deliver FFMVic’s land and fire management works, including assessing and treating hazardous trees and clearing tracks. Each year, crews undertake several weeks of training in readiness for the fire season. That training begins this month for both returning and new members across Victoria, including in Melbourne, Ovens, Heyfield and Howqua. To be eligible for the program, new members must have had firefighting experience and a good level of fitness, but abseiling experience is not required. Training starts at the rappel tower at the Fire Equipment Development Centre at Altona, which includes a helicopter mock-up. Once students have demonstrated their competency in rappelling, they progress to a helicopter. Initial rappels take place about 120 feet, gradually increasing to 300 feet. The training is led by Bryan Rees, DEECA senior aviation operations officer, who has been a part of the rappel program since its start. Mr Rees said he was proud to be involved for four decades as he’s watched the program evolve. “We aim to instil a strong sense of teamwork, discipline and safety in our crews during training. Once rappel crews are on the ground, they are firefighters like any other,” he said “Lives, properties, infrastructure and landscapes have undoubtedly been saved by having the ability to put firefighters on the ground so soon after a fire is detected.” Mr Hardman said rappel training is just one of the ways FFMVic is preparing for this year’s fire season. He said it’s a reminder to the community they can play a role as well and encouraged all Victorians to take steps to prepare for the summer ahead.

The latest batch of forest industry leaders were put to the test last week during the Forest Practices Authority’s 2024 Forest Practices for Supervisors Course. Source: Timberbiz Private Forests Tasmania Operations Manager Jarrod Burn delivered a module on native regrowth forest silviculture, the art and science of sustainably managing the establishment, growth, health and quality forests for this year’s students. Mr Burn said the course was an essential part for forest practices supervisors to understand decisions on appropriate silvicultural treatments such as natural and assisted regeneration practices, thinning for ecological or commercial benefits, timber harvesting practices and pest and disease control practices. “The module gave understanding of the principles of silvicultural systems and how they derived and applied in the Tasmanian practices system,” he said. “There are a number of recognised and documented silvicultural regimes which have been developed for specific forest types and situations. “Silvicultural objectives can be developed with a focus on timber production, forest health, ecosystem services and other values which are important to the landowner.” A silvicultural system requires: A management objective A harvesting system A regeneration treatment Monitoring and protection “Tasmania’s extensive native regrowth forests have a long history of active management for timber production,” Mr burn said. “Up to 306,000 hectares of private native forests in Tasmania can be managed sustainably to produce timber, which can contribute significantly to Australia’s timber shortage, support ecosystem and forest health, and produce positive outcomes.” Positive outcomes include: Timber products – logs harvested can be sold to domestic and export markets, and are increasingly used in higher value wood products Non-timber products – native regrowth forest management enables the production of non-timber products such as honey Values and functions – regional employment, recreation, carbon sequestration and ecosystem services are supported by private native regrowth forest management. Mr Burn said choosing the most appropriate silvicultural regime requires a good understanding of forest growth dynamics and the factors that influence these dynamics. The practice of silviculture can be described as the employment of techniques to alter the structure of forest and stand to achieve specific management objectives such as: Removal of trees so that competition between trees is reduced and growth is encouraged. Removal of damaged or undesirable trees or other vegetation components. Changing the forest structure to promote desirable values (timber, biodiversity etc.). Encouraging the regeneration of desirable species and forest structure. In native forests, silvicultural techniques are focused on harvesting strategies and regeneration practices, but can also include the use of fire, thinning and other interventions. “Tasmania has vast native forest cover, much of which is on private land. Native regrowth forests can be actively managed for multiple benefits,” Mr Burn said. “With active management, you can improve the health of your native forest and its ecosystem functions. You can also produce highly valued timber and non-timber products. “Activities like selective harvesting give the forest’s remaining trees more light, water and nutrients. This means they are healthier and more productive for functions such as carbon sequestration. It also means the forest is less vulnerable to pests, disease and fire.” Private Forests Tasmania has a host of resources about private native regrowth forest management at https://treealliance.com.au/native-regrowth-forest-management

Australia’s forestry sector will be represented at the United Nations’ 29th Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan to promote the important role our forestry and forest products sector is already playing, as well as its further potential to help Australia fight climate change. Source: Timberbiz AFPA’s Senior Policy Manager, Sara Bray will attend COP29 over the next fortnight and participate in numerous events with a range of stakeholders, including the Albanese Government, to promote the role forestry plays in decarbonising the economy, the role timber will play in decarbonising the building sector and the role of bioplastics to transition away from fossil fuel-based plastics. There are seven formal events AFPA and Ms Bray have helped organise including: Decarbonising our skylines: Shaping buildings for a net zero 2050 Focused on decarbonising the built environment, this event will feature the President of the American Institute of Architects and the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Low carbon, high productivity agriculture: Meeting global needs In the Australian Government Pavilion, AFPA will moderate an event featuring the President of the International Dairy Federation, Gilles Froment, National Farmers Federation President, David Jochinke and representatives from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and The Meat Institute (USA). Speakers will discuss achieving climate goals, while boosting global food and fibre security, including through the use of forestry. Put your money where your mouth is: Commitments and investments to reach net-zero agriculture This event will explore what’s required to achieve net zero agriculture and how to scale up regenerative and low-emission agriculture practices. Speakers include Australia’s Special Representative for Australian Agriculture, Su McCluskey, and representatives from the Japanese Government, the Brazilian Farmers Organisation, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Danish Agriculture and Food Council. In addition to AFPA’s participation in these events, there will be significant advocacy and networking opportunities with other key stakeholders, including Australian Government representatives, to promote forestry and the sector’s contribution to fighting climate change. “AFPA’s impressive lineup of events demonstrates our standing and forestry’s standing on the global stage, particularly because of our world-leading sustainable forestry practices. Internationally, sustainable forestry, which is the management of forests for timber, the environment and societal benefits, is recognised as a key tool in decarbonising the agriculture sector,” Diana Hallam Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Forest Products said. “AFPA has been working with organisations like the International Dairy Federation, the World Farmers Organisation, the National Farmers Federation (Australia), and the Brazil, Danish and Canadian farmer representative groups to demonstrate how net zero agriculture, or low carbon agriculture can be a reality.”