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When people think of Italy, they think of warm beaches and sun-drenched villages but in the north that’s far from the norm. The north has rugged mountains with severe winters, getting caught unawares in this landscape can be fatal. Source: Timberbiz, photos Studio Francesco Faccin That’s where Pancalpina comes to the rescue – the literal translation is alpine bench. Pancalpina is a hybrid object designed for those who experience the mountains. It is a traditional bench, intended for contemplating the landscape, resting, or reflecting, which can transform when needed into a survival kit. Its belly conceals a survival kit and a tent that can be set up using the bench’s own structure. It is not a bivouac or a place for long stays, but rather a minimal shelter for survival while waiting for rescue or for spending a night protected from rain or snow. In its bench configuration, Pancalpina is discreet and non-invasive, made of materials designed to withstand extreme conditions. In emergency form, it becomes a place of safety: inside, users can find essential items such as thermal blankets, a shovel, a torch, and everything needed to set up the tent. The alpine environment remains one of the few areas of truly wild-and at times harsh-nature left in Europe. Any intervention must therefore be respectful and limited capable of preserving a landscape that is only lightly anthropized. Refuges, bivouacs, and benches are among the structures that define these places, becoming true artificial landmarks that help people orient themselves and find protection. Within this context, Pancalpina proposes a new type of object that could, in the future, contribute to experiencing the mountains in a safer yet minimally invasive way. The structure, made of solid larch wood with stainless steel components, ensures durability and resistance to the extreme weather conditions typical of mountain environments. Pancalpina was designed by Studio Francesco Faccin and it was part of a project promoted by Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Italy.

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As PEFC embarks on a comprehensive revision of its system and standards, it is inviting organisations across the forest products supply chain to help inform the process by taking part in its 2026 Market Survey. Source: Timberbiz Conducted every two years, the survey helps better understand what matters most to organisations when it comes to forest certification, responsible sourcing and the market for certified forest-based products. This year, the survey also serves as an early consultation for the PEFC system revision. Your feedback will help inform discussions on how the PEFC system and standards can continue to meet evolving market, regulatory and sustainability expectations. Whether you’re a retailer, brand owner, manufacturer, supplier, PEFC-certified company, or source PEFC-certified materials, PEFC would like you to share your perspectives. The survey takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. Some questions will only be shown where they are relevant to your organisation. The survey covers a range of topics, including: The value and performance of PEFC certification Market demand and future growth opportunities Sustainability impact data, traceability and supply chain integrity Training, tools and implementation support Sustainability reporting and regulatory developments Priorities for the future development of the PEFC system.   As a thank you for participating, you can also choose to receive an advance summary of the survey findings and an invitation to an online briefing on the results. At the end of the survey, select this option and provide your email address if you would like to receive these updates. Your email address will be collected solely for this purpose. PEFC International and/or the relevant PEFC national member may use it to contact you with the advance survey summary and invitation to the online briefing. It will not be shared with other third parties. The survey closes on 26 August 2026. You can access the survey here. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3WY7SQT If you have any questions email info@pefc.org

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As the Government of Canada moves ahead with a rail freight support plan for Canadian steel, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) has welcomed the decision by the federal government to address cost pressures in the national transportation system and its recognition that Canada’s forest products industry requires a separate path forward. Source: Timberbiz Canada’s forest sector supports nearly 200,000 employees across hundreds of forest-dependent communities from coast to coast. It supplies the renewable materials needed to build homes and infrastructure, strengthens domestic supply chains, and contributes to Canada’s economic and export strength. As the industry works to build more homes and infrastructure with Canadian wood, diversify and grow export markets, and strengthen the prospects for Canadian forest sector employees and their families, getting transportation policy right is key. To demonstrate the importance of rail service and supply chain cost competitiveness to Canada’s forest products sector, an average forest products shipment travels roughly 1,200 kilometres over land. Nearly 90% of FPAC member mills are served by only one railway, limiting practical alternatives for long-distance movements. Rail remains the backbone to move forest products from mills to major domestic markets and international gateways. We must find ways to improve rail system reliability and cost competitiveness. FPAC analysis finds that rail costs can represent 20–25% of typical delivered product value, or Can$2–3 billion annually for the forest products sector. This is roughly equivalent to 15% of the industry’s annual real GDP and 50% of its current annual capital and repair expenditures. “Canada’s railways are essential partners in moving forest products across the country and in helping us bring more Canadian forest products to the world,” said Derek Nighbor, FPAC President and CEO. “We appreciate the government’s recognition that steel and forest products face fundamentally different market dynamics and that the path forward for forestry should reflect the distinct needs of our sector. We’re not looking for band-aid solutions here. We’re looking for measures that will improve the system and cost competitiveness for the long-term. “Governments in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Australia have all been working to find creative ways to promote rail use and address rail costs in their markets. We are pleased to see that the federal government recognizes the importance of supply chain reliability and the need to reduce costs across the system. “While Canada’s major industrial sectors have many common rail-related challenges and opportunities, we also face different realities. We welcome the federal government’s intention to get this right for the long-term and look forward to working with them and our railway partners to make our industry more competitive and protect and grow Canadian forestry jobs.”

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A large contingent of firefighters has left New Zealand for the United States of America to support the response to wildfires in the north-west of the country. Source: Timberbiz Fire and Emergency New Zealand is leading the deployment, which includes crews from the Department of Conservation, the forestry industry and the New Zealand Defence Force alongside volunteer and career firefighters and incident management personnel. Fire and Emergency Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler says the diverse membership of the contingent reflects the strength of New Zealand’s firefighting capability and the longstanding relationships that underpin it. Of the 57 personnel, 43 are from Fire and Emergency, four from DOC, five from forestry companies and five from NZDF. “New Zealand is better prepared when all of our firefighting partners train, exercise and deploy together,” Megan Stiffler said. “Having depth in our response capability to manage simultaneous large incidents in New Zealand requires specialist skills from across the sector. “The strong relationships that enable that cooperation and coordination are on display as the members of our joint taskforce from around the country mobilise in preparation for their departure to the United States tomorrow.” Jarron McInnes from Manulife in Rotorua, is deploying as a Crew Leader with the forestry sector’s specialist crew. He has previously deployed to fight wildfires in Canada and Australia and says that forestry-trained firefighters have worked with Fire and Emergency in overseas deployments for decades, bringing specialised chainsaw skills and expertise. Forestry workers are tough and used to extreme conditions. “But it’s their chainsaw skills where they really shine – tree felling, cutting fire breaks and fire lines,” Mr McInnes said. DOC’s Wildfire and Field Skills Manager Brent Swanson says DOC is pleased to send four experienced firefighters as part of the New Zealand team. “The four DOC personnel have been selected based on their extensive wildfire suppression experience in New Zealand and internationally, as well as their specialist expertise in advanced and hazardous tree felling. It’s also a great opportunity for our crews to build on their experience and gain further learnings from our overseas colleagues, to improve our response to wildfires in New Zealand,” Mr Swanson said. Staff Sergeant Matthew Anker, Fire Master at 4 Emergency Response Troop (Waiouru) said that the deployment is closely aligned with what the soldiers train for. They are experienced in wildfire response and accustomed to operating in demanding environments as part of a coordinated multi-agency team. “It is an opportunity for them to apply those skills in support of our international partners, while gaining further experience that will strengthen our response capability at home,” he said. Ms Stiffler says that a huge effort goes into sending a large deployment overseas. “Our deployment coordinators in each region have been working with our National Coordination Centre team for weeks to make sure that the people put forward for selection meet all the criteria to be eligible for a deployment. That includes checking their experience, qualifications and fitness align with the host country’s requirements and our own rigorous standards. “Coordinating travel for 57 people from around the country is no easy task, and our logistics team in Auckland have been working for days to assemble the additional kit that the team needs to take with them.” The team will be taking on multiple roles, ranging from firefighters and fire engine crews to chainsaw specialists, and including incident management roles such as helibase managers, logistics and liaison officers. The firefighters are experienced working in arduous conditions, including steep terrain and high temperatures, and living in fire camps in remote areas. Two other deployments are already on the ground in the US and Canada, with five Incident Management personnel working on fires in Washington State and Oregon and six in British Columbia. Ms Stiffler says that the experience gained working on large, complex fires is invaluable to New Zealand’s own rural firefighting and incident management capability.

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