A new exhibition at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada explores the history of Canadian-made water bombers — known as “super-scoopers” by those in the business of fighting forest fires. Built originally by Canadair in the 1960s and now in Montreal by Bombardier, the strikingly painted yellow and red aircraft are sold around the…
Following years of debate surrounding the project, top Forest Service officials yesterday hailed a key step forward for the nation’s largest forest restoration initiative. The agency yesterday announced that Coconino National Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart and Kaibab National Forest Supervisor Mike Williams have signed the final decision document for the Four Forest Restoration Initiative’s first…
Scientists have demonstrated the potential for softwoods to process more easily into pulp and paper if engineered to incorporate a key feature of hardwoods. The finding, published in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could improve the economics of the pulp, paper and biofuels industries and reduce those industries’ environmental impact. “What…
Cottles Island Lumber, the central Newfoundland lumber company whose premises were partially destroyed by fire earlier this month, says production is expected to start up again this week. The main warehouse for the Notre Dame Bay plan was destroyed in a fire that was determined not to be arson. Cottles Island Lumber fire not arson, company says…
There’s some good news for the town of Chetwynd on the jobs front, with the pending May 1 reopening of a pulp mill that was shut down in 2012. Paper Excellence, owned by the Dutch subsidiary of an Indonesian conglomerate – Sinar Mas Group – has been quietly reactivating the former Tembec pulp mill, which…
Several seasoned executives offered insights during PaperCon about how their companies are dealing the demographic and cultural shifts that have our industry facing a bubble of retirements in coming years, coupled with a shortage of incoming employees. The “brain drain” and loss of institutional knowledge was one of the topics addressed during an executive panel…
The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is grateful that today’s federal budget continues the federal support for forest sector innovation and transformation, especially its recognition of the important role that universities and colleges play in research and skills development. The government will provide $86 million to extend the Forest Innovation program and the expanding…
B.C.’s independent forest-industry watchdog said Tuesday that the province still doesn’t have a good handle on the management of the thousands of kilometers of resource access roads carved into the back country, a decade after it first warned the province about the looming liabilities they pose. In its 2015 report, the B.C. Forest Practices Board…
An audit system developed by the U.S. Forest Service can help urban forest programs benchmark their resources and program capacity, and provide direction for urban forest management programs and plans. Urban Forestry South, a science delivery center of the Forest Service Southern Research Station Integrating Human and Natural Systems unit, recently beta tested their new Urban Forest…
Global fast-food giant McDonald’s on Tuesday pledged to end deforestation across its entire supply chain. The announcement follows recent similar pledges by Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Yum Brands and many others. But the World Wildlife Fund, which advised McDonald’s on its new commitment, said it could have big influence on other fast-food chains. “McDonald’s brings…