(Above: Sierra Pacific Industries’ state-of-the-art mill in Shelton.) The forest products industry plays a vital role in our nation’s infrastructure – especially in response to the global COVID-19 epidemic, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced in a memorandum this week. The DHS memo, signed by Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Christopher Krebs, underscored that because the forestry industry … Read More
Gov. Inslee presented with bill to recognize forest sector as part of climate solution
A bill recognizing the important role working forests play in removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is set to become law. Washington lawmakers passed SB 6355 and HB 2528 in early March, sending the legislation to Gov. Jay Inslee for signing. Once enacted into law, state agencies would recognize and support efforts by timber companies to sequester carbon through reforestation … Read More
Prescribed burns, thinning increased forest resiliency during and after Carlton Complex fire, researchers say
Forested areas that had prescribed burns and tree thinning treatments in the Methow Valley in advance of the Carlton Complex fire experienced greater resiliency, according to a study published in Ecological Applications, the Ecological Society of America journal. A University of Washington news release reports that a joint study conducted by University of Washington and US Forest Service researchers found that … Read More
Wood products could turn urban areas into carbon sinks
Urban centers made primarily of sustainable, renewable wood products could be key to mitigating climate change and even function as carbon sinks, and Washington state and its working forests are helping to lead the charge. Vox recently reported that wood has become “the hottest new thing in sustainable building” and points to Washington state as a forerunner of mass timber … Read More
Modern-day forestry increasingly relies on technology, latest science
(Above: Sierra Pacific Industries’ state-of-the-art mill in Shelton.) The forestry industry of today is more complex and sophisticated than ever. Twenty-first-century foresters rely on expertise from a variety of scientific disciplines including dendrology, hydrology, biology and geology to study silviculture, wildlife, soils, insects, plants, disease and tree physiology when creating their forest management plans. In addition to science, the modern-day … Read More
State Senate considers recognizing the timber industry as a carbon sequester
Olympia lawmakers are considering legislation that would distinguish the wood products and timber industry as a vital part of Washington state’s global climate response. The Senate Ways & Means Committee held a public hearing on Substitution Senate Bill 6355 earlier this week on Monday and an executive session the following day to hear about the unique role the forest products … Read More
Hancock Forest Management celebrates completion of major aquatic restoration projects
Coho salmon, steelhead, trout, and other native Pacific Northwest fish are reaching new stretches of the Clatskanie River and its tributaries, thanks to recent efforts by Hancock Forest Management, a Manulife Investment Management company, in cooperation with the Columbia Soil and Water Conservation District. The projects were identified in the Lower Columbia River Partnership developed through the Regional Conservation Partnership … Read More
Forest products sector can help mitigate against climate change
A tree’s ability to capture and store carbon long-term throughout the life of the tree and in wood products can be a significant contributor to our state’s climate change mitigation solutions. In Washington, we are blessed with one of the best places in the world to grow and harvest trees, and manufacture carbon-storing wood products, which all support more than … Read More
Airline industry eyes efforts to convert wood waste into aviation fuel
Air travel has long been identified as a carbon-intensive activity. This is especially so in the Pacific Northwest where Washington state residents generally travel greater distances to and from other major US cities. But the Port of Seattle and corporations like Alaska Airlines, The Boeing Company and Delta Air Lines are hoping to lower air travel’s carbon footprint – and … Read More
Washington Legislature recognizing working forests’ role in curbing climate change
The 2020 Washington State Legislature began this week and the issue of climate change will be on the minds of lawmakers throughout the 60-day session. To that end, several legislators in the House and Senate are recognizing that the state’s forest products sector has a part to play in the effort to address climate change. Washington forests and wood products … Read More