Friday Offcuts – 3 February 2012
Click to Subscribe - It's FREE! Comments last week on the need for improved communications by the forestry sector to the wider community certainly stirred you out of your post-holiday blues. We were inundated with e-mails. Based on many years of working within the industry, readers provided their suggestions through the Offcuts Letters to the Editor page on how best to get positive stories out to the wider community.Linked to this, there have also been some vigorous discussions this week in the Letters Section by foresters on the industry’s stance in the recent Tasmanian forests debate. Thanks for your input and feel free to continue to contribute your ideas, comments and suggestions. The issue of improving communications within and from the forestry sector is something we may well work on with you later in the year. How and who best should pay for stepping up our communications game was also covered in last week's Offcuts poll. Probably unsurprisingly readers completing the poll thought rather than individual companies or the industry banding together at a regional level that efforts needed to be better co-ordinated. What was interesting was that the majority (around 50%) thought that improved communications should be co-ordinated at an industry level (probably through each of the respective industry associations) rather than national co-ordination through a pan-sector body (only 30% of the vote from those participating). Is this linked to the need for quite different messages to be relayed for each part of the sector or are readers implying that various factions from within the sector are unlikely to co-ordinate, resource and commit to one single communications programme? As part of the communications debate, Forestry Tasmania this week released a detailed 17 page report titled Forest management in Tasmania - the Truth to counter mis-information and claims being used by the “anti-forestry activists” (see story below). On a much more positive note, Forestry Tasmania reports that the Going Bush television series featuring Australian forests returns to Southern Cross this weekend and is going to be seen in regional South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, Canberra and Tasmania. The first episode follows a Mountain Ash from harvest in the Victorian highlands, through various processing stages where the better quality wood is used to make fine furniture and building materials with the residues used to make high quality office paper. For a sneak preview click here. Finally registrations have been rolling in this week for the Future Forestry Finance 2012 events planned for Sydney and Auckland in early March. REMEMBER, for those planning on registering for either of the two events, TODAY is the last day to access the generous discounts on offer through Early-bird registrations.
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Conference set to increase Maori potential in ForestryThe Future Forestry Finance 2012 Conference has been touted as the most important event of the year for Maori in forestry. “The opportunity for Maori trustees to learn from international forestry market experts and to get alongside senior managers from other forest producers and financiers only comes around once every two years,” says FIEA Director John Stulen.The Forestry Industry Engineering Association has specifically focused on accommodating for Maori Authorities and businesses to connect with key industry leaders at their upcoming conference in March from the 7th to 8th at the Crowne Plaza in Auckland. Jacob Kajavala, Ngati Ruapani / Tuhoe / Ngati Kahungunu, one of the keynote speakers, says the conference couldn’t have come at a better time given the imminent possibilities for Maori to capitalize on the industry’s growth. Jacob says their participation is key to NZ’s forestry future. “The values we hold as Maori make us ideal partners to the NZ forest industry. The long term view of our people and our land is perfectly aligned with the long term nature of forest investment.” The current climate supports the need for Maori forestry networks to connect with key players. Statistics show that whilst Maori own an increasing portion of forestry lands, there is a real need to address the lack of interest in forestry production and management. “The gap that is yet to be effectively addressed is one of clear, cohesive & courageous direction. We have all the skills from frontline operations through to strategic, financial and business leadership. Our challenge is to create a crisp, nimble and focused body that will direct and unify our strategies.” Forestry Tasmania release report to clarify mistruthsThis week Forestry Tasmania released a detailed report titled Forest management in Tasmania - the Truth. Bob Gordon, MD of Forestry Tasmania says "that it is regrettable that we have had to devote staff resources that serve no other purpose than to counter the misinformation being used by anti-forestry activists to hurt our forest products' markets internationally."The report corrects over 50 of the serious errors and omissions found in the propaganda being circulated by Markets for Change and the Huon Valley Environment Centre in the United Kingdom and in Japan. The full report can be viewed here Australasian mill closures announcedUnfortunately, two announcements came out this week. In New Zealand, a Feilding sawmill that had already laid off 48 staff was put onto the market with just a "skeleton" crew of five workers – down from 53 six months ago. The sawmill started as a family-owned operation in the 1960s and then 10 years ago, it was sold to New Zealand Sawn Products, a partnership between an American company and the New Zealand-owned Ribbonwood group.In Australia this week, McKay's Timber, the largest family-owned sawmill in Tasmania’s south, stood down 30 of its workers - about a third its staff. It’s reported that longer term solutions are currently being sought for the disposal and sale of its wood waste – which was sent previously to the recently closed mill in Triabunna. Invitation to NZ forest owners for log levy inputAs detailed in a recent issue of Offcuts, NZFOA are currently looking at a compulsory commodity levy under the Commodities Levy Act. This would involve forest owners voting on whether the industry should compulsorily fund FOA.The proposed Commodity levy will be on all harvested logs from plantation forests that are either exported in log form or processed in NZ. Full details of background, reasons for and other supporting information is available on the FOA website at www.nzfoa.org.nz. A referendum to obtain approval for the Commodity Levy from potential payers will commence on the 22 February 2012. The levy will be administered by New Zealand Forest Owners Association Incorporated with the funds used to address issues affecting plantation forest owners. The reasons for moving to a commodity levy, and how levy payers can have their views listened to and incorporated into Association activities will be presented at regional workshops. Schedule for workshops: Wellington: Tues Feb 7th - 6.00 – 7.00pm - Turnbull House, Bowen Street, Wellington Balclutha: Wed Feb 8th - 6.00pm – 7.00pm - Rosebank Lodge Motor Hotel, 265 Rosebank, Balclutha Christchurch: Thurs Feb 9th - 6.00pm – 7.00pm - ChCh Netball Centre, 455 Hagley Ave, ChCh Nelson: Fri Feb 10th - 6.00 – 7.00pm - Tahuna Conference centre, Tahunanui, Nelson Napier: Mon Feb 13th – 6.00 – 7.00pm - Napier War Memorial Hall, Marine Parade, Napier Rotorua: Tues Feb 14th - 6.00 – 7.00pm - Rimu Room, Scion, 49 Sala St, Rotorua Gisborne: Wed Feb 15th - 6.00 – 7.00pm – Juken NZ Boardroom, 74 MacDonald Rd,Matawhero,Gisborne Auckland: Thurs Feb 16th - 6.00 – 7.00 pm - Rayonier NZ Boardroom, 32 – 34 Mahuhu Cres, Auckland Whangarei: Fri Feb 17th - 6.00 – 7.00pm - NZRC Lounge, Toll Stadium, Okara Dr, Whangarei Please RSVP to Diane Davidson: diane.davidson@nzfoa.org.nz by 3 February if you are able to attend. Chipping versus grinding for biofuel feedstock?
Comminution is a critical process in biomass supply chains and can be conducted with either chippers or grinders. These machines use different work tools (knives and hammers, respectively) and are applied to different feedstock types, but few studies are available on the inherent differences between the two technologies.A versatile grinder, alternatively equipped with hammers and knives, was studied to investigate the effect of tool type on machine productivity, fuel consumption, and product quality. Three different feedstock types were processed and, depending on feedstock type, results showed the knife configuration was 30 to 80 percent more productive than the hammer configuration and required 15 to 30 percent less energy per unit of product. Fuel consumption per dry ton was also 30 to 75% percent higher for the hammer configuration. For full details on the story and link to the study, check out the latest R&D Works Newsletter
Brazil - understanding the rise of forestry plantationsBrazil has been a major forestry investment hotspot in recent years. Brazil has increased its industrial plantation area by 15-25% over the past 3-5 years through both domestic & external investors. For those interested in this part of the world, Bob Flynn, International Timber Director of RISI will be outlining growth in this market and their neighbour, Chile as part of the Future Forestry Finance 2012 series running in Auckland and Sydney in mid-March.In addition, two one-week tours in late March of Eucalyptus and pine plantations, manufacturing facilities, logging operations and nurseries in Southern and Northern Brazil have been planned by RH Donnelly & Associates. For more information on these contact rhdonely@xtra.co.nz  Innovative solutions for Biosecurity problemsThe NZ Forest Owners Association is holding the 10th annual Forest Biosecurity workshop in Rotorua on the 28th and 29th February 2012. This year the focus is on the potential role of genetic engineering in providing solutions to biosecurity problems.Biosecurity issues are increasing worldwide in all primary production sectors. In light of rapidly evolving and spreading pathogens, innovative solutions are being sought by the forestry industry that will provide robust and enduring benefits. This workshop will explore the option of genetic engineering and will discuss technical, social, and environmental issues. For more information and registration please contact the NZFOA Forest Biosecurity Manager, BillDyck@xtra.co.nz  John McNamara new MD for Dale and Meyers Queensland-based hardwood sawmiller Dale and Meyers has appointed former Hyne chief John McNamara as its new managing director reports Timber & Forestry E-News. Mr McNamara, who was appointed early this month, takes over the MD post from Curly Tatnell who as company chairman will concentrate on resource and company logistics, after 20 years as head of the company.Mr McNamara resigned from Hyne on June 30 after 17 years repositioning the family business as a significant operator in the Australian timber industry. He has more than 35 years’ experience in the timber industry and has held senior positions with Auspine Ltd, Risby Forest Industries and Boral. Dale and Meyers has two large hardwood mills at Maryborough and Mundubbera and a small radiata pine mill outside Tamworth, NSW. The company operates large truss plants at Maryborough and Cairns and plans to rebuild the Rockhampton truss plant lost in a fire. OSB North American capacity sitting idleAs reported in previous issues of this newsletter, the glut of OSB capacity remains a key constraint to the fortunes of the North American sheathing market. At least 27 OSB mills have been closed or curtailed since 2006 due to plummeting demand. The split of OSB curtailments/closures remains almost even, with Canada (which initially saw a greater share of the reductions, and earlier than U.S. mills) accounting for 13 mills and 6.6 billion sf of the 12.7 billion sf affected.The higher cost of transport and distance to market, the appreciating Canadian dollar, and other factors are responsible for Canadian OSB mills being knocked out of the race first. However, a string of U.S. OSB mill closures has occurred since early 2009 that has somewhat balanced out the closures and curtailments with Canada. Total U.S. OSB capacity exceeds 32 billion sf, so about 40% of North American OSB capacity is currently not operating. Source: International Wood Markets Group, www.woodmarkets.com  Guide to New Zealand ETS Forest ManagementAs outlined recently at the ForestTECH 2011 event, a freely available publication and data collection template is now available to help forest owners and forest inventory providers with capturing data collected for the ETS Forest Measurement Approach (FMA) electronically. The manual is a free download from the www.interpine.co.nz website, with only free online registration required to gain access.This new guide provides the NZ forest industry with the first way to capture all the ETS FMA data electronically in one place. Data can be captured in PlotSafe forest inventory software in the field using Windows mobile field computers, or in the office using the Windows desktop version of PlotSafe. PlotSafe being the most widely used dedicated forest inventory software in New Zealand and Australia, current licensed users can use this freely available template “FMA11” to collect ETS FMA data immediately without any additional costs. While the guide outlines the collection of ETS FMA data within PlotSafe it also covers practical tips for implementation and measurement of survey plots that compliments the information provided in the MAF ETS FMA Guide. For further information ets@interpine.co.nz
Trees of the US mappedIt seems like an insanely difficult task: inventory all the trees of the United States. But that’s just what Woods Hole Research Center, the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey undertook. The end result: a high resolution map of where all the trees are located.The map is part of an ongoing project to see how the Earth’s trees are doing at storing carbon. The data was mined from satellites, computer models and research on the ground. Scientists hope it will help them see how much carbon the United States is losing or gaining over time. Click here for the full size image.  Will 3D printing end mass manufacturingThe future of manufacturing and design relies on a printer that costs up to $60,000. MIT Media Lab professor Neri Oxman and materials science professor Craig Carter have created machinery that makes 3D printing of buildings and other structural prototypes a reality.One of the latest examples of 3D printing is a 6-inch cube sculpture that says “Making the Future.” Check out the process in the Mashable video. The inkjet hovers over a flat surface and creates the cube from the bottom up, layer by layer. The biology-inspired printer consists of mounted inkjet heads that deposit plastic layers to form an object. Another laser-based model uses metal powder to make durable airplane creations. The result of these 3D processes is better design, because it allows for the stretching of one’s creative mind. Designers can go from working with hard plywood, sheets of glass, steel beams and concrete to working with materials and molds that are 100% malleable. Source: Mashable Tech BC to use closed sawmill for trainingThe Rustad sawmill was pronounced officially closed by Canfor a month or so back, finally settling with its workers. However, as part of the closure agreement between Canfor and the union, Canfor plans to offer the site to the provincial government for use as a training school. Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism & Innovation, says that those discussions are now underway.Bell’s ministry has been hearing about the forest worker shortage at every level from companies and Associations across the province – everything from forestry professionals and technicians, to trades people, to truck drivers, mechanics and equipment operators. The Ministry has been very supportive and responsive to the need, making funding available to a variety of organizations and programs, to help recruit new entrants into the forest industry and get them job ready. |
