A mediator has been appointed to try to broker a deal on the fate of 29,000 acres of giant, 2,000-year-old California redwood trees, which environmentalists and loggers battled over in the 1990s, according to an ENN report. US Judge Richard Schmidt expressed frustration at the slow pace Maxxam subsidiary Pacific Lumber was moving since filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January and has opted for a short-fuse mediation to decide the redwoods’ future.

Under a bankruptcy plan, Pacific Lumber had put forward, 6,000 acres of timberland including old-growth redwoods that would be sold for $300 million to a conservation agency or group. Other nearby timberland, also including redwoods, would be sold or developed to raise another $1.1 billion. Schmidt told the lawyers for Pacific Lumber and its creditors they could try to agree on a mediator, hoping it would be the first agreement reached in the case. The mediator would have 30 days to try and hammer out an agreement between the parties involved. Maxxam Chairman and Chief Executive Charles Hurwitz became the target of protestors who lived in California redwoods as they attempted to prevent Pacific Lumber from cutting the trees down in the 1990s. Pacific Lumber signed a 1998 agreement with the state of California and the US government to protect nearly 8,000 acres of timberland, including old-growth redwoods, as habitat for an endangered Pacific Coast bird the Marbled Murrelet. The firm filed for bankruptcy protection because of its inability to pay on $714 million in bonds. The company has taken on more debt to continue operating while working out of the bankruptcy. “I want everyone to participate,” Schmidt said. “Whether that means Mr Hurwitz needs to attend or to send somebody.”

Research by management consulting firm ÉEM has indicated certification for wood and paper products by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the most effective certification system for managing Canadian forests, a GreenBiz.com report said. The results compare FSC certification to three other standards used in Canada, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), and Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certifications (PEFC). ÉEM found FSC superior for its prohibition on using genetically modified trees, preventing the conversion of natural forests to tree plantations, and its emphasis on the precautionary principle when managing lands that had high value for conservation.

“Forest certification schemes have competed for recognition in the market place for years, but this research clearly shows FSC as being the ideal choice when it comes to sustainability,” said Vancouver-based Markets Initiative Executive Director Nicole Rycroft, who presented the top level findings at an industry conference in late September. “Given the growth of green markets in Canada and around the world, this research can serve as a clear guide for the increasing number of customers looking for environmental solutions.” The Markets Initiative has encouraged more than 200 book, magazine and newspaper publishers in Canada to develop environmental purchasing polices, which aim to help safeguard ancient and endangered forests and give preference to papers with the highest possible amount of recycled and agricultural residue content and use virgin fibre only from FSC-certified forests. As a result of the market demand created by these publishers, which include Raincoast Books, McClelland & Stewart, The Walrus, Cottage Life and NOW, the group says they have helped develop more than 50 new papers with ecological attributes, and estimates that nearly a million trees have been saved by publishers printing on Ancient Forest Friendly and eco-friendly papers. An additional success of the program has been the announcement last month that the Ontario government had developed a paper purchasing policy giving preference to recycled content and FSC virgin fibers. “Being the only forest certification comparison that looks at the four North American schemes as they apply in Canada, we hope those in the private and public sectors will use it as a resource as they move forward with environmental paper initiatives,” said ÉEM President Paul MacLean.

Swedish drying kiln and equipment supplier, WSAB, has received a large order from Sib Export Group in Russia including two progressive kilns and seven compartment kilns. The deal is a part of the largest sawmill investment program in Russia where $100 million is being poured into a green-field sawmill close to Irkutsk in Siberia.

The order is one of WSAB’s largest orders ever eclipsing the previous record order, also from Russia, when Sawmill 25 in Arkhangelsk invested in kiln dryers. These are now installed and in full production. WSAB General Manager Timo Kanerva said the deal was the result of intensive sales efforts in Russia: “Our Russian speaking sales and construction personnel played an important part in this success.” The kiln dryers in Siberia will be built in stainless steel and be fully equipped according to Scandinavian standards, including fully automatic kiln dryer function, pressure frames. A total of 243 000 m3 of wood in different qualities and dimensions will be dried to different end moisture contents in the range of 12-18%. WSAB sales manager on the Russian market Viktor Lyjine: “We had tough competition from suppliers from Central Europe – offering another drying concept – and other Scandinavian suppliers. The good outcome of the Arkhangelsk investment at Sawmill 25 contributed strongly to the customer’s decision to place the order with us. “It will be a massive logistic project to transport all material to Siberia, a total of 60 railway carts will be used. The sawmill fortunately has its own rails all the way to the site.” WSAB has received several orders from other Russian sawmills, one of which is a large modernisation project at Sawmill 3 in Arkhangelsk, where all their existing Valmet kilns will be renovated.

Swedish drying kiln and equipment supplier, WSAB, has received a large order from Sib Export Group in Russia including two progressive kilns and seven compartment kilns. The deal is a part of the largest sawmill investment program in Russia where $100 million is being poured into a green-field sawmill close to Irkutsk in Siberia.

The order is one of WSAB’s largest orders ever eclipsing the previous record order, also from Russia, when Sawmill 25 in Arkhangelsk invested in kiln dryers. These are now installed and in full production. WSAB General Manager Timo Kanerva said the deal was the result of intensive sales efforts in Russia: “Our Russian speaking sales and construction personnel played an important part in this success.” The kiln dryers in Siberia will be built in stainless steel and be fully equipped according to Scandinavian standards, including fully automatic kiln dryer function, pressure frames. A total of 243 000 m3 of wood in different qualities and dimensions will be dried to different end moisture contents in the range of 12-18%. WSAB sales manager on the Russian market Viktor Lyjine: “We had tough competition from suppliers from Central Europe – offering another drying concept – and other Scandinavian suppliers. The good outcome of the Arkhangelsk investment at Sawmill 25 contributed strongly to the customer’s decision to place the order with us. “It will be a massive logistic project to transport all material to Siberia, a total of 60 railway carts will be used. The sawmill fortunately has its own rails all the way to the site.” WSAB has received several orders from other Russian sawmills, one of which is a large modernisation project at Sawmill 3 in Arkhangelsk, where all their existing Valmet kilns will be renovated.

A group of nine non-governmental organisations, including Greenpeace, has launched a proposal for a national agreement to end Amazon deforestation at an event attended by the Brazilian Minister of Environment and State Governors in October. The proposal aims to achieve a broad commitment from sectors of the Brazilian Government and civil society for measures to ensure urgent protection for the Amazon rainforest.

Greenpeace Amazon Campaign Co-ordinator, Paulo Adario: “As we launch this initiative, the forests in the Amazon are being slashed and burned. This has to end. We show that it can end if political will, financing and conservation efforts work in a co-ordinated manner. “Protecting the world’s remaining forests will significantly reduce climate change, maintain the livelihood of millions of people who depend on the forest and protect a huge amount of the world’s biodiversity,” he said. The proposal, entitled the ‘Agreement on Acknowledging the Value of the Forest and Ending Amazon Deforestation’ shows that adopting a system of reduction targets could end deforestation in the Amazon by 2015. The proposal combines strong public policies with market strategies to promote reductions in Amazon deforestation and to finance the maintenance of existing forests and the ‘environmental services’ they provide. Estimates are that this would call for an investment of around €390 million annually from national and international sources. NGOs believe that economic incentives should be directed at strengthening forest governance including monitoring, control and inspection, promotion of environmental licensing for rural properties, and the creation and implementation of protected areas and indigenous lands. Incentives are also needed to optimise agricultural use in areas which have already been deforested. Indigenous peoples, local communities, traditional populations and rural producers would be among those benefiting from financial compensation for forest conservation. According to the NGOs, one of the main challenges is to guarantee public policies that incorporate the elimination of deforestation within a social, environmental and economic framework. It is necessary to go beyond ‘command and control’ measures by promoting the revision and re-orientation of financial incentives that historically have been channelled into destructive practices. By 2006, about 17% of the Amazon rainforest had been destroyed, equivalent to an area larger than France. High rates of deforestation are leading to an accelerated loss of biodiversity which is having a direct impact on the way of life of millions of forest-dependent people. Deforestation, which is predominantly occurring in the tropics, accounts for about one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. Up to 75% of Brazilian greenhouse gas emissions come from land conversion and deforestation mainly in the Amazon, which makes Brazil the fourth largest climate polluter in the world. Destroying the Amazon forest could trigger prolonged droughts in a number of regions of Brazil and reduce the country’s agricultural productivity, leading to serious economic and social impacts, according to NGOs.

Some 13 million people were formally employed in the forestry sector worldwide in 2000. The Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products: An introduction, produced by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and World Resources Institute, represents a significant step forward in helping organizations of all sizes and types find their place in ensuring the sustainability of the earth’s forest-based resources for the estimated 800 million people around the world who call forests their home. Decisions regarding the purchase and use of wood and paper-based products can have far-reaching, long-term impacts for the forests where they are harvested, the communities supported by wood-using industries, and the places where those products are purchased and used. The information in this publication is organized around ten key issues, posed as “essential questions” that sustainable procurement might address related to sustainable procurement of wood and paper-based products:

•Origin – Where do the products come from?
•Information accuracy – Is information about the products credible?
•Legality – Have the products been legally produced?
•Sustainability – Have forests been sustainably managed?
•Special places – Have special places, including sensitive ecosystems, been protected?
•Climate change – Have climate issues been addressed?
•Environmental protection – Have appropriate environmental controls been applied?
•Recycled fiber – Has recycled fiber been used appropriately?
•Other resources – Have other resources been used appropriately?
•Local communities and indigenous peoples – Have the needs of local communities or indigenous peoples been addressed?

 The guide is designed as an information tool to help customers develop their own sustainable procurement policies for wood and paper-based products. It is also a decision support tool providing simple and clear information on existing approaches to the procurement of wood and paper-based products from legal and sustainable sources, as well as providing additional references and resource materials. This introduction’s associated, soon-to-be-released publication, Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products: Guide and Resource Kit, further helps procurement managers identify potential resources by providing more detailed information on each of these initiatives, as well as an extensive glossary, list of acronyms, references and additional resources. http://www.wbcsd.org/DocRoot/SRlfRIkFu7Nar6jIoBuf/procurement-summary.pdf

The Forest Dialogues, a multi-stakeholder initiative whose objective is to improve the sustainable management of forests, has published its findings and recommendations following a discussion surrounding European smallholdings. The scoping dialogue took place in Brussels at the end of June 2007 and brought together 35 leading players from the forestry sector in a discussion aimed at exploring how to improve the sustainable management of European forests. Participants were drawn from governments, forest products companies, environmental NGOs, forest owners and cooperatives, academics and customers.

Europe numbers over 16 million family forest owners who are responsible for the exploitation and management of over 75 Mha of forest land. Despite many of these holdings being very small – no more than 5 ha in some cases – they are the primary suppliers of wood and fibres to the European forests products industry. While forest owners have many different reasons for investing in forests ranging from timber to wildlife protection to a hedge against financial crisis, what they all have in common is their independence and long-standing belief that they are responsible for the management of their lands. Now, as consumer concern for sustainable forest products increases and the knock-on effects of forest management on other sectors and vice versa is being increasingly felt, there is a pressing need to explore options for the sustainable management of forests. Such options need to cater for the common needs of landowners while respecting their independence. The dialogue identified some key challenges facing forest owners as they attempt to manage their resource sustainably. These include a gap in knowledge about sustainable schemes such as certification, for example. Similarly, many forest owners lack the resources to pursue and implement certification schemes or third party verification. Finally, weak government support and legislation were also highlighted. This challenge is especially pertinent in parts of Eastern Europe where private forest ownership is growing but where governmental support and a strong forest tradition are weak or absent. Based on the challenges identified, the Dialogue organized its work around three key themes:

•Understanding, motivating and organizing landowners
•Verification and certification
•Framework conditions and the role of governments.

The participants identified some key issues that stakeholders need to address to move forward with the sustainable management of private forests:

•The necessity for stakeholders to work together to build capacity
•The need to improve communication between and among stakeholders
•The importance of encouraging governments and policymakers to engage with and support small forest owners and their organizations
•The need to make available reliable data about forest practices, certification and verification initiatives
•The necessity of greater research and case studies to better understand the thinking of small forest owners
•The need for transparency and improved governance to strengthen the link between forest management and governmental policy
•The importance of engaging with forest owners associations and cooperatives in certification schemes
•The opportunity to capitalize on current global and European initiatives to support rural development and pro-poor commercial practice
•The importance of diversifying investment in the sector through carbon markets, payments for ecosystem service and integrated water resources management.

The US Forest Service has revised its guidelines for management of wildlife on national forests in Arizona and New Mexico, and in doing so has rejected a decade of restoration-based forest management, according to a ENN report. The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) has filed a formal objection to the first logging project to be proposed under the new guidelines. The Jack Smith/Schultz timber sale on the Coconino National Forest near Flagstaff, Arizona, would log more than 8,000 acres, including an undisclosed number of large, old-growth trees.

It is the first project to explicitly implement the agency’s major changes to the Northern Goshawk Management Guidelines, which the Forest Service developed in 1996 in response to litigation by the CBD over the agency’s poor record of protecting the imperilled species, the report stated. In the spring of 2007, the Forest Service made major changes to the 1996 Northern Goshawk Guidelines, which affect management of all ponderosa pine forest on national forests in the Southwest. It is feared the new guidelines could signal a new round of timber wars in the Southwest. CBD spokesman Todd Schulke: “The Forest Service has illegally amended every forest plan in the South-west Region by failing to involve the public and state agencies prior to implementing this substantial weakening of the Goshawk Guidelines. The new Forest Service guidelines will spell disaster for the goshawk, and for south-western old growth forests.” The Goshawk Guidelines require the Forest Service to leave a specified percentage of the forest as canopy cover to provide habitat for goshawks and their prey. The changes will significantly weaken this requirement, and could lead to dramatically increased logging of large old-growth trees, the report said.

An ecologically strategic piece of one of the world’s most threatened habitats – the Atlantic Forest of Brazil – will be reforested and protected as part of a partnership brokered by Rainforest Alliance and organisers of the Transat Jacques Vabre, according to an ENN report. Jacques Vabre – the coffee brand behind the transatlantic yacht race – approached conservation organisation Rainforest Alliance to identify and create a program that would enable the estimated greenhouse gas emissions from the race to be offset through a reforestation project in Brazil, where the race ends.

Rainforest Alliance and Jacques Vabre have been working together for a number of years on sustainable coffee sourcing. Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Chief, Chris Wille, said bringing together the interests of coffee farmers and local communities whilst also helping conserve one of the worlds most threatened and bio diverse forests was a terrific opportunity and challenge for the company. “The investment made by Transat Jacques Vabre will enable thousands of native trees to be planted as part of important conservation efforts and demonstrates the real value that carbon offsets through community forestry projects can deliver,” he said. In selecting the organisations and the site to offset the emissions, Transat Jacques Vabre and Rainforest Alliance turned to Forest Trends, a US-based NGO, which recommended a coalition of environmental groups led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC). The 2,700 t of carbon dioxide estimated to be produced by the race and associated fair will be offset by thousands of native trees to be planted in deforested areas within the Caraiva River Basin, where the TNC is concentrated, thereby helping to restore one of the world’s most bio diverse and threatened ecosystems, Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. In order to make sure that any variations in tree growth and survival rates are covered, Jacques Vabre will be buying an extra amount (+20%) than the estimated emissions for the event.