|
This issue of the U&M newsletter contains information on timber sale prep, industry resources, updates to regional state forest management plans, rail transport research and more.
Resources are available to assist forest products companies affected by COVID-19. Forest products companies are categorized depending on size and business activities.
Due to COVID-19, DNR foresters were not able to perform the field work necessary to prepare timber sales for about three months in spring. This has affected the number of timber sales prepared before the end of the fiscal year. By the end of fiscal year 2020, the DNR expects to prepare about 50,000 acres of state forest timber sales and about 5,600 acres of Good Neighbor Authority timber sales. The FY20 plan of work approved through the compartment review process initially targeted 52,500 acres of timber sale preparation, and more than 9,000 acres of Good Neighbor Authority sales were planned. More than 3,600 acres of GNA timber sale preparation has been deferred to FY21 in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service.
|
All field staff for the DNR Forest Resources Division who are working remotely due to COVID-19 have been issued mobile smart devices so you can continue to reach them through e-mail or a phone call. Reach out to staff to discuss timber sale openings and closings, harvest issues and timber sale prospectuses. Staff will continue to work remotely from home offices with minimal contact at field stations until at least October.
|
The 2013 Regional State Forest Management Plans have guided forest and habitat management on state forest lands for the last six years. These 10-year plans are set to expire by 2024, which has prompted revisions that best reflect future management. The DNR is working to update the plans sooner than required due to changes in the forest that could not be accounted for in previous plans, such as the impacts of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer.
The Michigan Mass Timber Summit – postponed due to COVID-19 – is going virtual, and there’s plenty of time left to register. The summit, originally planned for April, is now a series of three web-based sessions from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays, Sept. 22 and 29 and Oct. 6. Highlights will include a virtual tour of Michigan State University’s new $100 million STEM Teaching and Learning Facility and seminars on calculating the costs and benefits of mass timber projects, design and logistics, building codes and construction.
|
Michigan primary mills were surveyed by the DNR in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and the data is now available in the 2018 Michigan Primary Mill Report, posted at Michigan.gov/ForestProducts. Maps were also produced using data from the report. About 90% of known active mills participated in the survey and shared information about industry volumes, products and residues. Highlights from the report include:
- Roundwood receipts (wood received at mills) increased by 7% over 2016 levels, in spite of unusually wet logging conditions that year.
- Receipts in 2018 totaled about 4.8 million cords.
- The top 5 species among receipts total volume were aspen, hard maple, red pine, soft maple, and red oak.
- Mills produced 5.1 million green tons of residue in 2018 (bark, chips, sawdust and shavings).
Professionals and researchers at Michigan Technological University have begun to explore the complex issue of transporting forest products materials, specifically round wood logs, to mills and manufacturers in the Upper Peninsula. Watch a video exploring supply chain barriers and opportunities.
|
The Master Logger program in Michigan has reached its 15th year. Due to program growth, it shifted to oversight by the Michigan Institute for Timber Resource and Educational Excellence in July. The program now has 80 member companies. Information and applications can be found at MiMLC.com. Questions? Contact program administrator Warren Suchovsky, 906-753-6666.
|
Due to the cancellation of the 2020 NHLA Annual Convention & Exhibit Showcase in Louisville, Kentucky, NHLA will be providing members with virtual educational and networking opportunities. The 2020 NHLA On Demand will take place Sept. 22, 23 and 24. All content will be available through the support of Cascade Hardwood, a member that believes in the mission of the association and the need for the hardwood industry to remain informed, optimistic and well-connected. Visit NHLA.com for more information.
|
