Reports From The States

[Ron Scott]

Michigan
RE: MASS TIMBER BUILDING COMES TO MSU  
     Michigan State University's future STEM Teaching and Learning Facility will be the first in Michigan to use an innovative wood product, rather than concrete and/or steel, for its load-bearing structure.

     Known as mass timber, this framing style uses large solid or engineered wood. The $100 million facility will be constructed of glue-laminated wooden columns and cross-laminated timber, or CLT, a relatively new product for the floors and ceilings.

https://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2019/first-of-its-kind-timber-product-to-be-used-in-msu-building/

[Ron Scott]

Ohio

High Timber Prices Lure Poachers to Cut Down Ohio Trees

The Columbus Dispatch, May 14, 2019
Walking through his Ross County tree farm, Jim Savage stopped and looked down. "There it is," he said, pointing to the jagged tree stump. In the grass lay the remains of a massive black walnut tree. About 50 yards away along Salt Creek were the spindly limbs of two other fallen trees. The trees were not victims of natural threats such as disease or weather, but rather poachers.  READ MORE

The E-Forester

[Ron Scott]

Illinois

Illinois Has More Jobs Through Forestry than Most Midwestern States

News Tribune, May 9, 2019
Over the past couple of years, Starved Rock Wood Products has been expanding in the former R.R. Donnelly building in Mendota. The millwork shop is employing just over 100 people right now, and CEO Keith Miller said he expects that number to continue to climb. "It's growing. Over the next five years, I would think we would have more than 300 employees," Miller said. Starved Rock Wood Products is just one example of the Illinois Valley's job footprint in the forestry industry.  READ MORE

The E-Forester 

[Ron Scott]

Michigan

Invasive Gypsy Moth Numbers are Rising in Southern Michigan

WDIV-TV, June 12, 2019
Gypsy moths are an invasive species, a term for non-native pests that can cause harm to native species and ecosystems. In its caterpillar life stage, the insect caused widespread defoliation in Michigan from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. A large population in 2018 has led to more caterpillars hatching this spring. Current defoliation is heaviest in Barry, Ionia and Washtenaw counties, but Department of Natural Resources forest health experts say it's likely that gypsy moth caterpillars are causing similar problems on a local scale in other areas of the Lower Peninsula.  READ MORE

The E-Forester 

[Ron Scott]

Michigan

RE:  MASS TIMBER BUILDING IN MICHIGAN!

The first mass timber beams and columns were placed on 18 June for the new STEM Teaching and Learning Facility on the MSU campus.  The announcement is here, in case you're interested in this wood products milestone!

https://mailchi.mp/b7df003afc7f/msu-begins-construction-onfirst-mass-timber-building-in-the-state

[Ron Scott]

Michigan

RE:  MICHIGAN ACF CHAPTER RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD

Michigan Chapter of the Association of Consulting Foresters were awarded the "Large Chapter of the Year Award" at the National ACF meeting in French Lick, Indiana, on 24 June.  Attending were Justin Miller, Jeff Steinkraus, Rexx Janowiak, Mark Janke, Scott Erickson, Terry Manty, and Jerry Grossman.  The Chapter of the year award is sponsored by Stihl.

 
Yahoo! to the fine foresters of Michigan!

[Ron Scott]

Texas

What is IKEA's Plan for All of the East Texas Forest They Bought?

KEEL-FM, Nov. 24, 2019
The company that owns IKEA has been buying up tens of thousands of acres of forestland across the United States. Their most recent purchase includes 42,000 acres of East Texas' Piney Woods. They started acquiring the land in 2015, when timber prices started to increase across the globe. The intent of the company is to create their own sustainable timber operations.  READ MORE

[Ron Scott]

Michigan

RE:  WEYERHAEUSER LAND SALES

$300 million to New Hampshire Lyme Timber. 
 
https://www.dailypress.net/news/local-news/2019/12/logging-company-buys-timberland-for-300m/

[Ron Scott]

Michigan

RE:  FORMER G-P MILL TO SITE MICHIGAN LUMBER & WOOD FIBER

Breathing New Life Into A Historic Forest Products Manufacturing Site

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  I  28 JANUARY 2020

LANSING, Mich., – With his purchase of the former Georgia Pacific particleboard manufacturing site in Gaylord finalized, Tim Bills of Michigan Lumber and Wood Fiber said that he will be bringing jobs and infrastructure back to the area.

Bills began negotiations with Georgia Pacific to purchase the land after his Comins sawmill of 10 years was destroyed by fire on June 1, 2019. The purchase of the 850-acre parcel was finalized on January 23, 2020 and feels like an achievement, in and of itself, for him.

"I've been working on this for about 4 months," said Bills. "I used to be one of the top suppliers for the Georgia Pacific mill. After they closed I continued to have a good relationship with them. This acquisition feels full-circle for me."

Bills is no stranger to large investments. In 2017, he purchased over 4 million dollars in state-of-the-art technology and equipment for the Comins mill. Unfortunately, most of that is now carbonized.

It was very traumatizing for Bills and his workforce when production came to a halt in June. But the team at Michigan Lumber & Wood Fiber is familiar with fast growth, and finally having a building site has reenergized everyone involved.

Bills' goal is to have the mill open and operational by late spring/summer—a feat which will be made slightly easier by the infrastructure unique to this specific piece of land. Though the buildings at the former particleboard site were torn down approximately five years ago, Bills plans to rebuild his mill on portions of the remaining concrete pads.

"There are weigh-scales and some other infrastructure that will allow us to get production started in record time" says Bills.

With this acquisition, Bills joins a handful of other forest products manufacturers and sawmills in the area vying for similar wood species, but he doesn't see that as a problem.

"There's always competition but competition is healthy no matter what industry you're in," he said.

Most of the wood Michigan Lumber and Wood Fiber harvested was turned into railroad ties and Bills plans to do that again.

"Before the fire we were the largest wood supplier for the railroad tie market in Michigan," said Bills. "After the fire, it was quite a struggle for multiple customers because we were such a large producer, but they were able to keep their operations running and are looking forward to us coming back online."

Bills estimates that about 30-40 jobs would be created by the mill's initial re-opening but noted, as a vertically integrated company, that doesn't include the increase in loggers, chip crews operators, truckers and administrative staff that will be required to support his production goals. It also does not encompass the job creation of his long-term goals for the property.

As a Michigan native, improving the economy in the area he and his family were born, raised and live in is very important.

"I didn't just lose my operation and my livelihood. There were 40-50 individuals that were suddenly unemployed," said Bills.

 He knows most of his past team members have found work elsewhere, and many of them may not be willing or able to make the commute to Gaylord. However, he and his remaining team are optimistic that the talent in the community of Gaylord will be able to satisfactorily fill the void.

 Members of the MEDC, MDARD, and the Otsego County Economic Alliance have been active in helping with this relocation, and Bills hopes this will prove indicative of the overall attitude of the Gaylord and surrounding community's feelings.

 Lisa McComb, executive director of the Otsego County Economic Alliance, said the Alliance shares Bills' enthusiasm for the purchase of the site.

  "We've been working with them for the past several months to facilitate their movement to Gaylord and we're excited to have them," she said.

 Bills plans to start hiring team members of various skill levels in late April and early May. If you are interested in applying, send your resume and cover letter to tim@ml-wf.com.

 Media Contact:

Amanda Hattis

989-657-4217

asumerix@michiganforest.com

 Tim Bills

989-848-2100

tim@ml-wf.com

[Ron Scott]

Michigan

RE:  BILL COOK RETIRES

With the suggestion from others, I wish to let everyone know that I have retired from MSU Extension.  However, before you all sigh with relief, I have to say I'll still be active with the forestry community (because of the all the great people), including preparing these email messages. 
 
Thanks to many for a couple decades of friendship and support.  Forestry is a good business with good people.  And, I'm particularly happy with all the younger folks moving up through their careers.  The forests will remain in good and capable hands.  They'll need every bit of expertise we can offer them. 

[Ron Scott]

Wisconsin/Michigan/Minnesota

RE:  VERSO CLOSING MILLS IN WISCONSIN RAPIDS AND DULUTH

Mills will be "indefinitely idle" beginning this spring and summer.  The Rapids mill takes a fair amount of wood from the U.P. in a market that's already currently challenged. 
 
Wisconsin Rapids Tribune  

[Ron Scott]

Minnesota! Nature Conservancy Buys More Than 2,000 Acres of Land in Superior National Forest

Minnesota Star Tribune, Oct. 7, 2020

More than 2,000 acres of land and six wilderness lakes deep in the heart of Superior National Forest will soon be forever protected. Mike Freed, a retired forestry professor, sold the land this week to the Nature Conservancy, which plans to keep it wild as a corridor and refuge for animals, trees and other wildlife.

READ MORE

The E. Forester

[Ron Scott]

Maine Forestry Officials: Be on the Looking for  Japanese Stiltgrass in Maine

Maine Public, Oct. 13, 2020

The Maine Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry is urging landowners and nursery professionals to check for an aggressive, invasive plant that's only recently been confirmed in Maine.

READ MORE

The E Forester

[Ron Scott]

Michigan

RE: FORESTRY AT MICHIGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES
 
MSU has been working with Bay College in Escanaba and Muskegon Community College to develop forestry related programs.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/training-future-foresters-new-part-of-partnership-between-msu-community-colleges-industry
 
Gogebic Community College has had a program for a number of years.
https://gogebic.edu/academics/Career/forestrytechnology.html

[Ron Scott]

Wisconsin

RE:  TALL TIMBER – MILWAUKEE CLAIMS SOME FAME

Milwaukee boasts new construction of a 25-story mass timber apartment building, tallest in the world.  You may have noticed the blurb in the latest SAF eforester. 
 
https://www.wuwm.com/post/worlds-tallest-timber-tower-rising-milwaukee#stream/0

[Ron Scott]

Michigan
Invasive, Hyperbolically Named Vine Makes 1st Known Appearance In Michigan
WKAR-FM, Nov. 9, 2020
An invasive plant that has long caused problems in eastern states has been found in Michigan. Now state officials are trying to find out if it's growing anywhere besides an Albion College nature preserve, where a professor spotted it last month.

READ MORE

Digital Forester

[Ron Scott]

Minnesota
Minnesota DNR Wants Black Spruce Cones, and Has Upped the Price Per Bushel
Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Dec. 31, 2020
The state's black spruce seed cupboard is bare. So the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is paying people $85 a bushel — up from $70 last year — for the cones to meet spring orders for reforesting. The pay was bumped up to attract more people to cone-picking, and the push is on.

READ MORE

The E-Forester

[Ron Scott]

Wisconsin The Handbook for Northwoods Forest Conservation (WI) WSAU-FM, Jan. 1, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has put conservation workshops and classes on hold, so the Northwoods Alliance and Partners in Forestry Cooperative came together to fill the void. They published a handbook about Northwoods forest conservation as a resource for those interested in land management. READ MORE

The E-Forester

[Ron Scott]

Michigan
17-Year Cicadas to Emerge in Michigan This Spring
WDIV-TV, Feb. 2, 2021
Sometimes referred to as the Great Eastern Brood, the Brood X periodical cicada is a 17-year cicada that last emerged in 2004. Periodical cicadas spend most of their lives as larva, burrowed in the ground, taking a full 17 years to mature from nymph to adult, feeding on nutrients and fluids from the soil and small roots. When it's time, the buggers tunnel to the surface and wait for the soil to warm to about 64 degrees. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions per acre can appear simultaneously in some areas, according to U-Mich researchers, leaving behind an exoskeleton as they fly off to sing and mate.

READ MORE

The E-Forester

[Ron Scott]

Michigan

RE:  DNR NEWS RELEASE
 
Lower Michigan may see more gypsy moth outbreaks.
 
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MIDNR/bulletins/2d8cc44
 

[Ron Scott]

RE:  MORE INFORMATION ON / ABOUT GYPSY MOTH
 
From our own Dr. Deb McCullough . . . there is more and better information about gypsy moth on the MSU IPM website.  Google "msu gypsy moth" to find information on the topics below.  Each bulletin can be downloaded and printed for free!
 

• Gypsy Moth Life Cycle
• Surveying Egg Masses to Forecast Next Year's Population
• A Virus and a Fungal Disease Cause Gypsy Moth Outbreaks to Collapse
• Dealing with Gypsy Moth Around Your Home or Property
• Gypsy Moth Resources (Using Bt to control GM; GM Natural Enemies; Other Oak Defoliators)

[Ron Scott]

Michigan
Data Shows Impact of Forest Industry in Michigan
Daily Press, July 14, 2021
Data released by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources shows the impact the forest products industry has on the state and local economy. Trees stretch toward the sky across more than half of Michigan's landscape, supporting 20.3 million acres of forest. Most of this abundant forest land can produce commercial timber, a renewable and sustainably managed resource. Most forest land — at 62% — is privately owned, while state and local governments manage roughly 23%. About 15 percent of forests are on federal lands.

READ MORE The E-Forester

[Ron Scott]

South Carolina
South Carolina Banning Sales of Bradford Pear Trees; Foresters Explain Why
WRDW-TV, July 20, 2021
South Carolina is banning the sale of invasive Bradford Pear trees because of their impact on SC ecosystems. Foresters say the trees spread quickly and are hard to control because of their strong and copious thorns that have been known to damage heavy-duty forestry vehicles. "This is equipment that goes out in the woods and deals with all kinds of things, and they won't go near places with pears because they know their equipment is going to be damaged," says David Jenkins, Forest Health Project Manager at the SC Forestry Commission.

READ MORE

The E-forester

[Ron Scott]

Michigan
Invasive Bug Found Near Rockford a Threat to Christmas Tree Industry (MI)WOOD-TV, Aug. 16, 2021
An invasive bug that's a potential threat to Michigan's Christmas tree industry has been discovered in Kent County. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced Monday it had confirmed the state's first detected case of the balsam woolly adelgid near Rockford. MDARD said the homeowner noticed several Fraser firs in their yard were declining and contacted an arborist, who spotted the infestation and alerted the state. It's unclear how the bug reached Michigan or how long it's been in our state, but MDARD Director Gary McDowell said it's "plausible" the invader arrived on trees shipped to a nursery.

READ MORE

The E-Forester

[Ron Scott]

Michigan
The Hunt Is On to Find Michigan's Biggest Trees
WHMI-FM, Aug. 14, 2021
Those embarking on end of summer vacations or planning activities for the fall are encouraged to add Michigan's Big Tree Hunt to their list. The 15th Biennial Michigan Big Tree Hunt contest is again being hosted by ReLeaf Michigan, a statewide non-profit focused on tree planting and education. The deadline was extended due to COVID-19 and is open to all ages. The non-profit awards certificates and prizes for the largest tree submitted in each county, for the overall largest tree in different age groups and the largest White Pine. The largest trees in the state can be found anywhere — a backyard, a local park or a hiking trail.

READ MORE

The E-Forester