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Issue 4 2013

Forest Information Billboard
Issue 4, December 2013


 

Forest Reporting

 
Joint FOREST EUROPE/UNECE/FAO Questionnaire on Pan-European Quantitative Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management

In November 2013 the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section in Geneva and the FOREST EUROPE Liaison Unit Madrid launched the “Joint FOREST EUROPE/UNECE/FAO Questionnaire on pan-European quantitative indicators for Sustainable Forest Management”. This new cycle of reporting continues a series of data collections on pan-European forests carried out by UNECE, FAO and FOREST EUROPE. The reporting will be performed according to the pan-European Criteria and Indicators for SFM, which were endorsed at the Living Forest Summit in Vienna in 2003.

 

For the first time the new cycle of the pan-European reporting is carried out in parallel with the FAO global Forests Resources Assessment (FRA). Although the FRA and the pan-European reporting remain independent processes, the coordinated reporting will ensure consistency between information collected by both processes. This will significantly reduce the reporting burden and facilitate unified messages on pan-European forests and forest management.

 

Information will cover 28 quantitative indicators reported by the FRA National Correspondents through the Joint Questionnaire. Information for the remaining seven indicators will be obtained directly from international data providers. The UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section in Geneva and the FOREST EUROPE Liaison Unit Madrid will coordinate the reporting process and support countries in developing their reports. National reports are expected by 31 March 2014.


For more information please visit www.unece.org/forests/fr/methodsandprocesses or contact Roman Michalak ([email protected]) or Myriàm Martin Vallejo ([email protected]).

 

Results of the FP 7 European Forest Downstream Services (EUFODOS) Project – Improved Information on Forest Structure and Damages

Copernicus  Down Stream Services were developed in EUFODOS during 2011-2013 to identify various types of forest damage and for an operational derivation of forest parameters.

 

EUFODOS focuses on the development of services for surveying forest damage and quantifying forest aspects, which can be used for economic assessments or as a basis for targeted management of protective forests. These services include, for example, an expedited assessment of storm damage and a more targeted damage assessment on storm damage, forest fire, snow breakage, insect damage and assessment, as well as change detection approach. The latter can be applied to areas with remote sensing data and was demonstrated over a large areas (up to 8,000km²) using SPOT data with 10m spatial resolution.

 

The EUFODOS consortium uses the Copernicus High Resolution Forest Core Layer, state-of-the-art optical and radar satellites and LiDAR technology, which facilitates the gathering of data in very short time intervals and in a very cost effictiveway. For example, an assessment of storm damage can be delivered to users in the form of satellite-based, geo-referenced damage map quicker and at a lower cost when compared to using conventional assessment methods.

 

The aim of EUFODOS is to have uniform information on forest damage such as storms and spread of insect infestations for European states via maps provided by a Pan European Forest Monitoring Service.


Additional information about the EUFODOS project can be downloaded at:
www.eufodos.info
 

For more infomation contact: [email protected] or [email protected]

 
Copernicus, the European Earth Observation Programme, previously known as GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security).
Global Forest Products Companies Come Together to Support Forest Certification

November 2013 – In an unprecedented show of support from the private sector for forest certification, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Forest Solutions Group - 26 of the world’s leading companies along the forest products value chain - released a leadership statement, committing to significantly scale up sustainable forest management.

 

Members of Forest Solutions Group (FSG) are responsible for nearly 40% of annual global forest, paper and packaging sales, and are aware that the business sector plays a major role in transforming forest challenges into forest-based opportunities and solutions. This Leadership Statement on the Value and Future of Forest Certification and accompanying technical brief, recognizes that reducing forest loss and degradation is a global societal priority requiring immediate and concerted action. In order to ensure that the supply of independently-verified sustainable wood and other forest products continues to meet growing the demand, all FSG member companies commit to: work with stakeholders to spread sustainable forest management; support and promote the expansion of forest certification; set global targets to increase the use of certification when sourcing forest products and fiber; and grow markets for certified forest products. Being a shared responsibility, the FSG’s leadership statement calls on all stakeholders to join forces to innovate and grow markets for sustainably-produced forest products. Approaches to expand reach and impact of existing certification standards should better address the needs of small forest owners, community forestry, indigenous peoples and agroforestry operators. The full statement is available here.


For more information contact:
Uta Jungermann, Associate, Forest Solutions,World Business Council for Sustainable Development  (WBCSD), Geneva, Switzerland, T: +41 22 839 31 02, F: +41 22 839 31 31, E: [email protected]

Metsään.fi eServices for Forest Owners


Metsään.fi is a portal through which people who own forest property in Finland can conduct business related to their forests from the comfort of their own homes. The portal connects owners with related third parties, including providers of forestry services. This makes it easy to commission management work and connect with forestry professionals. Private individuals and families (740,000) own 60 percent of Finnish forests.  Forests are not the main source of income for the majority of these owners and  they do not reside where their forestlands are.

Metsään.fi provides forest owners with the latest forest data concerning the soil, timber, and nature areas along with recommended logging and management tasks, including revenue and cost estimates. A map and an aerial photograph of the area illustrate site locations and the appearance of the forest. Users log in using their online banking codes.

 

Forestry businesses, forest management associations and timber buyers can be found in the portal. Forest owners can check which service providers are available in the surrounding area of the forestland and, if necessary, assist in matching potential service providers to forest owners. This makes it easy to get in touch with professionals regarding forestry and logging work. Service providers may also contact forest owners on their own initiative.

 

This service is provided by the Finnish Forestry Centre.Its development is funded by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

 

For more information visit:


http://www.metsakeskus.fi/metsaan.fi
or contact Aino Ässämäki, T: +358 29 432 4846, [email protected]

Electronic Wood Marketplace: Efficiency and Transparency for Roundwood Trade

 

In several studies of Finnish roundwood markets, electronic services for roundwood trade have been seen as having great potential. According to surveys, both forest owners and roundwood buyers are willing to use electronic services to trade roundwood. Approximately 100,000-140,000 individual timber sales  are completed each year in Finland, thus there is great potential for  savings in administration costs using electronic services.

 

An electronic bulletin board, where forest owners can countrywide market their timber was launched by MTK in January 2013. The service is map-based, where registered roundwood buyers are can find private forest owners’ with available roundwood. Roundwood buyers can find, evaluate and bid lots that interest them.

 

Forest management associations transfer (via forest owner’s letter of attorney) information about stands marked for cutting to the www.puumarkkinat.fi service. Based on this information, timber buyers are able to bid without field visits and hence save costs. A stand is visible for bidding (normally 14 days), after which the final negotiations will be concluded in person.

 

In addition to cost savings, the electronic marketplace should improve the transparency of roundwood markets., As of December 2013, the electronic wood marketplace is used by more than 60 timber buying companies and almost 600 individual timber buyers, and will likely host 40,000 roundwood transactions per year.


For more information visit: www.puumarkkinat.fi or contact:
Erno Järvinen, Research Manager, M.Sc. (Forestry), The Central Union of Farmers and Forest Owners MTK, MTK Forestry Group, P.O.Box 510, FI-00101 Helsinki, Finland, tel. +358 20 413 2490, mobile +358 40 351 7978, fax +358 20 413 2403, [email protected], www.mtk.fi  
Ireland’s Second National Forest Inventory

The 2012 National Forest Inventory (NFI) of Ireland involved a detailed nationwide field survey of Ireland's forests. The survey assessed composition, condition and change in the entire national forest estate, both public and private. Changes in Ireland’s forests can now be assessed for the first time through comparisons with the initial NFI, completed in 2006.


The results of the Inventory show that:
•           The total forest area in Ireland now stands at 10.5% of the total land area; an increase of 0.5% since 2006.
•           In terms of forest ownership the share of private forestry is increasing with 53% in public ownership and 47% in private ownership; this represents an increase in the private forestry estate of 4% in the last six years.
•           Conifer forest is the dominant forest type representing 74.2% of all forests. Broadleaved forests represent 25.8%.
•           Over half (56%) of the national forest estate is less than twenty years old, due to the successful uptake of State supported afforestation in the intervening years.
•           The NFI allowed for documenting the contribution of forests in achieving Ireland’s Kyoto target.
•           The total standing growing stock of Irish forests is estimated to be over 97 million m³, an increase of  25 million m³ since 2006.
•           Nearly half (47%) of the gross annual increment was harvested between 2006 and 2012 – showing sustainable harvesting levels.
•           Afforestation of blanket peat is declining, reflecting a shift away from the unenclosed land type.
All NFI publications are accessible on the following website: www.agriculture.gov.ie/nfi
For more information contact:
Mark Twomey, Forest Inventory, Forest Service, Dept. Of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Clogheen, Clonakilty, Co. Cork, Ireland. [email protected]
The Global Forest Industry This Quarter

Excerpts from the 3Q 2013 issue of the Wood Resource Quarterly (www.woodprices.com)

 

The Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI) dropped 0.6 % in the 3Q/13. The Softwood Wood Fiber Price Index (SFPI) edged up to $97.94/odmt in the 3Q/13. This was $0.19/odmt higher than in the previous quarter but $2.11/odmt below 3Q/12 price. The Hardwood Wood Fiber Price Index (HFPI) fell for the fourth consecutive quarter to $98.15/odmt in the 3Q/13. This was down 2.3 percent from the previous quarter and the lowest level since the 2Q/09. 

 

Demand for market pulp has picked up in all regions of the world with the biggest increases in Eastern Europe, Japan and North America. Higher lumber consumption in the US has resulted in both increased domestic production and a rise in importation of lumber in 2013. Lumber prices in both the US and Canada have started to recover the past three months after the dramatic decline earlier in the spring.

 

Softwood lumber imports to China and Japan have been 20% higher this year than last year, with the biggest increases in shipments from Europe. Pellet export volumes from North America to Europe has continued to rise for the past seven quarters.

 

The full news update can be found here.

 

Hakan Ekstrom, Wood Resources International LLC, Seattle, USA, [email protected], www.woodprices.com

New ISO Standard with Timber - Round and Sawn Timber – Vocabulary

ISO 24294:2013 contains the terms and definitions of concepts to establish multilingual terminology applied in forest and wood working spheres. This includes identification of a tree and of its parts (in round and sawn aspects); its measurements; grading; condition; features; sizes; natural, pathogenic defects of wood. Terms and definitions are available in English, French and Russian. These are available for free at: https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/ . The standard will address the global need to communicate physical and mechanical wood characteristics and is a result of input from various stakeholders and experts in the trade of raw and processed wood products.

 

For more information contact: Anna Caterina Rossi (Ms.), Technical Programme Manager, ISO/Central Secretariat, Geneva (CH), +41 22 749 03 75

Holz Journal - Updates from Roundwood and Timber Markets in Germany

Four years ago the ZMP - a German institution for wood market information - had to close. In the meantime the "Holz Journal" - a pdf-magazine in German - was issued by the ZHG ​​in Berlin. Finally, my company HMI-Holzmarktinfo has taken over this task. Since January 2013 the “Holz Journal” is posted out as a personalized pdf file at two-week intervals. The "Holz Journal" contains late-breaking information on the German roundwood and timber market, but also considers neighbouring European and non-European timber related markets.

 

In addition to the "Holz Journal" the Statistical Yearbook "Marktbilanz Forst und Holz" is published each summer. It contains current time series and graphics to the most important key figures for German timber market (removals, production, prices, consumption, ...).


For more information please contact directly the publisher:
HMI - Holzmarktinfo

Volker Schade, Riemannstr. 3, 53125 Bonn, Germany, [email protected]


www.Holzmarktinfo.de


Publications
CI-SFM Project Comes to its end with the Publication of its Final Report

The final report of the project on Implementing Criteria & Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management in Europe (CI-SFM) has been released and is now available online.

 

The report summarizes the results of the work undertaken during the project in order to analyse the different approaches for implementation of the pan-European CI for SFM among the FOREST EUROPE signatory countries

The report also collects emerging issues, challenges and recommendations identified during the project for improving the pan-European set and strengthening the use of C&I, not only as a tool for monitoring and reporting, but also for policy making at national and European level.

 

Matthias Schwoerer (Head of Division at the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection) and Maria Tourne (Head of the FOREST EUROPE Liaison Unit Madrid) have stated in the preface of the report, that it is hoped that “the projects results will provide solid background information for future decisions, including on a potential revision of the set of criteria and indicators and on improving their use as a tool to facilitate the implementation and communication of the concept of sustainable forest management at all levels”.

 

The project, which spanned nearly two years, involved the participation of many experts and was coordinated and conducted by the European Forest Institute, in close cooperation with FOREST EUROPE Liaison Unit Madrid, UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section, and the Finnish Forest Research Institute.

 

The project was carried out with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV).

Forestry Facts in a Compact Package: Finnish Statistical Yearbook of Forestry 2013 is Now Available

The Finnish Statistical Yearbook of Forestry 2013 presents key statistics on Finland’s forests, forestry and forest industries. The Yearbook also includes statistics concerning the forest environment, multiple uses of forests and environmental issues. The Yearbook, which has been published by the Finnish Statistical Office since the late 1960s, provides information for research purposes and for planning and implementing forest and environmental policies (amongst other uses).

 

Metla also published a statistical pocketbook, Forest Finland in Brief, which comes out every second year. It provides a concise package (47 pages) of information on forestry and forest industry in Finland.

 

To order or for further information, please contact: Martti Aarne, Head of Statistics, [email protected] or: Esa Ylitalo, Editor-in-Chief, [email protected]


Further information: http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/muut/forest-fin-brief/index-en.htm
 

 

Events

 

Forest Industry Conference in the US Pacific Northwest, 23 January 2014


We are proud to announce that Wood Resources International and the Western Forestry and Conservation Association are organizing a conference on January 23, 2014 titled:
“Mapping the Course – Timberlands, Forest Products Processing and Energy Issues for 2014”
The conference will be held at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, WA, located close to Portland, Oregons’s airport.
Please join us for this one-day conference for in-depth discussions and analysis on forest products market challenges, opportunities, threats and issues in Western North America for 2014 and beyond. Industry experts and analysts from the US and Canada will address topics such as:

   - Strategic issues for timberland owners in 2014.


   - Where will the wood come from? Timber supply in the US Northwest and beyond.
   - Perspectives from the paper, lumber and biomass sectors in Western North America.
   - Looking ahead: Issues in the pellet sector.
   - Evolving lumber economics and wood quality in British Columbia.
   - Navigating the export landscape: China in 2014 and beyond.
   - Follow the money: Investor strategies in the timberlands, processing and energy sectors.
   - Global market drivers affecting Western US and Western Canada
For the full program and to register, please go to the Western Forest Industry Conference 2014. A program brochure is attached here.
If you have any questions, please contact either Richard Zabel at WFCA ([email protected]) or Tim Gammell at WRI ([email protected]).
Forest Engineering: Propelling the Forest Value Chain, September 23-26, 2014 in Gerardmer, France
5th Forest Engineering Conference: 3rd Call for Papers
FCBA, the French technology institute of forestry, cellulose, wood construction and furniture, will host the 5th Forest Engineering Conference (FEC) together with the 47th International Symposium on Forestry Mechanisation (FORMEC).

"Forest engineering: propelling the forest value chain" September 23-26, 2014 in Gerardmer, France

 

 www.fec2014.fcba.fr


The call for papers is still open for a few weeks and we expect your contribution by 31 December 2013. You can submit abstract online at : http://formec.boku.ac.at/authors.html

The website has also been up-dated with useful information about registration, accommodation and partnerships. Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions. 
So mark the dates, and get prepared to participate in the FEC-FORMEC - 2014!
For more information contact: FCBA, Morgan Vuillermoz & Emmanuel Cacot,10 Avenue de Saint-Mandé, F-75012 Paris, Tel +33(0)1  40 19 49 19, Fax +33(0)1 40 19 48 91, [email protected]
www.fec2014.fcba.fr

http://formec.boku.ac.at/
European Foresters´ Orienteering Championships and Forest Seminar 28 July - 2 August 2014
The 21st EFOL, European Foresters´ Orienteering Championships, will be organized in Fribourg, Switzerland, from July 28 to August 2, 2014. On July 29 a Forest Seminar and on July 31 forest excursions in the Canton Fribourg will be organized by the State Forest Agency of Canton Fribourg.
For more information visit: www.efol.eu and www.nouvelleforet.ch.
or contact Leif Strömquist, President of IC EFOL, [email protected]
PEFC Forest Certification Week and Toolkit Launch
In November close to 300 participants gathered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for the very first PEFC Forest Certification Week. Organized by the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the world’s largest forest certification system, PEFC Week brought together diverse stakeholders and key actors from across the forest sector to engage in solutions-oriented discussions on advancing sustainable trade in Asia.
The Week culminated in a two day Stakeholder Dialogue, with participants, panelists and speakers discussing the important issues around linking sustainable forest product supply chains through Asia, looking at bottlenecks in supply chains and the next steps to be taken. Key issues raised included the need to increase demand for certified products in the Asian and Middle Eastern markets and the challenges sustainability faces in the light of the rise of legality regulations.
In order to enable more in-depth exchanges between the participants, the second day was dedicated to side events, with a number of organizations taking the opportunity to present their work and engage stakeholders on important forestry-related issues.
A key side event was the launch of PEFC’s new publication ‘Your Toolkit: Developing a National Forest Certification System’, a step-by-step guide for developing a national forest certification system aligned with PEFC’s globally recognized sustainability benchmark requirements. The Toolkit provides hands-on advice for practitioners, summarizes complex requirements and captures recommendations from PEFC and its existing members who have completed the process. 
More information:

•           PEFC Week: http://treee.es/PEFC2013

 

•           Your Toolkit: http://treee.es/YourToolkit


For more information contact Thorsten Arndt, [email protected]

 

How to contribute? Deadline for contributions to the next issue is 15 March 2014. For more information contact Elina Warsta ([email protected]) or consult the instructions available here.