Forest Products Industry

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Information Officer Heather Pridham spoke on Kirkland Lake‘s CJKL radio station moments ago to provide an update on the fire (KL-8) that is 3km from town.

The fire is roughly 10km long, and narrow.  The fire has not moved or gained in size, and is laying dormant at 2757 ha.

Kirkland Lake residents are still urged to keep an evacuation kit ready, including 3 days of clothes and supplies (food & water).

About 300 people in the fire area are still evacuated.  Sprinklers are being used to protect cottages and structures near the fire.

An emergency order is still in place to keep people out of the fire area.

Yesterday

Yesterday there were no open flames in the fire area.  75-100 ground crew members searched the fire for hotspots. When they were found, one of 5 helicopters were called in to attack the fire with buckets from the air.  No waterbomber runs were required yesterday.

Crews also worked yesterday with heavy equipment to break apart slash piles inside the fire zone. This caused significant smoke as helicopters help extinguish the slash piles.

Today

Infrared scanning was performed from the air this morning to identify the hot spots to be attacked by ground crews today.

It is windy today, with gusts.  The relative humidity is low.  These conditions have the potential to stir up the fire today.  Pridham said they have crews on ground, and aircraft in the air to monitor the fire today.

Northeastern Ontario

Northeastern Ontario’s forest fire hazard is classified as extreme.  A restricted fire zone is in place.

Source: CJKL

Latest Kirkland Lake fire update (KL-8). Fire has not grown. is a post from: ForestTalk.com

Hawaii Electric Light is to buy Hu Honua Bioenergy. Hu Honua is converting the old Hilo Coast Power Co. facility at the Pepeekeo Sugar Mill into an electric generation facility that will be powered by locally grown biomass such as eucalyptus. Source: Pacific Business News

US Congressman Glenn Thompson sent a bipartisan letter to US Green Building Council (USGBC) urging changes to the treatment of forest products under the Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 2012 rating system. Source: North Central PA

Malaysia’s government plans to allocate RM3 billion to expand the country's forest plantation by up to 375,000ha by 2020 to ensure a sustainable and guaranteed supply of raw materials for wood related industries. Source: The Star Online

A father and son from Hobart are using timber that has been salvaged from a leaky wooden pipeline to build boats. The wood is King Billy Pine, a timber considered even more rare than Huon Pine. Source: ABC News

Jack Norton, president of the International Research Group (IRG) on Wood Protection, spoke at the Wood Preservation 2012 conference on the outcomes of the recent International Research Group meeting in Malaysia held in early May. Source: Timberbiz

At the Wood Preservation 2012 conference in Melbourne Andrew Harvey, Senior Economist HIA presented his economic opinions for the industry – though he was quick to point out that an economist’s opinions are always nebulous. Source: Timberbiz

The 2-day Wood Preservation 2012 conference run by the Forest Industries Engineering Association (FIEA), which is being held in Melbourne and was held recently in Rotorua, New Zealand, is bringing together the industry and covering more than just processes and technologies. Source: Timberbiz

Global investment in biomass power generation will total $104 billion in 2021 according to Pike Research. This is just one aspect that will be discussed at the Bioenergy Finance Forum to be run in September this year. Sources: Ecoseed, Pike Research

MONTREAL, May 23, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - AbitibiBowater Inc., doing business as Resolute Forest Products (NYSE: ABH) (TSX: ABH), today clarified that Resolute currently expects that trading in its common

Tembec today planted the 300th million tree in the Gordon Cosens Forest located near Kapuskasing, Ontario.

Planting on the Gordon Cosens Forest has been going on for more than 70 years and is still going strong; 4.5 million trees will be planted this spring.

Attending the event with other Tembec executives and employees, regional dignitaries as well as municipal representatives, President and Chief Executive Officer, James Lopez, recognized that “very few forests in Canada can lay claim to having planted 300 million trees. This is a truly significant achievement – one which deserves to be celebrated.” “We are very fortunate to have a long history of sustainable forestry going back many decades and involving some of the pioneers of sustainable forestry in Canada. The Gordon Cosens was one of the first forests in Canada to achieve FSC certification. I would like to thank our employees, our suppliers that grow the seedlings and plant the trees for Tembec and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for their support in renewing this forest,” Lopez added.

During the ceremony, Lopez solemnly stated: “This important milestone is dedicated to two local foresters, Dan Simis and Chad McQuade, who were tragically taken from us on November 2, 2011, while carrying out reforestation work. Ensuring a forest for future generations was their passion. Their legacy will be everlasting.”

The Gordon Cosens Forest, which borders the Missinaibi River and is situated near Kapuskasing, lies in the heart of Ontario’s Claybelt region of the Boreal Forest. Characterized by expansive black spruce and mixed wood forests and home to a variety of boreal-forest dwelling animals, including moose and caribou, the Gordon Cosens Forest is managed by Tembec according to the high standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Tembec just planted its 300th million tree in the Gordon Cosens Forest is a post from: ForestTalk.com

Stora Enso is to supply one of the largest wooden roofs in Finland to cover what will be Europe’s largest car showroom.

Florida-based Gulf South Products has been awarded the highest recognition for a US exporter at a White House ceremony.

99.5% of Catalyst Paper‘s secured creditors voted in favour of the company’s restructuring plan.  Only 64% of the unsecured creditors voted in favour.

Approval of not less than 66 2/3% of the principal amount of each creditor class voting on the plan was required for Catalyst Paper to proceed.

Since the amended plan of arrangement was not approved at the meetings, Catalyst Paper is required to commence a sale transaction in accordance with certain court-approved sale and investor solicitation procedures (SISP) as described in the Management Proxy Circular delivered to Catalyst Paper’s creditors in advance of the meetings.

“Today’s creditors’ vote makes it clear for stakeholders that our path to emerge from protection will be through a sales process initiated by a stalking horse bid from secured noteholders. Our objective remains unchanged and that’s to put our company on better financial footing to enable us to compete vigorously and to adapt as necessary to the continuing changes in the markets for our products,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin J. Clarke. “Stakeholders can be assured that as milestones in the sales process are met, issues resolved and decisions reached, we will continue to provide timely updates on developments and progress.”

The company’s debtor-in possession (DIP) financing continues to be available to the company and, combined with the company’s operating revenue, is expected to continue to provide sufficient liquidity to meet ongoing obligations to employees and suppliers and ensure that normal operations continue during the sale process.

The SISP outlines the procedures and timelines for soliciting bids to purchase all or substantially all of the assets of Catalyst Paper or to make an investment in the business and operations of Catalyst Paper. The SISP also contemplates that Catalyst Paper will enter into a stalking horse purchase agreement (the Stalking Horse Purchase Agreement) with holders of Catalyst Paper’s First Lien Notes for the purchase of all or substantially all of the company’s assets on a going concern basis. In the event that Catalyst Paper does not receive or accept a qualified bid, pursuant to the SISP the company must terminate the SISP and within three business days of such termination, must file an application with the court seeking approval of  a sale transaction under the Stalking Horse Purchase Agreement, which agreement has been finalized and approved by the court.

The SISP will be implemented as follows:

(a) an initial offering summary and confidentiality agreement will be distributed to known potential bidders within two days; (b) potential bidders will submit certain information and an executed confidentiality agreement within 14 days (the Potential Bidder Deadline); (c) the determination of which potential bidders are qualified bidders will occur within five days after such bidders have delivered their materials; (d) qualified bidders will submit a non-binding indication of interest within 35 days following the Potential Bidder Deadline (the Phase 1 Bid Deadline); (e) the non-binding indication of interest will be assessed within five days of the Phase 1 Bid Deadline; (f) provided the non-binding indication of interest has been determined to likely be consummated, the bidder will submit a purchase bid or investment bid no later than 21 days from the Phase 1 Bid Deadline (the Phase 2 Bid Deadline); (g) the purchase bid or investment bid will be assessed within the 5 days following the Phase 2 Bid Deadline; and (h) in the event that there is more than one acceptable purchase bid or investment bid, an auction will be conducted within three days of the Phase 2 Bid Deadline.

Read more:

Details of the voting results including votes on a class-by-class basis are available at www.catalystpaper.com/restructuring.

Additional information concerning the restructuring is contained on the Monitor’s website, which is available at http://www.pwc.com/ca/en/car/catalyst-paper-corporation/index.jhtml.

Catalyst Paper’s creditors did NOT approve restructuring plan is a post from: ForestTalk.com

RICHMOND, BC, May 23, 2012 /CNW/ - Catalyst Paper Corporation announced that the company did not receive the necessary creditor approval for its amended plan of arrangement under the Companies' Creditors

Invitation to the Conference Call

MONTREAL, May 23, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Tembec today planted the 300th million tree in the Northern Ontario Gordon Cosens Forest located near Kapuskasing. Planting on the Gordon Cosens Forest has been going on for

VANCOUVER, May 23, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - A scientific discovery of a sensory organ in rorqual whales would not have been possible without the use of FPInnovations' X-Ray Computerized Tomography scanner.

Bandit Industries President Jerry Morey received the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)

Award of Merit this past February, presented during the association’s annual Winter Management

Conference. The award is TCIA’s highest honor, considered by many to be the most prestigious

and exclusive award within the tree care industry as it’s not presented every year. The TCIA

Award of Merit is a very special recognition that honors achievements and contributions

throughout the tree care industry.

“I had absolutely no idea it was coming, though halfway through the presentation speech I started

to get suspicious,” commented Morey. “My partners and founding owners Mike Morey Sr. and

Dianne Morey are also dedicated TCIA supporters and long-time attendees of the Winter

Management Conference, and this award really reflects our combined influence and dedication to

the industry as well as the dedication of everyone at Bandit. This is a very special recognition and

I’m humbled to have been given this honour.” (more…)