Friday Offcuts – 6 May 2022
Click to Subscribe - It's FREE! Wet, wild and windy. The Hawke's Bay and Gisborne regions on the east coast of New Zealand copped more record heavy rains a couple of times in March and April. Not probably on the same scale as northern NSW but the region did have major flooding, road’s washed away, slipping and of course, debris piling up as a consequence. Massive clean ups were required after the storms had swept across the region. This time though, forestry wasn’t the major culprit to the downstream devastation.Forestry had learnt from its mistakes from a couple of years ago after local beaches were inundated with logs and forestry slash. Measures put in place by the forest industry after the Tologa Bay experience appeared to have largely mitigated the impacts of forestry debris being washed down the local waterways. This time, soil erosion and the resulting rivers of silt were the major issue for landowners – and the communities that were in the firing line along the coast. There was woody debris – but it wasn’t coming from forestry land. The Hawkes Bay Forestry Group this week comment on the March flooding and the forest industry’s concerted efforts that have been made to try and ensure that logging slash and debris in weather events like these are remaining on the hill. As part of the upcoming Environmental Forestry 2022 conference on 28-29 June in Rotorua, some of the new operating practices, innovations and systems that have successfully been employed by forest companies to minimise soil disturbance and the loss of slash from roading and wood harvesting operations are going to be outlined to a much wider audience. Full details re the forest environmental programme content can be found on the event website. And in the new technology space this week we cover a new type of forest machine that has been seen driving around the forests of Sweden. Aptly called the centipede, it’s been developed by eight Swedish forestry companies working alongside a forest machinery manufacturer. The concept is to take a fresh look at machinery design so that forestry companies can minimise the environmental impact of their operations. This new test design is aimed at reducing ground disturbance in harvesting operations and the results to date, are looking promising. And finally, we’ve built in this week notification of three major awards and scholarship programmes just announced for the industry in Australia. For the seventh year, nominations are being sought for the coveted Richard Stanton Memorial Award for Excellence in Forest Management or Chain of Custody. Richard was well known to many of our readers and the award was set up as a tribute to someone who’d devoted his working life to furthering sustainable forest management in Australia and internationally. Timber Queensland has launched their annual Growth Scholarships programme aimed at early and mid-career professionals and skilled workers in Queensland’s forestry and timber industries and the AFPA has just launched the Blue-Sky Young Researchers Innovation Award for 2022/23. Details along with application deadlines are contained in all three of the stories below. And that’s it for this week.
This week we have for you:
Swedish centipede forestry machine developed
A new type of forest machine is currently driving around the forests of Sweden. It combines a low-impact
approach, increased productivity and an improved operator environment and is the result of a major
cooperative project that has been under way since 2019. The concept machine is called Centipede and it
has been developed by eight Swedish forestry companies and a forest machinery manufacturer. The machine is currently being test driven and the results are promising. Centipede has been developed to meet the challenges of forestry and offers three important benefits: Lower soil compaction, increased productivity and better work environment. “This is a comprehensive project, in which the parties are taking a long-term approach to promote sustainable forestry. In the project, we have fundamentally challenged today’s technology and taken a step into the future,” says Erik Nilsson, CTO of Komatsu Forest. The machine is built to reduce the risk of ground damage, to increase transport speed and to reduce whole- body vibrations for the operator. The machine has a newly developed forestry track system, with a large support surface to minimize ground impact. It also has a fully suspended chassis to handle uneven ground conditions, enabling the speed of the machine to be increased significantly without the corresponding increase in vibrations. With this newly developed technology, Centipede can be driven both on sites that are normally regarded as winter sites and on sites that are significantly impacted by precipitation. In addition to being able to satisfy timber supply throughout the year and thus provide better prerequisites for profitable harvesting operations, Centipede has a number of characteristics that will directly increase production. As a result of its innovative design, Centipede can move around the terrain significantly faster and can carry a larger load than the Komatsu 855, which was used as the benchmark. Both of these characteristics create conditions for significant increases in productivity. In addition, Centipede has demonstrated in simulations that fuel consumption is reduced by up to 15 percent in soft terrain, which is also positive for both the environment and profitability. An extensive preliminary study was implemented and a new machine concept was developed during the project. The machine has been thoroughly evaluated through simulations and test drives. The comprehensive testing will continue in spring 2022 and decisions will thereafter be made about the project’s continuation. More >> Source: Komatsu Forest Gresham House invests in NZ forestry for carbonGresham House is investing in New Zealand forestry as part of a carbon credits strategy for UK-based institutional investors. The Gresham House Forest Carbon limited partnership has acquired a 25% stake in a portfolio focused on carbon sequestration and native forest regeneration.The eight forests covering more than 12,000 hectares will not be used for commercial timber but will remain as permanent forests, contributing to CO2 reduction and maintaining biodiversity. Gresham House said the investment would help protect and enhance indigenous vegetation, and it would use its expertise in the sector to help the forests regenerate to native indigenous species over the long term. Gresham House manages 141,500 hectares of forestry in the UK and Ireland and more than 166,000 hectares globally, valued at around £3bn (€3.57bn). The forestry assets in New Zealand are expected to generate nine million verified carbon credits over the next 25 years. Source: real assets Weather bombs, forestry & farming
When it rains in Biblical portions, bad
things happen – Noah knows! More
so, when your underlying rock is soft
and unstable - a metre of rain in one
month will inevitably create casualties. And that’s about the sum of March in Northern Hawkes Bay and Tairawhiti on the East Coast of New Zealand. All on the heels of the outrage which dominated headlines when a similar deluge two years back caused Tolaga Bay to be hit by logs and forestry debris. Then, no question about it, forestry was culpable and so the industry apologised and backed this by cleaning the beaches. This time, the picture is not so simple. It is not so much wood that is coming off the hills but rather the soil. And for the most part it is not coming from forestry land. While any mobile debris is bad debris, the latest extreme weather has provided us with confidence that we are on the right track, that the changes we are implementing are helping. What is noticeable here is that much of the woody debris is poplar, willow and other species of trees not associated with pine forests. And again, while not always visibly confronting, everywhere there are rivers of silt, the productive and environmental cost of which is massive. Perversely, much of the problem identified with forestry is from forests created under the ‘East Coast Project’ back in the 1970’s. When a zealous government asked its forest service to acquire whole farms and blanket plant them - pine being the obvious choice as it establishes easily, grows well, and provides a versatile and valued commodity. Besides stemming soil loss another objective was to use forestry as a vector for regional development in an otherwise lagging East Coast. We knew then that once established, pines would look after the soil, in all but the wettest times when everything is vulnerable. And we are working hard to reduce the chances of immediate postharvest debris flows too. Obviously, with the wisdom of hindsight some areas should not have been planted with commercial intent. This has been taken on board by forestry companies who now are viewing smaller harvesting coups, not replanting at all on very unstable areas and leaving riparian strips everywhere. We also expect less soil disturbance in a second rotation forest as much of the roading and harvesting infrastructure was developed the first-time round. But that’s all ahead of us and in the meantime, we will work with what we have got. The forests have a finite life span; weather keeps on getting more erratic and to do nothing, is foolish. That given, it is not reasonable to expect the industry to completely plug the debris leaks. But we can and are always looking to do better. One can only hope that farming in Northern Hawkes Bay and Tairawhiti is on a similar trajectory with siltation, because that matters too. Source: Keith Dolman, CEO, Hawkes Bay Forestry Group .jpg)
A unique opportunity for young foresters
Very rarely do you get anything for free. Here is one offer though. This new opportunity comes with a free conference registration – five of them in fact for each event being run in New Zealand by the Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) during 2022. FIEA has teamed up with the WIDE Trust, a charitable Trust formed in 2018 that supports the development and education in New Zealand’s forestry and wood industry sectors. FIEA conferences and exhibitions have set a benchmark for years. They are the leading series of technology related events, run in both New Zealand and Australia, where new and emerging technologies, operating practices and research are able to be regularly showcased to local companies. They’re always well supported. After 24 years, they’ve been able to build up strong communities of like-minded individuals that meet up once a year – or every second year. Newsletters, have been set up to complement the tech events with three industry-focused monthly newsletters going out each month now to around 6,000 readers for each newsletter. So, what’s being offered? To help out younger employees, recent graduates, new entrants and students into the industry, this new arrangement is going to enable five free registrations to attend upcoming major technology events with all major conference expenses being paid. So, free beer and food as well as the opportunity of learning about new technology, staying abreast with the very latest in research and operating practices, learning about emerging technologies (within and outside our own industry) and networking (with senior management, tech providers and your counterparts from across the country). Now that’s an offer just too good not to look at further. As we come out of two years of postponed and rescheduled events because of Covid-19, we’ll start this offer to attendance at this region’s major forestry technology events, Environmental Forestry 2022, planned for Rotorua, New Zealand on 28-29 June 2022 and Residues2Revenues 2022 which will run in Rotorua on 26-27 July 2022. Details for each event can be found on the two event websites, www.environmentalforestry.events and www.woodresidues.events Conditions: Applicants for the five places for each of the first two events have to be actively employed within the forestry or wood products industries or in a recognised training scheme, apprenticeship or course. To ensure the package is targeting the right person, the applicants should also be 35 years or younger. What do I do if interested? Places will be filled on a first in-first served basis, provided the eligibility criteria have been met. So, if keen on picking up one of the five available spaces for either the upcoming Environmental Forestry 2022 or Residues to Revenues 2022 events, please make contact with gordon.thomson@fiea.org.nz Note: This same offer will be made available to younger industry employees or students for all FIEA run and managed events planned for later in 2022. Details will follow. 1.jpg)
Director appointed to NZ’s Timber Design Centre
The Timber Design Centre has appointed Dr Robert Finch as its director. Dr Finch was formerly director of the Quake Centre, hosted at the University of Canterbury. Prior to this, he was the chief executive for the Structural Timber Innovation Company. The Timber Design Centre was launched in March 2022 to provide expert advice, research, information and educational resources for key stakeholders involved in building design and construction. The Centre is an initiative between Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service and a consortium comprising Scion (Crown Research Institute), the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association (WPMA), New Zealand Timber Design Society and BRANZ. Dr Finch says the Timber Design Centre will play a key role in supporting and encouraging greater use of mass timber building products within the New Zealand construction sector. “Timber, in all its forms, is a highly desirable building material and the more that is sourced from sustainably managed forests and deployed into built structures, the greater the sequestration of CO2 from the atmosphere. “This will bring real benefits to our communities, the built environment and the planet. The Timber Design Centre will promote and assist more widespread selection and application of New Zealand timber into built structures, with a particular focus on commercial, retail, public and industrial building sectors. “New Zealand, along with most other countries in the world, is facing the very real challenge of limiting and dramatically reducing total greenhouse gas emissions to minimise the adverse effects of climate change. A critically important mitigation strategy in sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere is to ensure that sustainably grown timber is recognised and used wherever possible and appropriate in the built environment sector.” Scion sustainability architect Andrea Stocchero says the director appointment is an important step forward for the Centre. “We’re very excited to welcome Dr Finch to this role,” Stocchero says. “He brings a unique set of skills and experience that will enable the Timber Design Centre to grow quickly and support wider adoption of timber-based construction technologies and systems by the New Zealand building sector. This will in turn support the transition to a low-carbon built environment in New Zealand.” Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service is funding the Centre as part of the Government’s Fit for a Better World roadmap. The Centre is one of several key initiatives underway this year to help transform the forest and wood processing sector. Read more about the Timber Design Centre at www.timberdesigncentre.co.nz Govt forest proposals for ETS could cost NZ$64 billionA NZ Government proposal to exclude permanent forests of exotic trees, such as pines, from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) could cost the economy NZ$64 billion in the coming 15 years, a new report says.The report, produced by economic consultants Infometrics for carbon-farming lobby group the Climate Forestry Association, has claimed the possible cost of allowing only permanent forests of native trees for carbon credits could amount to $870 per household, per year. "A ban would have significant implications for how New Zealand might meet its emissions reduction targets," the Infometrics report said. The Government last month proposed excluding exotic trees from a new category for permanent forests due to enter the ETS in 2023, due to concern that – with carbon credit prices rising – the opening of a new forest category could lead to “large areas of land nationwide” being planted in pines. "The problem is not caused by the species. It's not caused by exotic trees. It's caused by the lack of management requirements on these forests,” said Climate Forestry Association spokes-person Dr Sean Weaver. “I don't think they're fully taking account of the detrimental impacts of basically replacing one blunt instrument with another.” The report modelled two scenarios for the years to 2035: the purchase of international carbon credits to replace the projected planting of exotic forests, and the planting of native forests to sequester the carbon that projected exotic forests would have. The purchasing of the international carbon credits required would amount to a cost of $870 per household, per year, the report said. The required planting of native trees was “probably totally unrealistic” because it would require 3.6 times as much land as exotic trees. “It makes no economic sense to convert even marginal farmland to native forest when the same amount of emissions sequestration can be secured from exotic forest using less land,” the report said. This scenario would cost the economy through the inefficient use of land, the report said. Ultimately, Infometrics said the policy change could take NZ$64b out of the economy in the coming 15 years. Submissions on the Government’s proposal closed last week. Forestry Minister Stuart Nash, in a statement, said he expected “frank feedback on the proposals”. More >> Note: Sean Weaver, who runs carbon offsetting and forestry business Ekos, said the newly formed association, the Climate Forestry Association, was made up of about a dozen forestry companies, landowners, community groups, investors, and finance companies. Sean is one of many key presenters who’re lined up to present at this year’s major carbon forestry event, Carbon Forestry 2022 which runs on 9-10 August in Rotorua, New Zealand. Full programme information is available and registrations can be made directly on the event website. Source: Stuff .jpg)
Largest project for bio-methanol from pulp waste
Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, and Veolia recently signed a long-term partnership agreement on the refining of crude methanol generated in pulp production at the Äänekoski bioproduct mill into commercial biomethanol. As part of this cooperation, Veolia will build a crude methanol refinery in connection with Metsä Fibre’s Äänekoski bioproduct mill. The refinery, owned and operated by Veolia, will be closely integrated into the bioproduct mill processes. The Veolia project will be the largest biorefinery project producing bio-methanol from a pulp mill, but not the first. Swedish market pulp giant Södra launched the first pulp mill biomethanol plant at its Mönsterås mill, in collaboration with ANDRITZ, in 2020. Using the A-Recovery+ concept from ANDRITZ, the plant has a capacity to produce 6.3 million liters of biomethanol which will be sold as a substitute for fossil-based methanol in the transport sector. The Kraft pulping process transforms wood chips into pulp, from which a broad range of paper products are made. Black liquor is the waste byproduct from the kraft pulping process after pulping is completed. Black liquor contains most of the original cooking inorganic elements and the degraded, dissolved wood substance, including methanol, and hundreds of other components. Veolia has been a major supplier to the pulp and paper industry since the 1960s for HPD black liquor evaporation systems. Since then, Veolia has more than 450 installations worldwide for mills in Brazil, Indonesia, China, Japan, Australia, South Africa and several European countries. The Veolia black liquor evaporation systems for the pulp and paper industry feature methanol rectification and handling systems, among other characteristics. Developed in close cooperation with Metsä Fibre, the largest cooperative forestry association in Europe, the biomethanol refinery will be based on Veolia’s innovative industrial-scale concept of commercial bioproduct-derived bio-methanol production, which safely integrates the refining of crude methanol into the pulp production process. Raw methanol recovered from the pulp process needs to be purified from nitrogen and sulfur and then further refined for use as commercial biomethanol. The refinery, owned and operated by Veolia, will be adjacent and partly built into Metsä Fibre’s Äänekoski plant in Finland. With an annual production capacity of 12,000 tons (about 15 million liters), the plant, due to come on stream by 2024, will allow the avoidance of up to 30,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year by replacing fossil fuel for transportation. The €50-million investment is supported by a grant from the Finnish ministry of economy and employment. Source: greencarcongress -revised-dates-
July.jpg) Newsprint price spike threatens country papers
Price hikes slated to hit regional newspapers on July 1 from Australia’s sole remaining newsprint plant are worse than the industry has feared, with some publishers reporting price jumps of 80 per cent over previous rates and orders going only half filled. Regional media representatives have asked the federal government for rapid help, fearing the cost rises could result in newsroom closures. Norwegian paper giant Norske Skog has closed its New Zealand and Albury mills in recent years because of a long-term decline in demand for newsprint, leaving only its Boyer facility in northern Tasmania making that type of paper in the region. But demand for paper is now outstripping limited supply as Australia recovers from the pandemic. International options are limited. Another major global wood products company, Finland’s UPM, is facing a crippling strike that has lasted about four months. Russia, a major supplier of wood, is under sanctions because of its invasion of Ukraine. And freight from Asian paper supplies has become more costly as a result of the global supply chain crunch. Andrew Manuel, the president of Country Press Australia, which is an industry association representing 190 regional papers, said some of his members had been told prices would rise by as much as 80 per cent and reported being unable to secure more than half of what they had ordered. More >> Source: SMH .jpg) Three new kilns reducing mill emissions
A New Zealand sawmill’s decade-long environmental journey reaches another milestone this month as work starts on new drying kilns powered by sawdust. Ever since the sawmill started measuring emissions about a decade ago, the team has been on a mission reduce them. OneFortyOne, which owns the sawmill and multiple forestry blocks in Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman, as well as South Australia, has committed NZ$11 million dollars to the Kaituna Sawmill for a three-year project starting this month, for new equipment that will increase how much timber can be dried and treated onsite. Goss says the investment is the first major one from OneFortyOne since it bought the sawmill in 2018. Kaituna Sawmill’s capacity has grown 40 per cent in the last two years, and they added eight staff to the team of nearly 90, to manage more logs after the Timberlink sawmill in Blenheim closed in 2020. Three new kilns are being installed, one in June and two more later in the year, which will allow the mill to bypass a step of the process that used to mean trucking timber to Christchurch for drying and treating. That will take 20 trucks off the roads each month, and reduce the sawmill’s annual emissions by 9 per cent, Goss says. That will be on top of its 46 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the last decade, mainly thanks to the state-of-the-art Polytechnik energy centre installed in 2016. Instead of burning waste oil to power the kiln, the sawmill now burns its own wet sawdust and uses the steam to power the kilns. “We were burning about NZ$500,000 in waste oil a year, so it’s a reduction in cost as well as in footprint. “And we get 100 per cent out of our lumber now, the maximum efficiency we can.” Source & Photo: Stuff 
Timber Queensland launches Scholarship Program
Timber Queensland is pleased to announce the launch of its annual ‘Growth Scholarships’ Program in 2022–2023. The new scholarship program is aimed at early and mid-career professionals and skilled workers to foster their passion for working in the Queensland forest and timber industry.Timber Queensland’s Strategic Relations Manager Clarissa Brandt said the program offers various funding tiers of awards to applicants from any segment or level of Queensland’s forest and timber industry supply chain, or currently undertaking related studies. “A Growth Scholarship will provide financial assistance for a learning project which can include informal and formal experiences and innovation learnings, such as assistance with on-the-job training, short courses, study tours, formal qualifications, attendance at conferences and events, short term work placements or secondments to gain experience,” said Mrs Brandt. “Our Foundation partner, Kennedy’s Timber is supporting the AU$10,000 Kennedy’s Timber Award, while our Diamond and Ruby partners include the $5000 HQPlantations Award, AU$5000 AKD Award and AU$2500 DTM Timber Award. We would like to thank all our partners for their gracious support of the annual program,” she said. “Timber Queensland and the Scholarship Partners are committed to growing the careers of the many bright and dedicated people working in our industry, we believe that supporting a lifelong interest in learning will expand horizons and enhance our industry.” Mrs Brandt said the Growth Scholarship Program is designed for anyone and everyone: applications from plant production workers to office-based salespeople will be welcomed and considered equitably. As Founding Partner of the program, Michael Kennedy, CEO Kennedy’s Timber, said he is pleased to support individual ambition which will enhance the future of Queensland’s forest and timber industry. “More than 70 years ago my grandfather began his apprenticeship as a cabinet maker. After three generations of working with timber, you could say it's in our blood. The Kennedy’s Timber Award will nurture another generation of workers and professionals to continue the growth of our industry,” said Mr Kennedy. To apply, applicants must submit details of their proposed learning project, explaining how the project will enhance their career development and how the forest and timber industry will benefit from them undertaking the Learning Project. Applications for the 2022–2023 program open on 1 May 2022 and close 30 June 2022. The successful candidates will be announced on 31 July 2022. More information about Timber Queensland’s Growth Scholarship Program is available here. Source: Timber Queensland War in Ukraine will tighten lumber marketsThe war in Ukraine will tighten lumber markets both short and long term, particularly in Europe but also in China and the USOne immediate impact of the war in Ukraine and the sanctions by Western countries has been a dramatic reduction in exports of forest products from Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. The total exports from these three countries were valued collectively at 17 billion dollars in 2021. In addition to the sanctions, the Russian forest industry will struggle to source parts, equipment, and finance, which will force even non-sanctioning countries, such as China, to adapt to changes in trade flows. The new Focus Report, Ukrainian War Fallout - Disruptions in Global Trade of Forest Products, investigates the short-term and potential long-term implications of the war and its impact on worldwide shipments of lumber, panels, wood pellets, logs, wood chips, pulp, and paper products. Softwood lumber accounted for almost half of the export value for Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine in 2021. The disruption in trade has significantly impacted global markets since the three countries accounted for nearly 25% of worldwide lumber trade last year. The halt in lumber shipments to Europe and some countries in Asia has had the most significant impact. Still, trade with non-sanctioning countries is also likely to change as Russian and Belarusian companies struggle to make financial transactions and secure credit, and their forest products are designated "conflict timber." In addition, Russian sawmills, which in the past have shipped lumber to customers in Europe, cannot quickly shift to other markets in the short term. For example, sending lumber by ship or rail from sawmills in northwestern Russia to China meets logistical challenges, and the MENA region, which is a lower-grade wood market, is currently not in a robust expansion mode. Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine exported 8.5 million m3 of softwood lumber to Europe in 2021, almost ten percent of the continent's total demand. European sawmills could short-term redirect overseas shipments to the European market if financially expedient to mitigate the lost supply from the three countries. Longer-term, some lumber-producing companies may consider investing in new production capacity, although log supply in many regions of Europe is becoming tighter. In addition, the major overseas markets (China, the US, Japan, and the MENA region) are diverse in product demand, price acceptance, exchange rate volatility, political stability, and consumption outlook. These varied market conditions could result in European exporters limiting their overseas exposure to fewer markets that fit their product mix and risk tolerance. Selected statistics for Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine (BRU) in 2021  Source: Wood Resources International Young innovators opportunity on world stageAustralia’s next generation of forest and forest product researchers and innovators have the chance to showcase their work, present to a global meeting of forest association CEOs and win a cash prize through the Blue Sky Young Researchers Innovation Award for 2022/23.Launching the Australian section of the prestigious International Council of Forest Product Associations (ICFPA) award, Australian Forest Products Association CEO Ross Hampton said these awards represented a wonderful opportunity for local talent to gain recognition on the world stage. “This is an exciting time for forest and forest products industries in Australia and around the world. It is fitting that the theme for this year’s awards is building a lower carbon economy with climate positive forestry and forest products, given the role that we can play with increasing sequestration, low emissions construction and providing renewable substitutes for fossil fuels in energy and plastic replacements” Ross Hampton said. “Our young innovators are so important for industry as we tackle big challenges through to 2050 and beyond. AFPA is proud to coordinate the Australian entries, and I can’t wait to find out more about these new ideas and projects.” The Blue Sky Young Researchers Innovation Awards is a global competition for students and young researchers who are passionate about a range of activities relevant to forest-based science, products using forest-based raw materials, process improvements, or other innovations throughout the forest sector value chain. AFPA is offering a top prize of AU$1000 for the best entry, with a runner up to receive AU$500. Both winners will then go on for consideration in the global award, with three recipients from around the world given an opportunity to present to the ICFPA CEOs forum in April/May 2023. Applicants need to be students or other researchers under 30 years of age on 1 March 2022, and carrying out research innovation projects relevant for forestry, forest products processing technologies and forest products in academia, at a public or private research centre or company research or innovation department. Entries close on 27 May 2022, with the winners to be announced at the AFPA June quarterly meetings in Brisbane. For more information or to submit an entry, visit the AFPA website Source: AFPA Nominations called for Richard Stanton AwardResponsible Wood is calling for nominations in this year’s coveted Richard Stanton Memorial Award for Excellence in Forest Management or Chain of Custody. This is the seventh year of the award which pays tribute to a man who devoted his life to sustainable forest management in Australia and internationally.Richard Stanton was CEO and national secretary of Australian Forestry Standard Ltd (now Responsible Wood) and had a number of key roles with the Australian Plantation Products and Paper Industry Council, the Australian Paper Industry Council, Plantation Timber Association of Australia, National Association of Forest Industries, and State Forests NSW. Nominations for the award are open to individuals who have contributed significantly to either forest management or chain-of-custody certification under the Responsible Wood certification program. The award nominees will be those who have contributed to sustainable forest management under AS / NZS 4708 or chain of custody under AS 4707. The award is open to, but not restricted to, forest owners and managers; chain-of-custody certificate holders; staff of certification bodies; forest scientists and researchers; and designers of products manufactured from sustainable timber. The award also carries an AU$2000 bursary prize. Criteria for the award along with a list of previous winners can be found on the Responsible Wood website. The selection of the successful applicant will be made by the Responsible Wood Marketing Committee and announced later this year. Nominations for the award close at 5pm (AEST) Friday 2 September 2022. Nominations can be forwarded to: sdorries@responsiblewood.org.au Source: Responsible Wood Jobs
Buy and Sell
... and one to end the week on ... duck hunting
With duck shooting opening weekend upon us here in NZ, one to ponder as you head out to your mai-mai's in local ponds or rivers.  And an oldie - but a goodie. And one more from our joke library related to ducks. An English lawyer went duck hunting in The Dales. He shot and dropped a bird, but it fell into a farmer's field on the other side of a fence. As the lawyer climbed over the fence, an elderly farmer drove up on his tractor and asked him what he was doing. The litigator responded, "I shot a duck and it fell in this field and now I'm going to retrieve it." The old farmer replied: "This is my property and you are not coming over here." The indignant lawyer said: "I am one of the best trial lawyers in England and, if you don't let me get that duck, I'll sue you and take everything you own." The old farmer smiled and said: "Apparently, you don't know how we settle disputes in Yorkshire. We settle small disagreements like this with the 'Three Kick Rule.' The lawyer asked: "What is the 'Three Kick Rule'?" The Farmer replied: "Well, because the dispute occurs on my land, I get to go first. I kick you three times and then you kick me three times and so on back and forth until someone gives up." The lawyer quickly thought about the proposed contest and decided that he could easily take the old codger. He agreed to abide by the local custom. The old farmer slowly climbed down from the tractor and walked up to the attorney. His first kick planted the toe of his heavy steel-toed work boot into the lawyer's groin and dropped him to his knees! His second kick to the midriff sent the lawyer's last meal gushing from his mouth. The lawyer was on all fours when the farmer's third kick to his rear end, sent him face-first into a fresh cow pat. Summoning every bit of his will and remaining strength the lawyer very slowly managed to get to his feet. Wiping his face with the arm of his jacket, he said: "Okay, you old fart. Now it's my turn." (I love this part) The old farmer smiled and said: "Nah, I give up. You can have the duck."  And on that note, enjoy your weekend. And for those out on
rivers and ponds across NZ chasing low flying ducks, let's
be careful out there. Cheers. We welcome comments and contributions on Friday Offcuts. For details on advertising for positions within the forest products industry or for products and services, either within the weekly newsletter or on this web page, please contact us.
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