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March 12, 2010

Safety Data Being Collected

SFPA distributed forms to member companies this week for reporting employee hours worked and recordable cases of loss-time injuries and illnesses during 2009. The confidential results will be tabulated to determine the recipients of the 2009 Sawmill Safety Award presented annually by SFPA. “Workplace safety has always been a priority with SFPA members,” said Digges Morgan, SFPA’s president. “As we all know, maintaining a safe workplace is a difficult task, especially in a sawmill. Operating safely was probably even harder this past year as our industry faced the stress of a challenging economy.”

For award consideration, mills are classified according to annual production volume. Division I is for mills producing less than 50 million board feet of lumber; Division II includes mills producing 51 to 150 MMbf; and Division III is for mills exceeding 150 MMbf.

For the first time, SFPA Affiliate member companies, composed of treaters and laminators, can provide data for safety award consideration in Division I.

The deadline for receiving completed forms is April 28. Contact Richard Wallace, SFPA’s vice president of communications, at 504/443-4464, ext. 236, or by e-mail at rwallace@sfpa.org with any questions about the award or reporting necessary data.

Industry Assists in Haiti Recovery

At least two SFPA member companies are lending a hand to help Haiti recover from the massive earthquake that struck in mid-January, leaving an estimated 230,000 people dead and a million homeless. Gulf South Forest Products, an Associate member company based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., reports they were the first lumber supplier to deliver to Haiti after the quake. The lumber exporter is supplying wood to FonMax, an organization that is helping provide temporary housing and employment in Haiti. Gulf South is also helping ship medical supplies to Haiti for the Christian Alliance for Humanitarian Aid. The firm was scheduled to ship six-to-eight containers with medical equipment and other relief cargo from its facility in Mobile, Ala., this week.

Weyerhaeuser Company meanwhile, pledged up to $250,000 in building materials to help Haiti’s rebuilding efforts. The pledge includes the immediate donation of building materials to help with temporary housing and the exploration of alternatives that could help introduce safer products for longer-term rebuilding efforts. The company also committed to providing necessary technical assistance to help explore opportunities that may increase the likelihood that buildings will survive future earthquakes in the region. Weyerhaeuser is one of SFPA’s Active member companies.

The American Wood Council also pledged its assistance to help Haiti rebuild safer, more earthquake-resistant buildings. AWC offered its technical expertise to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as reconstruction plans are developed and urged her to help prevent a recurrence of the devastation by focusing on building materials – such as wood – and building methods that can resist earthquakes. Click here for more information about AWC’s pledge.

Study Shows Role Southern Forests Play in Carbon Storage

The Southern Forest Research Partnership, a not-for-profit organization representing universities, forestry schools, forestry industry, energy companies and other forestry interests, recently completed research commissioned through Auburn University on the effects of intensive management on carbon sequestration in pine forests in the southeastern United States. The region represents the largest carbon sink in the lower 48 states and is also home to 60% of the nation's timber supply, 25% of which is in pine plantations.  

To determine if the southeastern United States is a carbon sink – a reservoir where carbon accumulates and is stored – or a carbon source, researchers simulated the total carbon storage provided in the region. The simulated results concluded the Southeast was a carbon source before 1950.  However, post-1950, the area was a net carbon sink. The difference resulted in the region being a net carbon sink from 1895-2007 thanks to significant forest regrowth, forestation of previously arable lands, CO2 fertilization and elevated atmospheric nitrogen deposition. The study also showed land use and land cover types changed dramatically over the past century.  Cropland increased about 3% from 1895-2007 despite a declining trend since the 1940s, while forested land increased about 2% in the same period.  

For more information about the study, contact Mike Zupko, SFRP’s director, at 770/267-0039.

Lumber Quality Workshops Scheduled

The Lumber Quality Institute will offer two workshops in Atlanta in early May. The 27th Annual Lumber Quality & Process Control Workshop, scheduled May 3-4, is designed to help sawmill operators maximize board foot and grade recovery. The 22nd Annual Lumber Quality Leadership Workshop, set for May 5-6, will focus on quality control and management. Both workshops will be held at Atlanta’s Learning Tree International. Click here for details.

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