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When construction and trades professionals are asked which single trade the skills shortage will hit hardest, they don’t name electricians or plumbers first. They name the carpenters and woodworkers, and the consequence they point to most isn’t a blown budget or a slipped schedule. It’s a decline in the quality of the work itself. Source: Woodworking Network Eagle Woodworking surveyed 500 US construction and trades professionals, a mix of contractors, tradespeople, project managers, and builders, to understand where the skilled-labour shortage is landing hardest and what it’s doing to the work. The results describe a shortage that has moved well past a hiring inconvenience. Respondents report turning down jobs they can’t staff, paying more and waiting longer for the work that does get done, and watching the most experienced hands in the trade age out faster than anyone is replacing them. One finding cuts through the rest. The shortage isn’t mainly a story about too few workers. It’s a story about too few skilled ones, and in a trade built on craft, that’s where the real damage shows up. When respondents could flag every trade, they expect the shortage to affect, carpenters and woodworkers led at 47%, ahead of electricians at 41% and plumbers at 37%. Forced down to a single choice, they picked woodworking again at just under 20%, with cabinet makers and millworkers, the same craft under a different name, adding another 4% on top. Among contractors, ~19% named carpenters and woodworkers as hardest hit; among tradespeople, 20%; among project and site managers, ~25%. The people running the jobs and the people doing them agreed. The trade that produces the surfaces a client actually sees and touches is the one the industry expects to lose the most ground. The scale of the broader squeeze backs them up. Construction needs to attract an estimated 349,000 net new workers in 2026 just to keep labour supply and demand in balance, a figure that climbs to roughly 456,000 in 2027 (Associated Builders and Contractors, Jan. 2026). Most coverage treats the labour shortage as a story about delays and budgets. Our respondents told a different one. When they had to name the single biggest impact of the shortage, quality of workmanship ran away with it at 39.4%, close to double the share that named project timelines and more than double the share worried about cost. The hardest workers to find aren’t the entry-level ones. They’re the master-level tradespeople at the top of the ladder, named by 41.6% of respondents as the scarcest group, ahead of both mid-level and apprentice-level workers. When the people in shortest supply are the most experienced, the knowledge that separates good work from merely acceptable work is the first thing to leave with them. The hardest workers to find aren’t the entry-level ones. They’re the master-level tradespeople at the top of the ladder, named by 41.6% of respondents as the scarcest group, ahead of both mid-level and apprentice-level workers. When the people in shortest supply are the most experienced, the knowledge that separates good work from merely acceptable work is the first thing to leave with them. Ask what’s causing the shortage and the answers point to demographics more than dollars. Fewer young people entering the trades was the most-cited cause at 59%, followed by an aging, retiring workforce at 45.6%. Low starting wages came in well down the list. The picture respondents paint is a generational one: the trade is losing its veterans faster than it’s bringing in replacements. Then comes the contradiction. Asked for the single most effective fix, the same respondents reached for pay first. Raising starting salaries topped the list at 29%, ahead of earlier exposure in schools, more apprenticeships, or better trade-school training. They don’t mainly blame low pay for the problem but pay is the lever they grab to solve it, and a money fix for a demographic problem may not pull as hard as they hope. The aging-out worry isn’t just sentiment. Most of the new-worker demand projected for 2026 traces to retirement rather than fresh construction activity (Associated Builders and Contractors, Jan. 2026). And the anxiety climbs right alongside experience. Among the youngest respondents (18-34), 39.2% think the shortage is getting worse; that share rises through every age band to 60.7% of those 55 and older. The workers closest to retirement, the master-level talent already in shortest supply, are the most worried about who’s coming up behind them.

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Researchers at McGill University, Canada, have confirmed that aspen play a key role in forest fire prevention and mitigation across Canada. Planting these trees near communities can reduce both the likelihood and severity of fires and limit how far they spread, the researchers said. Source: Timberbiz “Aspen is not a 100% effective fire deterrent, but compared with other species, it is a better choice to plant around communities or critical infrastructure,” said Flavie Pelletier, lead author and recent PhD graduate in Natural Resource Sciences. While individual aspen trees burn easily due to traits like thin bark, large aspen stands have the opposite effect, with bigger patches linked to lower fire severity. This study, which found that aspen trees are much more common at fire perimeters than within burned areas, was the first to demonstrate the pattern on a national scale. The team had expected aspen stands to burn more severely in spring, when trees are drier due to the lack of leaves. However, researchers did not observe any significant link between the season and fire severity or the proportion of aspen along the perimeters, Pelletier said. “This is the strongest indicator that aspen serves as a fire barrier,” she said. “The bigger the aspen patch, the lower in severity the fire tends to be. Even with higher fire weather, as during the historic 2023 fire season, aspen’s ability to slow fire progression appears stable.” “Fire weather” refers to the conditions that cause wildfires to start, spread or change behaviour. Pelletier said that the team used previously unavailable remote-sensing data to do a large-scale analysis of how fires and aspen interact. The researchers developed an algorithmic tool that creates near-real-time maps of forest stand disturbances, such as wildfires, using remote-sensing data from NASA’s Landsat and the European Space Agency Sentinel-2. These fire maps can be cross-referenced with other datasets, like the newly available maps of dominant tree species from the Canadian Forest Service, to inform new analysis, such as the one on aspen. Pelletier said the Canadian Forest Service may adopt the tool as a second data stream to complement its coarse daily fire maps, enabling faster and more precise information on wildfires. Because some forestry companies remove aspen to promote commercially valuable conifers, the findings could also influence forest management practices. “There is value in retaining aspen for biodiversity, but also because mixed stands that include aspen may be less likely to be entirely lost in a fire,” Pelletier said. About this study “Populus tremuloides as a natural fire barrier in Canada’s boreal forest under a changing climate,” by Flavie Pelletier (McGill), Jeffrey A. Cardille (McGill) and Joanne White (Canadian Forest Service), was published in Forest Ecology and Management. The study was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada.

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Greater use of sustainably sourced wood could help reposition the construction sector from a major greenhouse gas emitter to a driver of climate change mitigation, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Bauhaus Earth. Source: Timberbiz The findings come at a time when the built environment accounts for 37% of global energy and process-related emissions. With the global urban population set to double by 2050, a substantial part of the world’s future housing still needs to be built, mostly in Asia and Africa. Launched during London Climate Action Week 2026, Wood products in the bioeconomy: scenario-based assessment of the potential for engineered wood products in climate change mitigation examines the potential use of wood in construction to reshape demand across the forest sector. In particular, engineered wood products – created by bonding together layers, fibres or pieces of wood to create strong building materials – are gaining momentum in construction, offering reduced carbon emissions compared to conventional materials such as steel and concrete. The report underscores that unlocking the climate benefits of wood in the construction sector will depend on strategies to ensure that rising demand supports climate goals without putting additional pressure on forests. “Using engineered wood products in construction can significantly support climate mitigation but success will depend on coordinated policies that address regional imbalances, climate risks and governance,” said Zhimin Wu, FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of the Forestry Division. The report finds that an increase in urban adoption of engineered wood products in construction beyond current trends could increase the annual demand by 50 million m3 globally per year and potentially by as much as 250 million m3, depending on the rate of adoption. This potential increase could deliver significant climate benefits. The study suggests that with a boost in urban adoption to 20 percent of new residential buildings built with engineered wood products, global emissions could be reduced by 236 MtCO2-eq per year for the period 2025 to 2070, compared with business-as-usual scenarios. About two thirds of this would be delivered from the storage of carbon in engineered wood products, with the remaining benefit resulting from the substitution of wood for more carbon-intensive materials. The study also highlights the scale of regional impacts. Under the same 20% boost scenario, Asia would require an additional 40 million m3 coniferous sawnwood, almost a 30 percent increase from current production levels, while Africa would require nearly 20 million m3, representing an increase of 165%. Furthermore, the study assesses possible impacts of climate change on forest productivity and competitiveness, as they are also expected to affect future supply. The study identified the potential for North America to shift from being a net exporter to a net importer of industrial roundwood, while Europe could become a stronger exporter. The report stresses that realizing the climate benefits of engineered wood products will depend on how forests are managed and how wood resources are used. Currently, approximately half of global industrial roundwood is supplied by naturally regenerating forests, with planted forests accounting for the rest, the study explains. Planted forests will need to play an increasingly important role in meeting rising demand, but the extent to which they can meet future demand depends on factors such as national policies, sustainable forest management practices and competition for land. At the same time, around half of all wood removals globally is still used as low-cost fuel, and a gradual shift away from traditional woodfuel use could increase the availability of roundwood for engineered wood products, the report notes. To maximize the benefits of engineered wood product use as part of a transition to a global bioeconomy, the report recommends early adoption of a series of strategies. These include embedding wood-based solutions in construction, energy and industrial value chains, using and recycling wood products efficiently, and managing trade flows between regions with internationally coordinated governance. At the same time, the report highlights the importance of sustainability standards and strong governance frameworks to ensure forest conservation and restoration and protecting naturally regenerating forests. The report concludes that coordinated action is needed to guide the transition to a forest-based bioeconomy and to ensure that growing demand for wood products supports both climate and sustainability goals. The report was prepared in the context of the Global Forest Resources Assessment with the assistance of the European Union.

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After a period of some 50 years, former TPNG foresters met in South East Queensland in July. Dick McCarthy, editor of the PNGAF magazine series – Australian foresters in Papua and New Guinea from 1922 to 1975, travelled to Queensland to acknowledge the efforts by many of the TPNG foresters who provided invaluable assistance over the last decade in documenting those forest scientists’ efforts. Source: Timberbiz The PNGAF project, in serialised magazine format posted on the site www.issuu.com/rbmccarthy covers the history of Australian foresters in PNG from 1922 up till 1975. It attempts to explain the strange coming together of methods, opportunities, and motives of early Australian foresters to enact lasting social changes within the PNG Forest Sector. At the same time, it provides an insight into the introduction of sustainable forest management practices and tree growing into the privately owned forest lands of PNG. Many people and organisations have contributed and continue to contribute to this social forest history project especially because its format is non-commercial and for educational purposes. The main gathering was held at the beautiful Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve – Mountain View Restaurant Maleny on Monday 13th July 2026.  It was a fitting venue for a group whose professional lives had revolved around scientific forest management of PNG’s forests. The reunion was made possible through the efforts of Des and June Harries assisted by Dr Barry Gray. Their hospitality and organisation were greatly appreciated. For some it had been over fifty years since they last met. Although the years have passed quickly, conversation certainly hadn’t. Within minutes the group was recalling their days in the PNG Forest Service, the people they worked alongside, the challenges faced and the friendships that developed while working in one of the world’s most remarkable and relatively unexplored forest environments. During the visit they presented Dick McCarthy with a copy of The Magic of Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, accompanied by a thoughtful inscription acknowledging his work in recording the history of forestry in Papua New Guinea. It was an unexpected and much-valued gesture that he will forever honour. By 1975, Australian foresters had undertaken initiatives for the development of detailed flora mapped inventories of the various forest systems of PNG; community based forest management interventions including a forest concession system catering for all parties, ie landowners, government agencies and developers; industrial wood processes for the conversion and treatment of PNG woods coupled with development of a structured wood processing and construction industry.; silvicultural techniques and establishment of PNG species in plantation format; forestry technical and tertiary training institutions and the involvement of the Papua New Guinea people in their forests economic development. This ongoing PNGAF social history project would not be possible without the ongoing support and input of PNG historians and especially senior Queensland Forest Scientists. The implications for Australia and PNG of political, economic and security development in terms of PNG forestry is that there is a long standing and significant wood trade between Australia and PNG especially Queensland, encompassed within a sphere of similar forest types, similar plantation species and forest products bound by many existing long-term areas of mutual co-operation (e.g., forestry training) within the respective government and private sectors. During the period up to 1975, there was a need for PNG as an emerging nation to develop its forest sector to assist in creating its own economy utilising its resources (including wood fibre) but at the same time ensuring peoples’ interests were protected. This PNGAF project is to ensure that this forestry knowledge and the lessons of the past help current and future forest sector personnel to develop their own perspective re developing PNG’s forest sector.

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A million native trees have been planted in Greater Wellington regional parks, a milestone in efforts to reforest former grazing land through the council’s Recloaking Papatūānuku planting program. Source: Timberbiz The millionth tree was planted in Queen Elizabeth Park, celebrating the ongoing work of mana whenua, community groups, and volunteers at planting days facilitated by Greater Wellington. Council Chair Daran Ponter says the programme is about working with the community to restore ecosystems that sustain wildlife and forests that protect the climate. “A million native trees is a special milestone for our region, and a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together for te taiao,” says Cr Ponter. “Recloaking Papatūānuku is about much more than planting trees. It’s about restoring the health of our regional parks, improving habitat for native species, enhancing the well-being of our waterways, and giving communities a practical way to care for the whenua that sustains us.” Since 2019, 420 of about 2,000 hectares of former grazing land in regional parks has been replanted. In the coming years, 200,000 native trees are expected to be planted every winter under the planting program. Greater Wellington Project Lead for Parks Restoration Kellie Benner says the program’s success is underpinned by strong partnerships with mana whenua, community groups and local businesses. “The plants we use are sourced from a diverse network of nurseries, including Rimutaka Prison’s nursery in Trentham and iwi-run nurseries like Otaraua in Kāpiti,” Ms Benner said. “We work with local contracting crews, Māori-owned businesses, and community volunteer groups who are passionate about environmental restoration; work that has a positive impact not only on the environment, but the community as a whole. “Park visitors can see the transition for themselves. In just a few short years, the land has changed from pasture with very little biodiversity to regenerating native areas that are full of life.” Greater Wellington manages eight regional parks covering 33,000 hectares. While the parks contain areas of lush native forest, much of the land was historically converted to farmland, reducing biodiversity and displacing native wildlife. Greater Wellington Director of Delivery Jack Mace says planting does more than change how the parks look. “Restoring our parks means improving the health of our streams, wetlands, rivers and inlets. Planting along waterways helps create habitat for fish, reduces erosion and the amount of sediment and nutrients getting into the water,” Mr Mace said. “By gradually retiring stock from these areas, emissions from grazing in our regional parks have nearly halved since 2019. At the same time, forests that capture carbon are re-growing on land previously converted to pasture. “The million trees we celebrate today are just part of the story. Many of our regions’ landowners are passionate about restoring the environment. We’re working alongside them to replant native forests, stabilise erosion, and protect wetlands and waterways on private land. The planting in our parks has taken root across the region.” Greater Wellington hosts regular community planting days during the winter months that mana whenua, community groups and volunteers are encouraged to attend.

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