NEWS

Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reports that the export value of wood and wood products has reached $6.6 billion in the first five months of this year - a whopping 61.3% increase vs. last year. Nearly 85% of the total value of Vietnam's wood and wood products exports is shipped to just four countries: the U.S., China, Japan, and South Korea.

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"Fire season 2021 is looking grim," said California's only wildfire research center on Twitter. The researchers' concern is the low level of fuel-moisture content, the statistic that measures the ratio of moisture to flammable material in plants, trees, and shrubs. Last year's wildfire season broke records: there were 9,639 fires across the state, burning nearly 4.4 million acres over 4% of the state's area.

Lumber firms support the U.S. Department of Commerce's plan to double tariff rates on most Canadian softwood timber. That plan has angered home builders. While the new rates vary by company, expect overall increases of 9% to 18.32%.

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A new NAHB study shows that regulations imposed by the government across all levels now account for $93,870 of the final price of a new single-family home. $41,330 is due to the higher price for the finished lot, based on regulations imposed during the development of the lot. $52,540 is the regulatory cost imposed on the builder during construction.

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The guitar-making industry prizes rare woods from old-growth trees for their acoustic properties. But, using this wood has meant entanglements in scandals over illegal logging, resource scarcity, and conflicts with new regulations that restrict the trade of endangered species of trees. Many rare woods come from areas with legacies of environmental conflict, colonial violence, and dispossession.

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