Saturday edition
October 31, 2026
NEW YORK — FAMILY FOREST EDUCATION
René Germain wins national award for family forest education
Vermont native René Germain has received the 2026 Family Forests Education Award for nearly three decades of work with the New York City Watershed Model Forest Program. Germain, the Watershed Agricultural Council and partners were recognized at the Society of American Foresters national convention.
The professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry shares the recognition with a partnership linking family forest owners, students, teachers and forestry professionals. The National Woodland Owners Association and the National Association of University Forest Resources Programs present the award.
The program uses demonstration forests, research, workshops and field tours to connect working-forest management with clean water, wildlife habitat and landowner decisions. Partners include the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Frost Valley YMCA, 4-H and Green Chimneys.
The college’s announcement carries an October 29 dateline and an October 27 page date; it does not give an exact ceremony date. Its account describes an ongoing education and stewardship program, rather than a newly announced grant.
College’s award announcement and partnership details → University of Vermont profile and Vermont background →
By the Numbers
Latest available observations as of 2026-10-31. Dates and comparison periods vary by series; monthly figures remain unchanged between releases.
| Indicator | Latest | Change |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. on-highway dieselEIA U.S. on-highway diesel; taxes included | US$6.35/galWeek of October 26, 2026; released October 27 | +US$0.08/gal +1.2%Versus October 19: US$6.28/gal |
| Lumber futuresNovember 2026 lumber futures; nearby contract | US$521.50/MBFOctober 30, 2026 close | +US$3.00/MBF +0.6%Same November contract, October 23: US$518.50/MBF |
| Madison’s lumber indexMadison’s weekly lumber index | US$459.00/MBFWeek ending October 30, 2026 | −US$36.00/MBF −7.3% (calculated)Versus week ending October 23: US$495.00/MBF |
| Hardwood lumber PPIBLS WPU0812; 1982=100; not seasonally adjusted | 285.1 index pointsSeptember 2026; released October 15 | −1.3 points −0.5%Versus August 2026: 286.4 |
| U.S. single-family housing startsCensus U.S. single-family starts; annualized estimate | 859,000 units (SAAR)September 2026; released October 20 | −41,000 units (SAAR) −4.6%Versus revised August 2026: 900,000 |
| Canadian dollarBank of Canada; Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar | C$1.40 per US$1.00Daily average, October 30, 2026 | −C$0.00 per US$1.00 −0.2%Versus October 29: C$1.40 per US$1.00 |
Housing starts are annualized estimates, not actual monthly units, and are subject to revision. The hardwood PPI is an index, not a dollar price. Exchange rates are daily averages. MBF means thousand board feet. The September single-family starts monthly change has a published ±10.0-percentage-point 90.0% confidence interval and is not statistically significant. Display rounding follows the approved format. Changes are calculated from unrounded observations, so rounded currency levels may look unchanged even when a small movement occurred.
Sources:
EIA U.S. on-highway diesel; taxes included
November 2026 lumber futures; nearby contract
Named November contract and settlement date
Madison’s dated weekly index
BLS WPU0812; 1982=100; not seasonally adjusted
Census U.S. single-family starts; annualized estimate
Bank of Canada; Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar
Forest Products
CANADA — BRITISH COLUMBIA / OCTOBER 28 ANNOUNCEMENT
Conifex’s Mackenzie upgrades target drying and production bottlenecks
Canada announced C$11 million for Conifex Timber’s Mackenzie operation on October 28. The package combines C$10 million in repayable support with C$1 million that does not require repayment.
The work includes transfer-system upgrades, modernization of five kilns and automated production equipment. Pacific Economic Development Canada says the changes are intended to improve productivity and product quality while lowering costs at the northern British Columbia facility.
The operation makes wood products and bioenergy for domestic and export markets. Funding comes through the Regional Tariff Response Initiative, which supports businesses adapting to tariff pressures.
The announcement describes investment in an existing operation. It does not specify additional annual lumber capacity, a completion date or a quantified number of new jobs; expected efficiency gains remain project objectives.
Original federal announcement, equipment scope and repayment terms →
Action Detector
PENNSYLVANIA — WAYNE COUNTY / BIDS OPEN NOVEMBER 3
Faulkner Ridge timber bids open Tuesday in Harrisburg
The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s current Faulkner Ridge II sale offers an estimated 457,019 board feet of sawlogs and 1,760 tons of pulpwood across 211 acres in Scott Township, Wayne County.
Sealed lump-sum bids open November 3 at 2 p.m. at 2001 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg. The envelope must identify the timber bid and State Game Lands 299. The prospectus requires US$1,000 in approved bid security and a US$30,000 performance bond from the successful bidder.
The contract runs through September 30, 2028. Volumes are estimates, and bidders are responsible for examining the timber and the full operating restrictions. The scheduled October 23 showing has passed; the regional forester contact and submission instructions are in the prospectus.
Current official timber-sale listing → Faulkner Ridge II prospectus, bid form and contract →
Under the Radar
MAINE — LOGGING WORKFORCE / OCTOBER 28 REPORT
Maine logging award recognizes instructors building job skills in prison
Scott DeMoranville and Alvin Wasson of Mountain View Correctional Facility received the 2026 Certified Logging Professional Logger of the Year award in the supervisor/contractor category, News Center Maine reported October 28.
The Charleston facility’s vocational program specialist and correctional trade instructor were honored October 22 in Hermon. Their program gives incarcerated residents experience with conventional logging while providing harvesting services to Maine landowners.
The recognition covers safety, professionalism and sustainable forest management as well as hands-on job preparation. The report does not supply a graduation, placement or post-release employment rate, so the award should not be read as a measured employment-outcome claim.
Original News Center Maine report → Accessible attributed report →
Today's Featured Resource
Forest Enterprises of the Adirondacks
This illustrated book profiles the loggers and small businesses working in New York’s Adirondack forests. Its photographs and firsthand accounts show varied approaches to equipment, markets, family businesses and making a living in the woods.
Useful enough to pass along?
Share today’s edition with a colleague.