Sunday edition
November 1, 2026
SOUTH — FLORIDA / OCTOBER 29 ANNOUNCEMENT
Georgia-Pacific invests $150 million to modernize Palatka tissue production
Georgia-Pacific has begun an approximately US$150 million rebuild of a paper machine at its Palatka, Florida, mill. The company’s October 29 announcement expects completion in the second quarter of 2028.
The project replaces Number Four, installed in 1980, which produces paper for Angel Soft bath tissue. Georgia-Pacific describes the investment as preserving existing production while strengthening manufacturing capabilities through updated technology and safety systems.
The company targets better reliability, quality, productivity and safety. The announcement does not quantify additional annual tonnage or new jobs; its stated purpose is to modernize an existing production asset and improve the consumer-tissue business’s competitiveness.
Palatka also makes Quilted Northern bath tissue and Brawny and Sparkle paper towels. The rebuild is specific to the Angel Soft paper machine, rather than a newly announced mill.
Original company announcement, machine scope and timetable →
By the Numbers
Latest available observations as of 2026-11-01. 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. Sunday check: October 30 remains the latest completed lumber close and Canadian-dollar daily average; weekly and monthly indicators retain their dated latest releases. 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
Working Lands
NORTHEAST — NEW YORK / OCTOBER 30 RESEARCH LAUNCH
New York farm study tests the costs and performance of planting trees in pasture
A new multi-year study is testing tree planting on six working New York cattle farms. Researchers will compare three silvopasture designs, combining trees, forage and livestock, under Northeast conditions.
The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry announced the work October 30. Led by Cole Gross, the project plans 18 demonstration systems, with more than 2,000 trees across about 36 acres in its initial phase. The first planting took place at Twin Oaks Dairy Farm in Cortland County.
Monitoring will cover planting costs, tree establishment and growth, livestock health, soil, water, biodiversity and carbon storage. An open-access technical guide and field events are planned to share findings with producers.
This is establishment and research, not proof of a financial return. The study evaluates planting into pasture; it does not test creating silvopasture by thinning existing woods.
Original research announcement, design and planned outputs →
Action Detector
WEST — COLORADO / PROPOSALS DUE NOVEMBER 3
Oil Mountain aspen work seeks proposals by Tuesday afternoon
The National Forest Foundation’s current Oil Mountain solicitation closes November 3 at 5 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. It seeks forestry services in the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests.
The approximately 801-acre project area contains about 301 acres of treatment: roughly 257 acres of aspen harvest and removal, 14 acres of overstory removal, and 30 acres of conifer reduction and aspen removal. The scope also includes about 19 miles of road maintenance.
The purpose is to stimulate young aspen through removal of aging aspen and competing conifers. Slopes reach 40%. The solicitation anticipates a July 15, 2027 start, subject to suitable ground conditions; award and contract dates remain estimates.
The optional October site showing has passed. Bidders should use the full proposal’s submission instructions, operating specifications and current website updates, including its access warning that road 265.3A1 is not passable by vehicle.
Current listing and access updates → Oil Mountain scope, deadline and submission requirements →
Under the Radar
CANADA — NEW BRUNSWICK / TIMBERLAND AND MILL OPTIONS
New Brunswick bids for timberlands as Nackawic mill idling approaches
New Brunswick has submitted a bid for private timberlands supplying the AV Nackawic pulp mill, which is scheduled to idle November 4. Natural Resources Minister John Herron said the bid aims to retain wood supply for future regional industry, The Canadian Press reported October 28.
The land offer excludes the mill. Separately, the province hired AFRY to examine options for the facility, including potential buyers. The bid amount is confidential; neither initiative establishes that a mill restart has been secured.
LandVest’s Project Riverwood offering lists 106,574 acres and a December 17 sealed-bid deadline. That advertised portfolio is larger than the 178 square kilometres described in the provincial-bid reporting. The sources do not reconcile the areas, so the province’s offer should not be assumed to cover the entire marketed property.
Original Canadian Press reporting and minister’s statements → Broker’s offering, acreage and bid timetable →
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Harvesting Woody Biomass: A Small Business Guide
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