Wednesday edition
November 4, 2026
MIDWEST — MICHIGAN / NOVEMBER 3 RESEARCH REPORT
Michigan tests biochar markets for storm-damaged timber
Michigan State University researcher Emily Silver will examine whether storm-damaged timber and other low-value wood can find buyers as biochar. A US$300,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant supports the work, described in a November 3 report by MSU Extension’s Jack Falinski.
The project addresses wood left by the March 2025 ice storms in northern Michigan. Silver says conventional forest-products markets absorbed substantial salvage material but became saturated, leaving a need for additional outlets.
The research will examine both getting wood processed into biochar and finding end users. Planned work includes demonstrations, logger training, economic-impact assessments and testing.
This is market-development research, rather than a newly operating plant or a guaranteed purchase program. Silver identifies developing demand and barriers to production and use as questions the project must address.
By the Numbers
Latest available observations as of 2026-11-04. 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$6.29/galWeek of November 2, 2026; released November 3 | −US$0.06/gal −0.9%Versus October 26: US$6.35/gal |
| Lumber futuresNovember 2026 lumber futures; nearby delivery contract | US$525.50/MBFNovember 3, 2026 close | +US$18.00/MBF +3.6%Same November contract, October 27: US$507.50/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, November 3, 2026 | +C$0.00 per US$1.00 +0.1%Versus November 2: C$1.40 per US$1.00 |
About these numbers
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. The current historical series and contract table both identify the November settlement at US$525.50 on November 3. This row compares that same November contract with October 27; it does not compare January and November prices. 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 contract historical closes
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
Under the Radar
Hawaii’s Arbor Day brings native trees and hands-on care to five islands
Hawaii will celebrate Arbor Day on November 6, with tree giveaways, community plantings and tree-care events throughout the month. The state’s Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program announced activities on Hawaii Island, Maui, Molokai, Oahu and Kauai.
A November 6 native-tree giveaway in Kailua-Kona will include restoration professionals offering care advice. On November 7, Maui Nui Botanical Gardens will host tree-care demonstrations and native and canoe plant giveaways, while events on Oahu and Kauai offer plant adoption and educational activities. The state’s announcement links to the full event calendar.
Could winter firewood demand rival a pulp mill?
Eric Kingsley argues that expensive heating oil could push households in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to burn more firewood. In a November 2 analysis, he estimates that one additional cord per wood-using household would represent roughly 1.5 million green tons of hardwood demand, comparable to a pulp mill’s annual consumption.
This is a scenario built on household-use and cord-weight assumptions, not measured additional demand. Kingsley notes that newly harvested wood would not be seasoned for this winter: households would draw down existing supplies, then replenish them next spring or summer. He invites discussion of what that could mean for loggers and wood markets.
U.S. — WOOD PRODUCTS / NOVEMBER 2 RESULTS
Boise Cascade’s plywood prices rise as shipments fall
Boise Cascade’s third-quarter results show why revenue growth alone does not describe mill activity. Plywood selling prices rose 31% from a year earlier, while plywood sales volumes fell 7%.
Its Wood Products division reported US$461.2 million in sales, up 16%, and US$16.1 million in segment income, reversing a US$12.1 million loss. Higher plywood prices and engineered-wood volumes outweighed lower plywood shipments and higher per-unit conversion costs.
Laminated veneer lumber volumes rose 18% and I-joist volumes rose 10%; selling prices for both were unchanged year over year. The November 2 release reports these as third-quarter operating results, rather than a forecast of an industry-wide recovery.
Company’s full results, price-volume table and qualifications →
Action Detector
CANADA — ONTARIO / IN PERSON AND ONLINE
Forest pest forum registration closes November 13
Registration for the 69th National Forest Pest Management Forum remains open through November 13. Natural Resources Canada organizes the November 17–19 meeting, with attendance in Ottawa or virtually through the Canadian Institute of Forestry.
Sessions run 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern on November 17–18 and 8:30 a.m.–noon on November 19. The program covers pest conditions, control operations, monitoring technology and research findings.
All attendees must register, including Canadian Forest Service and Canadian Food Inspection Agency employees. The listing identifies free virtual registration for students and free attendance for those agencies’ employees. The October hotel-block deadline has passed; current registration details and the agenda are linked below.
Official dates, participation options, fees and registration →
Today's Featured Resource
The Hardwood Log Desktop Reference Book
This PDF reference book brings together hardwood log-volume tables, log-rule conversions, defect deductions and grading and bucking guidance. It helps loggers, foresters and buyers compare measurements and estimate log value using consistent reference tables.
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