Tag Archives: Peter Collins

Business

FRA says Timber demand from China could help US forestry industry

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FRA has welcomed the news that the demand for timber is on the up thanks to the increasing appetite for timber in China.

Bainbridge Island, WA, February 14, 2012 – Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has welcomed the news that the demand for timber is on the up thanks to the increasing appetite for timber in China.

Figures on timber harvesting in 2011 analysed by forestry economist, Gary Lettman, showed that harvests had picked up last year with the number of board feet harvested looking better than the past few years, which have been disappointing for the US forestry industry.

West Wood Productions Association’s CEO, Kevin Binam claims that demand in 2012 is going to improve, but is still cautious. He said, “There’s not anybody out there jumping for joy, saying it’s going to be a roaring good year, but everybody expects 2012 to be a little better than 2011.”

Many mills in the US are still running at around 80 per cent capacity, up from around 70 per cent last year in many cases. Industry insiders said they will be able to ‘ramp up’ production should demand increase even further from China and other emerging markets.

Exports of logs to China totalled 1.1 billion feet, up 108 per cent in the first ten months of last year, which indicates a major improvement in demand from the country. Binam said, “That’s been a big game changer for, not all the Western [US] mills, but certainly for some.”

FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins, said that although the experts are remaining tight-lipped about the prospects in 2012, the increase in demand from China is great news for the industry, which has had a tough few years. He said “We expect this increase in demand to translate to higher timber prices, with investment in sustainable forestry plantations in developing countries still proving popular with Western investors.”

FRA is an analysis and research consultancy that specialises in forestry investment. It supports a range of sustainable projects in which people can invest, including Greenwood Management’s teak and eucalyptus plantations in Brazil.

Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394
info@forestry-research.com
http://www.forestry-research.com

Business

UK Reforestation plan gets backing of FRA

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FRA has stated its support for a campaign in the UK to embark upon a major reforestation programme in Britain.

Bainbridge Island, WA, January 14, 2012 – Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has stated its support for a campaign in the UK to embark upon a major reforestation programme in Britain.

Our Forests is an organization that hopes to return the UK to the point it was at 1,000 years ago, in terms of the amount of land covered in forests. The plan is to increase forest coverage to 15 per cent of the land, from the current coverage of just under 10 per cent.

“We always support reforestation programmes,” claimed FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins. “Increasing forest cover in the UK will help the country to reduce its carbon emissions through CO2 sequestration.”

Our Forests is a group set up in response to controversial and eventually scrapped plans by the UK government to sell off some of Britain’s forests to private buyers. The group and FRA, a research and analysis consultancy based in the US, claim that adding new forests to the UK will not only contribute to the cutting of carbon emissions but could also create community forests on the edges of towns, while jobs will also be created.

Our Forests is led by Dr Gabriel Hemery, who claims the forest cover in the UK should be returned to the levels recorded in the Domesday Book: “Getting all our woods working, so that they provide the wealth of renewable resources and rich variety of wildlife they are capable of supporting, is vital.”

FRA supports these kinds of reforestation projects in developing countries, such as Brazil, where new forests are being planted in order to try to undo some of the destruction caused by deforestation. Investment firms like Greenwood Management offer foreigners the chance to invest in these projects, which plant non-native plantations as an alternative to using native trees in timber and charcoal production.

Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394
info@forestry-research.com
http://www.forestry-research.com

Business

FRA lends support to Brazilian Forestry Plantation Claims

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Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has announced its support for a statement from Timberinvestments.co, claiming that plantation projects in Brazil can help to reduce deforestation in the developing country.

Bainbridge Island, WA, November 23, 2011 – Forestry Research Associates (FRA) has announced its support for a statement from Timberinvestments.co, claiming that plantation projects in Brazil can help to reduce deforestation in the developing country.

FRA is a research and analysis consultancy that specializes in forestry investments as an alternative asset class. Its analysis partner, Peter Collins, claims that Timberinvestments.co is correct in claiming that plantations, such as those run by forestry investment firm Greenwood Management in Brazil, can contribute to the effort to reduce deforestation.

Timberinvestments.co claims that European investors have become increasingly keen on timber investments as an option instead of investing in the stock markets. Forestry has typically seen far better returns than the equity markets over the past decide and at the same time, the rate of deforestation in Brazil has fallen significantly.

FRA claims that the forestry plantations are helping to provide alternative timber that is produced through felling native trees. The consultancy also adds that the Brazilian government has been taking more and more measures to try to monitor the destruction of the rainforest by using satellite technology, for example.

FRA welcomed the move from Timberinvestments.co to try to talk about the destruction that is still going on, however, and the fact that attracting investments in forestry projects taking place in the region can help to increase the supply of non-native trees for use in the production of charcoal, for example.

Plantation projects can also help to promote sustainable forestry management practices, which will ensure that the forestry industry can continue to exist for generation to come, while preserving the native rainforests.

Peter Collins of the FRA explained, “Forestry is a strong asset class for those who want to diversify their portfolios at the moment.”

He added, “In addition, investing in sustainable projects in Brazil can help to protect the natural forests from illegal logging.”

Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394
info@forestry-research.com
http://www.forestry-research.com