Fire crews from Black Forest, Brown Township, Waterville and Pine Creek volunteer fire companies in Lycoming County, along with Kettle Creek and Haneyville fire companies in Clinton County, battled the blaze just off Route 44, two miles north of the Black Forest Inn, in Lycoming County. Fire crews from Black Forest, Brown Township, Waterville and Pine Creek volunteer fire companies in Lycoming County, along with Kettle Creek and Haneyville fire companies in Clinton County, battled the...

An oligopoly best describes the disproportionate concentration of power by a few big players to influence price and making free marketeers more like free racketeers. Free for whom? Colossal corporations threaten a free economy more than public sector forces. Privateers were cut loose to divvy up markets, avoid competition, fix prices, bilk taxpayers, profit from cost overruns, receive bailouts and cozy-up with powerful officials who enrich cronies. Competition, the keystone of capitalism,...

Greenpeace's China office said foreign and local DIY operators were selling illegally imported timber from forests in Southeast Asia, Africa and Brazil, and providing consumers with no way of checking their origins. China's state-run companies have been accused of indiscriminate logging in virgin rain forests and its energy and mining companies of propping up dictatorial regimes across Africa in return for access to oil, gas and minerals. Greenpeace said responsible timber sourcing was...

Marie fire #13 is now BHE (being held) 0 new fires 7 active fires 137 fires; 2,048 hectares burned to date (from April 1st) DETAILS: The Ministry of Natural Resources wishes to advise the public that the restricted fire zone previously in place for zones 16-22 including Manitoulin Island has been lifted. Marie fire #13 is now BHE (being held) 0 new fires 7 active fires 137 fires; 2,048 hectares burned to date (from April 1st) DETAILS: The Ministry of Natural Resources wishes to advise the...

Tree planting, trimming is under way. UB Reporter: Tree planting, trimming is under way. Only 15 trees whose broken limbs posed an immediate danger to pedestrians and campus structures were cut down in the immediate aftermath of the storm, says John Hayes, assistant director for building and grounds, University Facilities, adding that the complete tree removal-and-replacement process could take until 2008 due to associated costs and limitations of the tree-planting season. Only 15 trees...

Commenting on the upcoming long weekend and the possibility of forest fires being started as a result of human carelessness, Coleman said while other areas of the province have already experienced wildfire problems, this area has remained unscathed. Coleman said the May long weekend is traditionally the start of forest fire season, as it is the first major weekend where people go out in the bush camping. Coleman said however every single one of the forest fires around the province so far...

Now, restoration plans for Emiquon call for nearly 60,000 tree seedlings to be planted in the upland portion of the preserve. Volunteers are needed to help plant tree seedlings in the area. Students collected a variety of plant and invertebrate specimens and identified and archived their samples. These efforts will help track the changes in biodiversity levels at Emiquon in the coming years, according to a spokesman. Some areas are steep and require planting by hand, a time-consuming, but...

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Timber stair treads for some stairways used as fire exits may be required by the building code to be high-density timber for resistance to abrasion, fire resistance and strength. The timber flooring is primarily an appearance graded product, but has a hardness requirement that many other timber components do not have. Stairs have a nomenclature of their own, and often the timber selected for use in stairs and balconies has a number of different performance considerations: The manufacture...