Fishers were nearly wiped out by the 1930s because of deforestation and fur trapping. Roland Kays, curator of mammals at the New York State Museum, has begun using fishers paw prints to count their numbers and find out how the fisher population is faring in the state. When surveying fishers in the Adirondacks early this decade, Kays used food to lure fishers into camera traps, so an automatic camera would capture images and he could count their numbers. But scientific sleuths working for...

Blount International inc., which makes construction tools and industrial equipment, said Thursday that international sales growth is expected to partly offset weakness in the North American timber markets in fiscal 2007. The company said it expects North American market conditions to improve in the second half of the fiscal year. Fiscal year operating income is expected to range between $85 million and $90 million, as operating margins improve through operating leverage, warehouse...

Companies might be better off, but they're not providing enough benefits to communities from the timber they harvest. It is increasingly falling to the union to force industry to do more for workers and communities by cutting log exports, increasing BC manufacturing, improving safety and sharing the returns with people in this province. In particular, said Hunt, a tax on public-lands log exports will not cut far enough into the 5-million cubic metres of logs going out of BC, since 90 per...

Prices are most likely to rise for intermediate goods, such as timber or chemicals, and consumer goods (balances of +33% and +28% respectively) MANUFACTURERS are growing more confident about their ability to increase prices with the balance of firms expecting to put them up next quarter, the highest for 12 years. Output volumes are expected to grow strongly over the next three months in line with results since February, with a balance of +18% of firms saying it will increase. Ian...

An emergency area order was put into place resulting in access restrictions in the area of the fire. The district is lending its full support to fire with staff and equipment. Fire details and emergency area order plans were discussed at length. The districts emergency response team continues to monitor the situation on an hourly basis. For the latest District information on the emergency area order continue to check this web site. No travel is allowed, no special permits are being issued....

Last week, a dozen volunteers from Home Depot spent about six hours pulling vines, cutting tree limbs, planting flowers and pressure-washing stonework at a house in the 1600 block of Chestnut Street as part of a city-backed neighborhood cleanup. That's actually the second big bin that Home Depot employees filled with brush, said Erica Echols, store human resources manager and one of the volunteer workers. Home Depot has a policy of doing two or three community projects every year, focusing...

The provincial forest fire prevention agency, the Socit de protection des forts contre le feu, said 28 fires are burning in the province five of them out of control. Olmert vows to continue strikes as rocket attack kills Israeli Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, responding Sunday to the latest barrage of rockets fired into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, said 'no one involved in terror will be immune' from attack. Olmert vows to continue strikes as rocket attack kills Israeli...

Hillsboro Market: The seasonal market offers fresh local produce and specialty foods, garden products, arts and crafts, live music and educational information. The play is still set in the 1840s but gives an updated view of the brave family while exploring themes of friendship and working together. The new center offers free public access to activities, educational exhibits and a central location for up-close exploration of timber-management practices. Eastbank Market: Seasonal produce,...

Asian stock markets are now trading at record highs with Malaysia being the third best performing bourse in the region behind China and Vietnam. The buoyant outlook on the oil and gas, plantation, timber, construction and property sectors has definitely benefited the players. Forbes Asia based the second annual list on the tycoons' fortunes in their holdings in listed companies as well as estimates of their wealth in privately held companies. Mokhzani and Lee, on the other hand, are...