Will an intentional ‘cooling’ of the BC housing market hurt the forest industry? Victor Godin asks the question, adding that 80-plus First Nations in BC depend on the logging sector. Meanwhile, in the US, the cost of goods used in construction continue to climb—lumber and plywood have jumped 11% in the last year. 

From the world of Wood: an entrepreneur is processing trees downed in Ontario’s recent storms in his family sawmill; the Canadian Wood Council says timber bridges showcase the strength and durability of wood; and StructureCraft’s Lucas Epp says of the proposed Toronto timber tower “it’s safe, it’s reliable, it’s cost-efficient”. 

The Canadian Wildland Fire Strategy predicts that fire intensity and frequency will increase due to climate change; The Trump administration has “quietly killed” NASA’s Carbon Monitoring System; while experts in Oregon agree that climates are changing—warmer winters, and hotter, drier summers.

Finally, make way for a new super hero – the American Chemical Society introduces Superman – Man of Cellulose!

–Sandy McKellar, Tree Frog Editor