In another hit to Canada’s forest industry, West Fraser Timber is indefinitely curtailing its High Level, Alberta, OSB mill; and Brink Forest Products is temporarily closing its value-added mills in northern BC. In related news: BC leaders are hopeful new buyers will continue operating the Crofton pulp mill; and Tolko’s Williams Lake mill remains down after fire. Meanwhile, Boise Cascade’s Jeff Strom succeeds Nate Jorgensen as CEO; and West Fraser’s Sean McLaren is elected American Wood Council Board Chair.

In Forestry news: Health Canada is unmoved by retraction of glyphosate study; Ben Parfitt opines on what’s behind the Crofton mill closure; Alice Palmer is unsettled by the lack of empathy in BC’s forestry debate; and Arizona research on the cost and value of Wildland-Urban Interface building requirements. Meanwhile: a UK firm secures financing for fungi-based tree health pellets; and New Zealanders have fire safety worries about IKEA’s pine plantations.

Finally, US tariffs on Chinese fake Christmas trees could drive business to live tree lots.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor