February mill closures across North America hit pulp, paper and packaging workers hard. In related news: Metsä Fibre halts its Joutseno pulp mill (again); federal politician hosts town hall on Cowichan, BC mill closures; no word on the future of Ear Falls, Ontario sawmill; and a fire destroys the Neopit, Wisconsin wood mill. Meanwhile: a new bill could prevent tariffs from driving up US housing costs; and builder sentiment on housing remains cautious.

In Forestry news: ENGOs say Drax’s pellet announcement won’t impact BC forests; the Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources (RNGR) Support Act of 2026 is introduced in Washington D.C.; and Scotland considers its future productive tree species list. Meanwhile: SFI released tools for forest climate risk identification; Project Learning Tree Canada is helping job seekers; and FSC Canada’s latests news on its forest management initiatives.

Finally, the Musqueam Indian Band chief says only federal lands are in play in rights agreement with Canada.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor