Our 4th annual Wildfire Resilience and Awareness Week—delivered in partnership with the Western Canada SFI Implementation Committee—kicks off with BC Forest Minister Ravi Parmar’s opening op-ed, followed by Mosaic’s expanded detection and mitigation efforts on Vancouver Island. In related news: BC Wildfire Service is on the verge of being fully staffed; Fort McMurray’s 2016 wildfire prompts new strategies; US falls behind on wildfire prevention with risky fire season ahead; Western US states are using AI for early detection; rising jet fuel costs won’t impact California’s aerial fleet; Trump’s DEI policies may threaten wildfire funding; and US Wildland Fire Service’s first chief shares his priorities.
In Business news: Conifex to curtail Mackenzie sawmill for 7-weeks; BC Forest Minister unveils new federal grant monies; Northern Ontario examines the future of forestry; the US Dept. of Commerce starts softwood lumber duty review; Seattle opens first warehouse for salvaged lumber; and US Forest Service Chief fields questions on office closure, deep budget cuts.
Finally, Stuart McNish examines DRIPA and the legal ramifications of amending the legislation.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor