It’s not behind a paywall. It doesn’t chase clicks. And it doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. Instead, it’s quietly become a daily habit for thousands across the forest sector—industry, government, First Nations, researchers, students, and retirees alike—all looking for a simple way to stay informed. What started as a small idea has grown into something much bigger than we imagined. Today, Tree Frog directly reaches more than 100,000 readers across BC, Canada, the US and beyond, with thousands more picking it up through company circulations, association newsletters, and even university classrooms. In many ways, it has become shared infrastructure for the sector—a common starting point for understanding what’s happening and why it matters.
But like many things that are widely used, it can be easy to assume it will always just be there. Tree Frog has remained free and open-access by design. We’ve always believed the sector is better off when information flows easily—when a student can access the same news as a CEO, and when smaller operators have the same visibility as larger ones. That only works, however, because a portion of the organizations and individuals who rely on it choose to support it. And in a year when the forest sector is facing real challenges, that support matters more than ever. To those organizations already supporting Tree Frog—thank you.
If Tree Frog is something you or your organization rely on, we’d encourage you to consider being part of that support—whether as a sponsor, a Friend of the Frog, or simply by spreading the word. Even small steps help ensure we can continue delivering this service in its current form. Either way, we’re grateful you’re here and part of the community.
We find ourselves once again compelled to address the 
Finding uses for every part of a harvested tree can create renewable heat and electricity that will help power cleaner communities. Seeing Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) for biomass projects come into effect is a welcome, long-overdue step for Canada’s forest sector. After years of uncertainty, the measure offers a starting point to restore investor confidence. Biomass projects give new life to forest residuals — materials like bark, sawdust, and wood chips — by turning them into reliable, locally sourced heat and electricity. These biomass projects can modernize mill operations, sustain and grow jobs in rural and northern communities, and strengthen Canada’s position as a secure producer of renewable resources. Canada’s forestry industry directly employs almost 200,000 Canadians and supports an additional 200,000 jobs in transportation, maintenance, and manufacturing across the country. Hundreds of rural and northern communities depend on a strong forest sector.
OTTAWA — Provincial rules around alcohol and the federal government’s “Buy Canadian” policy have been flagged in a new report citing several trade irritants between Canada and the US. The annual document prepared by the Office of the US Trade Representative said market access barriers imposed by provincial liquor control boards “greatly hamper” exports of US wine, beer and spirits to Canada. …The report says U.S. companies have reported concerns about barriers in competing for contracts, including proving their Canadian subsidiary’s independence from a US parent company. Other issues listed in the report include delays with aircraft validation in Canada and high tariffs on U.S. dairy products. …Canada is still being slammed by Trump’s separate tariffs on industries like steel, aluminum, autos, lumber and cabinets. The Trump administration has launched investigations of a long list of countries, including Canada, citing forced labour in supply chains. 
Another suspicious fire has hit the Somass Lands on Port Alberni’s uptown waterfront, this time the remaining mill building. The call came in just before 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31. … Locked fire hydrants adjacent to the building presented another challenge, Port Alberni Fire Dept. Chief Mike Owens said. “It’s an old, historic industrial property; there are a number of places where the water main has been compromised,” he added. The city’s water works department arrived promptly and activated the hydrants. …Owens said crews immediately deemed the fire as suspicious because the sawmill is abandoned and there is no electricity run to the building. …The two mill buildings and a pair of silos were left standing after the city purchased the mill from Western Forest Products in 2021… When the city partnered with Matthews West developers, the thought was to possibly incorporate parts of the three buildings into a new master plan for the area.
The B.C. government says it’s making legislative changes to bolster access to wood fibre, including timber damaged by wildfires, insects and windstorms. The Forests Ministry says the changes will potentially increase the supply of fibre by as much as 17,700 truckloads and allow B.C. Timber Sales to auction off contracts for forestry thinning, wildfire risk reduction and damaged timber salvage. A statement from the ministry says these “fibre-generating activities” will be available to forestry contractors and value-added mills. …B.C.’s forestry industry has been facing a shortage of fibre as the Wood Pellet Association of Canada said in 2025 that the fibre supply has fallen more than 40 per cent since 2018… Kurt Niquidet with B.C. Council of Forest Industries said in 2024 that local and global demand for wood products to build more affordable housing is growing, but the forestry industry is also facing a “critical shortage” of timber for B.C. mills.
The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) Annual Convention is just days away, with registration closing April 2 for the April 8–10 event at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver.
OTTAWA — New data released by Statistics Canada suggests the economy was rebounding in the first few months of the year after a mild contraction to close 2025. The agency said on Tuesday real gross domestic product edged up 0.1% in January, helped by strength in goods-producing industries, which expanded by 0.2%. Looking ahead, the agency added that its preliminary estimate for February suggests the economy grew 0.2% for the month, though it cautioned the figure would be revised. Statistics Canada’s initial estimates for January published last month expected real GDP to be relatively flat. Doug Porter, chief economist at BMO, said “it does look like we had moderate growth in the first quarter of the year, which, given a lot of the other indicators, is not a bad place to be”. …Statistics Canada estimated the economy contracted 0.5% on an annualized basis in the final quarter of 2025.
Today, not only is Canada in a housing affordability crisis, but Build Canada Homes (BCH), the new federal agency-turned-Crown Corporation tasked with building affordable housing at record speed and scale, is already largely staffed, selecting projects, and hoping to break ground by this fall.
Kalesnikoff Mass Timber is launching a new line of modular timber classrooms today at the world’s largest mass timber conference in Portland, Oregon, showcasing its innovation to thousands of attendees. The company said that the classrooms are designed to address growing pressures on school infrastructure across North America. “Many communities are growing, leaving local schools at capacity,” said Chris Kalesnikoff, President and C.E.O. of Kalesnikoff. “These new modulars can be built and deployed rapidly, are cost effective, and create a warm and exceptional learning environment for students and staff.” The modular classrooms, constructed of cross-laminated timber (CLT) from Kalesnikoff’s mass timber facility in the West Kootenays using high-quality B.C. wood, are highly adaptable. They can function as a single classroom or be combined into larger expansions or entirely new schools. They can also be built in single-storey, or stacked configurations, and arrive with pre-installed heating, plumbing and digital systems.
WAKEFIELD, QC
It’s a well-established fact that forests and water are deeply connected. For decades, paired-watershed experiments have shown that when we lose forests, the total amount of water flowing through our rivers tends to rise. But a critical question has remained unanswered: does this extra water come from previous reserves, or is it simply “new” rain that the land is failing to hold? Is forest loss causing our watersheds to lose their internal integrity and leak like a sifter? Our recent study at the University of BC analyzed 657 watersheds across the globe. By using a tool called the Young Water Fraction, we found that forest loss significantly accelerates how fast precipitation travels through a landscape. We estimate that for every 1% of forest lost, the “young water” in our streams increases by about 0.17%. Crucially, our research reveals that… the way we arrange forest patches can either aggravate or mitigate this leakage.
The Province has introduced changes to the Environmental Assessment Act to enhance transparency and predictability by improving how issues raised by First Nations are identified and resolved during environmental assessments, helping ensure responsible resource development. In 2018, the act introduced new mechanisms for First Nations collaboration in environmental assessments to provide a clear and timely path for projects to move through the assessment process, while respecting Indigenous rights, values and culture. Dispute resolution under the act enables the use of a third-party facilitator if the Province and a First Nation are unable to reach consensus at milestones during the environmental assessment. It was included in the act to help support reconciliation and enhance timeliness and predictability in environmental assessments. Updates are being proposed to better meet these intended objectives.
PRINCE GEORGE – Canada’s forests are burning faster than they can be replanted, and the Canadian Tree Nursery Association is calling it a crisis, though not everyone agrees on the scale of the problem. The association says more than 7.3 billion seedlings would be needed just to replant 15 percent of the areas burned in the last three years of record wildfires. In B.C., the situation is worsening: seedling production is expected to decline from 300 million in 2024 to 226 million by 2026. Dr. Phil Burton, Professor Emeritus in Forest Ecology and Management at the University of Northern BC, agrees there’s a genuine problem but says the numbers need context. Millions of hectares that burned in places like the Northwest Territories were never part of the managed forest, he notes, and many forests are capable of recovering on their own. …The central debate isn’t whether any replanting is needed most agree some is. The question is how much, and who pays for it. 
…Wildfires scorched 2.9 million hectares of Saskatchewan forest last year, forcing thousands of people from their homes and destroying more than 450 dwellings across the province, according to the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA). Some experts are warning this year could be just as bad. A relatively dry fall and unusual winter conditions are setting the stage, said Colin Laroque, a professor of environmental science at the University of Saskatchewan. …Finance Minister Jim Reiter called this year’s provincial budget “essentially” the status quo for wildfire preparation and response. The province announced a $20-million increase for the SPSA earlier this month, bringing its total budget to $140 million. The increase includes an additional water bomber. …Eric Lamb, a professor at U of S, said extreme weather conditions are no longer rare and require a different approach focused more on preventative measures, like prescribed burns, before a wildfire season begins.
TORONTO — Ontario is ready to protect people and communities this wildland fire season, which lasts from April 1 until October 31. In preparation, the province has added an additional 68 permanent staff and increased compensation for critical staff including wildland firefighters, pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers. …“Our government stands behind the wildland firefighters, pilots and support staff that make up our frontline response and we will ensure they have everything they need for the upcoming fire season,” said Mike Harris, Minister of Natural Resources. In addition to the new staffing measures, Ontario and Canada are investing in projects through the Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative that will help enhance local training, education and outreach programs. These measures will ensure communities across the province are equipped with the tools and resources to prevent and mitigate wildland fire risks, while advancing science and research projects to reduce wildland fire risk.
WorkSafeBC is holding a virtual public hearing on proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The virtual public hearing will be streamed live on April 21, 2026, in two sessions. The first will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the second from 3 to 5 p.m. Further information on how to view or participate in the virtual public hearing will be provided closer to the hearing date. These details will be posted on 
Health officials and advocates are raising concerns about gaps in air quality monitoring across rural BC, saying some communities may be exposed to dangerous wildfire smoke levels if they don’t have access to accurate local data. It comes as the health impacts of wildfire smoke are becoming clearer, and as new monitoring stations are being installed in parts of the province to address the gaps. Air quality is typically monitored by federal and provincial governments and according to Environment Canada, 286 sites across every province and territory make up the National Air Pollution Surveillance program. “Even with nearly 300 sites, there are enormous gaps in geography — often at the expense of rural and remote communities,” said Christopher Lam, of the BC Lung Foundation. …Smoke from the record-breaking Canadian wildfires in 2023 caused an estimated 5,400 acute deaths and about 82,100 premature deaths worldwide.