In much of Canada, provincial and territorial fuel classification layers are built on vegetation inventory information that can be many years out of date. The inputs behind those layers are often unvalidated and the conditions they describe may not reflect current reality. …Forests change considerably over time. As an example, past harvest activity has restructured stands, and bark beetle infestations have converted millions of hectares of mature lodgepole pine into standing dead fuel. …Provincial layers typically describe fuel type classifications but say little about the structural attributes of those fuels, and nothing about their current seasonal condition. …In the WUI, the difference between a fuel-free buffer and a continuous shrub corridor can be measured in meters. Legacy maps cannot resolve these issues. The consequences of missing them are not abstract.
Forsite’s Fuel ID tool was built to address these gaps. Fuel ID encompasses a series of machine-learning approaches that use satellite imagery and, where available, LiDAR data to generate current, validated fuel information across the full canopy-to-surface profile. It is not a single product — it is a flexible system that generates resolution-appropriate outputs depending on available data inputs and the operational question being asked.
Introducing the Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada (WRCC): Throughout Canada, people are doing inspiring work to improve our wildfire resilience – from 
Canada’s wildfire seasons are no longer episodic shocks. They are systemic and growing more costly with every passing year. Leading wildfire experts who are changing how we think about wildfire science, Indigenous fire stewardship, forest management, and emergency preparedness clearly underscored that new reality during a 
Tree Frog Forestry News is proud to once again partner with the 
Each year, Wildfire Resilience and Awareness Week is a reminder of a reality we are all facing. Wildfires are no longer a distant or a seasonal threat. They are at our doorstep and part of our new normal, impacting communities throughout British Columbia. Since 2017, we have experienced some of the most destructive wildfire seasons in our province’s history. Entire communities have been changed. Through it all, we have seen the extraordinary courage of firefighters and first responders who step forward when others are told to leave. When others must evacuate, they risk their lives so communities can be saved. But we have also learned something very important. Preparation makes a huge difference. If we’re going to meet this moment, we cannot simply react to wildfire, we must get ahead of it. …
Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada, appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on International Trade to outline the promise and complexity of growing Canadian forest sector exports to Japan — and to make a pointed case for sustained federal investment to make it happen. Canada currently ships roughly $1 billion annually to Japan, a figure Nighbor put in context: it reflects a century of Canadian forestry trade there and 50 years of work by the Canada Wood Group. “It’s a heavy lift,” he said. Against nearly $8 billion in annual softwood lumber exports to the United States — now facing combined duties and Section 232 tariffs in the 45% range — Japan is a real but incremental diversification opportunity. Canada holds 65% of Japan’s 2×4 dimension lumber market, built by actively developing a wood-building culture where one didn’t naturally exist. Holding and growing that share, Nighbor told the committee, requires sustained technical engagement on codes, standards, and the platform frame system — not simply shipping more product. He also flagged headwinds: declining Japanese housing starts, growing domestic Japanese lumber supply, aggressive European entry across lumber, pulp, and pellets, and tightening Japanese sustainability and traceability requirements.
Wildfire has become an increasingly visible part of life across Western Canada. Our climate is changing, and wildfire seasons are becoming longer and drier. The best way to tackle wildfire preparedness, prevention, and mitigation is to work together. FireSmart BC is a provincial program dedicated to helping British Columbians understand and reduce their wildfire risk. We serve as the go-to resource for individuals, neighbourhoods, and communities looking to protect themselves and their properties. 
…Built on decades of research, FireSmart BC focuses on how wildfire behaves around structures and how changes on and around a property can influence outcomes during a wildfire. …Wildfire mitigation is a shared responsibility. When renters, landlords, homeowners, businesses, and all levels of government work together, we can collectively reduce the risk and impact of wildfires across British Columbia. …FireSmart BC offers a wide range of resources to support both individuals and organizations.
At a screening of 
Vancouver Island is heading into the 2026 wildfire season under precarious conditions. Island snowpack is below normal, Environment Canada forecasts warmer and drier conditions through June, and there’s a 62 per cent chance of a strong El Niño by late summer — the weather pattern behind the prolonged heat and drought that intensifies wildfire risk. For Mosaic, which manages over 550,000 hectares of private forest land across Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast on behalf of two of Canada’s largest pension plans, wildfire preparedness is fundamental to responsible land management. This year, the company is further preparing by expanding its wildfire detection and mitigation capabilities. …This season, Mosaic is set to pilot an integrated detection system in the Nanaimo Lakes drainage, combining cameras, ground-level sensors and low-orbit satellite monitoring to identify ignitions faster and across a wider area. …“Our forests support local economies, local pensions and are cherished recreational spaces,” said Steve Mjaaland, Senior Manager of Forest Protection at Mosaic.
The US Department of Commerce is 
Ottawa’s decision not to include softwood lumber among the industries that will benefit from $1 billion in tariff relief funding sparked frustration from BC Premier David Eby, who said softwood lumber in the province has been “decimated” by U.S. tariffs. “I don’t know what it’s going to take, really, to get the bureaucrats and the ministers in Ottawa to recognize that softwood lumber employs more people in Canada than steel and auto parts combined,” Eby said. …”I really feel like BC’s projects are not getting the attention they deserve.” …Eby said he does not know why the industry would have been overlooked, though he hopes a separate funding announcement just for softwood lumber is in the works. …Jeff Bromley, wood council chair with the United Steelworkers, said 150,000 workers across Canada make their living off forestry. “I wish they would have included a broader program that would have helped our forestry industry,” he said.
CROFTON, BC — Numerous companies and investors have expressed an interest in purchasing the Domtar pulp mill site in Crofton since the facility shut down operations earlier this year. Domtar said in a statement that it is exploring a variety of possibilities for the future of the waterfront site, and North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas said a number of interested parties have contacted the municipality directly looking to buy the site for a range of potential uses, including manufacturing, energy production, and other industrial purposes. …“Domtar has retained BMO Capital Markets to evaluate potential purchase proposals and expects to make a decision regarding the site’s future in the coming months.” Douglas said that as decisions about the site’s future use will ultimately rest with Domtar or a prospective new owner, and not the municipality, he is encouraging interested parties to contact Domtar directly.
The Province and seven Treaty 8 First Nations have taken a next step toward creating a thriving and community-centered local economy in northeastern British Columbia. Restoration agreements will restore and protect the environment, provide predictability and stability to existing industries, as well as establish new business opportunities in the region, while ensuring historic Treaty Rights are upheld. “The restoration agreements will build on the strong partnership that we have with the Treaty 8 First Nations, which is a First Nations led approach,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions. “This work is guided by the belief that healing the land and healing the people are inseparable. …This partnership approach to land and resource management will help to uphold constitutionally protected Treaty Rights, while supporting a vibrant economy.”
MACKENZIE, BC — Conifex will temporarily curtail sawmill operations at its Mackenzie facility for about seven weeks starting May 19, 2026, with a target restart in July 2026. This planned sawmill curtailment is primarily driven by log inventory levels and fibre availability, in conjunction with seasonal logging breakup conditions impacting supply across the BC Interior. Logging operations are expected to resume in early June, subject to, among other things, weather conditions. The curtailment represents an approximately 25 million board feet supply impact. We continue to advance initiatives underway to broaden our available financing options. …Conifex restarted the Mackenzie sawmill in February after a four-week curtailment. The restart followed the completion of a $19 million secured term loan for its subsidiary Conifex Mackenzie Forest Products. 
The clock began ticking April 7 on one of the most important Supreme Court of Canada cases in New Brunswick’s history. That’s the date the country’s top court told law firms involved in the Wolastoqey Nation’s landmark title claim it would determine if it would allow “leave for appeal.” …On one side are logging firms and other private property owners who say they’re caught in the middle of a three centuries-old fight that had nothing to do with them. The Indigenous nation wants the Supreme Court to overturn a Court of Appeal decision last December. That ruling found the nation would have no chance of success in its lawsuit proving that it has Aboriginal title over privately held lands. …By that measure, the Wolastoqey Nation could sue governments but would have no means to take back control of most of their old territory. …If the appeal goes ahead, the Supreme Court could hear the case as early as this fall.
VANCOUVER, BC — Canfor Corporation reported its first quarter of 2026 results. …The Company reported an operating loss of $72.5 million for the current quarter, compared to an operating loss of $415.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2025. After taking into consideration a $20.0 million reversal of a previously recognized inventory write-down, the Company’s adjusted operating loss was $92.5 million for the first quarter of 2026, compared to an adjusted operating loss of $145.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2025. These results largely reflected improved performance in both the lumber segment and, to a lesser extent, the pulp and paper segment. Canfor’s President and CEO, Susan Yurkovich, said, “While we saw an improvement in results, largely due to a supply-driven uptick in North American lumber pricing and higher production levels, demand remained relatively subdued. …Global pulp markets continued to face significant headwinds during the first quarter, with pulp producer inventories remaining elevated.”
Premier David Eby’s plummeting approval numbers aren’t the only figures the NDP government needs to worry about when it comes to the backlash over Indigenous reconciliation and private property rights. Many B.C. businesses are reporting they plan to scale back operations due to the conflict as well. Almost 74 per cent of B.C. businesses plan to decrease investment due to uncertainty over the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, according to a new survey of senior executives Wednesday by the Business Council of B.C. The majority cite increased time, cost, complexity or uncertainty in permitting caused by the court rulings, policy flips and changing landscape around the NDP’s DRIPA. As many as one-third said they plan to reduce hiring. “The desire to work with Indigenous communities to create prosperity for all remains strong but the message from business leaders is clear: DRIPA isn’t working,” said BCBC president Laura Jones.
MONTREAL — Stella-Jones announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2026. Sales for the first quarter reached $791 million, versus sales of $773 million in the corresponding period last year. Excluding the impact of 2025 acquisitions of $42 million and the unfavourable currency conversion effect of $30 million, pressure-treated wood sales increased by $10 million, or 1%, largely driven by an increase in wood utility poles volumes. …Eric Vachon, President and CEO said “Our performance continues to be supported by disciplined operations. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we are advancing targeted initiatives across the business, with a current focus on optimizing our Railway Ties production network, enhancing efficiency and supporting future growth. We are also progressing our strategic growth priorities, notably with the finalization of the site selection for our new U.S. steel lattice manufacturing facility.”
Since its launch in 2018, the 
Parks Canada is scrambling to overhaul its wildfire prevention strategy after internal and federal records tied massive fuel loads of dead timber to the devastation that tore through Jasper in 2024. Appearing before the Senate national finance committee, interim CEO Andrew Campbell said the agency is now shifting toward more aggressive fire mitigation, including controlled burns and clearing dead trees near vulnerable communities. Blacklock’s Reporter said the move comes after widespread criticism that previous management allowed dangerous conditions to persist inside Jasper National Park. …The Canadian Forest Service report, titled Jasper Wildfire Complex 2024 Fire Behaviour Documentation, Reconstruction And Analysis, linked the conditions to a severe mountain pine beetle infestation that peaked years before the blaze. Researchers found the widespread deadwood significantly altered forest conditions, increasing sunlight and wind exposure at ground level, which accelerated drying and made fuels more combustible.
A new UBC study has found that lands managed by Indigenous Peoples consistently protect forests, biodiversity and carbon stores at levels equal to or greater than government-designated protected areas—yet most of these lands remain inadequately recognized or resourced. The paper analyzed 111 peer-reviewed papers… Three-quarters of those studies found a positive relationship between Indigenous lands and conservation. …The study also highlights a major gap in the research itself: only seven per cent of the 111 papers included Indigenous authors. “This is a significant disconnect,” said Garry Merkel, co-author and director of UBC’s Centre of Indigenous Land Stewardship and a member of Tahltan Nation. “Scientists often find it difficult to accept Indigenous science as legitimate, resulting in academic research that does not fully reflect Indigenous knowledge systems or perspectives. This work will help future research to be more inclusive and respectful in its acknowledgement of Indigenous communities.”
Dear North Cowichan mayor and council, and Premier David Eby: It’s not surprising a four-councillor cluster voted against a cogent April 15 motion urging our province to review and strengthen our forest policies, including those governing raw-log exports. The difference this time is right-wing councillors Findlay, Manhas, Caljouw Jr., and Hogg seemingly disregarded valley forest workers, and backed corporate timber firms’ desires for less, not more, public land-harvesting rules and regulations. Coun. Chris Justice’s logical, timely motion aimed to boost wood-fibre supplies for Canadian processing and value-added manufacturing — supporting local and Island forestry jobs — partly through a long-sought raw-log export ban. …Admit the current industry’s end is near. Instead, let’s finally explore making alternative, job-rich building materials in North Cowichan and elsewhere.
Wildfire investigators found a small cabin, a barbecue, a metal campfire ring and shooting targets near where one of the most destructive wildfires in the Okanagan originated. But while the McDougall Creek wildfire was determined to be human caused, the exact cause of the fire remains “undetermined.” The McDougall Creek was first reported to the BC Wildfire Service on Aug. 15, 2023, putting up a small puff of smoke in the hills above West Kelowna. Two days later, the fire had spread rapidly through a number of Central Okanagan neighbourhoods, destroying nearly 200 homes. This past December, the Ministry of Forests completed its Wildfire Origin and Cause Investigation Report… But despite more than two years of investigation by three wildfire investigators, the cause of the massive fire remains “undetermined.” This is largely due to the fire burning back over the area of origin, destroying any evidence of its ignition.
Marking its 10th anniversary, the Forest Enhancement Society of BC is highlighting a decade of work advancing forest resilience, fibre utilization, and climate action across the province. Framed by Earth Day reflections, the latest update underscores how thoughtful forest management—from wildfire risk reduction to rehabilitation and better use of low-value fibre—can play a meaningful role in addressing climate change. FESBC continues to support projects that reduce slash burning by turning residual fibre into bioenergy, cutting greenhouse gas emissions while creating economic opportunities for communities. The newsletter also points to the importance of collaboration, including Indigenous leadership, in delivering lasting forest stewardship outcomes. Featured stories include a fuel management project with Kenpesq’t Forestry, reflections from former forests minister Doug Donaldson, and recognition of FESBC’s impact at the BC Legislature. A safety tip from the BC Forest Safety Council rounds out the update, reinforcing the sector’s ongoing focus on worker safety.
Our warming world is set to enter an 
New Brunswick’s wildfire season has begun with more forests burned than at this time last year, according to the government’s wildfire dashboard. As of Wednesday afternoon, the dashboard reported there has been 178 fires so far this season, which have burned 343 hectares of forest. At the same date in 2025, there had been 100 fires burning 87.7 hectares of forest. The 10-year average for the period up to May 6 is 84 fires burning 105 hectares. As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, there were no out-of-control fires in the province, compared with six Tuesday night. …New Brunswick’s wildfire season begins in early April and continues through the summer. Last year, several fires resulted in restrictions on forest trail use. In Moncton, municipal fire departments joined with provincial firefighters. …“Record-low precipitation, minimal snowpack, and prolonged drought have pushed fire risks higher than normal,” the Department of Natural Resources said.
