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US Home Builders Cite Impact of Tariff Uncertainty on Home Building

Tariff uncertainty from the Trump administration continues to impact home builders across the country, as builders prepare for potential price hikes and supply chain issues. …Lumber remains a primary concern, with countervailing and antidumping duties expected to more than double this fall. Steve Martinez, president of Tradewinds General Contracting in Boise, Idaho, recently spoke with CNBC to emphasize just how much lumber goes into the construction of a new home. “This entire house is built out of wood,” Martinez said. “I mean, we really do have wood on the floor, wood on the walls, wood on the ceiling. Can’t really get away from building a house like this without using a large number of wood products in the home.” As a result, price increases to lumber can cause a huge disruption for home builders. And lack of certainty adds complexity to the home-building process.

BC First Nations Forestry Council awards Tsideldel’s Percy Guichon

Tsideldel First Nation councillor Percy Guichon has been recognized for his dedication to forestry in the Cariboo Chilcotin region. The BC First Nations Forestry Council announced Guichon, also the CEO of Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation, received the Innovation Award, one of the BCFNFC’s Forestry Awards of Excellence. “This prestigious award recognizes Percy’s outstanding leadership in advancing Indigenous-led forest stewardship and creating a collaborative, culturally grounded land management model in British Columbia,” noted a Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation news release. “Many people from our Nations have carried the responsibility of caring for our lands and resources since time immemorial,” said Lennard Joe, Chief Executive Officer of the BC First Nations Forestry Council …Guichon said he is honoured to receive this award on behalf of the team at Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd., and the Nations that comprise this joint venture.

EU releases controversial EUDR country risk benchmarking amid fierce environmental criticism

The European Commission has released its much-anticipated country benchmarking under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) roughly one month ahead of schedule, marking a key milestone in its enforcement. The benchmarking system classifies countries into “low risk,” “standard risk,” or “high risk” categories based on the likelihood that commodities sourced from these regions contribute to deforestation and forest degradation. However, the benchmarking has immediately drawn strong criticism from environmental groups. Mighty Earth branded the system a “farce” and accused the European Commission of prioritising political convenience over genuine environmental protection. …Mighty Earth points out that some of the world’s highest deforestation hotspots — including Brazil, Bolivia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo — have been omitted from the high-risk list. Meanwhile, countries with documented deforestation issues, such as Canada, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, and Romania, have been labelled low risk. [The United States appears in this list under the “low risk category”].

In related coverage:

• European Commission: Commission publishes country benchmarking to help fight deforestation [scroll down]
• Reuters: EU brands just four countries as ‘high risk’ under deforestation law

The next hold on climb to Cube 2.0’s new centre achieved in grant fund disbursement

The vision for the city’s sustainable climbing centre has received a sizable boost. Cube 2.0: Sustainable Climbing Centre and mass timber social enterprise project was awarded nearly $400,000 ($399,804) for engineering and design activities for “The Cube 2.0,” led by the Kootenay Climbing Association. Through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program grant funding, the Cube 2.0 will be an innovative climbing centre that stimulates growth in the mass timber manufacturing sectors by utilizing mass timber and showcasing local timber processing industries. Construction is tentatively set for fall 2026 as a mass timber build, using local resources to cut down on the carbon footprint.

Woodrise 2025 Announces Full Program Ahead of September Global Congress in Vancouver

VANCOUVER – The world’s leading forum on sustainable wood construction is returning to Canada this fall. Woodrise 2025 will welcome industry and government leaders from more than 25 countries to Vancouver from September 22 to 25, 2025. The fifth edition of the biennial international Woodrise congress will explore how sustainable mid- and high-rise wood construction can help address the world’s most pressing challenges—from climate adaptation and wildfire resilience to housing affordability and sustainable community growth. This year’s theme, Building Smarter with Wood: Sustainable Solutions to Resilient Communities and Housing, reflects a shared urgency to build better, faster and more responsibly. Organized by FPInnovations, in collaboration with the Province of British Columbia, France’s Institut Technologique Forêt Cellulose Bois-construction Ameublement and Japan’s International Association for the Industry of Urban Development, Woodrise 2025 brings together leading architects, engineers, developers, researchers and policymakers.

BC leading Canada on methane reduction, says analysis

BC’s goal to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector is two years ahead of schedule, a new analysis has found. Released by the Pembina Institute Thursday, the report found the province was the only one in Canada to meet its 2025 oil and gas methane emissions reduction target. Between 2014 and 2023, natural gas production in B.C. grew 67%. But over that same period, methane emissions associated with the industry fell 51% — surpassing the 45% reduction goal the province set for itself for 2025. The progress is a positive sign for the industry at a time the carbon intensity of imports is becoming increasingly important to trading partners like the European Union, United Kingdom, South Korea and Japan, said Amanda Bryant, with the Pembina Institute. …“BC has shown that you can succeed in regulating methane gas emissions in a way that benefits instead of harms industry.”

Announcing Forest Safety Awareness Week

Based on last year’s success, the BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) is once again partnering with Tree Frog Forestry News to host Forest Safety Awareness Week, May 26 – 30. Each day will feature a series of articles highlighting safety in forestry with a focus on the importance of forest safety practices across the province and across Canada brought to you by Tree Frog News, BCFSC, and Tree Frog News sponsors.

These articles will provide practical information, news, and trends relevant to forest worker safety. Please join us in sharing this important material with your colleagues and within your communities and help us reach our collective goal of ensuring every forestry worker goes home safe, every day.

Thanks to the collective efforts of the forest sector, we have proven that when we work together, we can reach new milestones in improved safety culture and performance.

On behalf of BCFSC, we would like to thank you for your individual and collective efforts to ensure that every worker goes home safe, everyday.

Paul Mackie named Cedar Champion by the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association

This year, I get to present the Cedar Champion Award to Paul Mackie of the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association. Paul is working for our co-operative marketing organization with a laser focus on ensuring Cedar makes it into projects and markets that will not only work for the members today, but will build the reputation of the association and the species. This triumvirate of Cedar Champions are very different people with very different career paths, but all three share the same trait – they are mission driven individuals who believed that cedar needed to be handled a certain way and never let the easy solutions supplant the right one.

I will try to give a brief and moderately accurate history of Paul’s path to cedar champion status. Like many of us, Paul’s journey in the lumber industry is rooted in family. His Great Grandfather was involved in two Seattle area shingle mills in the early 1900s that ran until the 60’s. His father was in the business as well and upon his return from the great war he ran a pine mill in Tennessee and then moved back to Seattle where he worked in export to Japan, timber cruising, owned shingle mills and a lumber yard. He formed Lumbermen’s communication in the 1950s and worked as the executive director for the Western Lumber Marketing Association. In 1961, Paul’s family moved to Eugene where his dad eventually formed Wood Traders with Paul as a partner.

Paul worked in the business through school in plywood mills. He was an English Lit major with plans to become a lawyer. He graduated college in 1973 and passed the LSAT, but his bridge habit hurt his GPA, so law school wasn’t to be. When he graduated, he gave up his $900/month plywood mill job for a $600/month white collar job trading hemlock that was already in transit on the rails. He told me that at United Alpine, they were competing with Seaboard hemlock that was going through the Panama Canal from BC. The hemlock he sold was already moving – they may have 100 or so items to sell and 99 were on a moving box car.

He worked for Bittle then United Alpine for about 3 years, then he took this knowledge to Wood Traders where he partnered with his dad. They were selling Fir, Hemlock and SPF from mills to US lumber yards. The business was predicated on using the set cost per hundred BF to get wood from the west coast to the mid west or east coast. In 1980, the Staggers Rail Act changed who was in control and the set rates and rail routing were out the window. This was bad news for Wood Traders and eventually they were forced to close up shop around 1985. It did have a silver lining, however as it was the cause of a heated argument between paul and the traffic manager at Willamette Industries – Roberta. Roberta and Paul have been married since the early 80’s and still haven’t settled the argument. After Wood Traders, Paul spent a decade at Dunn and Bradstreet in Seattle underwriting accounts receivables before he interviewed for the WRCLA in 1995. His first role with the association was a 13-month contract position to build purchase displays, replenish literature and do training at retail locations. Back in those days, he might be allotted 10 minutes in the aisle of a Home Depot to do the training.

The association hired Paul as it had received a $1M grant from the Canadian Government to market cedar in the wake of a massive LP Sawdust composite siding failure that paid out almost $1 billion. When Paul’s program was a success and the funding was extended another 6 months, the WRCLA board decided to make Paul’s position as northwest field rep permanent. Paul was hired by Ken McClelland and learned about cedar under Arnie Nebblesick who was the first WRCLA Staff members when it spit from the WWPA. Paul was a sponge and got inspiration form Arnie and Ken, passionate cedar folks like Doug Nelson and the other field reps – Arnie, Tony, Steve, and now Jay. Paul has developed a reputation as a take no prisoners cedar specifier. When Paul sees an iconic job being designed that could go cedar or could go elsewhere, his pit bull teeth get into that bone and never let go. When New York University was designing a job that could only be cedar if it was straight 16’s of FSC certified 5/4×10 VG, FSC Certified, Fire Treated… most walked away, but Paul made sure the job ultimately was done in Cedar and that the spec was made more realistic. The Sandy high school in Portland now displays over $500K worth of western red cedar thanks to 3 years and hundreds of interactions of determined effort from Paul. When architects went away from v-joint to flush and began having problems with gaps forming in flush joint T&G, he relentlessly pushed fine line reveal – and now it’s everywhere.

Paul works very hard on projects and to advocate for his members and his species, but I can say from my own experience he expects all of us to work just as hard to represent the species properly. Paul works for the members, but he has never been afraid to manage up to the members – I think everyone in this room knows what I’m talking about. Paul has lived and breathed cedar for nearly 30 years. Every day he seeks to convert someone new into a cedar champion. Paul has shown what a field rep can do when they are mission driven. The board and executive will look to add additional field reps in the near future and that is in no small part because we have watched Paul punch above his weight class for 3 decades. All of us in the association have benefited from Paul’s passion and integrity.

Lyackson First Nation, Cowichan Tribes, B.C. complete land transfer

Culturally significant land in the Cowichan Valley has been returned to Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes communities, a reconciliation landmark between the Nations and B.C. The lands that are now in possession of the Nations are near an existing Cowichan Tribes Indian Reserve known as Skutz Falls IR8 and adds to an area that has historically been used by the Nations for gathering, harvesting and other activities of cultural importance for their communities. “The acquisition of this parcel of land could not have been made possible without the commitment of British Columbia, our kinship ties with Cowichan Tribes and willing seller Mosaic,” said Hereditary Chief Laxele’wuts’aat Chief Shana Thomas of Lyackson First Nation. 

Additional coverage in Victoria Buzz by Curtis Blandy: BC returns land back to Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes on Vancouver Island

Mosaic’s 2025 Wildfire Prevention Strategy Prioritizes Community Safety and Forest Health

An early start to the fire season on private forest lands underscores the need for careful planning, investment in protection, and collaboration with communities. An early May fire that began on private lands managed by Mosaic serves as a reminder that wildfire season is here. An unattended campfire is believed to be the cause of the three-hectare wildfire that started near Campbell River. Fortunately, a collaborative effort between local fire departments, BC Wildfire Service, and Mosaic prevented the fire from spreading to nearby homes and businesses. The early season wildfire highlights the importance of being responsive and ready. In a recent Mosaic survey, wildfire risk from human activity was a leading concern for those recreating on private managed forest land. “As a responsible landowner and neighbour, Mosaic is committed to fortifying all lines of defence to help ensure the safety of our communities, landscapes, and resources,” said Steve Mjaaland, Mosaic’s Manager of Forest Protection.

Additional coverage in the Comox Valley Record by Brendan Jure: Mosaic Forest Management releases 2025 Wildfire Prevention Strategy

Groups recruiting ranchers willing to help limber pine, with funding support available

Southern Alberta — This season, Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada and Waterton Biosphere Region are recruiting ranchers willing to help limber pine by testing the effectiveness of identified beneficial management practices for grazing in limber pine habitats. Funding support is available to address potential costs of implementing such practices. Endangered limber pines face threats from white pine blister rust (an introduced fungal disease), mountain pine beetle, changing fire regimes, climate change and human development. Populations are now declining much faster than they are regenerating. Conserving this slow-growing species requires ongoing planting efforts over the long term to ensure rust-resistant seedlings and trees are distributed across their range.

B.C. mayors raise concerns over what could be very active wildfire season

With drought and tinder dry conditions hitting many parts of the province, a number of municipal mayors are raising concerns about yet another potentially record-breaking wildfire season in B.C. Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell, who has seen flames dance around his community for years, says current temperatures are well above normal. “We are in drought conditions up here. We are expecting an above normal, higher risk wildfire season for sure,” he said. …Mayor Barbara Roden has lived in Ashcroft for 28 years. She says, given the fire seasons in the last several years, fear now hangs over residents. …she says the increasingly extreme heat facing this province year after year is also becoming an equally serious concern. A sentiment understood and echoed by Lytton Mayor Denise O’Connor. She moved back to her family home not that long ago after the village was leveled by a massive wildfire during the 2021 heat dome.

British Columbia, it’s time for us to step up

…Wildland firefighters put it all on the line during the wildfire season, but they can’t do it alone. The majority of wildfires right now are caused by human activity… Whether you live in Fort Nelson, Sicamous, Kelowna, Maple Ridge or Langford, we all have a role to play. One of the most impactful ways to build wildfire resilient communities is by participating in FireSmart activities like clearing the debris from your yard, trimming trees and shrubs, storing firewood away from buildings, and making sure your property is accessible to emergency crews. But don’t stop there. When you’re using fire on your property, make sure you’re doing it safely. Put out your campfire when you leave your site and follow all open fire prohibitions. These simple actions save lives. …Let’s protect what matters. Let’s honour the work of our wildland firefighters by doing our part. British Columbia, it’s time for us to step up. We’re in this together.

No going back: The fight to save Saskatchewan’s forests

It doesn’t look like much from the grid road. Just an approach with deep tire ruts chewed into the summer Saskatchewan mud, tall jack pine and spruce trees clustered at its opening like a gateway. But if you walk past that first line of trees and down the narrow working trail, it fans out into a pocket of open space. Scattered there are stumps, piles of dirt and roughage, logs that are too small or too large stacked to the side — the aftermath of a logging sweep, both bare and messy. That pocket opens further into a clearing, a few hundred acres in size, that was logged the spring before. Grass now pokes through the churned-up dirt; grasshoppers chirp in the still July heat. Across the clearing, even if you can’t see it through the trees that dot the far side, is the northern town of Big River, Sask. It’s just a few hundred metres away.

West Fraser logging plan sparks debate over trails, wildlife, and water

When outdoor enthusiasts Jeff Woodgate, Shaun Peter and Joey Reinhardt learned of West Fraser Timber Cochrane’s plans to harvest parts of their beloved forests near Moose Mountain and West Bragg Creek, they didn’t sit back. Fueled by a deep connection to the land and a sense of urgency, the trio founded Guardians of Recreational Outdoor Wilderness (GROW) and launched a petition to cancel the logging plans. Their message struck a chord. Today, more than 20,000 people have signed in support of preserving these cherished landscapes… After listening to public concerns, West Fraser reduced the scope of its plan by 37 per cent, now targeting 556 hectares — 268 in West Bragg Creek and 288 in Moose Mountain. According to West Fraser, the revised plan will now affect only five of 26 trails, with just 2.1 km directly impacted. Another 18.3 km of trail — about 17 per cent of the network — falls within 50 metres of harvest areas.

Lheidli T’enneh, BC Parks break ground on Ancient Forest enhancement project

Improvements are coming to the Ancient Forest, one hour east of Prince George. The Enhancement Project is funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – Community, Culture, and Recreation Program, with a total project cost of approximately $8.7 million. The Ancient Forest Provincial Park, known as Chun T’oh Whudujut in the Dakelh language, is one of the world’s few inland temperate rainforests, and was saved from logging in 2005… The project was originally funded in late 2019, and was expected to be finished by March of this year. However, it faced significant delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which disrupted planning and operations. This was followed by the tragic loss of both the Project Coordinator and Project Manager due to cancer, resulting in a loss of leadership and continuity.

B.C.’s first fossil fuel-free, zero-carbon hospital set to open in 2027

The new Cowichan District Hospital will be British Columbia’s first fossil fuel-free hospital, Island Health announced on Earth Day, April 22. The new hospital is under construction on Bell McKinnon Road near Duncan on Vancouver Island and is scheduled to open in 2027. It is also Canada’s first hospital to achieve Zero Carbon Building – Design certification from the Canada Green Building Council. “We’re building hospitals that will care for people in our communities for generations,” said Bowinn Ma, B.C.’s minister of Infrastructure. “This certification shows that through innovative design, we can create hospitals that support the well-being of families and a sustainable future.”.. The hospital’s leading-edge sustainability measures will free up resources for patient care while supporting patient and staff well-being and delivering environmental benefits.

Province invests millions in new uses for forestry by-products

The adage that one person’s waste is another’s treasure was proved true on Wednesday, May 21, when the province announced millions in investments in forestry biomass. Forestry biomass refers to forestry by-products that are not used in traditional wood-processing industries like sawing, veneering and pulp and paper. Examples include: crowns, branches, bark, sawdust, wood shavings, and wood chips. It is used in everything from food additives to building materials. It also has many emerging uses, including renewable natural gas, bioplastics and hydrogen, considered to be responsible alternatives to carbon-intensive products. The government says their aim is to protect workers and jobs in the forestry sector… The program has invested up to $20 million each year in projects to increase wood harvest, create forest sector opportunity and find new uses for wood in collaboration with stakeholders, industry and Indigenous communities. Find the press release here.

Weyerhaeuser to Sell Princeton, BC Lumber Mill to Gorman Group

Weyerhaeuser announced it has reached an agreement to sell its lumber mill in Princeton, BC, to the Gorman Group, owners of Gorman Bros. Lumber. The purchase price is approximately Cnd$120 million, which includes Weyerhaeuser’s manufacturing facility and all associated timber license assets in BC. …Weyerhaeuser and Gorman Group have a long-standing relationship in Canada. Gorman Bros. Lumber is currently the Princeton mill’s largest customer, and Gorman Group has operated in Canada for more than 75 years, with offices and facilities in B.C. and Washington state. Devin W. Stockfish, CEO for Weyerhaeuser, said “Gorman has been a great customer and strategic partner, and we believe this will be a seamless transition.” …”Weyerhaeuser’s Princeton operation will be a natural fit with the Gorman Group,” says Nick Arkle, CEO of the Gorman Group. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review, with the sale of the mill expected to be completed in third-quarter 2025, and the forest tenures to follow over the ensuing months. 

In related coverage: 

• Government of BC: Minister’s statement on Gorman Group’s mill purchase
• Vancouver Sun: Gorman Group buys Princeton lumber mill from Weyerhaeuser

Psychological health and safety — Joint committee requirements

In this edition of the WorkSafeBC Health and Safety News you’ll find:

• Learn how promoting psychological health and safety can help you experience stronger employee engagement, greater productivity, and decreased conflict and turnover.
• Making a WorkSafeBC Claim – If you’re injured on the job, this resource explains what you need to do to file a claim. 
• Online services – Whether you’re an employer, a worker, or a health care or service provider, you can use our online services to access your account information.
• Prevent falls from heights – With outdoor construction ramping up, we’re reminding employers that falls from heights continue to be a leading cause of workplace injuries and fatalities. 
• Safety information session for drivers of commercial vehicles — June 11 – Burnaby RCMP, in partnership with WorkSafeBC, is hosting a safety information session in Delta on June 11. 

 

Wildsight commends BC Timber Sales promise to protect caribou habitat

Wildsight is applauding BC Timber Sales for its commitment to pause new development in forests that are critical to the ongoing survival of endangered deep-snow caribou in the Revelstoke-Shuswap region. The decision, which was communicated to Wildsight via email, will help safeguard the future of the Columbia North caribou herd, one of the last remaining southernmost herds in British Columbia. “BC Timber Sales controls important caribou habitat within their tenures in the Revelstoke-Shuswap region,” said Wildsight Conservation Specialist Eddie Petryshen. “This is a significant move and it sets a precedent for other licensees to stop logging core habitat in this region.” Logging poses one of the biggest threats to the future of the Columbia North herd, which has only a third of its core habitat protected despite the draft federal recovery strategy determining that 100% should be protected.

Carney won the election battle, but the trade war is far from over

The election result was a personal triumph for Prime Minister Mark Carney with generous assistance from Donald Trump. Instead of being a verdict on the dismal Liberal decade of slow growth, low productivity and investment, and declining competitiveness, it quickly became a referendum on who would be the best leader to withstand the tariff attacks and disrespectful challenges against Canada’s independence by America’s mercurial president. …The best answer would be concrete plans to stimulate economic growth and improve productivity, competitiveness and investment. …There should be no rush to negotiate with the U.S. until we clarify what its objectives are regarding Canada. The trust factor remains an open question. …US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum should be sought out as rational members of the U.S. cabinet to dialogue with, as opposed to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

New funding strengthens rural and Indigenous communities

Local governments, First Nations and not-for-profit organizations throughout British Columbia are receiving funding to promote economic diversification, clean-economy opportunities and infrastructure development. “We’re partnering with rural community leaders to invest in the future of their local economies,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “By helping fund impactful projects throughout the province, we’re supporting people and helping their communities to flourish.” The Government of B.C is investing as much as $43 million from the third intake of the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP) toward more than 130 projects that will strengthen local economies, create an estimated 2,200 jobs and make a positive impact for people and communities across rural areas of the province.

Alberta’s caribou conundrum

Is the Alberta government hell-bent on eliminating what remains of the two caribou herds that live in the mountains just north of Jasper National Park? Looking at the province’s recently released draft management plan for the Upper Smoky area, one might think that is the case. Let’s set this up: the motivation behind the sub-regional plan in the first place was to convince the federal government that the province was doing a good job of caribou conservation. Spoiler alert: they haven’t! Meanwhile, I can’t help but think of the irony that… the company which stands to benefit the most is a US-based forestry corporation, Weyerhaeuser. …For decades now, provincial governments have been promising to conserve and rehabilitate caribou habitat. And for decades, those governments have not made good on those promises. As discussed in previous Jasper Local articles, for caribou to have a chance, they need some space.

Expanding the Glulam Sector in BC

The global market for mass timber is growing… An emerging opportunity for made-in Canada engineered wood products may be glulam beams and glue laminated timber panels composed of western hemlock and amabilis fir, known as hem-fir. “However, the obstacle to the use of glulam made from BC/Canadian hem-fir comes from both the lack of technical evidence on the strength properties of hem-fir glulam and limitations stemming from current CSA Group standards,” states UBC Forestry Prof. Frank Lam, Chair of Wood Building Design and Construction, who is conducting research. …Western Forest Products is collaborating to test novel applications for hem-fir, particularly in key growth product categories, such as glulam. …“The tree species mix and age profiles are changing in BC and will result in a larger proportion of available stands of western hemlock,” states Mark Dubois-Phillips, Director of Marketing and Product Management with Western.

Domtar nears decision on converting Quebec mill to containerboard

Domtar appears close to making a final decision about whether to convert its newsprint mill in Gatineau, Quebec, to a containerboard mill. …Last week, Unifor concluded labor negotiations with Domtar regarding the Gatineau site, and the final contract will likely be published by month’s end, said Daniel Cloutier, Unifor Quebec director. As part of the labor arrangement, agreed not to bargain, lock out or strike for eight years — on the condition that Domtar would move forward with the mill conversion, Cloutier said. Domtar agreed to proceed with the mill conversion investment, Cloutier said, although the company has not issued a final decision. Unifor anticipates that should come by autumn, if not earlier. …”one thing that could help them to make that decision was the guarantee that they will have no conflicts at [the] Gatineau plant while they proceed with the construction of the new facility,” he said.

Wildfires push tropical forest destruction to 20-year high

Wildfires push tropical forest destruction to 20-year high in 2024, just as EU delays anti-deforestation rules. In related news: the long shadow of of last summer’s Jasper wildfire; the downside of merging the US wildland firefighting agencies; and the wildfire evacuation order in Northwest Ontario is lifted. Meanwhile: BC Timber Sales pauses logging in caribou habitat; and Indigenous groups send eviction notice to Quebec forest companies.

In Business news: Domtar nears decision on converting Quebec mill to containerboard; the US budget bill may cut funds for private forest owners; US single-family home size trends higher; the outlook for US housing and duties keep lumber prices volatile; and the Canadian Institute of Forestry’s Executive Director Mark Pearson is retiring.

Finally, both Swinerton  and Mercer celebrate mass timber building completion milestones.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

BC Timber Sales pauses logging in threatened caribou habitat

The B.C. government-run corporation responsible for administering a fifth of the province’s annual logging quota says it will pause new operations that overlap with habitat of a threatened caribou herd north of Revelstoke. The pause is expected to last until planning has restarted or government gives BCTS direction, a BCTS planning forester wrote. “We are not operating within caribou core areas,” the email reads. …A statement from the Ministry of Forests said the logging pause was part of a collaboration with First Nations, industry, as well as local and federal governments. …Eddie Petryshen, a conservation specialist with Wildsight, said about 112,000 hectares of BCTS tenure overlap in some way with critical habitat of the Columbia North caribou herd. …Logging has combined with oil and gas exploration to carve up forests across B.C., opening up paths for predators to hunt mountain caribou.

Evacuation alert lifted in district

A drop in temperatures and some precipitation has reduced the fire hazard in the region, prompting an evacuation alert in the Northwest to be lifted. On Sunday, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) lifted an evacuation alert issued last week for the Fort Frances District. The alert was implemented due to a 3,500-hectare fire burning south of Atikokan. There has been no growth observed in that fire for several days and precipitation and cooler weather has reduced fire behaviour. An evacuation order remains in effect for an area northwest of Kenora near the Ontario and Manitoba border due to the wildfire designated Kenora 20. It is a 400-square-kilometre fire burning south of Wabaseemoong First Nation that is not considered under control. The community of Wabaseemoong First Nation was evacuated late last week and structural protection efforts remain ongoing.

Indigenous groups send eviction notice to Quebec forestry companies

Two Indigenous organizations have issued eviction notices to a number of Quebec forestry companies in the province’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, Mauricie and Côte-Nord regions. The Mamo alliance and the Association des Gardiens du territoire Nehirowisiw Aski sent the notices to 11 companies. The notices ordered the companies to immediately remove their workers and equipment from unceded Indigenous territory. The letters are a response to the Quebec government’s proposed forestry reform, which has drawn opposition from environmentalists and First Nations. The reform would include creating so-called “priority forest management zones” set aside for the logging industry.

Mark Pearson, Canadian Institute of Forestry Executive Director on his retirement

After five meaningful and rewarding years, I’ve officially retired as Executive Director of the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF-IFC). As I reflect on this chapter, I’m filled with gratitude. After 35 years in the federal public service and 20 years as an executive, I took on this role at the CIF-IFC with a desire to contribute to something I deeply care about. The past five years have been both challenging and transformational. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside an incredible community of dedicated volunteers, National Office team, and sector leaders. Together, we’ve navigated change, strengthened the Institute’s foundation, and helped position the organization for the future. In that time, I’ve seen the potential for CIF-IFC—and the sector—to be a national leader in inclusive, science-informed, sustainable forestry practices. The groundwork is there: greater collaboration, emerging leadership, and growing awareness of the role sustainable forestry plays in climate resilience and community well-being.

It could all go up in flames: Why Banff and Bow Valley face mounting wildfire peril

The agony of last summer’s Jasper wildfire casts a long shadow across the Bow Valley. The blaze left a smouldering $1.23 billion in devastating costs to the Jasper area, while also leaving experts predicting — and residents worrying — that other pristine mountain communities such as Banff and Canmore could be next. …“It’s just so primed to burn, you can’t stop it — I don’t think Banff has time,” Cliff White, a former Parks Canada forestry scientist said last summer. …With the lack of follow-up on tending to prescribed burn areas and other breaks “we are doing about one-fifth of what needs to be done just for maintenance, and given the backlog of biomass accumulated, we are at about one-tenth of what should be done for the next two to three decades,” said the Cliff White.

Spruce budworm: Pest’s persistent presence concerns Sundre-area horticulturalist

SUNDRE – While the persistent, multi-year presence of a destructive pest known as spruce budworm has been noted by Alberta Forestry and Parks, an entomologist for the provincial government said the localized impact is not yet considered an epidemic. “We mapped some minor infestations that are on private land south of the Sundre area,” said Forest Health Specialist Caroline Whitehouse. …“From what we’re seeing from our aerial overview surveys – that’s the primary way that we are doing monitoring for spruce budworm – we’re not seeing what we would call an epidemic at this point,” she said. …Asked whether there are any regions in the province where there might be an epidemic unfolding, she said the department’s data from 2024 does not indicate as much. …Steve Bouchet, owner of Everblue Nursery said he is less worried about his own tree farm. …“But it’s also a forest fire risk.

Why no one in B.C. knows exactly how many black bears there are

They’re common subjects of news stories and interaction with humans and urban areas. But how common is the black bear in B.C.? Wildlife advocates say the answer is far from clear, and better data is required to help and understand the species, many of whom are destroyed as a result of becoming habituated to human food. “I want some more pressure on the government to address this big knowledge gap that we just don’t know how many we have,” said registered professional biologist Helen Davis with Artemis Wildlife Consultants. “We don’t know if we’re hunting too many, if we’re killing too many through conflict.” …Biologists like Davis, who, along with First Nations, want bear dens in old-growth forests protected with provincewide legislation, say there could be a misconception that a key species with ecological and cultural value is plentiful when the data to support that is outdated or even dubious.

Whistler confronts wildfire uncertainty with bold new plans and collaborative science

With fire season arriving earlier and burning longer each year, Whistler is pushing forward with a suite of new wildfire risk mitigation measures—ranging from forest fuel-thinning and emergency planning to updated bylaws and collaborative research. At the heart of the work is a recognition wildfires are no longer rare events, but a growing threat made worse by climate change. “We are acutely aware that the wildfire risk is rising in Whistler and it’s the single biggest climate change related risk and vulnerability for all of us here,” said the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) manager of climate and environment Luisa Burhenne at the May 13 council meeting. The RMOW has treated more than 100 hectares of high-risk forest, representing about one-third of its 2030 target.

Spruce budworm: Pest’s persistent presence concerns Sundre-area horticulturalist

While the persistent, multi-year presence of a destructive pest known as spruce budworm has been noted by Alberta Forestry and Parks, an entomologist for the provincial government said the localized impact is not yet considered an epidemic. “We mapped some minor infestations that are on private land south of the Sundre area,” said Forest Health Specialist Caroline Whitehouse. “That kind of extends along that narrow band of spruce between the public forest and private land all the way west of Diamond Valley,” Whitehouse said. “And then it does peak into the Kananaskis forest area a little bit, but it’s really quite minor in that region”… Steve Bouchet, owner of Everblue Nursery who first established a plantation near Sundre in 1996, said he is less worried about his own tree farm where he can deploy mitigation strategies to attack the aggressive pest but harbours concern about damage trees in the greater area could suffer.

Wildfire response training should be made available to more civilians, experts say

As wildfire season begins in Ontario, some experts say more civilians in northern and remote regions should be given training and opportunities to become wildfires response volunteers, despite liability concerns. The province saw over 475 fires last year that scorched 90,000 hectares, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. …Fighting wildfires is usually done by firefighters hired or contracted by Ontario or other provincial governments — and in worse cases the Canadian Armed Forces help out. But giving residents the capacity to respond as well is something that could reduce the impact of wildfires, says Jason Thistlethwaite, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo’s school of environment. …The problem is that responders and municipalities have issued advice against it because of the liability concerns, he said.

Logging, pruning and anxiety in Banff ahead of first summer since Jasper wildfire

BANFF — Looking out over a budding meadow with blackened tree stumps on the edge of Banff National Park, Cliff White points to a dark thicket of trees where the empty plot ends. “The next fire in here is going to be incredible,” says the former Parks Canada fire management co-ordinator, standing in the expansive Carrot Creek fire break. …The Rockies are facing another year of drought conditions. …In the race to mitigate the damage from future fires, stewards of Alberta’s parks have turned to loggers to create fire guards like Carrot Creek. The areas are designed to starve a fire of fuel and create enough empty land for embers to fizzle out on the ground. …Each fire break represents the start of a new ecosystem that Parks Canada will need to maintain.

Regional District of Central Kootenay gives conditional approval to Spearhead re-zoning

The Regional District of Central Kootenay has tentatively voted in favour of a planned expansion for wood products manufacturer Spearhead on the North Shore, but held off on a final decision until a pair of conditions are met. …After several months of information-gathering and three public hearings, the RDCK board decided at its May 15 meeting that it needs two further pieces of information in order to finally decide on the zoning….First, the RDCK requires approval of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure regarding the details of highway access to the proposed facility. Second, the board has asked that a covenant be prepared and placed on the title of the property that would require Spearhead to comply with the recommendations of a professional environmental consultant before a building permit is issued.

Industry group questions ‘vague scope’ of new B.C. forestry council

The B.C. Council of Forest Industries (COFI) says it isn’t sure why the province has created a new forestry council with a “vague scope and mandate” when there are already multiple working groups focused on the troubled resource sector. On Thursday, the province announced the formation of the Provincial Forest Advisory Council, which it says is expected to “provide recommendations to support forest ecosystems at the same time as helping the forestry sector.” …However, COFI says the province already has multiple working groups, reports, reviews and initiatives that have yet to be fully implemented. “We are not totally sure what the overall objective and need for it [the new council] is, COFI president Kim Haakstad said in an interview with CBC News. …Green Party House leader Rob Botterell says forestry has always been a key part of the provincial economy, but its future depends on sustainable and long-term ecological stewardship.

Additional coverage in CFJC Today Kamloops, by Michael Reeve: MLA Stamer looking for more diversity on provincial forest advisory council