Lawrence Herman
The US has pressured Canada to scrap supply management before USMCA negotiations have even begun. Telling the Americans to go fly a kite… would mean narrow agriculture interests could imperil improvements in the entire Canada-US trading framework. But let’s assume for argument’s sake that intense pressure from the Americans results in agreeing to increased US dairy imports. …To prepare for this, these industries need to pivot. …Ironic as it seems, it’s the US softwood lumber industry that offers a model for Canadian dairy. For more than 40 years, US softwood producers have successfully used countervailing duties to fight Canadian imports. …These efforts have borne fruit, resulting in decades of countervailing duties on Canadian imports. …The trade remedy option makes eminent sense. Why? Because U.S. dairy producers are heavily subsidized and their exports would almost certainly contravene both the WTO’s Subsidies & Countervailing Measures Agreement and the USMCA itself. [to access the full story a Globe subscription is required]
The Trump administration is demanding what amounts to an “entry fee” from Canada to engage in trade talks toward a revised Canada-United States-Mexico Free Trade Agreement (CUSMA), four sources said. “The Americans are setting conditions before negotiations begin,” said one high-ranking individual. The US demand was also confirmed by former Quebec premier Jean Charest, who was appointed to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new advisory committee on Canada-US economic relations. …On the US side, there are suggestions that Canada should try to get Trump’s attention by making an immediate concession, especially since the president is juggling several major issues right now. However, Canadian sources said they have twice offered concessions to the US administration without receiving anything in return. …Former Canadian diplomat Louise Blais, in her capacity as a strategic advisor to the Canadian Council on International Affairs, said the Americans “perceive Canada as unwilling to come to the table.”
Canada’s new government is forging a new economic and security relationship with the United States. Prime Minister Carney has secured the best deal of any major U.S. trading partner – 85% of our trade with the United States remains tariff-free, the lowest average tariff rate in the world. As Canada approaches the Joint Review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), our aim is to preserve that unique Canadian advantage and to build on it. To that end, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, today announced the creation of the new Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations. The committee will serve as a forum for expertise and strategy on all aspects of the Canada-U.S. economic relationship. The Advisory Committee will include leaders from major sectors of the Canadian economy, representing extensive experience in business, investment, trade, and labour. It will be chaired by the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy, Dominic LeBlanc.
The Trump administration has begun processing refunds for billions of dollars in tariffs that the US Supreme Court struck down in February. In what is to be the biggest repayment programme in history, companies can apply online for money they were charged under the “Liberation Day” tariffs – plus interest – to be returned. …But individual consumers, who were hit by the tariffs indirectly through higher prices, are not expected to be compensated. …”All importers of record whose entries were subject to IEEPA duties are entitled to the benefit” from the high court’s ruling, Judge Richard Eaton wrote. As of early April, more than 56,000 importers had completed the necessary steps to apply for refunds online when the portal opened, with their claims worth $127bn. The portal, known as the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (Cape), went live on Monday. 
Canada-United States Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said the government wants to resolve trade frictions with the Trump administration as part of a comprehensive agreement, rather than through “one-off” deals. LeBlanc said the irritants U.S. officials raise privately are the same ones they’ve outlined publicly. A recent report by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s office flagged Canada’s supply-managed dairy system, regulations affecting major US technology firms and other long-standing trade concerns. “If we’re going to resolve some of these issues that Ambassador Greer referred to, Canada is ready and willing to do that work,” LeBlanc said. But he said any progress must come as part of a “larger agreement” that would ease pressure on tariff-affected sectors of Canada’s economy and provide greater certainty around the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement review process. The minister’s comments shine a light on the strategic considerations of the US, Canada and Mexico in the trade discussions.
Researchers at the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Research Station and Louisiana State University have published a paper that investigates how the European Union Deforestation Regulations could alter global wood pellet trade patterns. The paper is titled “Wood pellet market restructuring under the European Union deforestation regulation: A dynamic spatial equilibrium analysis.” …“Our results suggest the EUDR reallocates global trade rather than reducing global production,” the researchers wrote. While the regulation succeeds in reducing the European Union’s reliance on imports and increases its share of consumption of deforestation-free products, it does not materially lower the total amount of wood pellets produced and burned worldwide. …The main economic result is a shift in trade flows, where pellets that are blocked from the European market are redirected to Asian buyers. …The large production losses projected for the US Southeast, compared to the much smaller losses for Canada.
BRUSSELS — The European Union’s trade surplus with the rest of the world shrank by 60 per cent in February as exports to the United States dropped by more than a quarter, with U.S. import tariffs of 15 per cent largely in place on EU goods. EU exports as a whole were 9.3 per cent lower in February than a year earlier, while imports were down 3.5 per cent, EU statistics office Eurostat said on Friday. The largest export decline was towards the U.S., with a drop of 26.4 per cent, while imports from the United States were 3.2 per cent lower. EU exports to China were also down. A year ago, EU exporters had begun front-loading shipments to the U.S. in anticipation of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs, inflating the export figures for early 2025 and potentially explaining February’s sharp decline. Exports to the United States in February 2025 rose by 22.4 per cent year-on-year.
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities today announced a $5 million funding opportunity to connect underutilized wood fiber with new buyers, strengthen regional supply chains and keep working forests economically viable. This effort will invest up to $1 million per year over five years in organizations that can develop durable market solutions, helping keep working forests productive and rural economies strong, especially in regions facing reduced processing capacity and shifting market conditions. An additional $500,000 is available for projects in Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont through a partnership with the Northern Border Regional Commission’s Forest Economy Initiative. When local wood markets weaken, the impact ripples across entire communities, affecting landowners, loggers, hauling businesses and manufacturers. Without reliable markets, it becomes harder to keep forests actively managed and economically viable. The Endowment expects to select three to five organizations by June 2026 for five-year agreements focused on practical market-building work.
VANCOUVER, BC – West Fraser Timber provided notice of Q1, 2026 conference call and softwood lumber duties and operational update. …The Company expects to record a $73 million non-cash charge in Q1-26 to export duty expense, representing the difference between previously recorded expense for 2024 based on CVD cash deposit rates of 2.19% and 6.85% during the year and the preliminary CVD rate released of 15.93%. …Additionally, the USDOC is processing the liquidation of ADD for the first administrative review period (AR1) covering exports between August 2017 and December 2017. Based on the liquidation rate, the Company expects to receive a refund of $15 million in 2026. Operational Update: Full operations have resumed at the Company’s Blue Ridge Alberta lumber mill following a fire in January of 2026, and production has commenced at the new lumber facility in Henderson, Texas. Manufacturing operations at the Company’s High Level, Alberta OSB mill will be concluded by the end of April.
For the second consecutive month, a leading index reported an increase in North American containerboard pricing. Month-over-month containerboard prices rose $30 per ton in April, following March’s $40 per ton increase, according to monthly data released Friday in Fastmarkets RISI’s Pulp & Paper Week publication. When also taking into consideration the $20 per ton decrease the index reported in February, containerboard pricing has a year-to-date net increase of $50 per ton. …On the boxboard front, most prices remained relatively flat in April. Solid bleached sulfate remains in oversupply, although demand was flat to slightly improved. 
US population growth slowed notably in the latest Vintage 2025 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, with the nation expanding by just 0.5% in 20251, roughly half the pace of the prior year. The deceleration was primarily driven by a sharp decline in net international migration (NIM), which dropped from 2.7 million to 1.3 million, while natural change remained relatively stable. Population gains remain concentrated in the South and parts of the West, while many areas in the Midwest and Northeast experienced slower growth or population declines. …At the county level, population growth slowed across much of the country. Among the nation’s 3,143 counties and the District of Columbia, the majority experienced decelerating population gains in 2025. …Population flows continue to shift away from the largest and most expensive counties toward smaller and less densely populated areas.
More efficient use of lumber byproducts leads to more sustainable forest management. That’s why Michigan Technological University researchers are developing a biomaterial lighter than steel and just as strong, made from leftover wood waste, that could revolutionize the lumber industry. …Xinfeng Xie, associate professor of forest biomaterials, and his team have partnered with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Waste Upcycling for Defense (WUD) program to turn scrap wood into a strong, sustainable building material. …Led by Xie, students began by using a group of wood-decay fungi, also known as xylophagous fungi, to break down lignin, the tough, rigid structural polymer in plant cell walls. This biological approach leaves behind cellulose nanofibers that are stronger than steel, and its only byproducts are carbon dioxide and water. …The project also provides a physical product that has a positive impact on the future of their industry.
“Surely old-growth logging won’t be happening in five years.” That was my belief in 2020, when I was a 17-year-old activist who — almost by accident — helped initiate the Fairy Creek blockades and the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history. …In that moment, it seemed inevitable that the old paradigm of forestry in BC would not last. Today, that old paradigm seems more entrenched than ever, with old-growth deferrals getting canceled across the province and an NDP government more focused on short-term economic development than long-term sustainability. …At this moment, the prospect of true forestry reform in BC seems bleak. But Washington protected its state-owned old-growth forests 20 years ago and maintains a thriving forest products industry today. How did they do it? And what can Washington’s success teach us about BC’s forestry predicament?
Autonomous skidders that drag felled trees around logging sites. A database detailing each tree in the forest. A screen that shows loggers which trees to cut and which to leave standing to maximize financial returns decades down the line. Weyerhaeuser, the country’s top logger and one of its oldest companies, is betting artificial intelligence can deliver these and other big changes to American forestry, which has come a long way from oxen and axes. Many applications envisioned by Weyerhaeuser executives are unique to a company that manages timberlands in the US and Canada that together cover an area roughly the size of Indiana. …Among the initiatives is the creation of a digital twin of Weyerhaeuser’s timberlands using satellite imagery, drone photography and lidar. …Weyerhaeuser is also studying semiautonomous logging equipment. At a meeting with investors, executives showed video of a driverless skidder, dragging freshly downed timber around a Southern logging site. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]
The U.S. Forest Service’s plan to close scores of research stations could threaten the nation’s wildfire readiness, many foresters fear, and erode decades of work to understand timber production, soil health, pests and diseases, watersheds and wildlife. …It’s unclear how many scientists will be affected by the transition, but it comes as part of a larger agency reorganization that is expected to move roughly 5,000 employees to new outposts. …The Forest Service has not said how much money it expects to save by closing the research stations. Many Western leaders are skeptical that the consolidated operation will be able to replicate the work of the existing research stations. …Forest Service veterans say its research program is valued by loggers and tree-huggers alike. “Nobody was asking for this,” said Robert Bonnie, undersecretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment during the Obama administration. “There was no call to do anything like this.”
Bayer CEO Bill Anderson says the German crop science and drug company is hoping to move past the long-running controversy over its Roundup weedkiller in 2026. Bayer — which acquired Roundup when it bought Monsanto in 2018 — recently announced a $7.25 billion settlement deal and is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling that could decide the product’s fate in the U.S. Anderson said that the settlement and the legal fight — which experts believe the company will win — are “major milestones” in Bayer’s turnaround. …Anderson said “This is a very important product for agriculture. It’s been demonstrated to be safe over and over again and cleared by regulators in every nation, and we’re ready to put this chapter behind us.” The Supreme Court is poised to rule on whether states have the authority to govern Roundup, or whether federal environmental regulators should control its fate.
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is laying the preliminary groundwork on a proposal to purchase a conservation easement in Lincoln, Mineral and Sanders counties that would protect 20,854 noncontiguous acres of timberland owned by Stimson Lumber Company. The proposed conservation easement, which last year was awarded a $10.2 million grant through the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program, is part of a broader 230,000-acre effort to conserve Stimson’s entire inland timber base in Washington, Idaho and Montana. If approved, the easements would ensure the land remains in timber production, guaranteeing public access while restricting development rights. “This multi-state effort will ensure that these lands continue to be managed for sustainable forestry and support the viability of regional mills through the 1.5 million board feet of merchantable Sustainable Forestry Initiative-certified timber it produces per year and generates $2.1 million,” according to the project description.
The recently announced major restructure of the US Forest Service may disrupt a number of forestry positions in Idaho. But the details as to how those positions will be affected and what work will continue or be eliminated under the plan remain unclear. Anna Webb, an entomologist and federal employee union representative based in Boise, received a notice about two weeks ago that her position in the agency would be affected. …Leaders of the federal employee union that represents Forest Service employees for the Boise, Payette, Salmon-Challis and Sawtooth national forests are concerned about the disruption to local employees as well as the potential long-term consequences to forest health. …Although Idaho’s forests are overseen by two out-of-state regional offices, many regional and some national positions are based in Idaho — all of these may be affected by the proposed restructure.
In southern Oregon they call it the “fir-mageddon” – the rapid decline of our largest and most prolific tree in the Pacific Northwest. The Douglas fir … is the most important tree species to the economy on the planet. Their ability to grow to a massive size and live for hundreds of years through all types of weather, makes it the best source for high-grade construction lumber… Douglas fir in Oregon and Washington alone make up one-quarter of the lumber industry in the United States. Since 2000, 635 acres of Douglas fir trees in our region have died — that’s roughly 175,000 trees, a trend that is only accelerating. The decline is not from the lumber industry. It’s global warming. A recent study proves is that Douglas fir trees are resilient to wildfires, but don’t fair well during a drought. During a drought they become vulnerable to a beetle that prays on distressed trees. 
A federal judge has refused to halt logging operations on a Southwest Oregon forest project that allows more than 8,000 acres of commercial timber harvest. Though a lawsuit has raised “serious questions” about errors in the environmental analysis of the Last Chance Project, those problems don’t rise to the level of warranting a preliminary injunction, said U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has authorized several timber sales to implement the Last Chance Project, which the agency finalized last year to reduce excessive forest stand density and provide a sustained log supply. Three environmental non-profits … filed a complaint alleging the project would harm the threatened spotted owl and the northwestern pond turtle, a sensitive species, contrary to several federal laws. The BLM has acknowledged there’s a discrepancy among its environmental reports about the acreage of spotted owl critical habitat that is slated for treatment.
Five years ago, a tragic and depressing environmental story unfolded when thousands of giant sequoia trees, an iconic California species that tower 300 feet high and can live for 3,000 years, were killed during multiple large wildfires that roared across the southern Sierra Nevada. The fires in 2020 and 2021 at Sequoia National Park, Sequoia National Forest and other areas burned with unprecedented intensity, killing nearly 20% of the world’s giant sequoias, and exposing the growing vulnerability of the most massive trees on the earth. …After the fires, stunned scientists, park managers and environmental groups formed a partnership to reduce the chances of similar catastrophic outcomes in the years ahead. Now, with another summer fire season looming, they say they are making encouraging progress. Since their efforts began in 2022, the partnership has thinned the overgrown brush and small trees that provide fuel for fires to burn hotter in 44 of the 94 giant sequoia groves in California.
U.S. House Republicans from Western states laid out a figurative welcome mat for the U.S. Forest Service Thursday as its chief pitched plans to whittle down the agency’s budget, move its headquarters to Salt Lake City and rely more heavily on states to manage millions of acres. “I think it’s very interesting what you’re proposing to do, and I support it,” said Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson, chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. Democrats on the budget panel grilled Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz about how billions of dollars in cuts to the agency proposed by President Donald Trump could drive up costs for states and stamp out important research. The subcommittee’s ranking Democrat, Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, said she’s deeply worried.
A dry winter has forecasters predicting a potentially active fire season in Oregon. Federal agencies are trying to minimize the threats from large wildfires by first clearing fuels near communities. Chainsaws were buzzing along Grants Pass’ Cathedral Hills Trail System this week, part of a 240-acre fuels reduction project meant to reduce the risk of wildfire amid warnings from climatologists. Grayback Forestry cut down small-diameter trees — below 8 inches for hardwoods like oak — and piled the timber to be dried out and burnt in the fall. Sean Hendrix, base manager at Grayback, said that while the trees are too wet to burn now without producing large amounts of smoke, they should be wetter. Oregon is coming off a dry winter and record-low snowpack. “In fire and fuels we talk about fuel moisture,” he said. “Live fuel moisture just three weeks ago, they were 60%. In the middle of May they should be 160% saturated.”
MONTANA — After the US Forest Service unveiled a proposal last month to give Montana’s lumber industry a “predictable” timber supply from three national forests, questions about the agency’s plan to incorporate an 82-year-old law into a modern forest-management framework abounded. Broadly speaking, the Tri-Forest Federal Sustained Yield Unit would direct the Helena-Lewis and Clark, Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Custer Gallatin national forests to supply local businesses with at least 35 million board feet of timber per year. The Forest Service is pitching the proposal as a tool to sustain local economies and encourage investment in the lumber industry for the 22-county region included in the unit. It’s necessary, the agency says, because the closure of the Pyramid Mountain Lumber sawmill and the Roseburg Wood Products facility have demonstrated the industry’s vulnerability. But at a recent hearing the Forest Service hosted in Helena, the proposal drew a mixed reception.
ARIZONA — Rim Country and the White Mountains are not alone in bracing for the 2026 fire season, which is approaching. A national April-to-July forecast shows nearly the entire Western United States faces an above-normal risk of wildfires over the next four months. Fire officials said two weeks of cloudy weather with scattered rain showers have given Northern Arizona some breathing room, but the lack of snowpack and above-normal temperatures will still result in an early start to the fire season. The National Interagency Coordination Center predicted above-normal fire threat in every Western state at some point between now and summer. Much of the Southwest faced high-risk conditions during an unusually warm March, and those hazardous conditions are expected to expand into other Western states this month. Forecasters point to record-low snowpack across much of the West. 
Despite several strong snowstorms across New Hampshire this winter and some rain in the past week, state officials warn that drought conditions persist statewide — along with an elevated risk of wildfires. The January-March period was the sixth-driest first quarter on record for the state, dating back to when measurements were first recorded in 1895, according to the New Hampshire Forest Protection Bureau. The data comes on the heels of an autumn with wildfire conditions so severe that a burn ban was declared statewide from Sept. 22 through Oct. 8. “Last year, New Hampshire experienced a 27.6% increase in the number of wildfires and a 16.8% increase in the number of acres burned,” said Chief Steven Sherman of the Forest Protection Bureau. “Many homes in New Hampshire are located in the wildland-urban interface — the area where homes and flammable wildland fuels intermix.” The U.S. Drought Monitor reports that 78% of the state is currently experiencing moderate to severe drought. 
Louisiana’s timber industry is at a critical turning point. For generations, forestry has been one of the economic backbones of our state, especially in north Louisiana. Families like mine have built their livelihoods around logging, trucking and land management. But today, that foundation is weakening — not because our forests are failing, but because our markets are. Over the past several decades, Louisiana has lost a significant portion of its wood-using infrastructure. Mill closures across north Louisiana have reduced demand for fiber, leaving a growing supply of timber without a market. While our forests continue to thrive and produce, the outlets that once supported them have steadily disappeared. …Expanding markets like pellet-to-power could help restore demand for low-grade timber, which is essential to keeping logging operations viable. These industries have the potential to sustain hundreds of jobs, increase fiber demand and bring new economic activity to rural parishes.
CONNECTICUT –Plant science researchers and the UConn Fire Department are using prescribed burns to mitigate brush fires and study the role of microbes in soil recovery to generate new insights to help Connecticut manage rising wildfire risk. …In the fall of 2024, Connecticut saw a record 605 wildfires, which burned more than 500 acres and prompted a statewide emergency declaration, a temporary burn ban, and multi‑agency firefighting support. …
Climate change is expected to alter the extent and severity of forest pest damage, with substantial economic and ecological consequences, but predicting future pest impacts is challenging. Here we use 20 years of data to assess how bioclimatic and biotic factors have influenced forest damage by 30 high-impact pest species and to identify ecological signals in those relationships. We found consistency in pest damage responses to maximum temperature in the warmest month, including recent average conditions and shifts from a historical baseline. Mean damage from focal pest species tends to be higher in regions with moderate maximum temperatures and in regions with faster rates of warming. In certain cases, the direction and magnitude of relationships between climate and forest damage vary by pest guild, native status and region of occurrence. Our findings provide empirical support for expectations of climate-induced stress to host trees and temperature-boosted pest performance, leading to increased pest damage in future forests.
Drax has extended its wood pellet shipping contract with Ultrabulk through March 2031, with a mechanism to reduce carbon emissions year on year from sea freight journeys, according to Drax. The agreement follows the first UK arrival of the M.V. Ultra Yorkshire, a Handymax carrier operated by Ultrabulk, which completed its first transatlantic voyage carrying over 29 thousand tonnes of biomass pellets from the Port of Greater Baton Rouge to the Port of Liverpool. The cargo is set for rail transport to Drax Power Station in Selby. …The company estimated the voyage produced around 90% less CO2 than standard maritime fuels such as VLSFO or ULSGO.
UK — Burning wood for power generation can be worse for the climate than burning gas, even when the resulting carbon dioxide emissions are captured and stored, 
NAHUNTA, Ga. — Heavy rain slowed the progress of two sprawling southern Georgia wildfires over the weekend, allowing crews to make some progress in containing the blazes that have destroyed more than 100 homes. Although the rain helped the firefighting efforts, it wasn’t “nearly enough to put the fires out” and crews responded to 10 new blazes throughout the drought-stricken state Sunday, the Georgia Forestry Commission said Monday. …Georgia’s biggest blaze, the Pineland Road Fire, has scorched more than 50 square miles and at least 35 homes… about 35 miles north of Florida, which is also dealing with wildfires. The area has been full of highly combustible dead trees and other vegetation since Hurricane Helene carved a destructive path northward in September of 2024. About 60 miles to the northeast, the Highway 82 Fire has been burning since April 20. It has destroyed at least 87 homes and torched more than 35 square miles. It is only 6% contained.
Wildfires tearing through the south have forced hundreds of Georgia residents to flee in minutes, leaving them distraught about the homes and animals they left behind. The fires that spread this week during an extreme drought in Georgia and Florida have blanketed cities hundreds of miles away in smoke, leading to more air quality warnings on Thursday across the south-east. Driven by strong winds and low humidity, the two biggest fires in southern Georgia have spread rapidly over the past two days and destroyed more than 50 homes in rural areas. But the growing threat led to more evacuations and school closings on Wednesday. “I don’t know if I have a house standing or not,” said Denise Stephens, who was forced to evacuate because of the fast-moving Brantley county fire near Georgia’s coast. “I know what it’s taken from other people, but I don’t know what I have left standing.”
GEORGIA — Smoke has filled the air across parts of the Peach State this week as wildfires continue to burn out of control in southern Georgia, forcing evacuations and destroying homes. According to the Georgia Forestry Commission, crews responded to 34 new wildfires Wednesday that burned about 75 acres statewide. But officials say the biggest concern remains two large, active fires that have already scorched tens of thousands of acres. The Pineland Road Fire in Clinch County has grown to nearly 29,606 acres and is about 10% contained. In Brantley County, the Highway 82 Fire has burned more than 4,400 acres and is roughly 15% contained. Officials say dry conditions, high winds, and a lack of rain are making the fires harder to control. …The growing wildfire threat prompted Brian Kemp to declare a state of emergency, allowing more state and federal resources to assist, including expected support from FEMA.