Region Archives: United States

Opinion / EdiTOADial

Forestry Can’t Be Left Behind in Canada–U.S. Trade Discussions

Forest Products Association of Canada
October 8, 2025
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada, United States

Derek Nighbor

With over 200,000 direct jobs at stake, sector calls on the government of Canada to bring the same urgency to lumber as it has to steel, aluminum, and energy.

Canada’s forest sector is disappointed that yesterday’s discussions in Washington concluded without relief for 232-affected sectors, including lumber, as the long-standing Softwood Lumber dispute and recently applied tariffs on Canada’s wood manufacturing industry continue to put operations and jobs at risk across the country. While we recognize that the talks were described as substantive and appreciate that these negotiations are complex, after eight years of escalating duties on softwood lumber, the lack of tangible progress for forest sector workers and communities is deeply concerning. With more than 200,000 direct jobs and hundreds of towns and cities across Canada depending on a vibrant forest sector, lumber and forest products must be treated as a greater priority in Canada–U.S. trade discussions.

Our industry continues to face unjustified duties and tariffs that harm forestry workers here at home and raise costs for American families building and renovating their homes. We urge the Government of Canada to ensure that lumber and forest products are clearly on the agenda as talks continue this week. “We simply want to see more urgency, and frankly, we were left wanting more in the post-meeting reports coming out of yesterday’s discussions,” said Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada.

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Froggy Foibles

Thief sentenced to prison after stolen walnut tree intercepted at Michigan sawmill

By Brad Devereaux
Michigan Live
October 10, 2025
Category: Froggy Foibles
Region: United States, US East

CASS COUNTY, Michigan — A man was sentenced to prison after he was found at a Michigan sawmill with a walnut tree that did not belong to him. Trever Wallace was sentenced to three years and two months up to 10 years in prison for his criminal concealment of a fully mature walnut tree, Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz said. …The tree’s owner was able to locate it at the sawmill before Wallace could profit from it, Fitz said. The defendant pleaded guilty as charged to larceny over $1,000. On Friday, Cass County Assistant Prosecutor Jason Ronning asked for prison time due to the defendant’s nine prior felony convictions and two misdemeanor convictions, including thefts. Fitz did not know the current state of the tree.

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Business & Politics

Why higher tariffs on Canadian lumber may not be enough to stimulate long-term investments in US forestry

By Andrew Muhammad & Adam Taylor, University of Tennessee
The Conversation US
October 15, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The US imports about 40% of the softwood lumber the nation uses each year, more than 80% of that from Canada. President Trump says that the US has the capacity to meet 95% of softwood lumber demand and directed federal officials to update policies and regulatory guidelines to expand domestic timber harvesting and curb the arrival of foreign lumber. …As researchers studying the forestry sector and international trade, we recognize that the US has ample forest resources. But replacing imports with domestic lumber isn’t as simple as it sounds. There are differences in tree species and quality, and U.S. lumber often comes at a higher cost, even with tariffs on imports. Challenges like limited labor and manufacturing capacity require long-term investments, which temporary tariffs and uncertain trade policies often fail to encourage. In addition, the amount of lumber imported tends to mirror the boom-and-bust cycles of housing construction, a dynamic that tariffs alone are unlikely to change.

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US Lumber Coalition re-ups support for Trump’s tariffs, says NAHB peddles false narrative on housing affordability

By Zoltan van Heyningen
The US Lumber Coalition
October 14, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. – “The U.S. Lumber Coalition applauds President Trump’s imposition of an additional 10 percent tariff against unfairly traded lumber imports.  “Predictably, the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) is attacking President Trump’s decisive and pivotal trade law enforcement actions by continuing to peddle the false narrative that holding Canada to account for its ever-increasing and egregious unfair trade practices will somehow exacerbate the problem of U.S. housing affordability,” stated Zoltan van Heyningen of the U.S. Lumber Coalition. “What NAHB won’t point out is that lumber prices have declined since antidumping and countervailing duties increased to 35.16%… and especially not that their own profit margins in recent years have increased from 11% to almost 16%,” added van Heyningen….Enforcing the U.S. trade laws helps increase the U.S. supply of lumber to build American homes, all without impacting the cost of a new home, as demonstrated by data from the NAHB and Fastmarkets Random Lengths.

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Trump Ramps Up Trade War as New Tariffs on Lumber and Furniture Take Effect

By Ana Swanson and Sydney Ember
The New York Times
October 14, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

President Trump ushered in new tariffs on imported furniture, kitchen cabinets and lumber on Tuesday, adding a fresh round of levies as he once again threatened to expand his trade war with China. Tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% on foreign wood products and furniture snapped into effect just after midnight. The tariffs are meant to encourage more domestic logging and furniture manufacturing. But critics say that the levies will raise prices for American consumers and could slow industries including home building that rely on materials from abroad. …Critics have called it a stretch to issue the furniture and lumber tariffs under the national-security-related law. …Some American manufacturers lobbied for the tariffs. …Some economists expect the higher price of lumber, along with home furnishings, will slow the pace of home building. That could set back the Trump administration’s goals of improving a weak housing market. [to assess the full story a NY Times subscription is required]

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Trump’s Lumber Tariffs Take Hold, Threatening to Hike Home Costs

By Jennifer A Dlouhy
Bloomberg News
October 14, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The US is now collecting tariffs on imported timber, lumber, kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and upholstered furniture, duties that threaten to raise the cost of renovations and deter new home purchases. …Trump described his wood and furniture tariffs as helping to “strengthen supply chains… and increase domestic capacity utilization for wood products.” Yet economists and homebuilders have warned they also could create obstacles to another of Trump’s goals: boosting homebuilding and sales. Trump has for months cajoled Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower rates in part to boost home affordability, but critics say the new tariffs could more than offset any gains from lower mortgage and lending costs. Roughly 7% of all goods used in new residential construction come from foreign suppliers, according to the NAHB. Even without new import taxes, the group has said the cost of building materials has risen by 34% since Dec. 2020. [to access the full story a Bloomberg subscription is required]

Related in the Associated Free Press: Trump tariffs on timber, furniture take effect

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If Trump Tariffs Are Ruled Illegal, Refund Chaos Is Expected

By Laura Curtis
Bloomberg News in Transport Topics
October 6, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

President Trump has warned of disaster if the Supreme Court overturns his signature tariffs. For starters, it would unleash a bureaucratic nightmare involving reams of refund paper checks. Should the court uphold a US Court of Appeals ruling that Trump’s country-based tariffs are illegal, the government could owe the bulk of the $165 billion in duties collected so far this fiscal year back to companies that paid them. But they won’t have an easy time getting their money back; refunds are typically issued slowly and while the administration could streamline the process, experts fear that’s unlikely. …That means Trump likely won’t part with the funds easily if the tariffs are struck down, and the administration is expected to move quickly to reimpose levies using other legal authorities if that happens. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in November in the case.

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Rayonier and PotlatchDeltic to Merge, Creating a Leading Land Resources REIT

By Rayonier and Potlatch Deltic
Businesswire
October 14, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

WILDLIGHT, Florida. & SPOKANE, Washington — Rayonier and PotlatchDeltic today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals. …The combined company is expected to have a market capitalization of $7.1 billion and a total enterprise value of $8.2 billion. Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company will become the second-largest publicly traded timber and wood products company in North America. …The combined company will operate under a new name, to be announced prior to closing. …Together, the combined company will have a productive and diverse timberland portfolio comprising approximately 4.2 million acres, including 3.2 million acres in the U.S. South and 931,000 acres in the U.S. Northwest. In addition, the company will operate seven wood products manufacturing facilities, including six lumber mills with total capacity of 1.2 billion board feet and one industrial plywood mill. The transaction will also combine two highly complementary and successful real estate businesses.

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Trump’s New Furniture Tariffs Are (Almost) Everything Wrong with U.S. Trade Policy Today

By Scott Linciocome, Cato Institute
The Dispatch
October 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

The Trump administration and its advocates have long sold tariffs as a smart and necessary way to reindustrialize the country, bolster national security, and revitalize the economy more broadly. In practice, however, they put tariffs on cabinets and sofas for “national security” reasons, exempt others because of potential political blowback, and do all sorts of other things that likely undermine the economic and security objectives the administration says its tariffs are achieving. And they do it all with little regard for the facts, economics, or law. Throw in some foolish nostalgia (contra the president, furniture manufacturing is today a tiny share of North Carolina’s economy and workforce), and the furniture tariffs make for an almost-perfect example of the canyon between protectionist rhetoric and US tariff reality. The only thing preventing perfection is that there isn’t a “national emergency” or fake “fiscal crisis” attached.

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Reciprocal tariffs on hardwood plywood not high enough to level the playing field

By Keith Christman, President
The Decorative Hardwoods Association
October 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

President Trump announced the long-awaited Section 232 tariffs on wood products. Despite DHA’s advocacy for tariffs on hardwood plywood, engineered wood flooring, and hardwood veneer imports, these products were not included. But, the announcement includes a procedure for adding more wood products. DHA has ramped up our advocacy to get our products included, sending a direct communication to President Trump. Roseburg’s recent closing of its hardwood plywood mill is another wake-up call that underscores the need for tariffs to prevent dumped and subsidized plywood from Asia, whose underpriced plywood dominates with 80% of the US market. Dumped, subsidized plywood from Asia has been killing US manufacturing facilities. It’s some comfort that the reciprocal tariffs now apply to these products, but the rates are not high enough to level the playing field, and these reciprocal tariffs could go away with the upcoming Supreme Court decision.

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Washington State invests $700K to boost apple and timber jobs

By Anita Hollier
NBC Right Now
October 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

OLYMPIA, Washington — Washington state is investing $700,000 to support its apple and timber industries, creating at least 270 new jobs, Governor Bob Ferguson announced Thursday. The funding comes from the state’s Economic Development Strategic Reserve Fund, which uses unclaimed lottery prize money to help attract and retain jobs. The money will be split across three projects: Yakima County: $250,000 to prepare a site in Sunnyside for a new apple products processing plant. Forks: $200,000 for infrastructure upgrades at the Forks Industrial Park, where Riverside Forest Products USA plans a sawmill. Spokane Valley: $250,000 to expand a manufacturing facility for Mercer Mass Timber. Governor Ferguson said the investments, combined with private funding, will strengthen the state’s economy. Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn added the funds will help meet infrastructure needs, support local businesses, and create sustainable jobs.

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Intertribal Timber Council Appoints Cal Mukumoto As Executive Director

City Biz
October 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US West

The Intertribal Timber Council is proud to announce the appointment of Cal Mukumoto as its first Executive Director, effective October 1, 2025. Mukumoto brings more than four decades of experience in forestry, Tribal enterprise leadership, and public service to ITC. His distinguished career includes serving as Oregon State Forester, where he managed a $650 million annual budget and a workforce of more than 1,300 employees while advancing forest health, sustainability, and economic value for the state. He also served as CEO and Board Chair of the Coquille Economic Development Corporation, overseeing casino, broadband, and other Tribal business ventures, and leading them through critical periods of growth and stability. His professional roots date back to the 1980s, when he worked with the Makah Tribal Council to establish the Makah Forestry Enterprise, which improved the profitability of Tribal timber sales. 

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Lowes completes acquisition of Foundation Building Materials

Lowe’s Companies Inc.
October 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

MOORESVILLE, North Carolina —  Lowe’s announced that the Company has completed its previously announced acquisition of Foundation Building Materials (“FBM”), an industry-leading building materials and construction products distribution company with over 370 locations across the United States and Canada. The acquisition of FBM is expected to enhance Lowe’s offering to Pro customers through an expanded product assortment… in key geographies like California, the Northeast and the Midwest. It also creates significant cross-selling opportunities between FBM and Lowe’s as well as the recently acquired Artisan Design Group. …FBM will continue to be led by its founder, Ruben Mendoza, and its senior leadership team with over 200 years of combined industry experience. 

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Finance & Economics

Lumber Futures Rise Amid Looming Tariffs

Trading Economics
October 13, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures rose past $610 per thousand board feet in mid-October, approaching monthly highs as markets priced in tighter near-term supply and looming trade restrictions. Under newly announced US Section 232 tariffs that take effect on October 14th, imported softwood lumber will face a 10% duty and finished wood goods such as cabinets and furniture will face higher levies, prompting importers to front-load purchases and draw down inventories. Domestic output is also constrained as sawmills run cautiously after years of underinvestment, logging curbs in sensitive regions and slow capacity restarts have limited production. The cost and delay of switching suppliers is material given that Canadian lumber, which supplies much of US demand, already carries elevated antidumping and countervailing duties, intensifying the supply squeeze.

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North American Lumber: Production Outpaces Demand Amid Housing Headwinds

ResourceWise Forest Products Blog
October 8, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

North America’s softwood lumber market looks likely to end 2025 no more settled than it was at the beginning. Producers and buyers alike continue navigating a landscape shaped by fluctuating demand, shifting trade patterns, and an uncertain housing outlook. Despite modest production declines in early 2025, the lumber market remains oversupplied. Mills across the US and Canada are contending with high inventories built up earlier in the year. Expectations of tariff hikes spurred an early rush of exports from Canada to the US, flooding the market while demand was soft. However, in the first half of 2025 softwood lumber exports from Canada to the US declined, while US imports from Europe in the first seven months of 2025 increased by 6% year-over-year. Underlying these supply pressures is a US housing market stuck in the doldrums. August saw an 8.5% decline in overall housing starts, with single-family construction down nearly 7%.

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Trump’s Wood Tariffs Are Coming. Who Will Be Hit Hardest

By Ilena Peng
Bloomberg Economics
October 9, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

President Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs on imported lumber and wood products that his administration says are needed to protect the US economy and boost domestic manufacturing. Starting Oct. 14, softwood lumber will face 10% duties, while kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, and other finished wood goods will be hit with 25% tariffs that rise further in January. The biggest blow will fall on Canada, the US’s top lumber supplier, whose lumber exports are already subject to separate duties totaling 35.19%. …Though Canada dominates exports of lumber to the US, many other countries export wood products to the US. The Section 232 tariffs on lumber and wood products affect them in varying ways; some countries benefit from trade deals with the US that cap the rates, and others bear the full brunt. …Though lumber accounts for less than 20% of building costs, the National Association of Homebuilders has long said that restrictions on Canadian lumber translate to higher construction costs. [to access the full story a Bloomberg subscription is required]

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Lumber Futures Ease from Near 2-Month Highs

Trading View
October 7, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures fell toward $600 per thousand board feet, easing from the near two-month high of $615.50 on October 3rd as the prior speculative rally reversed amid softer demand, looming tariff implementation, and inventory rebalancing. Demand has weakened as homebuilders and material buyers pull back amid higher construction costs and tighter mortgage affordability that curb new housing starts. At the same time, many market participants had frontloaded purchases ahead of the US 10% Section 232 tariff on softwood lumber and higher duties on wood furniture and cabinets effective October 14th, creating a short-term inventory overhang that reduced fresh order flow. On the supply side, domestic sawmills have ramped up shipments to cover earlier shortages, while Canadian exporters remain constrained by heavy anti-dumping and countervailing duties that limit flexibility, easing prompt tightness. [END]

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US Custom Home Building Share Declines in 2024

By Ashok Chaluvadi
NAHB Eye on Housing
October 14, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

In 2024, 17.5% of all new single-family homes started were custom homes. This share decreased from 18.8% in 2023 and from 20.4% in 2022, according to data tabulated from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). The custom home market consists of contractor-built and owner-built homes—homes built for owner occupancy on the owner’s land, with either the owner or a builder acting as a general contractor. The alternatives are homes built-for-sale (on the builder’s land, often in subdivisions, with the intention of selling the house and land in one transaction) and homes built-for-rent. In 2024, 73.1% of the single-family homes started were built-for-sale and 9.3% were built-for-rent. At a 17.5% share, the number of custom homes started in 2024 was 176,932, falling from 177,850 in 2023.

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Boise Cascade’s Stock Plunges Amidst Timber Sector Headwinds

WRAL News
October 13, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Boise Cascade’s recent descent to a new 12-month low underscores the significant challenges currently facing the timber and building materials sector. This period of volatility, marked by high interest rates, a subdued housing market, and complex trade policies, demands a nuanced understanding from investors and industry participants alike. …The market is poised for a period of cautious recovery, with expectations for a stronger rebound in 2026. …The current downturn is a critical juncture, prompting companies to reassess strategies and accelerate adaptations. The lasting impact will likely be a more consolidated, technologically advanced, and sustainability-focused timber industry. Companies that successfully pivot towards green building materials, engineered wood products, and efficient construction methods will be best positioned for long-term growth. The trade policy changes, particularly tariffs, could permanently alter supply chains, favoring domestic production but potentially increasing costs in the short term.

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Vinyl Surpasses Stucco as Most Used Principal Exterior Wall Material

By Onnah Dereski
NAHB Eye on Housing
October 10, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

In 2024, vinyl siding was the most used principal exterior wall material for homes started. It holds just over a quarter share of homes, slightly surpassing stucco for the first time since 2018. …Vinyl was followed closely by stucco at 25%, and by fiber cement siding (such as Hardiplank or Hardiboard) at 23%. Each of these materials holds about a quarter of the market, with another 16% held by brick or brick veneer. Far smaller shares of single-family homes had wood or wood products (6%), stone, rock or other stone materials (1%), other (1%), or cement blocks (.2%) as the principal exterior wall material. …The strongest trend has been the growing popularity in fiber cement siding. The share of exterior siding material for fiber cement siding has increased by 5.5 percentage points in the last ten years…. Also notable is the decline of brick siding, from almost a quarter of homes in 2012, to just 16% in 2024.

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Which countries could win or lose from US containerboard tariffs

By Natalie Schwertheim
Packaging Insights
October 14, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, International

The recent US tariffs on paper and pulp may trigger a zero-sum dynamic, with rising prices and costs pushing trade flows toward cheaper, lower-tariff partners like Canada and Brazil, according to Xinnan Li, senior analyst for Packaging and Logistics at RaboResearch. Rabobank’s Q3 2025 containerboard quarterly report, outlined the research department’s forecasts for containerboard demand, production, and linerboard prices.

  • RaboResearch expects US tariffs on pulp and paper to reshape global trade, favoring lower-tariff partners like Canada and Brazil while disadvantaging European exporters.
  • Containerboard demand is expected to recover modestly, with production rebounding and prices projected to rise by 2026–2027 as inventories stabilize and inflation pressures ease.
  • Winners could include low-cost South American and Canadian producers, while European and Chinese suppliers face declining competitiveness and higher costs.

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US Remodeling Market Sentiment Improves in Third Quarter

By Eric Lynch
NAHB – Eye on Housing
October 9, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

In the third quarter of 2025, the NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 60, up one point compared to the previous quarter. With the reading of 60, the RMI remains solidly in positive territory above 50, but lower than it had been at any time from 2021 through 2024. Overall, remodelers remain optimistic about the market, although slightly less optimistic than they were at this time last year. The most significant headwinds they are facing include high material and labor costs, as well as economic and political uncertainty making some of their potential customers cautious about moving forward with remodeling projects. The small quarter-over-quarter improvement is consistent with flat construction spending trends and the current wait-and-see demand environment.

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Fannie Mae Publishes September 2025 National Housing Survey Results

Fannie Mae
October 7, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON, DC – Fannie Mae published the results of its September 2025 National Housing Survey, which includes the Home Purchase Sentiment Index® (HPSI), a measure of consumer sentiment toward housing. Month over month, the HPSI remained unchanged at 71.4. Year over year, the HPSI is down 2.5 points. The HPSI is constructed from answers to six NHS questions that solicit consumers’ evaluations of housing market conditions and address topics that are related to their home purchase decisions. The questions ask consumers whether they think that it is a good or bad time to buy or to sell a house, what direction they expect home prices and mortgage interest rates to move, how concerned they are about losing their jobs, and whether their incomes are higher or lower than they were a year earlier.

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Consumer Watchdog Urges Supreme Court to Rein In Presidential Tariff Powers Driving Up Consumer Prices

By Consumer Watchdog
PR Newswire
October 8, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON — Consumer Watchdog filed an amicus curiae brief in the US Supreme Court urging the Justices to strike down President Donald Trump’s sweeping “emergency” tariffs, warning that unchecked presidential power under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) threatens both consumers’ pocketbooks and the Constitution’s separation of powers. The brief argues that:

  • Tariffs act as a regressive tax that raises prices on consumer household essentials and disproportionately burdens families and small businesses.
  • IEEPA lacks an “intelligible principle”—it provides no limits on the President’s ability to impose, vary, or lift tariffs, no standards for rate or duration, and no provision for judicial review.
  • Recent precedent underscores that Congress must set clear boundaries when delegating economic power; IEEPA, by contrast, contains none.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Climate-friendly wooden buildings rise across U.S. and Europe

By Adam Kaminsky
Trellis (formerly GreenBiz)
October 14, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

While sustainable solutions are facing drastic funding cuts, mass timber as a sustainable construction material is steadily gaining traction across the US. Construction using mass timber began in 2015 in the US, and since then the number of projects has grown about 20% annually. Today, over 2,500 mass timber projects are built or in progress in the US, including corporate offices for companies such as Google, Microsoft and Under Armour. …“We have lots of tech firms and big companies that say, ‘Hey, we’re battling it out for workers. We want the best space possible,’” said Bill Parsons, COO at WoodWorks. …Legislation that promotes and programs that fund mass timber, such as the Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act and the Wood Innovations Grant Program from the USDA, are still progressing. …Studies have shown that living or working in a mass timber building improves occupants’ mental health and well-being, even lowering their blood pressure and heart rates.

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Developer faces $25M shortfall on Milwaukee mass timber tower

By Ethan Duran
Finance & Commerce
October 10, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

MILWAUKEE — Madison-based Neutral, the developer behind the Neutral.Edison timber tower, which paused work in downtown Milwaukee, was found to be short $25 million of its project budget. The developer and city officials discussed how to ensure the project can move forward. …The tower would be the tallest mass timber building in North America. However, construction paused unexpectedly in September, and Fond du Lac-based C.D. Smith Construction has been absent from their site. Neutral cited rising costs and tariffs as reasons behind the project’s pause. Much of the foundation has already been poured and some C.D. Smith workers were seen dismantling the site. With winter a few months away, city officials discussed potential outcomes for the development. …Bauman wants the DCD to issue a new request for proposal for the parking garage. At the same meeting, the commissioner asked for time until Neutral could sort out its issues at the Edison site. 

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Forestry

Drax maps carbon stocks of North American forests used for UK biomass power

Drax Group Inc.
October 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, International

Drax has launched a partnership with NGIS, a geospatial technology company, to model and monitor carbon stocks in US and Canadian forests that supply biomass pellets to the UK’s largest renewable power station, which generated over 5% of the country’s electricity using North American biomass in 2024, according to Drax. The collaboration supports Drax’s target to provide verified carbon stock data for all major sourcing regions by the end of 2026. Through NGIS’s satellite-based geospatial tools, the project will track forest regrowth, tree cover, and other indicators of forest health using Earth Observation data enhanced by Google AI and machine-learning tools. A digital platform will present Drax with historical and current imagery of sourcing sites, enabling visual verification of harvesting and reforestation cycles. …The monitoring initiative aligns with Drax’s broader Sustainability Framework, which includes commitments to prevent deforestation, degradation, and conversion in biomass sourcing. 

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National Loggers Day: Honoring the Backbone of the Wood Supply Chain

By Jeff Jenkins
The Forest Resources Association
October 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

As we prepare to celebrate National Loggers Day on October 12, it’s a perfect time to recognize and thank the hardworking men and women who harvest and deliver the timber that keeps our forests, communities, and economy moving. Logging is one of the nation’s oldest industries, but today’s loggers are far more than tree cutters. They are highly trained professionals who operate sophisticated, high-tech equipment, follow strict safety standards, work closely with landowners to ensure that the timber harvest meets their expectations, and promote forest regeneration for future generations. …Today’s logging blends time-honored skills with modern techniques, focusing on responsible forest management and sustainability. …National Loggers Day is a time not only to celebrate the work they do, but also to honor those who have been injured or lost their lives in the woods. …logging touches our daily lives in ways many of us don’t realize.

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US groups urge Brussels not to bow to Washington on deforestation law

By Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro
EURACTIV
October 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, International

US civil society groups are urging the European Commission to resist Washington’s pressure to delay the EU’s deforestation regulation (EUDR) or tweak the rules to grant the country preferential treatment, according to a letter seen by Euractiv. The missive, sent this morning to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the Commissioners responsible for green rules, the economy and trade, warns against any backtracking. “We are particularly concerned by the Commission’s apparent willingness to offer the U.S. special treatment under the EUDR as part of ongoing EU-U.S. trade negotiations,” the letter reads. The organisations refer to the joint statement issued by Brussels and Washington in September, which labels the US as posing “negligible risk to global deforestation.” Rick Jacobsen, senior manager for commodities policy at the US NGO Environmental Investigation Agency, told Euractiv that US interests have “ramped up the pressure campaign” to weaken the law before it even comes into force.

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Forest Stewardship Council US Announces Revised Forest Stewardship Standard Approved

By Forest Stewardship Council – US
EIN Presswire
October 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

ATLANTA — Forest Stewardship Council US announced the approval of the revised Forest Stewardship Standard 2.0. “The revision aligns the U.S. standard with FSC International’s updated Principles & Criteria (V5) and International Generic Indicators (IGIs), while also addressing key stakeholder priorities,” says Amy Clark Eagle, FSC US Director of Science and Certification. Key updates under the new FSC US Forest Stewardship Standard include: At least 10% of every FSC-certified forest will need to be in a conservation area – this means more than 3.61 million acres being managed with a focus on conserving environmental or cultural values. …January 1, 2026 will be the official publication date for Version 2.0 of the FSC US Forest Stewardship Standard and the revised standard will become effective April 2, 2026. This will be followed by an 18-month transition period in which both the current (Version 1.1) and revised standards (Version 2.0) will be valid.

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Proclamation: Fire Prevention Week, 2025

The White House
October 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

During Fire Prevention Week, we call on every household and community to prioritize fire prevention by taking steps that reduce risks and strengthen safety.  Americans honor the steadfast courage and dedication of firefighters and first responders across our Nation who protect our lives, property, and natural resources from the devastation of fire. …In recent years, our Nation has seen the staggering costs of poor fire prevention and disaster preparedness.  When wildfires erupted in California earlier this year, sparked by arson and exacerbated by the Green New Scam agenda and disastrous forest management, State and local leaders were left totally unprepared to safeguard our fellow citizens. …This week, we offer our sincere thanks to all the dedicated firefighters and first responders who do not flinch in times of crisis.  …That is why, earlier this year, I was proud to sign a bill into law for permanent pay increases for Federal wildland firefighters.  

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University of Idaho launches Forest Innovations Institute to lead next-generation research 

By Dennis Becker, dean and professor of natural resource policy
University of Idaho
October 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

MOSCOW, Idaho — A new interdisciplinary research institute at University of Idaho dedicated to advancing forestry science, management and innovation aims to partner with landowners, industry and government agencies to develop solutions for 21st-century forestry challenges. The mission of U of I’s newly established Forest Innovations Institute (FII) is to help public and private forest landowners and industry partners apply the latest research and technology, said Dennis Becker, dean of the College of Natural Resources. This includes topics such as tree physiology and genetics, fire modeling, silviculture, forest pests and pathogens, harvest operations and the economics and policy of forest management. “FII will engage broadly with public and private forest landowners, industry partners, tribal governments, nonprofits and other universities on a regional and even international level,” Becker said. “FII aims to ensure that forestry research is not only cutting edge but also grounded in real-world needs and opportunities.”

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Logging in national forests in Oregon continues, despite government shutdown

By April Ehrlich
Oregon Public Broadcasting
October 10, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Trees in three national forests in Oregon will be auctioned off for logging by the end of the month, even though the federal workers preparing these timber sales are not getting paid and many of their colleagues in the U.S. Forest Service are furloughed. …But the Trump administration has determined that staff who organize and process timber sales — auctioning the right to log trees in national forests to the highest bidders — are essential workers, according to a Forest Service memo sent Wednesday. …Its next timber sales in Oregon include sections of the Deschutes, Wallowa-Whitman and Umatilla national forests. Those three sales are expected to produce 123,047 tons of timber — enough to build more than 11,000 single-family homes. …“If work proceeds during a shutdown without the usual oversight or opportunities for collaboration, that is concerning,” said Alyssa Cudmore, forestland program manager with Wallowa Resources, which helps organize forest collaborations between multiple stakeholders.

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Why less land has burned in much of the West this year

By Ruby Mellen & Ian Livingston
The Washington Post
October 10, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Ahead of this year’s typical fire season, Western states braced for the worst. …But much of the West has not burned as expected. …Devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles to start the year, but since then, despite fast-moving flames in the Plains in the spring, and a handful of notable blazes in the Western states this summer and fall, this year has seen about half the land burned compared with last year, particularly during the typical peak of fire season. …Although in many ways a sigh of relief, the smaller amount of acreage burned tells only part of the story, state officials and experts said. Parts of the West experienced a high number of fires this year, which put a strain on fire resources even if they didn’t burn more land.

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Washington public lands chief seeks new revenue as timber policy faces scrutiny

By Paul Taylor
The Washington State Standard
October 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Dave Upthegrove

Washington Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove defended his decision to pause some timber sales and said he will seek 2026 legislation to diversify revenue from state trust lands, arguing the state can “do more for climate and habitat while providing stability.” In an interview on TVW’s “Inside Olympia,” Upthegrove told host Austin Jenkins that his halt on harvesting in older, “structurally complex forests” — those that have some but not all the characteristics of “old-growth”— began as a six-month hold for restoration and protection. It was intended to refresh inventory data and gather input from tribes, industry, school districts and counties. …He disputed claims of widespread economic harm, noting 70% of Washington’s wood supply comes from private lands and more than 90% of Department of Natural Resources timberlands are unaffected. He said ecological thinning, acquiring replacement timberlands and entering carbon-credit and other environmental markets could support rural economies.

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In the wake of Savannah’s International Paper mill closing, South Carolina landowners’ anxieties are rising

By Mitchell Black
The Post and Courier
October 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

GARNETT, South Carolina — Clearing mature, diseased and inferior trees creates more space, allowing vegetation to proliferate, heat from fires to escape through the canopy and the next bounty of pines to emerge from the earth. The longer these pines remain on the stump, the greater the risk of disease and infestation. Brian “Woody” Rogers, with Milliken Advisors, called the area a “biological desert.” Finding a buyer for these walls of wood has become increasingly challenging for South Carolina landowners as paper and saw mills that previously purchased the timber have closed in droves. And with the announcement that International Paper’s Savannah mill would close by the end of this past September, the micro-economy centered around the processing plant has suffered another blow. …“There is no plan because there’s no alternative,” said Trip Chavis, CEO of Milliken. “There’s nothing to fill that void.” [to access the full story a subscription is required]

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

How Demand For Wood Fiber Feedstocks Has Changed In The US

By Brooks Mendell, Forisk Consulting
Biomass Magazine
October 8, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States

Given market sentiment and operating rates, in addition to recent mill closures and curtailments, how has demand for wood fiber changed recently and over the past 10 years? …Total capacity of the wood-using U.S. pulp and paper sector declined 18% in the past 10 years. This decline is specific to wood-using mills, excluding facilities that rely exclusively on recycled fiber, but the sector reported drops in all end uses, with reductions in printing and writing capacity falling 49%. This represented over half of the lost capacity nationwide. Newsprint, household/sanitary, and market pulp segments also had notable declines, each representing 10%-16% of the lost capacity. Regionally, capacity reductions in the U.S. South accounted for most of the volume lost (64%), with the U.S. West and North each representing 18%. The West experienced the largest and most severe drop in capacity for a given region, with pulp and paper mill closures and reductions decreasing capacity by 26%.

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Connecting sunlight and forests to curbing climate change

By Meredith Woodward King
Clark University News
October 9, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States

Christopher Williams

WORCESTER, Massachusetts — To curb the effects of climate change, private and public organizations across the world manage carbon projects to plant or restore forests, aiming to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. In turn they sell carbon credits to companies aiming to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. But the climate benefits of some carbon projects may be overestimated because they don’t account for changes in albedo — the percentage of sunlight that a forest reflects or absorbs, making it cooler or hotter — in their calculations, according to an Oct. 6 Nature Communications article co-authored by Geography Professor Christopher Williams of Clark’s School of Climate, Environment, and Society. “Nearly half of all reforestation credits issued in these projects would not have been issued if albedo had been used as a threshold for project siting and deducted for remaining projects, canceling about $8 billion of credits at an average price of $20 per tonne [a metric ton],” Williams says.

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Health & Safety

50 Years of Answering the Call

Logan Health
September 25, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: US West

The first rural hospital-based air ambulance program in the country was born out of tragedy 50 years ago near the Hungry Horse Reservoir. In July 1975, a 27-year-old logger named Dennis Buck was severely injured in a workplace accident. His crew worked with a nearby forest service helicopter to form a makeshift rescue operation. Unfortunately, Dennis died before he could reach the hospital, an all-too-common occurrence in the logging industry at the time. Recognizing the need for change, Clyde Smith, co-founder of the Montana Logging Association, put his own logging business up as collateral and worked with Kalispell General Hospital, now Logan Health Medical Center, to form an air-ambulance program to rural workers across northwest Montana. Today, 50 years later, ALERT has evolved into a comprehensive emergency medical transport program. In addition to more than 21,000 helicopter flights in its history, the service now includes a fixed-wing aircraft transport service, a specialty pediatric and neonatal flight nurse team and dedicated ground ambulances…

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Chemical Safety Board investigation focuses on combustible dust

Safety and Health Magazine
October 7, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US East

FREMONT, Nebraska — Confined and concentrated combustible dust can ignite and generate secondary dust explosions “powerful enough to destroy buildings,” the Chemical Safety Board warns. CSB issued the warning as part of its ongoing investigation into a fatal explosion and fire on July 29 at the Horizon Biofuels facility in Fremont, Nebraska. Preliminary findings show that the blast was triggered by a combustible wood dust explosion, “a well-known – and completely avoidable – hazard,” CSB Chair Steve Owens said. …CSB says combustible dust, when shaken loose and dispersed into an “explosive concentration in the confinement of a closed space” after a primary event, can explode when exposed to an ignition source. The agency says it’s continuing to: Examine the facility’s design, process flow, dust handling and dust control systems. …The agency said that “complete findings, analyses and recommendations, if appropriate,” will be part of a final investigation report.

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