Region Archives: United States

Business & Politics

16 Canadian firms backed U.S. politicians who voted to deny 2020 election results, finds report

By Stefan Labbé
Business in Vancouver
March 10, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Sixteen of Canada’s largest companies—including some with major operations in BC—have US subsidiaries whose political action committees (PAC) donated directly to the campaigns of US Congress members after they voted against certifying the results of the 2020 US presidential election, a new report has found. …In the days after the attack on the Capitol, a number of US companies said they would pause all PAC donations to members of Congress who failed to certify the results of the election. Five years later, that commitment appears not to have held for the US subsidiaries of some of Canada’s companies. … The report points to BC-linked gas and forestry companies. …Domtar spokesperson Seth Kursman said the list of Congress members that received donations from its PAC represent states and congressional districts where the company has facilities. …“Our PAC supports Members of Congress aligned with our industry priorities and more broadly the manufacturing sector.”

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US international trade court judge extends US administration’s tariff refunds deadline

By Jacqueline So
Canadian Lawyer Magazine
March 9, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Richard Eaton, senior judge on the US Court of International Trade, has extended the US administration’s deadline for refunding about US$166 billion in tariffs. Eaton had orginally ordered US Customs and Border Protection to begin the refunding process at the start of the month after the US Supreme Court struck down global tariffs set by president Trump. …The administration has been inundated with lawsuits from companies like Costco, FedEx, and Pandora Jewelry – all looking to get their money back since Eaton’s order meant that everyone who had paid tariffs was entitled to a refund. Barnes, Richardson & Colburn partner Larry Friedman said that the order was one he had hoped for, “but never expected to see.” A US Customs and Border Protection official indicated in a legal filing that its system could not handle the volume of work.

Related coverage:

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U.S. starts annual duty reviews for key wood imports

The Lesprom Network
March 8, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States, International

The U.S. Department of Commerce will start annual administrative reviews of existing antidumping and countervailing duty measures on key wood imports on March 9, 2026, and it plans to issue final results by January 31, 2027, the department said in a notice. The reviews cover Canadian softwood lumber under the antidumping order A-122-857 and the countervailing duty order C-122-858 for January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. They also cover Chinese certain hardwood plywood products under antidumping order A-570-051 for January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025, and Chinese wooden bedroom furniture under antidumping order A-570-890 for January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025. Commerce said it may limit the number of companies examined and then select respondents using U.S. import data or quantity-and-value questionnaires. It said it intends to place the data or questionnaires on the record within five days after publication of the initiation notice and make respondent selection decisions within 35 days after publication.

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US Senate passes major housing affordability

By Sahil Kapur, Melanie Zanona, Ryan Nobles and Julie Tsirkin
NBC News
March 12, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a bill Thursday aimed at boosting the supply of housing and bringing down prices, marking a rare bipartisan breakthrough on a major issue. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, written by Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., won 89 votes. Ten senators voted against it. Scott is the chairman of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Warren is the ranking member. The 303-page legislation creates a series of grants and pilot programs for housing construction, while revising federal definitions to encourage more housing units and prevent Wall Street from buying up tons of single-family homes. Such a big, bipartisan vote is increasingly unusual in Congress and the bill aims to tackle a major affordability issue for voters ahead of the midterm elections. But it is uncertain if it can pass the House as is, and President Donald Trump has signalled he wants voting legislation first.

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How Trump Can (Try to) Impose Tariffs

By Helen Atkinson
The Supply Chain Brain
March 11, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

After the President’s defeat in the Supreme Court, more tariffs, with different legal foundations, are underway. …Here is a primer: …Under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, tariffs can be levied for up to 150 days (after that, Congress has to vote to extend them) in response to “situations of fundamental international payments problems.” The statute defines such circumstances as “large and serious US balance-of-payments deficits and/or circumstances” in which the dollar faces “imminent and significant depreciation.” …Section 232 tariffs are trade restrictions authorized by Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, allowing the US president to impose tariffs or quotas on imports of specified goods (imported from anywhere) deemed to threaten national security. …Section 301.  This is a similar process to Section 232, but applies to countries rather than specific goods. U.S. trade penalties authorized under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 allow the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to impose duties against foreign countries for unfair trade practices.

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Trump administration launches process to replace tariffs struck down by U.S. Supreme Court

The Associated Press in CBC News
March 11, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

US President Trump’s administration on Wednesday launched a trade investigation into excess industrial capacity in 16 major trading partners in a move to rebuild tariff pressure after the U.S. Supreme Court tore down the centerpiece of Trump’s trade policy last month. Canada is not named as one of the targets of the new probe. US ‌Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the Section 301 unfair trade practices investigation could lead to new tariffs imposed against China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mexico and South Korea by this summer. Other trading partners subject to the excess capacity probe include Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland and Norway. Trump and his team have made clear they’re seeking to replace the hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenues after the Supreme Court’s February ruling. In this case, the administration is starting investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act.

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More than 20 U.S. states sue over new global tariffs Trump imposed after his stinging U.S. Supreme Court loss

By Lindsay Whitehurst And Paul Wiseman
The Associated Press in CTV News
March 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON — Some two dozen states challenged U.S. President Trump’s new global tariffs on Thursday, filing a lawsuit over import taxes he imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court. The Democratic attorneys general and governors in the lawsuit argue that Trump is overstepping his power with planned 15% tariffs on much of the world. …Section 122, which has never been invoked, allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15%. They are limited to five months unless extended by Congress. The lawsuit is led by attorneys general from Oregon, Arizona, California and New York. …The new suit argues that Trump can’t pivot to Section 122 because it was intended to be used only in specific, limited circumstances — not for sweeping import taxes. It also contends the tariffs will drive up costs for states, businesses and consumers.

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US Dept of Labor Awards $220k to Help Workers Affected by Lawoffs at Roseburg Forest Products

The US Department of Labor
March 10, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded $224,994 to Oregon to support employment and training services for workers affected by layoffs at Roseburg Forest Products. On Sept. 25, 2025, Roseburg Forest Products permanently closed its Dillard, Oregon facility, laying off 107 workers and causing significant economic disruption to the region. Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, this National Dislocated Worker Grant will allow the Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board to provide retraining and skills development services for dislocated workers seeking assistance in Douglas County. Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, National Dislocated Worker Grants provide a state or local board with funding for direct services and assistance in areas experiencing a major economic dislocation event that leads to workforce needs exceeding available resources.

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Rayonier Announces Wood Products Leadership Transition

By Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. (RYAM)
Business Wire
March 11, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Ryan Daniels

WILDLIGHT, Florida — Rayonier announced that Ashlee Townsend Cribb has resigned as Executive VP, Wood Products to accept a CEO opportunity with a privately-owned, specialty wood products manufacturer that Rayonier does not consider to be a competitor. Ms. Cribb will remain at the Company until March 20, 2026, to assist with an orderly transition of her responsibilities. …Ryan Daniels, currently Senior VP, Operations of the Wood Products business, will assume leadership of the Wood Products business on an interim basis. The Company will conduct a search for a permanent successor, which may include internal and external candidates. Mr. Daniels has over 20 years of wood products manufacturing experience. Prior to joining PotlatchDeltic in 2023, he served in roles… at Weyerhaeuser, Georgia-Pacific, and Coastal Forest Resources Company. Mr. Daniels holds a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering and an M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Arkansas.

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Finance & Economics

Canfor Pulp announces Special Meeting results.

Canfor Pulp Products Inc.
March 6, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

VANCOUVER, BC – Canfor Pulp Products announced that at the special meeting of the holders of common shares in the capital of the Company held earlier, the Shareholders voted in favour of approving the special resolution authorizing the previously announced arrangement whereby Canfor Corporation will acquire all of the issued and outstanding Common Shares that it and its affiliates do not already own by way of a statutory plan of arrangement. …The Arrangement was approved by 96.02% of the Shareholders and 84.42% of the Shareholders excluding any votes of the Purchaser and its affiliates and any other Shareholders whose votes were required to be excluded. …Assuming that all remaining approvals are obtained and all other remaining conditions precedent to the completion of the Arrangement are satisfied or waived, the Company anticipates that the Arrangement will be completed on or about March 17, 2026.

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Canfor reports Q4, 2025 net loss of $390.5 million

Canfor Corporation
March 5, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

VANCOUVER, B.C. – Canfor Corporation reported its fourth quarter of 2025 results. For the fourth quarter of 2025, the Company reported an operating loss of $415.9 million and a net loss of $390.5 million. Highlights include: An asset write-down and impairment charge of approximately $320.4 million… of which $213.9 million relates to the Company’s lumber segment and $106.5 million relates to the pulp and paper segment; Lumber production was up 2% from the previous quarter, driven primarily by the full quarter contribution from the recently acquired Hedin sawmills in Europe. …Canfor’s CEO, Susan Yurkovich, said, “Our lumber business continued to face significant headwinds in the fourth quarter, with ongoing market weakness combined with elevated duty and tariff costs weighing on our results.” …Yurkovich added, “Our pulp segment also remained under significant pressure this quarter, as global economic uncertainty, weak market demand and limited access to economic fibre in British Columbia continued to weigh on performance.”

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Canfor Pulp reports Q4, 2025 net loss of $133.6 million

Canfor Pulp Products Inc.
March 5, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

VANCOUVER, BC – Canfor Pulp Products reported its fourth quarter of 2025 results. For the fourth quarter of 2025, the Company reports an operating loss of $85.6 million; net loss of $133.6 million. After taking into consideration adjusting and one-time items totaling $57.5 million, the adjusted operating loss for Q4 2025 was $28.1 million, compared to a similarly adjusted operating loss of $11.1 million in Q3 2025. …Jointly with Canfor, the Company announced in December 2025 it had entered into an Arrangement Agreement, where Canfor would acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Canfor Pulp not already owned by Canfor, for either $0.50 in cash consideration or 0.0425 of a common share of Canfor. As announced in February 2026, Management’s forecasts indicate a breach of financial covenants is highly probableas early as March 31, 2026. Should the Proposed Transaction not close, the Company would re-engage with itslenders for further temporary relief while it works to undertake a restructuring process.

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US economy expanded at sluggish 0.7% in fourth quarter, government says, downgrading first estimate

By Paul Wiseman
The Associated Press
March 13, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON — The US economy, hobbled by last fall’s 43-day government shutdown, advanced at an unexpectedly sluggish 0.7% annual rate from October through December, the Commerce Department reported Friday in a big downgrade of its initial estimate. Growth in gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — was down sharply from 4.4% in last year’s third quarter and 3.8% in the second. And the fourth-quarter number was half the government’s first estimate of 1.4%; economists had expected the revision to go the other way — and show stronger growth. Federal government spending and investment, clobbered by the shutdown, plunged at a 16.7% rate, hacking 1.16 percentage points off fourth-quarter growth. For all of 2025, GDP grew 2.1%, solid but down from an initial estimate of 2.2% and from 2.8% in 2024 and 2.9% 2023.

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US Inflation Steady Before War

By Fan-Yu Kuo
NAHB Eye on Housing
March 11, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

After months of downward trend, inflation held steady at an eight-month low in February. …Higher oil prices will likely translate into higher gasoline costs and impact other sectors associated with transportation including airline tickets. This renewed inflation concern would complicate Fed policy especially given the recent weaker-than-expected job report. Additionally, lingering effects from government shutdown will continue to suppress the shelter index through April. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 2.4% in February from a year ago, unchanged from January and matching the lowest level since May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) latest report. The “core” CPI, excluding the volatile food and energy components, increased by 2.5% over the past twelve months, also unchanged from January. The housing shelter index, which makes up a large portion of “core” CPI, rose 3.0% over the year, holding steady from last month. 

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US housing starts up 7.2% in January to 1.49 million. Single-family housing drop 2.8% to 935,000

By Bill McBride
Calculated Risk Newsletter
March 12, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The US Census Bureau is still catching up. They released Start data for January today, but we are still waiting for the February data (not scheduled yet). From the Census Bureau: Permits, Starts and Completions: Privately-owned housing starts in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,487,000. This is 7.2% above the revised December estimate of 1,387,000 and is 9.5% above the January 2025 rate of 1,358,000. Single-family housing starts in January were at a rate of 935,000; this is 2.8% below the revised December figure of 962,000. The January rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 524,000. …Privately-owned housing units authorized by building permits in January were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,376,000. This is 5.4% below the revised December rate of 1,455,000 and is 5.8% below the January 2025 rate of 1,460,000. Single-family authorizations in January were at a rate of 873,000; this is 0.9% below the revised December figure of 881,000. 

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US applications for unemployment benefits inch down to 213,000 as layoffs remain stable

By Matt Ott
The Associated Press
March 12, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

US applications for unemployment benefits inched down modestly last week as layoffs remain at historically healthy levels despite a weakening job market. The number of Americans filing for jobless aid for the week ending March 7 fell by 1,000 to 213,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 215,000 new benefit applications. Filings for unemployment benefits are viewed as a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market. While weekly layoffs have remained in a historically low range mostly between 200,000 and 250,000 for the past few years, a number of high-profile companies have announced job cuts recently, including Morgan Stanley,Block, UPSand Amazon in recent weeks. …For now, the U.S. job market appears stuck in what economists call a “low-hire, low-fire” state that has kept the unemployment rate historically low, but has left those out of work struggling to find a new job.

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In the home sector, ‘the weak will get weaker’ this year

By Caroline Jansen
Retail Dive
March 10, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Unfortunately for retailers in the home sector, 2026 will likely look an awful lot like 2025. …While the pandemic offered a temporary financial boost, broad economic uncertainty caused many consumers to pull back on discretionary spending, leading to a decline in the high-ticket purchases. …The category has consistently seen year-over-year sales declines, according to the US Department of Commerce. …As was the case over the past few years, the weak housing market — driven by a lack of inventory and elevated interest rates — poses one of the biggest threats to the home sector this year. “The housing market is just stuck in neutral,” Zak Stambor said. “By and large, just few people are moving, and the lack of housing turnover means there’s a smaller-than-normal market for home goods.” “It’s the uncertainty that’s really driving the hesitation on the consumer side — where they should go, when they should buy, what they should buy in this market.”

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U.S. Economy Loses 92,000 Jobs in February. Construction employment declined by 11,000 jobs

By Jing Fu
NAHB Eye on Housing
March 6, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The US labor market weakened in February, as payroll employment declined and the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%. The cooling labor market could place the Federal Reserve in a challenging position as policymakers weigh slower job growth against inflation pressures from rising oil prices. Wage growth accelerated slightly in February, with average hourly earnings rising 3.8% year-over-year. …Importantly, wage growth has been outpacing inflation for nearly two years, which typically occurs as productivity increases. …Total nonfarm payroll employment fell by 92,000 in February. …Employment in the overall construction sector declined by 11,000 jobs in February, following an upwardly revised gain of 48,000 in January. Within the industry, residential construction shed 7,100 jobs, while non-residential construction lost 3,800 positions. Residential construction employment now stands at 3.3 million in February. The six-month moving average of job gains for residential construction remains negative, at a loss of 533 per month, reflecting losses in three of the past six months.

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Global stocks sink as oil hits $100 per barrel for first time since 2022

By John Towfighi
CNN Business
March 9, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

NEW YORK — Stocks fell and oil prices traded above $100 per barrel Monday as investors grappled with a potential energy crisis caused by the war with Iran. …Stocks have been jolted by nerves about the Middle East conflict disrupting the global flow of oil and reigniting inflation at a time when the US labor market appears to be on shaky ground. Oil prices Monday surged to their highest level since mid-2022 when markets were rocked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. US crude oil surged 11%, to $101 per barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was also up 11%, to $103 per barrel. …The war with Iran has effectively halted the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway off Iran’s coast through which 20% of global oil consumption flows. …Wall Street’s fear gauge, the VIX, jumped 5% and hit its highest level since April, when markets were rocked by uncertainty about tariffs. 

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Builders Identify Key Long-Term Forces Shaping U.S. Housing Demand and Industry Health

By Rose Quint
NAHB Eye on Housing
March 5, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

A recent NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI survey asked builders to assess the impact of 14 major trends and forces on the health of the industry and housing demand over the next 10 years. …At one end, most builders consider five forces as strong or somewhat negative long-term risks to the industry and housing demand: Government debt levels: 82%, Declining fertility rate: 78%, Long-term inflation outlook: 70%, Declining marriage rate: 67%. Energy costs: 61%. At the same time, builders identified several forces they expect to have a strong or somewhat positiveimpact on the health of the home building industry and housing demand over the next decade, led by structural and technological shifts: Aging housing stock: 73%, Work-from-home trends: 65%, Artificial intelligence: 52%, Modular and panelized construction: 45%. …For additional details and results, please consult the full survey report.

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U.S. lost 92,000 jobs last month and unemployment rate rises to 4.4%

By Paul Wiseman
The associated Press in PBS News
March 6, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON — American employers unexpectedly cut 92,000 jobs last month, a sign that the labor market remains under strain. The unemployment rate blipped up to 4.4%. The Labor Department reported Friday that hiring deteriorated from January, when companies, nonprofits and government agencies added a healthy 126,000 jobs. Economists had expected 60,000 new jobs in February. Revisions also cut 69,000 jobs from December and January payrolls. The job market had been expected to rebound this year from a lackluster 2025 when the economy, buffeted by President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff policies and the lingering effects of high interest rates, generated just 15,000 jobs a month. And January hiring had come in above expectations. …Construction companies cut 11,000 jobs last month, which likely reflects reflect frigid weather. …Factories cut 12,000 jobs and have now lost jobs for 14 of the last 15 months. …The outlook for the job market – and the entire economy – is clouded by the war with Iran.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Mass-Timber Building Tops Out at Western State Hospital

HOK Architects
March 9, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

LAKEWOOD, Washington — Construction crews have placed the final structural beam on Western State Hospital’s new mass-timber administration building in Lakewood, Washington. HOK is leading the design for the administration building and an adjacent 350-bed forensic psychiatric hospital, both currently under construction, that will transform the Western State campus into a center of excellence for behavioral healthcare. The three-story, 57,000-sq.-ft. administration building features a framing system comprised of regionally sourced wood columns and beams and cross-laminated timber (CLT) decking. …“The mass-timber design serves a number of goals,” said Loren Supp, HOK’s design principal in Seattle. “It highlights the natural beauty of western Washington and its evergreen forests. It reinforces the state’s commitment to environmentally friendly design, and it creates a warm and calming environment that benefits well-being.” The building is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification and be net-zero-energy ready.

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Forestry

Ground Shift or Power Shift: Mark Rey – The Timber Industry’s National Forest Overlord

By Jonathan Ratner
The Wildlife News
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Part 2 of a 3 part series on the Ground Shift initiative. This installment examines Mark Rey’s role in rewriting the rules for America’s national forests. Mark Rey is one of the central figures in the Ground Shift initiative. His career in the timber industry and in federal policy helps explain why we are deeply skeptical of where this effort is headed. …With a career as a timber lobbyist and experience in crafting legislation to circumvent environmental protections and public participation in forest management, Mark Rey was the selection of choice by the George W. Bush administration in 2001 to oversee the National Forest system as USDA Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment. …The Healthy Forests Restoration Act is considered Rey’s “signature accomplishment.” …A healthy forest, under this law, was one that had been reduced to stumps. …And now, he has been tapped to generate ideas for the future of the conservation movement. What could go wrong?

Read Part I: Ground Shift or Power Shift? Is a Ground Shift in the environmental movement a good idea, or not?

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The fire that never starts — Reducing roadside ignitions

By Andrew Avitt, Forest Service Communications
US Department of Agriculture
March 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

When 95% of wildfires are started by humans — especially in a part of the country like Southern California with 25 million people — stopping wildfires before they start is a lofty goal. But for Nicole Molinari, an ecologist for the Forest Service, a recent mapping effort contains a compelling insight — nearly two thirds of human-caused fires occur along roadsides in the area. The compiled dataset, California Southern Zone Forests & Human Caused Fire Ignition Analysis, maps 26 years of fire starts across the Angeles, San Bernardino, Los Padres, and Cleveland national forests, including 850 miles of national forest roads. Equipped with this data, and with the recent memory of the two fires that devastated parts of Los Angeles last year, federal, state and local land managers are developing strategies to reduce ignitions in this highly flammable, densely populated region.

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Viewpoint: Stop rollback of wildlife protections on Montana’s public land

By Mike Garrity, Executive Director, Alliance for the Wild Rockies
The Missoula Current
March 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Four Montana-based Conservation Groups — Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Gallatin Wildlife Association, Native Ecosystems Council, and Council on Fish & Wildlife — sued the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service for removing wildlife protections on 1.1 million acres of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana. The federal government agencies issued a “Forest Plan Amendment” in 2025 to remove protections on 1.1 million acres of habitat that was formerly mapped and protected as “lynx habitat” for the Canada lynx, a threatened species listed under the Endangered Species Act. …The lynx population in the Greater Yellowstone Area is currently at risk of extinction, but if managed properly, the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest could aid the recovery of the imperiled Greater Yellowstone lynx population by serving as a connectivity corridor with the healthier lynx populations in Northern Montana. 

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Could Oregon’s Valley of the Giants face logging under federal timber plan?

By Eder Campuzano
Salem Statesman Journal in Central Oregon Daily News
March 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

©TravelOregon

An iconic swathe of old growth forest in west Polk County is among the 2.5 million acres the Bureau of Land Management has proposed for a logging ramp-up meant to expand domestic timber production. The Valley of the Giants, home to some of the largest and oldest trees on Oregon’s Coast Range, is renowned for the titanic Douglas firs and Western Hemlocks that compose its canopy. It was recognized as an Outstanding Natural Area and an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the BLM in 1976. …Now, the agency has identified Valley of the Giants as one of several old growth forests that may fall under President Trump’s logging expansion… The announcement has drawn support from the state timber industry and the ire of environmental groups, but the expansion of logging rights is not a done deal. The BLM is accepting public comment on the proposal via email and on the federal register until March 23.

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Investment companies block access to tens of thousands of acres in Wahkiakum, Pacific counties

By Henry Brannan
The Washington State Standard
March 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

ELOCHOMAN RIVER VALLEY, Washington — Investment companies have whittled away the land hunters can use in Wahkiakum and Pacific counties. Access to tens of thousands of acres of longtime hunting grounds is now blocked because a new generation of private landowners won’t offer access. The landowners are often investment companies, not based in the region or even the country. Not only is hunting off limits on their lands, they also often block access to adjacent properties that are state-owned — and therefore should be public — or adjacent privately owned property that still allows free hunting. Steve Ogden, an assistant manager for land operations at Washington Department of Natural Resources, said the agency’s hands are tied — private landowners can’t be forced to allow people on their land. The companies’ land restrictions have begun to erase generations-old family traditions, especially among the working class, and reduce access to affordable foods, like elk, in Washington’s second-poorest county.

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Montana and the U.S. Forest Service use new agreement to target 400,000 acres of forest for management

By Jordan Hansen
The Daily Montanan
March 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Montana and the U.S. Forest Service announced last week they were moving ahead on a shared agreement between the two to do forestry work in large swathes of the state. Last summer, the state and Forest Service signed an agreement formalizing closer cooperation between federal forest management operations and the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. That came about two months after a Trump Administration executive order seeking to increase domestic timber production. On Friday, Gov. Greg Gianforte, DNRC Director Amanda Kaster and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said that two large areas have been selected for state and federal work. The focus of the work will be on approximately 213,910 acres in the Flathead and Kootenai National Forests and 200,000 acres within the Bitterroot National Forest. The project areas were selected due to wildfire risk and how close they are to being implemented.

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Iconic Oregon forest eyed for Trump’s domestic logging expansion

By Eder Campuzano
Statesman Journal
March 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

An iconic swathe of old growth forest in west Polk County is among the 2. 5 million acres the Bureau of Land Management has proposed for a logging ramp-up meant to expand domestic timber production. The Valley of the Giants, home to some of the largest and oldest trees on Oregon’s Coast Range, is renowned for the titanic Douglas firs and Western Hemlocks that compose its canopy. It was recognized as an Outstanding Natural Area and an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the BLM in 1976….The announcement has drawn support from the state timber industry and the ire of environmental groups, but the expansion of logging rights is not a done deal. …The Douglas firs and Western Hemlocks that populate the forest are typically about 20 feet in circumference and are 200 feet tall. Most trees are between 400 and 450 years old.

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Recent Bureau of Land Management Timber Sales Bring In Over $8.3 Million

My Central Oregon
March 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

The Bureau of Land Management sold 27.6 million board feet of timber across 1,255 public acres in Oregon, for a total of $8,327,275, and indicates a strong demand in American lumber manufacturing by exceeding total appraised values by over $3 million. This timber will feed local mills and support jobs in local communities. The Coos Bay District sold the Eckley Empanada timber tract (1.8 million board feet, 105 public acres) to Harveys’ Selective Logging, Inc., of Creswell, Ore., for $$142,228. The Medford District sold the Thom Bone timber tract (6 million board feet, 585 public acres) to Estremado Logging Inc. of Gold Hill, Ore., for $458,766. The Northwest Oregon District sold the Gopher Broke timber tract (7 million board feet, 223 public acres) to Boise Cascade Wood Products of Willamina, Ore., for $2,499,716; and the John Boy timber tract (8 million board feet, 167 public acres) to Rosboro Company, LLC, of Springfield, Ore., for $3,913,070.

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Review of Colorado’s Forest Action Plan reveals focused forest management

Colorado State Forest Service
March 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The Colorado State Forest Service and its partners conducted a vast majority of their forest management work in high-priority areas of the state and greatly increased the acres of forests they managed and enhanced annually from 2020 through 2024, according to a review of the 2020 Colorado Forest Action Plan published this month. The Forest Action Plan is a 10-year, science-based, collaborative roadmap for protecting Colorado’s forests and the many benefits they provide. The CSFS completed a five-year review of the plan, following requirements from the USDA Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters. The review captures projects completed across jurisdictions and tracked using the Colorado Forest Tracker, overlayed on the composite priority map from the Forest Action Plan. …The CSFS collaborated with dozens of stakeholders and subject matter experts to produce the 2020 Colorado Forest Action Plan, which is required by the USDA Forest Service through the federal Farm Bill.

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Trump administration wants to Make Oregon Logged Again, revving up decades‑old battles over big timber

By Gosia Wozniacka
The Oregonian
March 9, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

In western Oregon, public forests that once fueled rural prosperity – and later came under strict habitat protections that sharply reduced logging and local revenues – are again at the center of a political and economic storm. The Trump administration is proposing to quadruple logging in Oregon, raising timber harvests to levels not seen since before spotted owl protections in the 1990s. The plan has stirred a mix of hope and dread across the state. In cash-hungry rural counties hollowed out by decades of dwindling timber receipts … the proposal looks like a long‑awaited lifeline that could stabilize county budgets and create new jobs. … But in forested watersheds and old growth reserves, a sweeping expansion of logging would undermine hard-won conservation protections and threaten the recovery of the northern spotted owls, marbled murrelets and coho salmon…

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Repealing the Roadless Rule would set back public land management

By Mary Erickson, Scott Fitzwilliams, Tricia O’Connor and David Whittekiend
The Idaho Statesman
March 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

As retired Forest Service leaders who had the privilege of managing millions of acres of national forests across the West, we understand the importance of stewarding these lands for the benefit of local communities and the nation. Full repeal of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule would undermine trust in agency managers, hinder collaborative agreements, adversely affect resources the public cares about and ultimately restrict efficient land management. Repealing the rule is favored by many of those who opposed it from the beginning or perceive that it undermines effective forest management. …after over two decades of implementation and learning, forest managers and partners know there could be thoughtful improvements to the Roadless Rule. …Rather than seeking to repeal the rule, the Forest Service should meaningfully engage stakeholders to update the rule and improve implementation based on what has been learned over the past 25 years. This will allow future land managers to benefit local communities and the nation.

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Podcast with Tom Hittle, Wisconsin Council on Forestry

WisBusiness
March 12, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Tom Hittle, chair of the Wisconsin Council on Forestry. The discussion explores the path ahead for the recently announced Wisconsin Forests FIRST initiative, which aims to create a long-term strategy for the state’s paper and forestry industries. It was funded with $1 million in the latest state budget. “The important part of that is the forests first, so while this is a strategic plan and roadmap for our industry, it is really about putting our forests first and the health of our forests,” he said. “And ultimately, we have to have a healthy forest products industry to have healthy forests. You can’t separate the two.” The state is currently growing more than twice the volume of timber that it’s harvesting, Hittle said, touting Wisconsin’s “great track record” with forest management. 

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From timber to tinder: North Carolina forestry officials worry about growing fire dangers, fewer workers

By Clayton Henkel
NC Newsline
March 12, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

When Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina, forestry officials conservatively estimated the storm damaged 822,000 acres of timber. Now satellite imagery showing changes in forest cover suggests the extent of damage was much greater. Nearly 18 months after Helene, forestry officials and the state fire marshal warned legislators Thursday that North Carolina needs to be much better prepared to battle wildfires. Deputy Forester Kevin Harvell with the North Carolina Forest Service said from the air, it’s easy to spot areas where complete stands of trees were flattened, making forest roads and logging roads impassable. …In many counties, N.C. Forest Service staffing consists of just three people – a county ranger, an assistant ranger, and a heavy equipment operator. That means a local county fire department may be the first responder when a brush or woods fire is reported. As in many areas of state government, Hicks says low pay is making it increasingly difficult to keep experienced staff.

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Wisconsin’s forests first initiative developing strategic plan road map for forest conservation

By Jake Donoho
WJFW-TV12
March 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

RHNELANDER, Wisconsin — Wisconsin’s Forest Industry Roadmap and Strategies for Tomorrow, or Wisconsin Forests FIRST is a statewide initiative made for developing a plan and roadmap to ensure Wisconsin’s forests remain healthy and productive, while strengthening the timber industry. Wisconsin’s timber industry is one of the leading economic factors in the state, especially in the Northwoods. The new roadmap being developed by Wisconsin Forests FIRST Initiative aims to identify challenges within the industry to ensure long-term success. Wisconsin Council on Forestry chair, Tom Hittle, explains what the roadmap will consist of. …The research for the roadmap will last two years and seek out data-driven insights to support forest health in collaboration with local and statewide experts. The Great Lakes Timber Professionals and the Paper Council received a $1 million grant from the state to pursue the project with the Wisconsin Council on Forestry.

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Proposed US Forest Service Plan to Streamline Logging on Three Montana Forests

By Laura Lundquist
The Missoula Current
March 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

MONTANA — Three national forests east of Missoula are proposing a plan to require continuous logging across almost a million acres of southwest Montana for at least the next decade. On Monday, the U.S. Forest Service released a draft plan for a Tri-Forest Sustained-Yield Unit, which would direct logging to occur on more than 925,000 acres across the Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Helena-Lewis and Clark and Custer Gallatin national forests. The plan’s stated purpose is to “to support local economies and the timber industry.” Logging is predicted to ramp up to produce 35 million board-feet of lumber annually by the end of 10 years, according to the plan. … The plan says logging won’t occur in wilderness areas, recommended wilderness or wilderness study areas. …But some regional public land advocates are questioning the plan at a time when the Trump administration has pushed a number of other initiatives that favor the timber industry and reduce public comment.

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New England Clean Energy Connect conservation plan will not protect Maine’s mature forests

By Robert Bryan and Paul Larrivee (licensed foresters)
Central Maine
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

In November 2025, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved a conservation plan and forest management plan as mitigation for impacts from the NECEC transmission corridor that runs from the Quebec border 53 miles to central Maine. As professional foresters, we were astonished by the lack of scientific credibility in the definition of “mature forest habitat” that was approved by DEP, and the business-as-usual commercial forestry proposed for over 80% of the conservation area. The DEP’s approval requires NECEC to establish and protect 50,000 acres to be managed for mature-forest wildlife species and wildlife travel corridors along riparian areas and between mature forest habitats. …To ensure that ecologically mature forest develops in a manner that meets the intent of the DEP/BEP orders, several things need to change….If allowed to stand, the definitions and management described in the forest management plan would set a terrible precedent for conserving mature forests in Maine. 

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Washington State Joins Forces with California and Quebec in Landmark Carbon Market Agreement

News USA Today
March 5, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, United States

OLMYPIA, Washington – Washington state is poised to significantly expand its efforts to combat climate change with a proposed agreement to link its carbon market with those of California and Quebec. The move, announced Tuesday by the Washington Department of Ecology, aims to stabilize and reduce the costs associated with decarbonizing the state’s economy. The draft linkage agreement is now open for public comment until May 1, 2026, with the shared market potentially launching as early as 2027. This collaboration represents a major step forward in regional climate action, building upon Washington’s 2021 Climate Commitment Act. …The linkage would allow businesses in all three jurisdictions to participate in joint auctions and trade carbon allowances freely. This expanded market is expected to stabilize Washington’s relatively new and more expensive carbon market, as California and Quebec have been operating linked markets since 2014. While aligning with California and Quebec, Washington maintains distinct climate goals.

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Pittsburgh Penguins buy forest carbon credits to offset team’s environmental footprint

By Ayla Saeed
WESA Pittsburg NPR
March 9, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US East

Most Pittsburgh Penguins fans are focused on what’s happening on the ice. But off it, the team has been tending to its carbon footprint in alignment with the Penguin’s Pledge sustainability initiative. To make up for the greenhouse gasses the hockey team has been pumping into the atmosphere, the team worked with Pittsburgh-based natural gas company EQT and the conservation nonprofit Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) to purchase and retire forest carbon credits. …ALT president Carrie Gilbert said “By protecting forests and quantifying their climate benefits, we’re creating locally rooted solutions that address global challenges while improving quality of life across our region.” …“This effort builds on our broader Net Zero partnership with the Penguins, which focuses on supporting their sustainability goals through practical, regionally grounded solutions,” said Amy Rogers with EQT. …The Penguins recognized the partnership during a “Pledge Night” game last week.

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