Region Archives: United States

Special Feature

Innovation, investment can help save forests and timber industry

By Pete Madden, CEO, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.
The Post and Courier
January 29, 2025
Category: Special Feature
Region: United States, US East

Peter Madden

President Donald Trump has declared an energy emergency, stating that the domestic energy supply is “precariously inadequate” and poses a threat to national security. Additionally, he announced a $500 billion private sector investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure across the United States. At the intersection of these two lies a transformational opportunity for an unsuspecting sector: America’s forests. …South Carolina’s bountiful supply of trees faces a declining market… Between January 2023 and March 2024, nearly 50 forest product mills reported they would be closing or curtailing production… leaving private landowners with few incentives to maintain their forests. 

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities focuses on finding innovative solutions to sustain forest-dependent communities here in South Carolina and across the country. One such innovation lies in the growing market for biomass energy … a renewable energy solution for our growing demands for power. A simple query to ChatGPT uses roughly the same amount of energy it takes to brew three cups of coffee. Multiplied by the hundreds of millions of queries processed by AI models every day — with a million queries draining the amount of power needed to power 30 homes for an entire month — there is a huge environmental and energy drain. By integrating biomass in a diversified energy portfolio, we can build a resilient grid that can power developing industries while ensuring economic and environmental sustainability for decades to come.

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Business & Politics

The Maine lumber industry, with close business ties to Canada, braces for possible tariffs

By Molly Enking
Maine Public
February 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Maine exports about 2 million tons of wood products annually, and imports 2.3 million tons – mostly from Canada, according to a recent industry report from the Maine Forest Service. Lumber industry officials are concerned the Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs could hurt business, said Patrick Strauch, of the Maine Forest Products Council. “Maine’s forest economy is really intertwined with both Quebec and New Brunswick, Strauch said. “We’re concerned about a broad tariff and how it would distrust disrupt the economy.” Wood pulp and fibers, in particular, are a big part of what moves across the border in order to produce particle board, packaging, and other products in Maine. Strauch said mills located near the border import goods from Canada on a regular basis. “If you’re a pulp mill that’s located close to the border of Canada, you’re going to be importing wood fiber from Canada. That’s just how it works in Maine,” he said.

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After Trump declares a trade war, Canadians grapple with a sense of betrayal

By Rob Gillies
The Associated Press
February 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

As Canadians absorb U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and his threats to make Canada the 51st state, one thing has become abundantly clear: One of the world’s most durable and amicable alliances — born of geography, heritage and centuries of common interests — is broken. Canadians are feeling an undeniable sense of betrayal after Trump declared a trade war against America’s northern neighbor and longtime ally. Trump keeps threatening Canada’s sovereignty and and vowing to put sweeping 25% tariffs on Canadian products, though Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday afternoon the tariffs will be postponed by at least 30 days after he promised more cooperation on the border.

In Canada, discussion and disapproval are everywhere. Canadian hockey fans have even been booing the American national anthem at recent National Hockey League games. Addressing the nation this past weekend, Trudeau channeled the betrayal that many Canadians are feeling, reminding Americans that Canadian troops fought alongside them in Afghanistan and helped respond to myriad crises from wildfires in California to Hurricane Katrina. The ties between the two countries are without parallel. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian worth of goods and services cross the border each day. “It’s certainly one of the worst moments in Canada-U.S. relations since the creation of Canada in 1867,” Daniel Beland at McGill University said. “His talk about making Canada the 51st state is a direct attack against the country’s sovereignty. Even if we exclude that threat, he shows no respect for Canada’s sovereignty and institutions.”

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Despite Trump’s tariff pause, uncertainty looms over Canadian economy

By Michel Saba
Canadian Press in Global News
February 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Donald Trump & David Eby

Uncertainty still hangs over the Canadian economy despite U.S. President Donald Trump announcing a 30-day pause in tariffs that were to take effect today. The temporary reprieve halts — at least for now — a continental trade war that economists on both sides of the border warned would raise prices. Trump’s decision meant Canada and the provinces also halted their moves to retaliate including with tariffs and bans on U.S. alcohol sales north of the border. Trump on Saturday signed an order to impose 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports, with a lower 10 per cent tariff on Canadian energy. On Monday, following two phone calls with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump said the tariffs would be off the table for 30 days to see if the two countries could reach a “final economic deal.”

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Trump Imposes Tariffs on Imports from Canada, Mexico and China

The White House
February 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl, constitutes a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Until the crisis is alleviated, President Donald J. Trump is implementing a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% additional tariff on imports from China. Energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10% tariff. President Trump is taking bold action to hold Mexico, Canada, and China accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country. The orders make clear that the flow of contraband drugs like fentanyl to the United States, through illicit distribution networks, has created a national emergency, including a public health crisis. …”This Tariff will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!”

In related coverage in:

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Canada announces $155B tariff package in response to US tariffs

Government of Canada
February 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The Government of Canada is moving forward with 25 per cent tariffs on $155 billion worth of goods in response to the unjustified and unreasonable tariffs imposed by the United States on Canadian goods. These countermeasures have one goal: to protect and defend Canada’s interests, consumers, workers, and businesses. The first phase of our response will include tariffs on $30 billion in goods imported from the U.S., effective February 4, 2025, when the U.S tariffs are applied. …Minister LeBlanc also announced that the government intends to impose tariffs on an additional list of imported U.S. goods worth $125 billion. A full list of these goods will be made available for a 21-day public comment period. …In addition to this initial response, Ministers LeBlanc and Joly reiterated that all options remain on the table. …Less than 1 per cent of the fentanyl and illegal crossings into the United States come from Canada.

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Economists weigh in: The dumbest trade war fallout begins

The Editorial Board
The Wall Street Journal
February 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

President Trump conceded Sunday that there may be “some pain” from his sweeping tariffs on Mexico and Canada, but they will eventually lead to a new “GOLDEN AGE.” Nice of him to promise a glorious future because the pain is already unfolding. …He also included a blast at these columns for leading the “Tariff Lobby” after our editorial called his 25% across-the-board tariffs on our friends and neighbors “the dumbest trade war in history.” …But bad policy has damaging consequences, whether or not Mr. Trump chooses to admit it. Tariffs are taxes, and when you tax something you get less of it. …The hammer blow to Mexico and Canada shows that no country or industry is safe. …This will cause friends and foes to recalibrate their dependence on America’s market. How this helps the US isn’t apparent, so, yes, “dumbest trade war” sounds right, if it isn’t an understatement. [A Wall Street Journal subscription is required to read the full story]

Related Economic Coverage in:

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Opinion: Alienating allies and partners that the US needs means that “America First” will be “America Alone.”

By David Frum
The Atlantic
February 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

David Frum

To understand the harm Donald Trump has done with his tariffs on Canada and Mexico, here are four things you need to know: First, every tax on imports is also a tax on exports. …Trump tariffs will be paid in the form of higher prices for imports and their substitutes, and lower profits and wages for everyone who works in export industries. Second, every product is also an input. …Big, sophisticated global companies can shift their input-sourcing but the shift is never easy. For smaller companies, it may prove altogether unfeasible. …Third, “illegal” is irrelevant; don’t expect relief from tariffs through lawsuits. The US has sabotaged the dispute-settlement mechanisms under the North American trade agreements. …Fourth, Americans may not remember their past actions, but others do. …Trump is single-handedly reneging on 80 years of American work to persuade others to trust and rely on the US. …“America First” means “America Alone.” [A subscription to the Economist is required to read the full story]

In Relate Opinion Coverage by:

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Provincial and state leaders respond to Trump’s tariffs

By Shaurya Kshatri
CBC News
February 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

David Eby

BC Premier David Eby announced immediate countermeasures to U.S. tariffs on Saturday, including banning ‘red-state’ American liquor from public stores. He says the province will also fast-track permits for local projects and expand trade beyond the US to reduce reliance on its market. “We have targeted red states because, quite frankly, Donald Trump doesn’t care about Democrat states,” said Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon. “We want to make sure that we’re not punishing states that have nothing to do with this.” …John Brink, who employs about 400 people in northern B.C. through his group of lumber-focused companies says his business is already feeling the impact. …Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says she wrote to Eby Sunday morning urging him to implement tax cuts and roll out a comprehensive relief package, similar to what was introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, to support businesses and families.

Related Provincial coverage from:

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Canadian Forest Industry, Steelworkers respond to tariffs

CBC News
February 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Northern Ontario’s softwood lumber industry would be decimated if Trump implements a tariff on Canadian goods said Wendy Landry, president of the Northern Ontario Municipal Association and mayor of Shuniah. …Ian Dunn, CEO of the Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA) said softwood lumber duties are expected to double this year, as well, to about 30%-35%. “In reality, Ontario lumber producers could face 60% tariffs at the border, which would effectively wipe out all US shipments,” Dunn said. “In terms of global exports, Ontario exports about $7.9 billion of forest products per year. 79% of that goes to the US,” he said. “Sawmills produce lumber, but they also produce residuals which are consumed by the pulp and paper mills.”  “If there’s additional impacts, and there’s less production at the sawmills, there is less raw material for the pulp and paper mills,” he said.

In related forest sector coverage:

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Trump says 25 per cent tariffs coming for Canada on Saturday

By Kelly Geraldine
The Canadian Press in Business in Vancouver
January 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Howard Lutnick

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump says he will decide Thursday night whether to include oil in his tariff plan as he confirmed his intention to impose devastating duties on Canadian imports on Saturday. …Trump initially claimed his 25 per cent tariff threat was in response to what he called the failure by Canada and Mexico to curb the illegal flow of people and drugs across the border. His complaints have since expanded far beyond border security. On Thursday, Trump repeated his objections to trade deficits with both countries. …Canadian officials are still hoping a final diplomatic push aimed at lawmakers in Washington and Trump’s team can sway the president. …Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc described Canada’s border security efforts to Howard Lutnick. …Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is in Washington. …Public Safety Minister David McGuinty and Immigration Minister Marc Miller were travelling to Washington.

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Trump Aides Hunt for 11th-Hour Deal to Dial Back Canada-Mexico Tariffs

By Gavin Bade, Vipal Monga and Santiago Pérez
The Wall Street Journal
January 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

President Trump’s advisers are considering several offramps to avoid enacting the universal tariffs on Mexico and Canada that he had pledged, according to people familiar with the matter, even as he reiterated Thursday that the tariffs are coming. The situation is fluid and Trump still may go through with his 25% across-the-board levies. …But amid ongoing negotiations, the administration appears undecided on whether to impose tariffs on all imports from those countries, adding that officials are preparing to opt for more targeted measures instead. Trump is still likely to announce some sort of trade action by Saturday, but it may only affect certain sectors, such as steel and aluminum. Trump may also include major exemptions, such as oil. And the tariffs could be issued using existing legal authorities instead of more novel approaches officials had previously floated. …The administration could also announce new tariffs with a grace period, allowing negotiations to continue.

Related in the New York Times: The World Economy Awaits Trump’s First Round of Tariffs

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US Lumber Coalition Rebuts Canada’s Offensive To Dismantle US Measures Against Unfairly Traded Lumber Imports

The US Lumber Coalition
PR Newswire
February 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Canada is frantically pushing the idea that the UW needs their unfairly traded softwood lumber by attacking President Trump’s strong border measures,” said Andrew Miller, Chairman of the US Lumber Coalition. “Erroneous, but persistent, messaging by Canada and NAHB regarding the impact of lumber border measures on housing costs leads to inaccurate and inflammatory headlines such as “Trump tariffs on Canadian lumber could be a ‘nightmare’ for California’s fire recovery.” Headlines like these serve to push an agenda that is not grounded in facts. Miller also noted that organizations such as the NAHB have carried out a policy to oppose internationally-accepted restraints on unfairly traded building products,” to help achieve this objective. Over the years NAHB and Canada have held numerous meetings together and appear to be well coordinated in their messaging attacking the enforcement of the U.S. trade laws against unfairly traded Canadian lumber imports.

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European Union leaders vow to fight back if Trump imposes tariffs

By Rory Armstrong
The Associated Press in Euro News
February 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

Olaf Scholz

The European Union has responded with unity and conviction after US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that import tariffs on the European Union are “definitely happening”. …European leaders appeared to agree that the EU will fight US tariffs, if they were to be applied. German chancellor Olaf Scholz said the bloc “can react to tariff policies with tariff policies”. …As Trump’s moves forward his foreign policy agenda… the EU is looking to become more independent, both economically and militarily. “We have to do everything to avoid this totally unnecessary and stupid tariff war,” said Polish PM Donald Tusk, adding that “we cannot lose awareness of our interests. At the same time, we cannot lose our European self-respect and self-confidence. It’s not easy, but we’ll see.” The prime minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, said she “does not support fighting allies,” but that Denmark will respond to US tariffs.

Related coverage in:

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Trump tariffs may roil Maine energy prices, and lobster, lumber markets

By Stephen Singer
The Portland Press Herald
January 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

PORTLAND, Maine — Tariffs that are central to Trump’s economic policies could destabilize markets for numerous Maine products from lumber to electricity. …Tariffs on products from Canada, which is Maine’s biggest trading partner, would send powerful ripples across the state’s economy. Maine brought in $4.4 billion of goods – fuels, oil, electricity, wood pulp and more – from its neighbor in 2024. Imports from Canada far outpace those from any other trading partner. …Patrick Woodcock, CEO of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce said, “many state businesses see Canada not just as a market to buy and sell items, but a place with mills and processing plants that are “fully integrated in their business plans”. …New tariffs could complicate trade relations between the U.S. and Canada, which have been tested in disputes over lumber for decades, said Patrick Strauch, of the Maine Forest Products Council… but a universal tariff would have the biggest effect on the price of energy. [the access the full story a Portland Press Herald subscription is required]

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USG Paper to revive former International Paper plant in Orange, Texas

By Scott Eslinger, Ebonee Coleman & Gaggy Gaspard
12news.com
January 29, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

ORANGE, Texas — Up to 150 new jobs could be coming to Orange with a $715 million investment into the former International Paper plant. USG Paper plans to invest $715 million to expand its paper manufacturing operations to Orange creating from 120 to 150 new jobs at the former International Paper facility. Nearly 500 employees lost their jobs when the International Paper plant shut down without warning last fall. …On November 19, 2024, the Orange City Council approved the old International Paper facility to be designated a reinvestment zone. This will allow for tax break incentives from the city to attract possible buyers. The wallboard and gypsum products manufacturer received approval for economic development incentives from both the City of Orange Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors and the Orange City Council. “We will be providing them with a $200,000 economic incentive for two years.

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Finance & Economics

Lumber prices hold steady through January while traders embrace a wait-and-see approach

By Joe Pruski
RISI Fastmarkets
January 31, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Framing lumber markets hovered in a holding pattern as traders embraced a wait-and-see approach to a potential 25% tariff on Canadian shipments. The Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite Price finished the week $1 lower. Western S-P-F buyers moved to the sidelines in late trading, citing minimal immediate needs and uncertainty about the tariffs and near-term prospects. …Price weakness lingered in the Southern Pine market amid sluggish to stagnant sales. Buyers lacked urgency and the potential impact of tariffs on demand for SYP was a widespread topic of conversation. …Traders debated how much of a price spread between Western S-P-F and SYP would need to emerge before end users substituted species on a larger scale. …In Coast markets, Hem-Fir dimension continued to face serious downward pressure from soft Inland prices. Meanwhile, dry Douglas Fir dimension prices stabilized, assisted by a green market that has found its footing.

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Lumber Extends Rally Following US Tariffs

Trading Economics
February 3, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures surged to over $590 per thousand board feet, approaching the two-month high of $600 from January 6th following US President Trump’s decision to implement tariffs on Canada, a major supplier of wood to the US. The tariffs were threatened by the US President shortly after taking office, but conflicting messages from the Presidential administration raised skepticism for investors on whether trade barriers would actually be raised. According to the latest data, Canada supplied around 30% of lumber used in the US last year. The 25% tax on Canadian goods, including wood, add to the already existing anti-dumping duties of 14.5%, raising capacity pressures on domestically produced alternatives. In the meantime, the greater degree of confidence that the Fed will deliver more than one rate cut this year drove benchmark mortgage rates to ease below 7%, giving some respite to construction demand. [END]

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Trump’s tariffs send stock market falling

By Max Zahn
ABC News
February 3, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The stock market fell on Monday after President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, eliciting threats of retaliation and setting the stage for a trade war. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid about 550 points, or 1.25%, in early trading on Monday. The S&P 500 dropped 1.5%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq plummeted 2%. Traders demonstrated their jitters with a selloff of U.S. auto companies, which hold deep ties to suppliers in Canada and Mexico. Shares of General Motors plummeted 6%, while Ford saw its stock price plunge 4%. The market rout extended worldwide. Japan’s Nikkei index fell 2.5% on Monday, and the pan-European STOXX 600 dropped about 1%.

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US Economy Ends 2024 With Solid Growth

By Jing Fu
NAHB – Eye on Housing
January 30, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

US Real GDP growth slowed in the fourth quarter of 2024, but the economy finished the year at a solid rate. While consumer spending continued to drive growth, gross private domestic investment detracted over a full percentage point mainly due to a decline in private inventories. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at an annual rate of 2.3% in the fourth quarter of 2024, following a 3.1% gain in the third quarter of 2024. This quarter’s growth was higher than NAHB’s forecast of a 1.8% increase. Furthermore, the data from the GDP report suggests that inflationary pressure persisted at the end of 2024. The GDP price index rose 2.2% for the fourth quarter, up from a 1.9% increase in the third quarter of 2024. …For the full year, real GDP grew at a healthy rate of 2.8% in 2024.

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US Mortgage Rates Tick Upward in January

By Catherine Koh
The NAHB Eye on Housing
January 31, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

US Mortgage rates edged higher in January, with the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reaching 6.96%. Rates had been climbing steadily since mid-December—even surpassing 7%—before easing in recent weeks as the bond market stabilized following news that President Donald Trump postponed tariffs plans to February 1. According to Freddie Mac, the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose 24 basis points (bps) from December, extending a two-year trend of fluctuations between 6% and 7%. Meanwhile, the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage increased 23 bps to land at 6.13%. The 10-year Treasury yield, a key benchmark for mortgage rates, averaged 4.63% in November—33 basis points higher than December’s average.

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Weyerhaeuser reports Q4, 2024 net earnings of $81 million

Weyerhaeuser Company
January 30, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, US West

SEATTLE – Weyerhaeuser reported fourth quarter net earnings of $81 million on net sales of $1.7 billion. This compares with net earnings of $219 million on net sales of $1.8 billion for the same period last year and net earnings of $28 million for third quarter 2024. There were no special items in fourth quarter 2024. …Adjusted EBITDA for fourth quarter 2024 was $294 million, compared with $321 million for the same period last year. For full year 2024, Weyerhaeuser reported net earnings of $396 million on net sales of $7.1 billion. This compares with net earnings of $839 million on net sales of $7.7 billion for full year 2023. …Devin W. Stockfish, president and CEO said, “entering 2025, our balance sheet is strong, and we are well positioned to capitalize as market conditions improve.”

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International Paper reports Q4, 2024 net loss of $147 million

International Paper
PR Newswire
January 30, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, US East

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — International Paper reported reported fourth quarter net loss was $147 million and adjusted operating loss (non-GAAP) was $7 million. Fourth quarter net sales were $4.6 billion in 2024 and 2023. Full-year 2024 net earnings were $557 million and adjusted operating earnings (non-GAAP) of $400 million. Full-year net sales were $18.6 billion in 2024 and $18.9 billion in 2023. Full-year and fourth quarter net earnings include a pre-tax charge of $395 million for accelerated depreciation and restructuring charges, including $334 million related to the previously announced closure of the Company’s Georgetown, South Carolina pulp mill. …Chairman and CEO Andy Silvernail said, “Through a disciplined 80/20 approach, we have restructured our corporate organization, added resources to the business, reduced structural costs through footprint actions and successfully piloted regional box plant optimization.”

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Newsom, Los Angeles should pause on rebuilding

By Mark Ryavec
Argonaut News
January 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

Gavin Newsom

Gov. Gavin Newsom is misguided in issuing an executive order to expedite rebuilding houses in the Pacific Palisades without first examining what happened there and applying lessons that may be learned to reform building codes and significantly increase the capacity of the local firefighting water system. The governor recently issued orders to relax Coastal Commission permit requirements and environmental review for new construction as long as the replacement building is not more than 10% larger or taller than the original. Now that Mayor Karen Bass has agreed, this will allow property owners to more quickly start rebuilding — with the same building materials and lax fire safety requirements that failed to protect over 10,000 homes. …There are other building materials… which, when properly installed, withstand extreme heat for at least four hours, enough time for all surrounding foliage and structures to burn out, leaving the house standing.

Related by James Rodriguez in Business Insider: The LA wildfires are trying to tell you something

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Forestry

‘Forest management’ misdirection worsens community wildfire threats

By Chad Hanson, wildfire scientist, John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute
The Hill
February 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Chad Hanson

After the devastation of Los Angeles communities, our national wildfire policies must focus on saving lives and neighborhoods from future fires, and rebuilding in a fire-safe way that prevents it from happening again. This is not just about Los Angeles, or California. It is about vulnerable communities across the nation, from arid regions of the western U.S. to parts of Florida, Appalachia, the New Jersey Pine Barrens and communities in between. The problem is that, as a society, we cannot seem to have that essential conversation. There is a sort of cultural anomaly that steers the discussion and the funding for wildfire policies toward “forest management.” This misdirection is putting lives and communities at risk. …Politicians: Knock it off with this dangerously misdirected narrative about forest management. …If you don’t focus on helping create fire-safe communities, the heartbreaking impacts that we witnessed in Los Angeles will happen again, and again, across the country. 

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There’s a Logjam in the U.S. Lumber Industry – Democrats should support President Trump’s efforts to open more federal lands for logging.

Letters
The Wall Street Journal
January 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Kenneth A. Margolis, New York — Who says bipartisanship is dead? President Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom have found common ground. Both seem determined to cripple the rebuilding effort in Los Angeles.

David P. Tenny, National Alliance of Forest Owners — Your editorial claims that the wood supply in the U.S. is limited and that private forests can’t sustainably meet demand. This isn’t the case. Americans, especially those recovering from recent disasters, need affordable housing built with renewable and sustainable materials like wood. U.S. private forest owners are prepared to meet this demand with sustainably grown timber.

John Fortugno, Washington — I see huge, carbon-spewing ships, piled high with raw, unprocessed logs from Washington State leave Olympia weekly, bound for Japan. Meanwhile, nearby lumber mills in rural areas with high unemployment sit idle. Democrats should support President Trump’s efforts to open more federal lands for logging.

[A Wall Street Journal is required to read the full story]

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Now is the time to invest in Utah’s forests and watersheds

The Deseret News
February 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

This opinion piece is by the following groups: Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, Mountain Regional Water Special Service District, Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, Summit County, and World Resources Institute. After another catastrophic wildfire season in the West, it is clear that Utah can no longer put off needed investments to protect our forests and critical sources of drinking water. The consequences of delaying these essential investments grow yearly and the stakes have never been higher. …These fires are a wake-up call. Infrastructure costs should not fall on water ratepayers alone. While Utah water utilities and our partners have made progress in reducing wildfire risks in key watersheds, the wildfire crisis demands even greater levels of collaboration and funding — and both are needed now from Utah’s state Legislature.

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Heinrich, Sheehy Introduce Bipartisan Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act

Senator Martin Heinrich
January 31, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the bipartisan Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 to strengthen the aerial wildfire suppression fleet and better combat the year-round threat of catastrophic wildfire. “I have worked to expand the operations of Very Large Air Tankers that have proven absolutely essential to firefighters battling wildfires in New Mexico, Los Angeles, and across the West,” said Heinrich. …“As a former Navy SEAL and the only aerial firefighter in the Senate, I understand government’s most solemn duty is to keep the American people safe,” said Sheehy. The bill reauthorizes the Secretary of Defense’s authority to sell excess Department of Defense aircraft and aircraft parts, acceptable for commercial sale, to persons or entities that contract with the government for the delivery of fire retardant or water by air to suppress wildfires…

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How to Access $5 Million for Tribal Wildfire Resilience

By Trisha Jacobs
Sierra News Online
January 31, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

SACRAMENTO– The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is announcing the availability of up to $5 million for Tribal Wildfire Resilience projects. CAL FIRE is soliciting applications for projects that work to support California Native American tribes in managing ancestral lands. This includes implementing and promoting Traditional Ecological Knowledges in wildfire resilience. Also, creating wildfire safety for tribal communities. Applications will be accepted from now via the Tribal Wildfire Resilience Grants webpage. Applications are due by 12:00 PM on Friday, March 28, 2025. Eligible applicants are California Native American tribes and tribal-led non-profit organizations with documentation.

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Sacramento Report: Behind Trump’s Visit to California

By Deborah Sullivan Brennan
Voice of San Diego
January 31, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

State Sen. Brian Jones is hopeful wildfire disaster aid is forthcoming and wants to make sure San Diego gets its share. When California leaders sat down with President Donald Trump at a roundtable discussion on disaster aid for the Los Angeles wildfires last week, they weren’t sure what to expect. Trump had threatened to withhold federal funding unless California met his demands for changes to water policy, forest management, sanctuary protections and voter ID. Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom was walking a political tightrope: positioning the state as the center of Trump resistance while also negotiating wildfire assistance. …Dialing back his combative manner, Trump expressed condolences over the wreckage of Pacific Palisades, which he viewed from a helicopter. …Last week Newsom signed a bill awarding funding for firestorm recovery … that barely begins to cover losses from the L.A. fires, whose total damages could be $250 billion, according to an estimate by AccuWeather.

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New Mexico Awards State Forester Laura McCarthy 2025 Earth Science Achievement Award

Los Alamos Daily Post
February 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Laura McCarthy

SOCORRO — The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources at New Mexico Tech will present the 2025 Earth Science Achievement Award for Public Service and Public Policy to New Mexico State Forester Laura McCarthy. McCarthy has advanced the role of earth science in public policy, and will receive the award during a ceremony in conjunction with Earth Science/New Mexico Tech Day. As State Forester, McCarthy is responsible for forest management on 43 million acres of state and private lands, including wildfire prevention and response, forest health improvement, reforestation, watershed health, and climate change adaptation. Under her leadership, the State Forestry Division has doubled in size, modernized its business systems, and taken on the challenges of postfire recovery and reforestation of burned areas with the year 2100 climate in mind. She is committed to forest health, drawing on her experience as a forester, wildland firefighter, and policy advisor.

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Utility company says it needs to log 5 acres of Portland’s mature forest. City staff are skeptical

By April Elrlich
Oregon Public Broadcasting
January 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

A utility company wants to cut through 5 acres of mature Doug fir and big leaf maples in a massive Portland urban forest to make way for new transmission lines. Portland General Electric executives say the company needs to improve its infrastructure to meet Portland’s electricity demands, particularly as it moves away from fossil fuels and prepares the grid to carry more renewably generated power. The company plans to meet that goal by removing 400 trees through intact, mature forest to install new power poles and 1,400 feet of transmission lines. The proposal has drawn fierce opposition from environmental groups, as well as the city of Portland itself. That opposition was on display during a public hearing Wednesday, where city staff recommended a hearings officer deny PGE’s plan. A decision is expected in early March.

Related coverage in Portland Mercury: “A Dangerous Precedent”: PGE Faces Major Backlash for Forest Park Utility Proposal

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Federal budget uncertainty stalls Forest Service thinning projects

By Peter Aleshire
Payson Roundup
January 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

At the worst possible moment, budget uncertainty has effectively stalled the Forest Service’s effort to thin the forest to reduce the risk of wildfires: That’s the message Forest Service officials delivered to the Eastern Arizona Counties Natural Resources Committee last week. The Forest Service had already imposed a hiring freeze before the congressional budgeting process fell apart. Congress in January adopted a continuing resolution to get through March and avert a government shutdown. The continuing resolution was necessary just to allow the federal government to spend money Congress included in its last adopted budget for the current fiscal year starting in October. But it’s still unclear whether the new Republican majorities in the House and Senate can agree on fresh action to lift the debt ceiling and adopt either another continuing resolution or an actual budget. Some Republicans have demanded steep cuts in previously approved spending to rein in the federal deficit.

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University of Montana – 106th Foresters’ Ball Honors Firefighting History

By Kyle Spurr
University of Montana News
January 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

MISSOULA – Forestry students at the University of Montana are working hard this week to set up the 106th Foresters’ Ball, a beloved campus tradition and fundraiser for students in the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation.  Students and alumni have turned UM’s Schreiber Gym into an old logging town featuring wooden false fronts of a saloon, chapel, jail and other buildings. The Western atmosphere will draw hundreds of flannel-clad visitors to gather and dance to live music. This year’s theme for the ball is “Tankers Dumpin’ & Crews a Jumpin’,” a nod to the brave firefighting crews across the state. The work to create this year’s ball was inspired by fire crews past and present, said Koson Verkler, a senior forestry student and “chief push” of the Foresters’ Ball Committee. A replica wooden smokejumper aircraft and parachutes will be displayed at the ball. 

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Environmentalists push for stronger old-growth protections in Northwest Forest Plan

By Roman Battaglia
Jefferson Public Radio
January 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Around a hundred community members showed up to the U.S. Forest Service office in Medford on Wednesday night for a public meeting about proposed amendments to the Northwest Forest Plan. The plan was created in 1994 to protect threatened and endangered species, like the northern spotted owl and marbled murrelet. It was meant to put an end to the timber wars of the 80s and 90s, when environmental activists protested the over-harvesting of trees in the region. The plan covers all of the Forest Service lands in Oregon and Washington, as well as a small part of Northern California. While innovative at the time, even environmentalists like Carol Valentine with the Sierra Club believe the plan needs to change to meet our new challenges. …Environmental activists held a rally outside the Forest Service office to push for stronger protections for old-growth ecosystems in the amendments.

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North Carolina Forest Service struggles with vacancies amid rising wildfire risks

By Casey Zanowic
ABC News 45
February 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

PIEDMONT TRIAD, N.C. — North Carolina has seen a rising number of wildfires recently, including two here in the Triad just last week. The North Carolina Forest Service is the agency responsible for getting those fires out, but lately it’s been difficult to do so. That’s due to the large number of vacancies across the department. “When we’re the lead agency for wildfire response, this isn’t a forest you want 100 positions consistently unfilled,” Philip Jackson, Public Information Officer for the N.C. Forest Service, said. It’s an issue the agency has been having for some time. “It’s [vacancies] pretty evenly distributed throughout all three regions across the state,” Jackson said. “You’re looking at about 30-35 unfilled positions in all three regions.”

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

US Forest Service scrubs website of references to climate change

By Eric Barker
The Lewiston Tribune
February 1, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States

News sites report employees across all agencies overseen by U.S. Department of Agriculture were instructed to take down climate change pages. Several recently active U.S. Forest Service web pages about climate change and its impacts on things like wildfires and ecosystems were either blocked or taken down by the agency Friday. People attempting to access the pages were shown messages saying “You are not allowed to access this page” or “Looks like you wandered off trail.” …Both Politico and the Hot Shot Wake Up, a news site specializing in wildfire coverage, reported employees across all agencies overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture were instructed by email to delete landing pages about climate change and those that track climate change references. The reason wasn’t immediately clear but it may be linked to President Donald Trump’s skepticism that climate change is real and caused by burning fossil fuels.

Additional coverage in Politico, by Zack Colman and Marcia Brown: USDA ordered to scrub climate change from websites

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Taking Gov. Tina Kotek’s temperature on Oregon’s climate change response

By Monica Samayoa
Oregon Public Broadcasting
February 4, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US West

Tina Kotek

Oregon Gov. Kotek calls herself a “climate champion,” a moniker her supporters also used during her campaign for governor. …But Kotek is now halfway through her term as the state’s top government official [and] hasn’t made climate or environmental issues central to her agenda. …Oregon has many programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the state’s biggest emitters, including the transportation and buildings sectors. But Kotek has her eyes set on other ways to reduce the state’s overall greenhouse gas emissions — carbon storage or carbon sequestration. …“Elliott State Research Forest has been really important to me to make sure we can have carbon sequestration as part of the goals for the research forest, see how it’s actually working, get us onto the carbon credit market,” she said. …Kotek said overall, the Elliott is an important part of reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

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Microsoft’s Key Role in Growing 35 Million Trees in the US

By Steven Downes
Sustainability Magazine
January 31, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US East

Microsoft has sealed a long-term agreement with Chestnut Carbon to provide high-quality, nature-based carbon removal from its afforestation, reforestation and revegetation (ARR) project in the Southern US. The deal, one of the largest ARR offtakes in the US, spans 25 years and will deliver over 7 million tons of carbon removal credits. The carbon removal will be derived entirely from Chestnut’s ARR project in the southern United States, including Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. It is in addition to an initial agreement between Chestnut and Microsoft in December 2023 and involves multiple phases – estimated to restore 60,000 acres of land by planting over 35 million native, biodiverse hardwood and softwood trees… The Chestnut Sustainable Restoration Project stands out because of its focus on creating a long-lasting ecosystem of native forests at scale.

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May conference focuses on expanding markets for wood residuals

By the Department of Natural Resources
State of Michigan
January 30, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US East

Once logging is done and lumber is sawn, what do you do with the wood chips, bark and sawdust that’s left?What do other manufacturers and mills do with their wood waste? These materials are commonly used for mulch, fuel, composite products and animal bedding. But what if wood residuals could be used for other products and generate more revenue? Innovative uses for wood residuals are the focus of the Green Gold: Wood Residuals Summit May 6-8 in Traverse City. “The management of wood residuals presents an economic and operational challenge that has cascading impacts on the health of our forests and forestry sector,” said Julie Manley, chair of the Michigan Forest Biomaterials Institute, the event host. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is a sponsor. “New products are proving that sawdust, bark and chips can be used in insulation, adhesives, chemicals and more – with the added climate benefit of embedded carbon.

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