Region Archives: United States

Opinion / EdiTOADial

US Duty Calculations on Canadian Lumber Are Flawed

By Alice Palmer, freelance writer, researcher and consultant
Sustainable Forests, Resilient Industry Substack
October 21, 2025
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada, United States

Alice Palmer

On October 14, the US began charging a Section 232 (“national security”) tariff of 10% on imports of Canadian softwood lumber, on top of the duties that were already being charged. The premise that imports of Canadian 2x4s, sofas and bathroom vanities are somehow a threat to America’s national security is so ludicrous it hardly deserves rebuttal (although you can read a good analysis here). …The duties, in contrast, have been promoted as being carefully calculated responses to Canadian wrongdoing. The US Lumber Coalition outlines how the duty investigations by the US Department of Commerce take over a year to complete. Even the duty rates, calculated to the hundred of a percent, give off an aura of precision and accuracy.

Nevertheless, the duty rates are every bit as ridiculous as the new tariffs; this ridiculousness is just more cleverly hidden. For example, the argument that Canadian companies pay less for their logs than American companies do has been shown to be inaccurate: cost comparisons by analysts such as Forest Economic Advisors show that Canadian mills’ log costs are often higher than those of their US neighbours. Similarly, the argument that Canadian logs are “dumped” into US markets is based on biased calculations, due to the US Commerce Department’s use of zeroing in its calculations. …Selectively including some export sales while excluding others from the calculations – biases the results against importers and yields an imposed competitive advantage to the US domestic mills. …Graphically, we can see that the higher-priced US transactions no longer balance out the lower-priced transactions, because the higher-priced transactions have been “zeroed out” (ignored in the calculations). There is an obvious bias to this calculation method!

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Business & Politics

Domtar celebrates one year under united brand

Domtar Corporation
October 29, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

FORT MILL, South Carolina and MONTRÉAL and RICHMOND, BC — Domtar is proud to celebrate its one-year anniversary of uniting under a single brand: Domtar – The Fiber for the Future. The year has been one of expansion, achievement and living Domtar’s new values. “Reflecting on the last 12 months, I’m deeply impressed by the extraordinary progress our teams have made,” said John Williams, Non-Executive Chairman, Management Board. “Their hard work and commitment have been essential to the success of this integration. While we can’t acknowledge every achievement today, it’s important to pause and recognize the milestones that define our first year as one company.” They include: Reaching a historic agreement with Tla’amin Nation…; Investing in Wisconsin and the Rothschild Dam…; Donating lands to the Nature Conservancy of Canada… ;Publishing our first unified sustainability report…; Expanding our network in point-of-sale receipt rolls… ; and Winning industry recognition.

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U.S. Senate votes 50-46 to nullify Trump tariffs on Canada, with four Republicans crossing aisle

By Steven Groves
The Associated Press in CTV News
October 29, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

WASHINGTON — The US Senate passed legislation Wednesday that would nullify US tariffs on Canada, just as US President Trump is engaged in trade talks in Asia as well as an increasingly bitter trade spat with US’s northern neighbour. The 50-46 tally was the latest in a series of votes this week to terminate the national emergencies that Trump has used to impose tariffs. While the resolutions won’t ultimately take effect, they have proven to be an effective way for Democrats to expose cracks between the president’s trade policy and Republican senators who have traditionally supported free trade arguments. …The Senate passed a similar resolution applying to Brazilian tariffs on Tuesday. …Vice-President JD Vance visited Republicans during a closed-door luncheon this week and also argued that they should steer clear of trade policy while the president negotiates deals.

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Negotiators were taking ‘important steps’ before Trump halted talks, ambassador says

By Darren Major
CBC News
October 29, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Kirsten Hillman

Canada’s Ambassador to the US Kirsten Hillman told a Senate committee that negotiators were trying to ‘work out the contours of a first step’ for a trade arrangement before US President Trump abruptly ended trade discussions last week. Hillman was asked at the committee hearing where talks were headed before the sudden halt. While she indicated progress had been made since Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Washington earlier this month, she said some sticking points remained. “I don’t want to suggest that we were on the verge of an arrangement. But we had made more progress, in my opinion, in those weeks than we had in a very long time,” Hillman said. …“The US expressed the desire to start with a few issues and try to move those along, while not jettisoning the others,” Hillman said.

In related coverage:

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Industry leaders say new U.S. tariffs ‘unfortunate’ and ‘uncalled for’

By Robin Della Corte
CTV News
October 26, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Industry leaders say they are disappointed with the additional 10% tariff on Canadian goods announced Saturday by US President Trump… over Ontario ad. Jean Simard of the Aluminum Association of Canada said that this announcement is “very unfortunate and uncalled for.” …“I don’t think it’s going to add anything to the situation that the U.S. will be facing moving into the fall season with prices that will be increased by these stacked up tariffs on everything that moves into the U.S.” A $75-million television ad from the Ontario government, featuring remarks by former US President Reagan on tariffs is what prompted Trump to announce he was ending trade discussions with Canada. …“We might see the same phenomenon that unfolded in the course of the months of July and August, where our metal started moving towards Europe instead of the U.S,” Simard said. 

Related coverage:

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Canada Believes Tariffs Will Continue Despite Upcoming Hearing

By Tom Robinson
Western Iowa Today
October 25, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

President Trump said that he, personally, wants to attend next month’s Supreme Court hearing on his tariff policies. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments, beginning on November 5th, whether the president can unilaterally impose tariffs under emergency powers and is acting legally in his bypassing of Congress. The case involves the import tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China, over allegations of fentanyl trafficking, as well as Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. …Canada is suffering under some of the toughest US tariff actions for some of its largest export sectors — the auto industry, along with steel, aluminum, and Canada’s softwood lumber. …John Weekes, one of the chief Canadian negotiators of the original North American Free Trade Agreement said a lot of Canadians seem to be holding onto hope that Trump’s tariff war will disappear when the USMCA is renegotiated next year. To that, John Weekes says don’t bet on it.

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Trump says trade talks with Canada terminated over anti-tariffs ad

By Osmond Chia and Maia Davies
BBC News
October 24, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

US President Donald Trump has announced an immediate end to all trade negotiations with Canada over an advert critical of the tariffs he has imposed on the nation. The advert, sponsored by the province of Ontario, quoted Trump’s predecessor, Ronald Reagan saying tariffs “hurt every American”. …In the minute-long advert published last week… the video excerpts a 1987 national radio address by Reagan that focused on foreign trade. …The Ronald Reagan Foundation said the advert “misrepresents” the former president’s address, without specifying why, and accused the Ontario government of not seeking permission to use and edit the remarks. The foundation said it was “reviewing its legal options”. Trump referenced this statement, and said the video was designed to “interfere with” the US Supreme Court’s upcoming decision in November on whether Washington’s sweeping tariffs on many nations’ products are legal.:

Related coverage by:

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US-Canada trade deal may be ready for approval at APEC summit

Reuters
October 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

A U.S.-Canada trade deal on steel, aluminium and energy could be ready for Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump to sign at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this month in South Korea, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Tuesday. The White House, US Commerce Department and Carney’s office did not respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours. The US, however, is not ready to make any deal on Canadian automobiles or softwood lumber, the report added. Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminium and autos earlier this year, prompting Canada to respond in kind. Negotiations ensued on lifting the measures against steel and aluminium. Canada will probably have to accept quotas on steel in exchange for a lower U.S. tariff, with critical minerals off the table in these talks, sources told the Globe and Mail.

Also from the Globe & Mail (for subscribers): US-Canada trade deal possible by month end

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USDA Announces 3-Point Plan to Increase Exports, Advance Rural Prosperity

By US Department of Agriculture
Southern Forest Products Association
October 27, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Luke Lindberg, U.S. under secretary of agriculture for trade and foreign agricultural affairs with the USDA, in conjunction with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, has announced a three-point plan to increase exports, advance rural prosperity, and chip away at the trade deficit. The three-point plan includes:

  • Launching the America First Trade Promotion Program. With $285 million authorized annually for trade promotion programs beginning in fiscal year (FY) 2027, USDA will kickstart that program one year early with $285 million in fiscal 2026 (October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026). 
  • Supplementing current trade missions with a new model focused on trade reciprocity for U.S. manufacturers and producers — to complement the current model — laser-focused on reciprocal trade deal countries and new market access opportunities. The first mission was to the U.K. the week of September 15.
  • Revitalizing export finance opportunities. The GSM-102 credit guarantee program is authorized to offset $5.5 billion in market risk for purchasers of American commodities. 

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​​$2.4B company to turn timber scraps into jet fuel in Washington struggles to launch

By Henry Brannon
The Chronicle
October 25, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

PORT OF LONGVIEW, Washington — If Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels has its way, the Port of Longview may soon have a $2.4 billion sustainable aviation fuel plant. But the mega-project to turn timber waste into jet fuel has faced a slew of challenges on its way to landing at the giant riverfront Barlow Point site, a deal that’s still not inked after nearly four years. The people behind Northwest Advanced Bio-Fuels say the project is mere weeks away from finding the financing needed to lock in a site and build the plant — the first of a handful of additional facilities around the region to fulfill Delta Airlines’ immense need for sustainable aviation fuel. To port officials, however, the project is one of about 20 that have considered its flagship Barlow Point site, any one of which could put money down today and start the long process of realizing a mega-project there tomorrow. 

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Mercer Mass Timber to expand with $30M investment

By Karina Elias
The Spokane Journal
October 23, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

SPOKANE, Washington — A state investment aimed at adding and retaining high-value manufacturing jobs complements a $30 million private investment for an expansion at Mercer Mass Timber in Spokane Valley, a move local leaders say will anchor the company’s future in the region and strengthen Washington state’s manufacturing industry. The $250,000 award, from the Governor’s Economic Development Strategic Reserve Fund, will be administered through Greater Spokane Incorporated. …Joey Gunning, director of economic development at GSI, says the funding will help Mercer install assembly line infrastructure at its 270,000-square-foot Spokane Valley facility. The state grant, he adds, is intended to ensure the manufacturer remains in Washington state as it evaluates future production options and to support job growth in a sector viewed as central to the region’s clean-manufacturing economy. “These funds from the governor’s office need to meet specific industry requirements,” Gunning says. 

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International Paper closure leaves hundreds unemployed in Savannah

By Laura Finaldi
The Island Packet
October 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

SAVANNAH, Georgia — Right after Labor Day weekend, less than two weeks after International Paper announced it would close Savannah and Riceboro containerboard facilities, Sheron Morgan was on the ground at the Savannah mill. As she spoke in front of a group of employees, going through resources like training programs and resume help, Morgan, the executive director of WorkSource Coastal in Savannah, said the mood in the room was heavy. This wasn’t a surprise. After all, Morgan said, their lives had just been upended, and now someone with a job was standing in front of them, telling them they would make it through. …But over the next month, as Morgan, her team and partners from other workforce development organizations set up shop in the plant’s conference room, the employee’s mood softened. …But even though many resources were available, the plant closing was a major disruption for the workers and the broader Lowcountry economy.

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Arkansas’ forestry industry under strain from trade disputes, decreased demand

By Neal Earley
Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette
October 26, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US East

…Arkansas’ forestry industry is feeling the weight of a slowing housing market, a declining demand for many of its products and trade disputes and regulations that have closed off foreign markets. In recent years, several mills in Arkansas have closed — evidence of economic struggles for the industry. In September, Domtar’s sawmill in Glenwood announced a temporary shut down, affecting 150 workers. Shields Wood Products also shut down. Arkansas House Speaker Brian Evans signed on to a letter … calling on Congress to step in and help expand the export market for their states’ foresters. …the Arkansas Economic Development Commission said the state exported $6.45 billion in forestry products in 2023, the largest destinations being Canada, Mexico and Japan. The letter from the state house speakers to Congress makes specific mention of the Chinese market, which cut off the import of logs from the U.S. in March as part of retaliation for American tariffs, Reuters reported. [Access to the full story may require a subscription to the Gazette]

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Crayola recognizes Domtar’s customer support

By Domtar
Cision Newswire
October 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US East

FORT MILL, SC – Domtar has received Crayola’s 2025 CARE (Colorful Action for Renewable Energy) award. The company manufactures the paper used in Crayola coloring books and was selected for its customer support, including consistent attention to detail, as well as timeliness and accuracy in responding to sustainability-related data requests. Crayola, a subsidiary of Hallmark, presented the award at its headquarters in Easton, Pennsylvania, where Domtar senior account managers Bob Saxon and Danielle Sinclair, along with Jordan Bowers, customer relations coordinator on Domtar’s sustainability team, received the recognition. …In 2024, Domtar responded to more than 500 customer sustainability and regulatory requests.

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Arkansas timber industry in crisis as market demand plummets

By Andrew Mobley
KATV Arkansas
October 23, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ leading industry, agriculture, is facing a crisis. But it’s not just row-crop farmers that are struggling — the forestry industry is as well. The market for timber has become so bad that mills are closing and loggers are getting out of the business. “This is devastating to the timber industry in South Arkansas. Eight of the last 11 weeks, we have experienced mill closures in Arkansas, some permanent, some temporary,” said John Dawson, president of Arkansas Pulpwood Co. in Camden. “We’re seeing loggers drop out. Lifelong families that are two, three, four generations of loggers are getting out of the business. Banks in South Arkansas are moving away from loaning money to loggers,” Dawson said. As you’d expect, demand for paper has plummeted. …But demand for lumber is down too. …There’s simply too much supply for the diminishing demand.

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Choctaw County, Mississippi celebrates Southeastern Timber Products mill expansion

By Veronica Mejia
WTVA.com
October 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

ACKERMAN, Mississippi — A major player in Mississippi’s timber industry is investing resources and capital in Choctaw County. Southeastern Timber Products—an STP-TOLKO Partnership—held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday for an expansion at its facility in Ackerman. The $120 million expansion project included a new sawmill line, new dry kilns and storage facilities. This led to the creation of 40 new jobs. Gov. Tate Reeves attended Wednesday’s ceremony. “The great thing about these timber products businesses, they also buy a lot of timber from landowners…over 15 counties,” the governor explained. “So people all over north and north-central Mississippi are going to benefit from this capital investment made by Southeastern Timber Products. I couldn’t be more excited for the county, for the region and for our entire state.” Southeastern Timber manufactures southern yellow pine lumber, timber and decking products.

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Ohio hardwood industry asks Trump to include them in farmer tariff relief package

By Samantha Hendrickson
The Columbus Dispatch
October 23, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

The hardwood industry that crafts much of our homes’ interiors says it’s suffering under the Trump administration’s trade war and wants the same relief promised to the country’s farmers. Over 450 loggers, manufacturers and distrubutors of hardwood, including 54 from Ohio, are asking for inclusion of the U.S. hardwood sector in any tariff relief programs. The industry, they argue in a letter to the Trump administration, plays a “critical role” in rural economies and communities and has lost billions since the first trade war between the U.S. and China in 2018. …The Ohio forest products industry has a state economic impact of over $30 billion per year, according to the Ohio Forestry Association. There are approximately 8 million acres woodlands in Ohio, much of which is hardwood, and around 50,000 people are directly employed in forest products manufacturing and services in Ohio.

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Ribbon cut on first ever chip mill purchased by a logging co-op in the United States

By Cooper Wild
WAOW News 9
October 23, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US East

TILLEDA, Wis. – A groundbreaking moment in Tilleda, with the introduction of the first chip mill in the United States purchased by a logger co-op, marking the start of a new chapter for the industry. “Because it’s the first of its kind in the country there were a lot of hoops that we had to go through first to figure out what it all looked like legally and logistically,” said Dennis Schoeneck, president of Timber Professionals Cooperation Enterprises. Founded five years ago, Timber Professionals Cooperation Enterprises aims to sustain and grow the timber industry. The co-op is made up of loggers and truckers, and it was those groups who helped raise the $418,000 that went towards the purchase of the mill. They don’t want to stop here, the co-op has big plans for the future.

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Speaker Evans adds signature to letter urging Congressional leaders to support forestry relief efforts

By Neal Earley
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette
October 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Brian Evans

Arkansas House Speaker Brian Evans – along with colleagues in four other states – signed onto a letter calling for Congressional action to save the forestry industry in the Southeast. …Among the policy requests was for a 90-day notice before any tariffs that effect the US forestry take effect, claiming recent tariffs from the Trump Administration have given little time to plan for US exporters. “Under current US trade policy, products and shipments from U.S. exporters are becoming stuck en route. Additionally, the letter calls on Congressional support for the European Union to overturn its ban on Sulfuryl Fluoride, a pesticide used to fumigate Southern Yellow Pine wood chips. In 2024, the European Union opted to not renew it, citing concerns over risks to human health and the environment. …Lastly, the letter calls for the Transshipment Clause, to ensure products made with US forestry products that are imported into the US can claim a tariff exemption.

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Georgia lawmakers asking Congress to open timber trade with Asia

By Kim Jarrett
The Center Square
October 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Jon Burns

State House speakers from five Southern states are asking Congress to alleviate pressure on the timber industry by reopening the Asian market. The letter said recent changes in the market, uncertainty in trade policy and regulatory barriers contributed to the closure of mills in the South. Five mills have closed in southern Georgia in recent months. International Paper announced in August that it was closing two mills in Riceboro and two in Savannah at the end of September. Georgia-Pacific closed its paper mill in Cedar Springs at the end of July. …Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns said, “Across the Southeast, this vital industry has been impacted by shifting markets, nontariff barriers to trade and global economic uncertainty.” …”Pushing for the current administration to work towards reopening the Asian market for US logs and chips through ongoing trade negotiations is crucial for increasing demand in the short-term for U.S. forest products,” they said.

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Building materials group, NLBMDA, honors Scott Yates with Distinguished Lifetime Service Award

By Larry Adams
The Woodworking Network
October 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Scott Yates

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association  honored Scott Yates, president of the Denver Lumber Company, with its Distinguished Lifetime Service Award, during the annual ProDealer Industry Summit held in Louisville, Kentucky. The award has only been presented on four previous occasions. …“Scott’s leadership is deeply rooted in his genuine care for people and the industry he’s devoted his life to,” said NLBMDA president and CEO Jonathan Paine.” …The NLBMDA Distinguished Lifetime Service Award is presented in recognition of individuals who have demonstrated dedicated service and made outstanding contributions toward advancing the mission and goals of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association. It celebrates those who have significantly impacted both the association and the broader lumber and building materials industry.

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Finance & Economics

Canadian Pacific profits leap despite U.S. tariff turmoil and looming merger prospect

By Christopher Reynolds
The Canadian Press in BNN Bloomberg
October 30, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Canadian Pacific Kansas City reported a big profit boost in its latest quarter despite US tariff disruption and fears over fallout from a potential merger of rivals down the line. The railway saw net income for the quarter ended Sept. 30 rise 10% year-over-year to $917 million. Revenues increased three per cent to $3.66 billion on the back of higher shipping volumes. Grain, potash and container volumes rose markedly year-over-year while forest products — struggling under a sectoral tariff imposed by US President Trump — and energy, chemicals and plastics sagged. …Cross-border steel shipments also dropped due to 50% US tariffs on imports of the metal, though CPKC helped make up the decline with domestic traffic and direct Canada-to-Mexico trade, said chief marketing officer John Brooks. A new item of concern crossed the CEO’s desk over the summer. Union Pacific announced in July it wants to buy Norfolk Southern, and potentially trigger a final wave of rail mergers.

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Lumber Futures Drops to 7-Week Low

Trading Economics
October 28, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures tumbled toward $560 per thousand board feet, a seven-week low, as weakening demand, persistent oversupply, and trade-policy uncertainties converged. US tariffs are intensifying pressure on Canadian softwood, with existing antidumping and countervailing duties around 35%, plus new Section 232 levies of 10% on timber and 25% on wood products, lifting import costs above 45%. Weak demand compounds the decline, with US residential building permits at a seasonally adjusted 1.4 million units in July, the lowest since June 2020, and construction spending down 3.4% from May 2024. Housing starts remain near five-year lows, keeping retail price pass-through muted despite higher import costs. Export channels have narrowed, with Canadian softwood constrained by tariffs and hardwood exports to China dropping from 40% of volume in 2017 to 7% today. Temporary curtailments and mill closures are emerging, yet abundant inventories and sluggish construction sustain downward pressure. [END]

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What Lumber And Steel Futures Are Telling Flatbedders As We Wrap Up 2025

By Adam Wingfield
FreightWaves
October 27, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Let’s keep this simple: lumber and steel are two of the biggest drivers of flatbed freight in this country. …So where are we right now, closing out 2025? Lumber futures are sliding off their highs and steel demand is soft with some pockets still running hot. That combination is sending a pretty clear message to flatbed haulers: expect mixed demand instead of broad “every lane is on fire” demand. Some regions will stay busy. Some will get quiet. …Lumber futures have fallen back into the $590–$610/mbf range, down double digits from that August spike, and recently touched the lowest levels in weeks. …There are two main reasons for that weakness: Housing affordability is still brutal. Inventory is sitting. So instead of steady flatbed freight — lumber from mill to yard, yard to jobsite, jobsite to next jobsite — you get pauses. …Lumber and steel tell the truth before the broader market does. 

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Lumber futures tumbled toward $590 per thousand board feet

Trading Economics
October 23, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures tumbled toward $590 per thousand board feet, a near one-month low, as weakening US housing activity and pre-tariff front-loading left wholesalers awash with stock while stacked US duties on Canadian imports and trade uncertainty pushed prices lower. US homebuilding has slowed, with housing starts falling 8.5% in August to a 1.307 million annualized pace and building permits drifting lower. Many US buyers front-loaded inventories ahead of expected import tariffs earlier this autumn, leaving distributors to work down excess stock before fresh order flow returns. On the supply side, a 10% Section-232 tariff added in mid-October atop roughly 35% in existing duties lifted border costs above 45% for many Canadian shipments, forcing sellers to find new markets or accept lower domestic prices. Producers like Interfor have trimmed output since mid-October, but the cuts are too recent to significantly reduce inventories or regional log supply.

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West Fraser Timber reports Q3, 2025 net loss of US$240 million

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
October 22, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States, International

VANCOUVER, BC — West Fraser Timber reported the third quarter results of 2025. Third quarter sales were $1.307 billion, compared to $1.532 billion in the second quarter of 2025. Third quarter earnings were $(204) million, or $(2.63) per diluted share, compared to earnings of $(24) million, or $(0.38) per diluted share in the second quarter of 2025. Third quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $(144) million compared to $84 million in the second quarter of 2025. …”There’s no escaping that supply and demand imbalances persist for many of our wood-based building products in an environment where elevated mortgage rates continue to impact housing affordability. And this challenging backdrop has now been joined by increased duty rates and new Section 232 tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber,” said Sean McLaren, West Fraser’s CEO. …Several key trends that have served as positive drivers in recent years are expected to continue to support medium and longer-term demand for new home construction in North America.

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Lumber Futures Drop Amid Weak US Housing Market and Tariff Measures

Trading Economics
October 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures fell below $610 per thousand board feet, their lowest level since October 8 and down 12% from a three-year high in early August, as a slowing US housing market outweighed potential supply curbs from tariffs. August building permits dropped to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 1.33 million, the lowest since May 2020, while housing starts fell 8.5%, marking the fourth-lowest reading in over five years. Earlier this month, the US imposed a 10% tariff on Canadian lumber, with the Trump administration stating it aims to expand domestic timber harvesting and reduce reliance on foreign lumber. Looking ahead, expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could stimulate construction and home buying and encourage homeowners to borrow for repairs and renovations, the largest driver of lumber demand. However, signs of a slowing labor market and rising inflation suggest demand may remain subdued.

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The Fed Cuts amid Partly Cloudy Conditions

By Robert Dietz, Chief Economist
NAHB Eye on Housing
October 29, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

With the government shutdown limiting the quantity of economic data available to markets and policymakers, the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) enacted a widely anticipated 25 basis point cut for the short-term federal funds rate. This marks the second consecutive cut this Fall, and the move decreases the policy rate to an upper rate of 4.0%. Reflecting that the market anticipated this policy move, long-term rates were relatively unchanged after the FOMC announcement. …With respect to housing supply, in contrast to movement for long-term rates, the reduction of the federal funds rate will have a direct, beneficial effect on interest rates for acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) loans, the key financing channel for private builders who build more than 60% of single-family homes. This will reduce lending costs for builders across the nation and enable more attainable supply.

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Home builders are struggling, and it’s not just because new houses aren’t affordable

By Tomi Kilgore
Market Watch
October 28, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Shares of D.R. Horton took a hit Tuesday, as the home builder confirmed that the market for new houses was still weak, and it wasn’t just because prices and mortgage rates were too high — people are afraid to shell out so much for a new house when they’re worried about the economy and their jobs. …But even with lower prices and mortgage rates, the number of homes closed fell 1.2% to 23,368, which was below the average analyst estimate. And that weakness comes despite higher incentives to home buyers to boost sales, which pushed profits below what Wall Street was expecting. …Chief Executive Paul Romanowski said affordability was certainly still an issue. But consumers were also concerned about the “volatility and uncertainty” in the economy, which may be leading to worries about the job market. It certainly won’t help matters to see large layoff announcements from high-profile companies.

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US inflation picks up in September showing tariff pressure on prices continues to materialize gradually

By Fan-Yu Kuo
NAHB Eye on Housing
October 24, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Inflation increased in September to the fastest pace since the start of the year, showing tariff pressure on prices continues to materialize gradually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) latest report. …Meanwhile, shelter inflation remained unchanged from last month and continued its downward trend, though it remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. Though inflation is likely to remain elevated this year, the Fed is expected to continue easing given signs of labor market weakening. …During the past twelve months, on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 3.0% in September, the highest reading since January 2025. Excluding the volatile food and energy components, the “core” CPI increased by 3.0% over the past twelve months. A large portion of the “core” CPI is the housing shelter index, which increased 3.6% over the year, the lowest reading since October 2021. 

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Fannie Mae Publishes October 2025 Economic and Housing Outlook

Fannie Mae
October 24, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The Fannie Mae Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group revised its forecast for real gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 1.9% in 2025 and 2.3% in 2026 on a Q4/Q4 basis, up from 1.5% and 2.1%, respectively, in the last outlook. The ESR projects the Consumer Price Index to rise 2.9% in 2025 and 2.7% in 2026 on a Q4/Q4 basis, down from 3.1% and up from 2.6% in September’s forecast, respectively. Core CPI is expected at 3.1% and 2.6% on the same basis, both slightly lower than prior forecasts. Mortgage rates are expected to end 2025 at 6.3% and 2026 at 5.9%, compared to 6.4% and 5.9%, respectively, in the prior forecast. Total home sales are projected at 4.74 million units in 2025, up from 4.72 million in the prior forecast, and 5.16 million in 2026, unchanged from before. The ESR now expects home prices to rise 2.5% in 2025 and 1.3% in 2026, compared to 2.8% and 1.1%, respectively, in its prior outlook.

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US cabinet sales of were down 5.6% for September 2025 compared to 2024

Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association
October 24, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Cabinet manufacturers in the US.reported total sales of $190.9 million in September 2025, marking a 5.6% decrease from $202.2 million in September 2024. The largest decline came from semi-custom cabinet sales, which dropped 6.7% to $107.4 million. Custom cabinet sales fell 5.5% to $53.8 million, while stock cabinet sales edged down 1.2% to $29.7 million. Total cabinet quantity shipped fell to 492.4 thousand units, an 8.7% year-on-year decrease, according to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. Cumulative sales for the first nine months of 2025 reached $1.76 billion, down 6.5% from $1.88 billion in the same period of 2024. Stock cabinet sales recorded the sharpest year-to-date drop at 12.7%, totaling $280.9 million. Custom sales decreased 5.8% to $476.8 million, while semi-custom sales declined 4.9% to $1 billion. …The association estimates the overall market for September at $1.83 billion in sales and 4.8 million cabinets.

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Billerud reports positive Q3, 2025 earnings

Investing.com
October 23, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, International

Swedish paper and packaging company Billerud reported Q3, 2025 earnings of SEK1,058 million, exceeding consensus estimates by 27% and showing improvement from the SEK912 million in the first quarter of 2025. The European segment delivered EBITDA of SEK652 million, surpassing analyst expectations of SEK481 million despite challenging market conditions, downtime, and oversupply issues. Third-quarter shipments totaled 624,000 tons, which represents a 9% decrease compared to the five-year average.North American operations contributed SEK467 million to EBITDA, beating consensus of SEK434 million, supported by solid conditions in graphic and label paper markets. U.S. tariffs have provided additional support for domestic producers.

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How COVID-19 Reshaped the U.S. Labor Market and Housing Demand

By Jing Fu
NAHB Eye on Housing
October 22, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Between February 2020 and June 2022, the US labor market experienced the deepest downturn on record followed by the fastest recovery in at least a century. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every corner of the economy. Yet, in just two years, the labor market rebounded with remarkable speed, marking a historic recovery that continues to reshape both employment trends and the broader economy. …The path of recovery varied widely across industries. Among all the major industries, the leisure and hospitality sector was hit the hardest, losing approximately 8.2 million jobs—nearly half their workforce—in just two months. …Construction lost around 1.09 million jobs but has experienced a robust recovery, now standing at 109% of the February 2020 level. …The mining and logging sector, which lost 145,000 jobs, continues to lag, with employment still at just 89% of its February 2020 level. These industries continue to face challenges in returning to their pre-pandemic workforce size.

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From Steel to Spices: Why Derivative Tariffs Deserve Every Importer’s Attention

By Kelsey Christensen, Mark Ludwikowski and Kevin Williams
By Clark Hill
October 20, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Section 232 tariffs were once seen as a fortress for US metals. Yet, that fortress now casts a much longer shadow. Companies far removed from the steel and aluminum sector could soon find themselves ensnared in tariffs they never imagined, thanks to the inclusion process for “derivative” products. The Trump Administration has steadily expanded Section 232 authority well beyond their original steel and aluminum targets, to copper, automobiles, trucks, lumber, and even wooden cabinets. These tariffs, which range from 10% (for lumber) to 50% (for steel and aluminum), are layered on top of normal import duties. At first glance, these measures appeared to strike only those industries handling raw materials. But in 2025 the Administration sought to close what it saw as a loophole: downstream products containing tariffed metals that could enter duty-free. As a result, section 232 tariffs were imposed on the raw material and a finite list of derivative products.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Four Winners Announced for the 2025 Mass Timber Competition: Building Sustainable Schools

The Softwood Lumber Board
October 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and the USDA Forest Service (USDA) announced the winners of the 2025 Mass Timber Competition: Building Sustainable Schools. This year’s competition awarded $1.8 million to support projects that accelerate the adoption of mass timber in the United States, with a dedicated focus on K-12 educational environments. The winning projects demonstrate how biophilic design with mass timber can strengthen academic performance, improve teacher and staff well-being, and create healthier, more resilient learning spaces for students. This marks the third cycle of the competition, which has already advanced a range of innovative mass timber projects nationwide. …This year’s winning proposals included:

  • Cleveland High School, Portland, Oregon
  • New Lawton Elementary School, Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • New Central Maui School, Waikapu, Hawaii 
  • Whittier Elementary School, Washington, D.C.

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2025 PNW Regional Mass Timber Market Study

Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub
October 22, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US West

The Pacific Northwest (PNW) for the purpose of this report is defined as a region including the States of Oregon and Washington. It has been an early adopter of mass timber manufacturing and construction in the United States. This largely resulted from the region’s abundant forest resources, robust engineered wood products manufacturing, and a culture of building with wood. Inspired by the leadership of British Columbia, Quebec, and Central Europe, the PNW has grown into the clear mass timber leader in the United States. Mass timber represents a paradigm shift in construction, in which natural materials are paired with cutting-edge technology to produce best-in-class construction solutions that make our forests healthier and our communities stronger. We will assess and present the state of the industry, then offer recommendations for becoming a globally competitive mass timber economy.

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Studio Gang exposes mass-timber structure of Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard

By Ben Dreith
Dezeen Magazine
October 29, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East

An exposed mass-timber structure designed to resemble a tree gives a “distinct architectural identity” to this Harvard University student centre, designed by American architecture firm Studio Gang. Rubenstein Treehouse is a social hub at Harvard’s Allston Enterprise Research Campus, which sits across the Charles River from the university’s main facilities in Cambridge, outside Boston. Studio Gang designed the two-storey structure with a central core made of a low-carbon concrete mix, combined with branching mass-timber ceiling supports and columns on the exterior. “The building’s exposed mass-timber structure creates its distinct architectural identity and reinforces it as a destination for innovation,” said the studio. “On the facade, canted timber columns branch outward like a tree to support a cantilevered upper floor.” Rubenstein Treehouse’s wood-clad facade is “strategically inflected”, creating a faceted appearance.

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Mass timber momentum continues in state with new Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program to encourage construction

By the Department of Natural Resources
Government of Michigan
October 22, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East

A new initiative launches today, designed to spur interest in designing and building with mass timber – sustainable, large, engineered wood beams and panels used to create a range of buildings, even skyscrapers. “As we see more mass timber buildings go up across the state, it’s clear that mass timber can become an integral and important part of Michigan’s forest products economy, which generates more than $26 billion annually,” said Sandra Lupien, director, MassTimber@MSU at Michigan State University. …Project teams that receive awards – ranging from $25,000 to $75,000 – will participate in a cohort led by MassTimber@MSU and WoodWorks. …“WoodWorks is proud to partner with the Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program to accelerate the adoption of mass timber for new construction projects throughout Michigan,” said Jennifer Cover, president and CEO of  WoodWorks – Wood Products Council. 

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Forestry

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to vote on new traceability rules amid fraud allegations

By Philip Jacobson
Mongabay.com
October 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States, International

The world’s largest green timber label will vote next week on whether to begin work on new traceability rules, amid renewed scrutiny and accusations over whether the body is doing enough to prevent fraud within its supply chains. The Bonn-based Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) bills itself as “the world’s most trusted mark for sustainable forestry.” …But forestry experts and whistleblowers have alleged for years that the FSC lacks a proper control system, allowing bad actors to fraudulently pass off timber that was illegally or unsustainably logged as FSC-certified. Phil Guillery, who was the FSC’s integrity director from 2011-21, said in early October said that he believed “20-30% of claims in the system were false” during his tenure.” The FSC issued a swift rebuttal, calling them unsubstantiated and “based on outdated information that does not reflect the system today.” …However, a senior FSC official said that they believed the figure was actually an underestimate.

From FSC’s Statement on Recent Criticism: “References to widespread false FSC claims are based on outdated information that does not reflect the system today. …The article relies on a broad estimate of false claims without providing verified evidence to substantiate it.”

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Forest Stewardship Council General Assembly opens with a call for shared responsibility

Forest Stewardship Council International
October 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States, International

The 2025 FSC General Assembly opened on 26 October in Panama City, uniting members from around the world for joint decision-making on the future of forest stewardship. …Panama’s Minister of Environment, His Excellency Mr. Juan Carlos Navarro, announced the country’s plan to formalize FSC certification across Indigenous territories, a milestone in national environmental policy. 174,000 hectares are in process of being certified today in Panama. “Stop blaming the FSC,” he stated. “Each of us must in our own countries guarantee sustainable development and guarantee with our actions, our strength and our passion, the survival of life around us.” FSC Board Chair Stuart Valentine provided a business report from the Board, reflecting on FSC’s new leadership, governance and strategic priorities, and what is coming in the future – including a new Global Strategy, revision of FSC’s Principles and Criteria, incorporation of risk-based approaches, and increased demonstration of FSC’s impact.  

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LP Building Solutions Invests in the Future of Forestry Workforce with ForestryWorks and First Nations Forestry Council Partnerships

By LP Building Solutions
Business Wire
October 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States

NASHVILLE, Tenn.– LP Building Solutions (LP) announced the continuation of its partnership with the [US based] Forest Workforce Training Institute’s ForestryWorks® program and a new collaboration with the [British Columbia, Canada] First Nations Forestry Council. Both initiatives aim to develop the next generation of forestry professionals and advance sustainable forest management across North America. …“Programs like ForestryWorks and First Nations Forestry Council help ensure forests remain healthy and productive while supporting the future of sustainable forestry,” said LP Chair and CEO Brad Southern. “By investing in tomorrow’s workforce, we’re also investing in the continued success of renewable, high-performance building solutions.” …“We’re pleased to welcome LP Building Solutions as a program partner in advancing Indigenous participation in forestry through the Indigenous Forestry Scholarship Program,” said BC First Nations Forestry Council CEO Lennard (Suxʷsxʷwels) Joe. 

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Ecological stoichiometry of mountain pine beetle, its mutualist fungi, and the disease white pine blister rust in whitebark pine

By Diana Six, Hannah Alverson and Lorinda Bullington
Research Gate
October 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Ecological stoichiometry can help clarify how symbionts and other co-occurring organisms mediate nutrient deficiencies for hosts. We used ecological stoichiometry (comparisons of elemental compositions in food vs consumer) to investigate whether obligate mutualist fungi (Grosmannia clavigera, Ophiostoma montium) of the tree-killing bark beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae (mountain pine beetle) and the invasive tree pathogenic fungus, Cronartium ribicola (causal agent of the disease white pine blister rust) influenced availability of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus to the beetle in Pinus albicaulis (whitebark pine), as well as how these elements varied among three populations of the tree. 

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Fix Our Forests Act advances toward becoming law in US

By Hunter Bassler
Wildfire Today
October 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

The bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act passed out of the Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday morning, marking the first advancement of the bill since it previously stalled in committees under both the Biden and the previous Trump administration. The Act would create an interagency Fireshed Center focused on wildfire prediction and tracking, establish fireshed management areas in forests with high wildfire risks, and expedite the review of wildfire-related forest management projects under the National Environmental Policy Act. The act has gained support from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, along with numerous environmental and wildfire-focused organizations. Critics of the Act claim it would further open up forests to logging and allow a large-scale rollback of the Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, and National Environmental Policy Act.

Related Coverage by: 

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Trump’s War on Environment Continues Despite Government Shutdown

Center for Biological Diversity
October 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

WASHINGTON— The Trump administration is continuing its anti-environment agenda by prioritizing fossil fuel production, border wall construction and other destructive programs during a government shutdown that has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay. While most government functions have stopped as the shutdown enters its fourth week, work continues to process oil and gas permits and advance logging in national forests. Some of the environmentally harmful programs operating through the shutdown include: Logging in national forests continues as the U.S. Forest Service works to further timber sales; The Forest Service continues to approve mining projects, including an exploration permit in Montana; The Bureau of Land Management is processing oil and gas drilling permits and coal mining projects; and The Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticides office remains open and work continues to expedite approval of the dangerous pesticide dicamba.

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Fix Our Forests Act divides environmental community

By Christine Peterson
The High Country News
October 31, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

A new bill poised to pass the Senate after clearing the House will govern how the federal government thins, burns and otherwise manages nearly 200 million acres of the nation’s forests. The Fix Our Forests Act, sponsored by U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., John Curtis, R-Utah, Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif., passed out of Senate committee recently in a rare show of bipartisan support, with 18 senators in favor and only five opposed. “There is a wildfire crisis across much of the country — our communities need action now,” said Hickenlooper in a news release. “Wildfires won’t wait.” The proposed legislation — the first major congressional effort to fight wildfires in recent history — includes provisions that promote prescribed burning and forest thinning in fire-prone areas along with working with communities to create defensible space around vulnerable homes. The bill formally recognizes wetlands as buffers against wildfires and encourages cross-boundary programs among counties, states and tribes.

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The only constant is change, but new forestry rule ignores that

By Elaine Oneil, Washington Farm Forestry Association
The Chronicle
October 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Elaine Oneil

It makes no sense that Washington’s Department of Ecology has decided there can be no measurable temperature change at no time in no place on our forested headwater streams after timber harvest. They are willing to force a vote on a new rule at the Forest Practices Board. …Small forest landowners have been arguing against this proposed taking of private assets for nearly a decade. The Department of Ecology says it’s just enforcing the Clean Water Act, but the Clean Water Act doesn’t say that there can be no change at no time in no place — that is an interpretation by the Department of Ecology, and not a reasonable one. They also say it’s to protect the fish; there are no fish in these headwater streams. …Please join me as the Forest Practices Board takes their final vote on this matter on Nov. 12.

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Tribal Leaders Applaud Senate Rejection of Barred Owl Resolution Threatening Forest and Wildlife Health

Intertribal Timber Council
PR Newswire
October 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

PORTLAND, Ore — The Intertribal Timber Council (ITC) is a nonprofit nation-wide consortium …dedicated to improving the management of natural resources of importance to Native American communities. ITC strongly opposes S.J.Res.69, a measure that would involve the Congressional Review Act to invalidate a federal wildlife management plan intended to prevent the extinction of the Northern Spotted Owl (NSO) in the Pacific Northwest. The ITC is grateful to Senators who helped vote to defeat a bill that would have severely impacted federal forest management in the Pacific Northwest. The invasive barred owl poses a direct threat to the ecological integrity of tribal, federal, and private forestlands. The federal barred owl management strategy is a critical tool to protect the NSO, which is listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. …ITC and many of its member tribes support barred owl removal as a humane and effective measure to recover the NSO and restore ecosystem integrity.

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Climate dollars eyed to backfill Washington wildfire funding

By Bill Lucia
The Washington State Standard
October 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Washington’s lands commissioner, Dave Upthegrove, is on a mission to secure $60 million of additional wildfire funding in next year’s legislative session, despite a tightening budget outlook. On Monday, he and a leading Democratic House lawmaker indicated that they want to tap revenue from the state’s cap-and-trade program for at least some of that money. The maneuver would mean turning to a steady-flowing stream of cash at a time when the state’s operating budget is squeezed. “Climate Commitment Act dollars are going to be on the table,” said state Rep. Larry Springer, D-Kirkland, who is deputy House majority leader. Lawmakers this year already started dedicating some of the climate dollars to the wildfire programs in question. At issue is funding provided under a 2021 law known as House Bill 1168, which passed with broad bipartisan support. With that legislation, lawmakers committed to direct $500 million over eight years to wildfire programs.

Related coverage, in KOMO News by Stella Sun: Washington wildfires burn 250K+ acres, budget cuts may affect fire prevention efforts

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Montana logging project hits dead end over illegal road use in grizzly habitat

By Monique Merrill
Courthouse News Service
October 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

A Montana logging project in grizzly habitat in the Kootenai National Forest will remain on hold until federal officials reassess how road use — particularly illegal road use — impacts the bears, a federal judge ruled on Monday. “This court has repeatedly held that it is arbitrary and capricious to not include illegal motorized use that it knows to occur into calculations, regardless of whether the use is chronic and site specific,” U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen wrote in the 40-page opinion. The Center for Biological Diversity led environmental groups in suing the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2022, seeking to block the Knotty Pine Project, and Christensen granted the environmentalists’ motion for a preliminary injunction the following year. …Christensen found the Forest Service violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to take a hard look at the impact of unauthorized road use on grizzly bears.

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Forest rule change threatens steep tax losses

By Jeff Clemens
The Chinook Observer
October 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

SOUTH BEND, Washington — Pacific County Commissioners Jerry Doyle, Lisa Olsen and David Tobin sent a scathing letter on Oct. 20 to the Washington Forest Practices Board (FPB) regarding a proposed increase in timber-harvest buffer zones along streams. Rural counties and forestry groups are mounting a vigorous push against bigger setbacks away from small non-salmon-bearing streams, arguing that over the course of time the loss of timber acreage will add up to billions in lost local economic activity and millions less taxes that currently support government services. Washington state established the Forest Practices Act and the FPB in 1974. It is tasked with establishing laws to “protect salmon, clean water, and the working forest economy.”

Related coverage in the Chinook Observer, by Elaine O’neil is executive director of the Washington Farm Forest Association: Stream setback plan violates ‘the Washington Way’

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Some Oregon wildfire mitigation projects stalled by government shutdown

By Justin Higginbottom
Oregon Public Broadcasting
October 24, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Fall is the busy season for forestry work, like fuels reduction. Summer fire restrictions have ended, and winter snow has not yet arrived. But Armando Lopez, owner of DL Reforestation in Jackson County, said the federal government shutdown has put his work on hold. Inspectors can’t visit project areas, and he’s waiting on hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments. Every day, he eagerly checks whether the government has reopened. …Lopez employs around 40 workers, most of them on temporary H-2B visas. If the shutdown doesn’t end next week, Lopez said, he won’t be able to pay them. …The Oregon Department of Forestry said in a statement that payment delays for contractors like Lopez are varied, depending on the federal agency and funding source. …But U.S. Forest Service, state, private and tribal forestry awards are continuing.

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Bureau of Land Management Seeks Public Input on Proposal to Rescind Public Lands Rule Affecting Western Oregon Forests

By John Oliver
Grants Pass Tribune
October 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

OREGON — The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comments on its proposal to rescind the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, adopted in 2024. The rule was designed to elevate conservation as a recognized use of federal lands, placing it on equal footing with traditional uses such as grazing, recreation, and timber harvesting. …The Rule aimed to modernize how the BLM manages its 245 million acres nationwide, emphasizing ecological health, habitat restoration, and the use of science and Indigenous knowledge in planning decisions. Supporters of the rule have described it as an effort to ensure the long-term sustainability of public lands amid growing challenges such as wildfire risks. However, its implementation drew opposition from some state and local officials in the West, including timber industry representatives and rural county leaders, who warned that the new policy could restrict economic activities on public lands and diminish local control over forest management.

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Gov. Kotek issues executive order placing climate lens on farms, forests, waterways

By Gosia Wozniacka
The Oregonian
October 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Tina Kotek

Gov. Tina Kotek wants Oregon to go full force on harnessing the potential of forests, farms, wetlands and waterways to reduce emissions, preserve wildlife habitat and help communities withstand the threat of climate change. That’s the focus of a sweeping executive order Kotek issued on Thursday to prioritize conservation on both natural landscapes such as forests or wetlands as well as on so-called working lands – farms, ranches and commercial timberlands. It also includes waterways and state-managed ocean waters. Kotek’s order calls on state agencies to collectively protect or restore 10% more land and waterways over the next decade, based on current baseline conditions, with a focus on safeguarding the most climate-resilient landscapes. …Kotek said the order is one of a series of actions she’s taking to push the ball forward on preventing and responding to global warming. 

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Plan that settled ‘timber wars’ faces new test

By Mark Heller
E&E News by Politico
October 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

EUGENE, Oregon — With the Trump administration poised to rewrite forest management policy, groups are on guard for changes to climate and lumber harvesting sections. Travis Joseph has a message for environmental groups worried that the Pacific Northwest’s oldest trees are about to fall to loggers: Timber companies don’t really want to cut them down. Joseph, who heads a timber industry group and is a former aide to ex-Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, made that proclamation. …“I love these trees, too,” said Joseph, CEO of the American Forest Resource Council (AFRC). “But they’re at risk. Let’s save them. Let’s come in here and protect them.” Joseph’s group says the threat to big trees in western Oregon — these giants were 5 or 6 feet across at the trunk — isn’t logging. It’s wildfire that’s becoming a bigger menace as climate change makes summers hotter and reduces the winter snowpack. [to access the full story a subscription is required]

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Out-of-state senators vote on forest ‘fix’ for places like Lane County

By Ashli Blow
Lookout Eugene-Springfield
October 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

A U.S. Senate committee has advanced the Fix Our Forests Act — a sweeping forest-management bill that could reshape logging and wildfire policy in heavily forested areas like Lane County. Local environmentalists say Democrats behind the proposal misunderstand the challenges facing forests in the West. …The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry is largely made up of lawmakers from the East Coast and Midwest. …The 176-page bill largely outlines strategies to clear landscapes of brush and grass that can fuel fires that burn large and hot for weeks at a time. “These are things that are all bipartisan in nature,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., ranking member of the committee. However, more than 150 environmental organizations — including groups with Eugene activists including Oregon Wild and Cascadia Wildlands — sent the committee a letter opposing the bill.

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Fewer Oregon acres burned in 2025 wildfire season, but more homes lost

By Alex Baumhardt
Lookout Eugene-Springfield
October 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Oregon’s 2025 fire season officially wrapped up Friday with significantly fewer acres burned — and at a lower cost to the state — than in previous years. But fires this year got much closer to communities, burning 200 homes and structures. …And humans caused most of this year’s fires. Oregon experienced more than 1,100 fires from early June to mid-October. They burned roughly 350,000 acres, far less than the 1.9 million acres that burned in 2024. Fires this year also cost the state less to fight. …The U.S. Forest Service has had a target for nearly a century of keeping at least 90% of wildfires from growing larger than 10 acres. But it has come under scrutiny by some indigenous wildfire and ecology experts and scientists, as well as Forest Service scientists. They argue that some wildfires must be allowed to burn more acres to help regenerate plants that support animal habitats, reduce pest infestation and invasive species and keep ecosystems healthy.

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Half of Oregon could see more logging, grazing under federal wildfire bill

By April Ehrlich
Oregon Public Broadcasting
October 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

The Fix Our Forests Act passed out of a Senate committee Tuesday, and now heads to a full vote. Some environmental groups are warning that a federal bill intended to prevent major wildfires could effectively increase logging, cattle grazing and mining on federal lands — which make up half of Oregon’s land base. The bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act passed out of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday and now heads to the Senate floor for a final vote. It could overhaul how the nation prepares its land for wildfires, while also scaling back environmental oversight of land management projects. The bill has conservationists divided. On one side, some advocates say it would bring long-needed changes by fast-tracking prescribed fires. …On the other side, environmental groups say the bill significantly weakens environmental protections and public oversight.

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Montana sawmill adapts to industry changes

By Evan Charney
KTVH Helena Montana
October 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

CLANCY, Montana — Healthy forests depend on a strong forest products industry. Sawmills help support thousands of Montana jobs, reduce wildfire risks, and provide a renewable resource. Despite recent mill closures in Missoula and Seeley Lake, Marks Lumber in Clancy continues to carry on. …Both Roseburg Forest Products in Missoula and Pyramid Mountain Lumber in Seeley Lake closed last year. Marks Lumber has been open for 36 years, and they have adapted to industry changes before. “ …In light of the recent closures, they have made some changes, including shifting to more board production (processed wood) rather than the raw tree, which is more expensive to manufacture, and slowing down on how much logging they do. Marks Lumber also had to change where their sawdust and chips go. Roseburg used to buy that material, but now they send them to Weyerhaeuser Forest Products in Columbia Falls.

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Montana Land Board Approves Project to Conserve 53,000 Acres of Timber Forests Near Libby

By Tristan Scott
The Flathead Beacon
October 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

A project to permanently protect 53,000 acres of private timberland in Flathead and Lincoln counties cleared a final hurdle on Oct. 20 when the Montana Land Board delivered a 4-1 vote in favor of a conservation easement that has earned plaudits from a wide-ranging alliance of stakeholders, including the wood products industry, the conservation community, and prominent hunting and fishing groups. Called the Montana Great Outdoors Conservation Easement, the project is now in its second phase. In total, the project encompasses 85,752 acres of private timberland owned by Green Diamond Resource Company. …“It’s going to be parceled out, subdivided into 20- to 60-acre little parcels full of McMansions and ranchettes,” Kyle Schmauch, chief of staff and communications director for the Senate Republicans of the Montana Legislature said. “This is where the locals go to recreate, people who’ve grown up here. This is where they go to escape the crowds…”

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Growing Stronger Pine Forests: Insights from a 27-Year Study

Bioengineer
October 31, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

In the southeastern United States, pine plantations serve as critical components of the forestry economy, predominantly managed through intensive site preparation techniques designed to enhance tree growth and accelerate harvest cycles. These plantations often employ soil bed construction to improve drainage and the application of herbicides to mitigate competition from weeds and woody shrubs. While earlier studies have documented that such interventions yield promising early growth in pine species such as slash pine (Pinus elliottii) and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), the long-term efficacy of these practices remains ambiguous, necessitating comprehensive longitudinal research to unravel their sustained impact on forest productivity. Addressing this knowledge gap, a recent extensive study conducted in the Lower Coastal Plain of North Florida monitored pine plantations for up to 27 years, offering unprecedented insights into how various site preparation strategies influence extended growth trajectories and timber yield.

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Land managers use fire to help maintain forest health but some environmentalists are wary

By Sophie Hartley
Indianapolis Star
October 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

The question of how to manage Indiana’s forests sparks some of the livelier and more contentious debates among local environmentalists. Many Midwestern forest managers want to utilize prescribed burning to root out invasive species, prevent wildfires and move forests toward what they see as ideal conditions. …Already the United States Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy use pre-planned, controlled burns set by professionals to alter the array of plants in Indiana ecosystems. …Yet, some environmentalists, who believe that forests should be left to their own devices, have in recent years mounted a protest against intensive forest management techniques like prescribed burning. …The practice of prescribed burning is far from new. …Many eastern hardwood forests were razed for agriculture, and Indiana forests have seen little fire over the past 100 or so years.

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Grant program funds Indigenous forest research in the Northeast

By Adiah Gholston
New England Public Media
October 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Ash trees are an important part of the basket weaving tradition, which has long played a significant cultural, spiritual and practical role in the lives of tribal citizens across the country, including John Daigle, a citizen member of the Penobscot Nation in Maine. But the emergence of the emerald ash borer beetle …has posed challenges for Indigenous basket makers. A grant awarded to Daigle, a professor of forest recreation management at the University of Maine, could help preserve and advance the craft. It’s part of the Indigenous Forest Knowledge Fund, a program run by the Northeastern States Research Cooperative to support projects related to tribal homelands or ancestral territories of the Northern Forest region… Daigle’s project was one of three winners this year. His team will also develop technologies to support the processing and storage of ash splints before widespread ash mortality, which could help sustain basket-making supplies.

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Ice storm decimated Michigan’s ‘wood basket,’ meaning tough years ahead

By Ellie Katz
Bridge Michigan
October 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

…An ice storm impacted about 3 million acres of forest in 30 counties in northern Michigan early this spring. Hardwoods like maple and oak were shredded while softwoods like pine snapped in half. Foresters, loggers and sawmills in the region worked around the clock to salvage as much of that downed timber as possible. Now there’s a new concern: Much of northern Michigan’s “wood basket” — worth about $2.2 billion — has been emptied. The glut of timber after the storm had to be harvested quickly, flooding the market and leading to a good year for Up North foresters. But now there’s little left to harvest that the storm didn’t destroy, and foresters worry what the next several years will look like until newly planted trees can replace what the storm took away. The sudden shortage could ripple throughout the supply chain, crippling an important sector of northern Michigan’s economy, foresters say.

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Ecological forestry, a new approach to forest management

By Rob Riley, president, Northern Forest Center
The Concord Monitor
October 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Rob Riley

Concord, NH — In response to the Monitor’s article on forestry, I want to share why I believe ecological forestry is our best tool for ensuring healthy, resilient forests in the future. …The multiple impacts of climate change — extreme weather, invasive pests and pathogens, changing seasonal patterns — are increasingly evident on the landscape and are impacting biodiversity and forest health. …Today, foresters incorporate carbon uptake and storage, climate resilience, a greater focus on biodiversity and other critical concerns in forest management. Ecological forestry prioritizes forest health and integrity. …Rather than focusing primarily on timber, ecological forestry sees the entire puzzle — yet it also allows for harvesting forest products — which people need for everything from building homes to paper products and which landowners depend on for revenue to support keeping forests as forests. …You can help by rejecting over-simplified arguments against managing forests and using forest products. 

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From sap to sustainability: Inside Michigan State University’s Forestry Innovation Center

By Kim Ward
Michigan State University
October 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Jesse Randall

The Michigan State University’s Forestry Innovation Center (FIC), is a unique outpost where maple trees, paper mills, Christmas trees and global markets are all connected. …The FIC is the program administrator for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, which oversees 5 million acres of certified forestland and approximately 5 million tons of procured wood, anchoring Michigan’s $26 billion forest products industry. It also manages 9,000 acres of research forests, offering diverse conditions for experiments in snowpack, soils and wildlife impacts to trees. “We’ve gone from being regionally irrelevant to running the industry in terms of training and certification, while also becoming a hub for global maple research,” said Jesse Randall, the director of the center. …“We’re where industry, science and community come together — from school kids to projects that stretch 300 years into the future,” Randall says. “Everything we do connects back to Michigan and it all starts in our forests and runs through here.”

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Wisconsin “Forests FIRST” project aims to strengthen our state’s forest products industry health and economic future

By Wisconsin Forests FIRST coalition
WisPolitics
October 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Wisconsin’s forest products industry is integral to our state’s environment, economy, and quality of life. To ensure that this important element of Wisconsin’s heritage continues to thrive for future generations, a coalition of forest products industry stakeholders is taking a major step forward with the launch of Wisconsin Forests FIRST (Forest Industry Roadmap and Strategies for Tomorrow). Wisconsin Forests FIRST is a statewide initiative created to develop a strategic plan and roadmap to ensure our forests remain healthy and to promote a resilient, sustainable, and competitive forest products industry. This coalition effort is supported with a $1 million state grant from the forestry account, which received bi-partisan support and was signed into law by Governor Evers. Currently in the initial planning stages, the project’s overarching goal is to examine Wisconsin’s forest products industry and its role to support and enhance the state’s ecological, social and economic well-being.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Bill Gates makes a stunning claim about climate change

By David Goldman
CNN Business
October 28, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, International

Bill Gates

In a stunning and significant pushback to the “doomsday” climate activist community, Bill Gates, a leading proponent for carbon emissions reductions… argued resources must be shifted away from the battle against climate change. Instead, Gates argues, the world’s philanthropists must increase their investment in other efforts aimed at preventing disease and hunger. Climate change is not going to wipe out humanity, he argued, and past efforts that strive for achieving zero carbon emissions have made real progress. But Gates said that past investments fighting climate change have been misplaced, and too much good money has been put into expensive and questionable efforts. Although Gates said investment to battle climate change must continue, he argued that… a more urgent problem, inflicting potentially lasting global damage to the fight against famine and life-threatening preventable sickness. …“We should deal with problems in proportion to the suffering they cause.”

In related coverage by David Gelles, NY Times: The Two Big Questions Surrounding Bill Gates’s Climate Memo

  • Is this going to change the way people talk about climate change?
  • Will this change how climate efforts are funded?

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Arizona officials, industry leaders call for second biomass power plant

By Peter Aleshire
The Payson Roundup
October 28, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US West

ARIZONA — Restoring Arizona’s wildfire-threatened forests depends on building a second biomass-burning power plant, a coalition of public officials and timber industry executives said. The state’s only biomass-burning plant is operating at capacity, which means many forest thinning and restoration projects will stall without a second plant to process low-value wood slash and biomass, speakers said at the October meeting of the Natural Resources Working Group. “It’s a biomass apocalypse,” said Brad Worsley, head of Novo BioPower, the state’s only biomass-burning power plant. Eastern Arizona Counties Executive Director Pascal Berlioux said he was frustrated by the lack of state and federal action after years of discussion about how to make forest restoration economical. …Novo BioPower in Snowflake remains the state’s only biomass-burning power plant.  …Worsley said the plant survived shortages caused by delays in Forest Service approval of thinning projects and is now operating at its limit.

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Crews working to extinguish fire inside wood pellet dome at Port of Pascagoula

WLOX TV
October 21, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US East

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi — A fire is burning inside one of the wood pellet domes at the Port of Pascagoula. The fire started Monday afternoon inside one of the two Enviva domes at the port. Jackson County Emergency Management Director Earl Etheridge said there is no danger of explosion. Jackson County firefighters are on scene to assist Enviva and port crews. The fire started Monday afternoon inside one of the two Enviva domes at the port. …Etheridge says that Enviva is injecting the dome with pressurized nitrogen to suppress the fire. The fire is contained to the dome. Crews are working to offload the 20,000 metric tons of wood pellets.

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Health & Safety

Drax faces lawsuits over claims workers developed asthma from wood dust

By Bertie Harrison-Broninski and Jaysim Hanspal
The Guardian
October 24, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, International

Ten lawsuits have been filed against Drax after diagnoses of asthma allegedly linked to its wood pellet fuel, it has been revealed. Current and former workers at the UK’s largest power station claim they have not been adequately protected against sustained exposure to wood dust, which can cause serious health problems including asthma, dermatitis and nasal cancer. Six compensation claims were settled out of court and four have trial dates in 2026, an investigation by Land and Climate Review found. A class action lawsuit was also filed against the company this month over health concerns in the US, representing 700 people who live near one of Drax’s wood pellet mills in Mississippi. The company is also being investigated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority over “historical statements” made about its wood pellet fuel.  

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Logging Truck Accidents in Oregon: Legal Rights for Injured Drivers and Families

Local Accidents Reports
October 29, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US West

Oregon’s timber industry is one of the strongest in the nation, supporting thousands of jobs and fueling much of the state’s rural economy. But with the constant transport of heavy logs through the Coast Range, along I-5 near Eugene, and across the rugged highways of eastern Oregon, serious accidents involving logging trucks occur far too often. …Understanding your legal rights is the first step toward recovery and accountability. Common Causes of Logging Truck Accidents in Oregon: Logging trucks often travel on steep grades, winding roads, and rural routes not designed for heavy loads. Highways like Oregon’s Highway 26 through the Coast Range are particularly dangerous in winter when slick conditions and poor visibility can turn routine hauls into deadly crashes. Some of the most common causes of timber-related truck collisions include overloaded or unsecured logs… Brake or equipment failure… Driver fatigue or distraction… Speeding or unsafe turns.

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Worker killed in industrial accident at Westervelt Lumber

WBRC News 6
October 20, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: US East

MOUNDVILLE, Alabama – Moundville Police are investigating after a contracted worker died at Westervelt Lumber. According to Moundville Police, the worker was injured around 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18 while completing work at Westervelt Lumber – Moundville. A representative with The Westervelt Company says the worker was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where they died from their injuries. Police say they began investigating the accident on Sunday, Oct. 19 and are still working to find out what exactly happened. They are waiting to hear from the medical examiner in Montgomery but do not suspect foul play. A spokesperson for Westervelt Company says they will not be sharing any information about the worker to respect the family and friends’ privacy. “We have taken action to make our employees and contractors aware of this incident and have instructed our leadership and safety teams to provide additional support needed,” the spokesperson added.

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Forest History & Archives

100 Years of History

Weyerhaeuser Muse History
October 30, 2025
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: US East

The Port of Everett, together with its partner NGMA Group, have restored and reopened Everett’s historic Weyerhaeuser Building as a community gathering space and showpiece of the iconic structure’s rich history. The space that once served as the Everett-based mill headquarters for the Weyerhaeuser Company reopened to the public in 2023 – the building’s centennial year – as The Muse Whiskey & Coffee. It now welcomes visitors as a coffee house by day and a speakeasy-style whiskey bar by night. It also serves as a unique waterfront events venue. Whether you find yourself exploring the building onsite or online, this website serves as a virtual museum highlighting the once-booming timber industry on the Everett waterfront through the building’s history. Enjoy the tour!

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Temple Lumber Co. No. 20 moves to a new home

By Bob Lettenberger
Trains
October 23, 2025
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: US East

Temple Lumber Co. No. 20 was moved along Texas Route 224, 95 miles from Pineland to Rusk, Texas and its new home in the former Cotton Belt yard. The locomotive was acquired by the non-profit Southern Pine Locomotive Co. It will be restored and placed in a fresh exhibit venue. The Southern Pine Locomotive Co. is a new organization seeking to tell the story of logging railroads in East Texas through No. 20. The group gained title to the locomotive, a former Santa Fe depot located in Pineland… The SPLCo. directors all have steam locomotive experience, and have extensive time with the Texas State Railroad… Why did the SPLCo. focus on No. 20? It is an unusual locomotive for a Texas logging railroad, says Bass. “Most logging Mikes [Mikados] are in the 70-ton range, sitting on 44-inch drivers,” he stated. “No. 20 weighs in at 96 tons and sits on 56-inch drivers. It’s more of a mainline logging locomotive.”

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