Region Archives: United States

Opinion / EdiTOADial

Demand is not coming to the rescue for the forest industry, thus capacity rationalization and supply discipline are crucial: Mason

By Kevin Mason, Managing Director
ERA Forest Products Research
October 1, 2025
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada, United States, International

Kevin Mason

As we have stated multiple times over the past months, demand is not coming to the rescue for this industry, thus capacity rationalization and supply discipline are crucial. The traditional refrain in the commodity space is that “low prices are the cure for low prices.” Well, prices are depressingly low for many key commodities, notably pulp, lumber and OSB, with precious little rationalization to date.  Although some current commodity prices are slightly above trough levels, costs have risen substantially since then. Many softwood pulp mills in Canada and Scandinavia are losing money at these levels, yet there has been only a smattering of downtime concentrated in Finland. The tolerance for pain has been surprising! 

For lumber, even with punitive duties on Canadians, a lot of production continues to run despite losing $100‒150/mbf. SYP prices are also horribly low and stuck below cash-cost levels. US producers expect Canadians to take the brunt of the closures, but they will likely need to curtail production as well given that the substitution of SYP for S-P-F is not happening at the speed many had hoped. Canadian sawmill shuts should also spur pulp mill shuts.  On OSB, mills are in the money-losing zone and there is more capacity on the horizon with Kronospan and Huber mills soon to start up. Supply needs to be removed, but aside from a couple of temporary shuts from Arbec, nothing has transpired.

Read More

Business & Politics

Carney set to return to Ottawa without a deal to end the U.S. tariffs

The Canadian Press in CTV News
October 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Carney is set to return to Ottawa today with no deals to remove US tariffs from Canadian goods, but he’s leaving his key minister on Canada-US trade behind to keep pressing the Canadian case. US President Trump lavished praise on Carney during a meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday and said the prime minister would walk away “very happy.” The president showed no signs of relenting on tariffs, however, and no deal was announced. Carney was scheduled to have a working breakfast this morning with Joshua Bolten, CEO of the Business Roundtable, while Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand was set to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be staying behind in Washington. LeBlanc told reporters Tuesday that substantial progress was made in the White House talks this week.

In related coverage:

Read More

Canada Piles on New Multibillion Dollar Lumber Subsidies In Attempt to Scuttle President Trump’s Trade Law Enforcement

The US Lumber Coalition
October 6, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

“President Trump rightly chose to support U.S. forestry workers with a fair and measured Section 232 tariff to help address Canada’s ongoing and egregious unfair trade practices, which put U.S. jobs at risk and demonstrate Canada’s contempt for our country’s trade rules,” stated Andrew Miller, Chair and Owner of Stimson Lumber Company. “After repeated findings that Canada’s industry is heavily subsidized… what does Canada do? It doubles down on its unfair trade practices by announcing billions of dollars in subsidies in one program after another for its softwood lumber industry,” added Miller. …“For some reason, Canada feels entitled to access the US market while simultaneously engaging in egregious and harmful unfair trade practices proven to be detrimental to U.S. lumber producers,” said Zoltan van Heyningen. …“The US lumber industry applauds the President for his continued efforts to stop these harmful trade practices,” added van Heyningen.

Read More

Steelworkers union urges Carney to defend Canadian jobs and industries in Trump talks

United Steelworkers
October 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

TORONTO – United Steelworkers union National Director Marty Warren issued the following statement as Prime Minister Mark Carney travels to Washington, D.C., to meet with US President Trump. …“Canada’s softwood lumber industry is on the brink of collapse. Thousands of workers and entire communities are hanging by a thread while Trump’s tariffs deindustrialize our economy and threaten good jobs across the country. We need urgent action – not more concessions. If free and fair trade in strategic sectors cannot be restored, the federal government must be ready to retaliate and take all necessary measures to protect the integrity of Canadian industrial production and employment. …We cannot allow foreign producers to use Canada as a back door for cheap, dirty, or diverted imports. …If Washington wants access to our market, it must come with respect for fair trade and for the workers who keep our economy running.”

Related coverage by:

Read More

Pushed by Trump, Canada enters a new era of economic nationalism

By Mark Rendell
The Globe and Mail
October 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Mark Carney

As trade negotiations with the United States sputtered over the summer, Prime Minister Mark Carney started talking about a new, domestically oriented solution for Canada’s tariff-battered industries. …On the surface, this looks like a suite of emergency measures to help companies bridge a temporary loss of demand similar to those announced as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. Taken together, however, it represents a more fundamental shift in Canada’s political economy. If key Canadian industries can’t sell into the US market, the argument goes, perhaps the government can cultivate domestic markets to pick up the slack. …In effect, US President Trump’s America First economic vision is pushing Canada to follow suit. …And it unveiled a new “Buy Canadian” procurement policy for steel and lumber. …Derek Nighbor, of the Forest Products Association of Canada, said there’s an incremental opportunity to sell more lumber in Canada. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

Read More

Statement by the Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance on the U.S. Section 232 Tariffs on Canadian Softwood Lumber

By Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance
BC Lumber Trade Council
October 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance (CLTA) issued the following statement. …Luc Theriault, President, Wood Products at Domtar and Co-Chair of the Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance, said “The U.S. government’s decision to impose a further 10% tariff – on top of existing duties of 35% – is disappointing. These measures unjustly punish Canadian producers, while also driving up costs for our neighbors in the US.” …“Canadian lumber does not pose a national security risk to the United States. Our industry directly supports 200,000 jobs and sustains over 300 forest-dependent communities across Canada. We will continue to work closely with the Government of Canada to defend against these unfortunate trade actions and to safeguard Canadian forestry jobs.” …In its recent Section 232 proclamation, the US signaled a willingness to pursue negotiations. The Canadian industry is ready to engage. It is essential that the Government of Canada match this commitment and play an active role in defending our industry.

Read More

Carney to meet Trump next week, potential movement on steel and aluminum tariffs expected

By Stephanie Ha and Judy Trinh
CTV News
October 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to head to Washington early next week to meet with US. President Trump. …Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, Industry Minister Melanie Joly and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc will accompany Carney. This latest visit comes as Canadian and U.S. officials try to reach a deal on punishing American tariffs, and as a review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement gets underway. …Over the summer, the U.S. hiked its tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50%, with Canada imposing a 25% counter-tariff on U.S. steel and aluminum. …The source says next week’s meeting follows weeks of groundwork by LeBlanc, Canadian Ambassador to the US Kirsten Hillman and Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Sabia, with the team being aware the discussions could go sideways.

In related coverage:

Read More

LeBlanc: No timeline for reaching tariff deals, but talks not at a ‘dead end’

By Kyle Duggan
The Canadian Press in Business in Vancouver
October 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Dominic LeBlanc

OTTAWA — It’s futile to predict how long trade talks with President Trump’s White House might last, Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc told the House of Commons trade committee Thursday. He told a Senate foreign affairs committee that Canada is still in discussions on dropping the sector-specific tariffs putting pressure on Canadian industries and he does not see “a dead end in those conversations.” …The minister told senators he is hoping to make progress on one-off, sector-specific tariff deals before the official review of North America’s trilateral trade pact launches next year. He added that “nobody has yet suggested” Ottawa should fold the sector-specific talks into the broader review. …The president escalated his trade war again this week, through an executive order adding a 10% tariff on softwood lumber and 25% tariff on wooden furniture.

Related coverage:

By Sean Boynton in Global News: Trade war ‘resolvable’ but U.S. ties have ‘fundamentally’ changed

By Ashley Burke in CBC News: Carney to return to Washington as Trump’s tariffs hit sectors hard

Read More

Steelworkers denounce Trump’s reckless lumber tariffs as devastating blow to workers and communities

By Marty Warren and Jeff Bromley
United Steelworkers
October 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The United Steelworkers union (USW) is denouncing the latest escalation in Trump’s trade war, following his September 29 proclamation imposing a 10% tariff on Canadian softwood lumber exports to the US. …“For decades, Canadian lumber has supported the US housing market, keeping construction costs down for American families while sustaining good jobs here at home,” said Marty Warren, USW National Director. “Instead of recognizing that reality, Trump has chosen to pursue reckless trade policies that will drive up housing prices in the US and put tens of thousands of Canadian jobs at risk.” …Jeff Bromley, Chair of the USW Wood Council, underscored the toll on workers and communities across the country. “With nearly half the value of every Canadian lumber shipment being siphoned off at the border, sawmills, logging operations and whole towns in Canada are facing devastating consequences.” …The Steelworkers are urging the federal government to respond with urgency and resolve. 

Read More

New Tariffs on Lumber, Wood Product Imports Add Headwinds to Housing Market

The National Association of Home Builders
September 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

In a move that will raise housing costs, the US Commerce Department today imposed a 10% tariff on all timber and lumber imports and an additional 25% tariff on kitchen cabinets and furniture after announcing that it found that imports of these materials and products pose a national security risk. The tariffs go into effect on Oct. 14. The tariffs on furniture products are slated to rise to 30% and kitchen cabinets to 50%. “These new tariffs will create additional headwinds for an already challenged housing market by further raising construction and renovation costs,” said NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes. …While the 10% tax rate on lumber and timber will put upward pressure on construction costs, it is significantly lower than other Section 232 tariffs. …US sawmills are operating at just 64% of their potential capacity, a figure that has dropped steadily since 2017. It will take years until domestic lumber production ramps up to meet the needs of our citizens. 

Read More

The Imposition of Additional U.S. Duties on Canadian Forestry Products Is Unjustified

By Derek Nighbor, President and CEO
Forest Products Association of Canada
September 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Canada’s forest products sector strongly opposes the US administration’s decision to impose additional punitive tariffs not only on softwood lumber but also on derivative products, including furniture and kitchen cabinets. The targeting of Canada’s forestry products under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act is unjustified and disregards decades of evidence and cooperation that confirm Canadian forest products strengthen, rather than threaten, US national security. This broad action further undermines a deeply integrated North American supply chain that supports housing affordability, infrastructure, manufacturing, and shared prosperity and security on both sides of the border. …The new Section 232 tariffs pushes the total duty burden to over 45%. This compounds pressure, distorts markets, threatens jobs on both sides of the border, and escalates trade tensions. …This misguided move risks raising housing costs in the United States and undermines the integrated trade relationship that has provided jobs, investment, and prosperity in both countries,” said Nighbor.

Read More

Canadian softwood producers hit with new 10% tariff on lumber shipments into U.S.

By Brent Jang
The Globe and Mail
October 31, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Canada has repeatedly rejected the US positions in the softwood trade battle, which dates back to the early 1980s. “These tariffs will not improve U.S. national security – they will only drive up lumber costs, making housing even less affordable for American families,” Kurt Niquidet, of the BC Lumber Trade Council, said. “Placing additional tariffs on Ontario’s forest sector under the false flag of national security is a disturbing abuse of presidential power,” Ian Dunn, of the Ontario Forest Industries Association, said. …Sawmills in Canada have seen their market share of US lumber consumption steadily decline since 2016. …Raymond James Ltd. analyst Daryl Swetlishoff said the stage has been set for additional decreases in lumber capacity in Canada over the next six to 12 months. RBC Capital Markets analyst Matthew McKellar said the new tariffs will place extra pressure on Canadian producers. “Tariffs will potentially accelerate curtailments of Canadian supply,” he said. [to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]

Read More

Trump places a 10% tariff on lumber and a 25% tariff on furniture and cabinets

By David Goldman
CNN Business
September 29, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

President Trump on Monday ordered significant new tariffs on wood and various wooden products, including imported lumber, timber, kitchen cabinets and upholstered furniture – potentially adding costs to homebuilding and furnishing, which have surged in price in recent months. In a proclamation, Trump said the United States would begin charging a 10% tariff on foreign softwood lumber and timber, used in a wide variety of building materials. He also announced a 25% tariff on kitchen cabinets, vanities and upholstered wooden furniture. Those rates are set to go into effect October 14. On January 1, Trump will boost the tariff on cabinets to 50% and upholstered furniture to 30%. He first announced those new tariffs on Thursday. …“In my judgment, the actions in this proclamation will strengthen supply chains, bolster industrial resilience, create high-quality jobs, and increase domestic capacity utilization for wood products such that the US can fully satisfy domestic consumption while also creating economic benefits through increased exports,” Trump wrote.

Related coverage by:

Read More

U.S. Lumber Coalition Applauds President Trump’s Targeted Tariffs on Imports of Softwood Lumber Products into the United States

By The US Lumber Coalition
PR Newswire
September 29, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The US Lumber Coalition welcomes the imposition of Section 232 tariffs on imports of softwood lumber products into the US, and applauds President Trump for taking this necessary additional trade law enforcement action. The harmful trade practices of Canadian softwood lumber producers, combined with ongoing unfair subsidies provided by the Canadian Government, have been thoroughly documented in the antidumping and countervailing duty proceedings. Those trade cases offset unfair trade at the border, but have not fully addressed Canada’s massive excess capacity, which is currently the root cause of Canada’s unfair trading. The US Lumber Coalition is hopeful he tariffs will help right size the Canadian lumber industry and allow the US industry to grow to its natural size to fully supply the US housing market with lumber made in the USA. …There is also evidence that the volume of imports from Europe and other sources has increased over the last several years.

Read More

U.S.-Canada trade deal could drag on to 2027, ambassador warns

By Falice Chin
The Hub
September 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Trade negotiations between Canada and the United States are set to drag on well past the initial hopes of an early resolution, with key players now calling mid-2026 an unlikely target and warning the process could slip into 2027. In an interview on The Hub’s Alberta Edge podcast, US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith both acknowledged momentum around the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) review has slowed. Hoekstra pointed to the formal comment period now underway, during which businesses and the public in both countries are submitting feedback on how the accord is working. He said this essentially eliminates any chance of a quick, major deal. Trade departments will then have to sift through the submissions and approach what he called the “painstaking” next stage. …The timeline collides directly with US midterm elections in 2026, making Senate ratification anything but a guarantee.

Read More

Announcing the 2025 John J. Mulrooney Award Recipient

North American Wholesale Lumber Association
October 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Donna Whitaker

The North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAWLA) is thrilled to present the prestigious John J. Mulrooney Award to Donna Whitaker. Donna Whitaker brings more than 32 years of experience in the lumber industry, holding pivotal roles and building a legacy of leadership and mentorship. She began her career with Rayonier and was part of Interfor’s historic first acquisitions in the Southern U.S. As Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Interfor, Donna has also contributed her leadership to numerous boards, including the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA). …Known for her strategic insight, collaborative leadership and tireless advocacy, Donna has helped pave the way for women in an industry long dominated by men. Entering her next chapter, she remains deeply committed to advancing women in the forest products industry, creating environments where they are empowered to grow, lead and thrive.

Read More

APA – The Engineered Wood Association Names New Chair and Trustee to Board

APA – The Engineered Wood Association
October 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

John Beers

Brian Cullen

APA – The Engineered Wood Association has made two changes to its Board of Trustees. John Beers III of Georgia-Pacific has been elected board chair, and Brian Cullen of PWT has joined the board. Beers is president of the structural panels business at Georgia-Pacific. As an industry veteran, Beers has a wealth of knowledge and experience acquired over the past 25 years. He began his career in sales with Grant Forest Products in 2002, joining Georgia-Pacific in 2010 as part of the company’s Grant acquisition. …Cullen is senior vice president of operations at PWT. He began his career at Weyerhaeuser in 2002, spending more than 13 years there in plant management, process improvement and industrial engineering. From there, Cullen went to Amazon, where he was a senior fulfillment operations manager. In 2016, he returned to the wood products industry, joining Boise Cascade Co. as production manager for the Eastern region.

Read More

APA – The Engineered Wood Association Honors Jim Enright as 2025 Bronson Lewis Award Recipient

APA – The Engineered Wood Association
October 6, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Jim Enright (centre)

PWT President and CEO Jim Enright has been awarded the 2025 Bronson J. Lewis Award. Now in its 20th year, the award recognizes individuals for their leadership and outstanding contributions to the engineered wood industry. Enright received the award October 6 at the APA Annual Meeting in Phoenix. … Enright devoted more than 28 years to the industry and is widely respected for his leadership, insight, and dedication. Beginning as an APA trustee in 2003, Enright went on to serve on APA’s board for more than 15 years… Over the course of his career, he has held key roles at organizations such as WoodWorks – Wood Products Council, Willamette Industries, Rosboro, Standard Structures and Murphy Company. “There’s really no one more deserving of this prestigious award than Jim,” said Jeff Wagner, former APA Board of Trustees Chair.

Read More

Decorative hardwoods industry urges Trump to expand products under section 232 tariffs proposal

By Larry Adams
The Woodworking Network
October 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Oct. 1, 2025, nine presidents and CEOs representing American manufacturers of hardwood plywood, engineered wood flooring, and hardwood veneer asked President Trump to add their products to the recently announced Section 232 tariffs on wood products. The current 232 tariff proposal focuses on cabinets, vanities, lumber, upholstered furniture, and other products. Section 232 tariffs are trade restrictions, such as import duties, that the President of the United States can impose on goods that are found to threaten national security. According to the group of companies, more than 100,000 American manufacturing jobs are threatened by the “flood of dumped and subsidized decorative hardwood product imports from outside of North America.” The group pointed to the news that Roseburg Forest Products had closed its last hardwood plywood mill and exited the hardwood plywood market as a result of these imports, which the company said dominate 80% of the U.S. market.

Read More

US Government Shuts Down After Lawmakers Fail To Reach Funding Deal

By Erin Krueger
Biodiesel Magazine
October 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States
 

Much of the federal government shutdown in the early hours of Oct. 1 after federal lawmakers failed to reach a funding deal. If  the shutdown persists, work related to federal data reporting, rulemakings and other regulatory initiatives could face delays.  Ahead of the shutdown, many federal agencies published contingency plans on how work at those agencies may be impacted in the short term. …The USDA is expected to furlough 42,256 of its 85,907 employees, equating to more than 49% of the agency’s workforce. Data products and website updates offered by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and Foreign Agricultural Service are among agency activities that are expected to cease during the funding lapse. …FAS also publishes a variety of data of interest to bioenergy producers, including monthly export data on ethanol, distillers grains, biodiesel and wood pellets. FAS also publishes reports that provide insight on foreign markets for biofuels and wood pellets. 

Read More

Trump’s tariffs on imported wood products will inflate costs, impact truck safety

By Noi Mahoney
FreightWaves
September 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

The Trump administration on Monday announced tariffs on imported wood products, targeting softwood lumber, timber, kitchen cabinets, vanities and upholstered furniture. …Trump’s proclamation said wood product imports were weakening the US economy, resulting in a persistent threat to the US supply chains and harming the domestic wood industry. “Because of the state of the United States wood industry, the US may be unable to meet demands for wood products that are crucial to the national defense and critical infrastructure,” the proclamation said. …Critics of the tariffs have voiced concern that the new duties will inflate costs for American consumers and builders. Former US Rep. Matt Cartwright, (D-Pennsylvania), said safety will suffer as a result of the new tariff on imports of trucks. …“A lot of these companies are already on shoestring budgets, and unfortunately the first thing that gets cut when costs go up is safety,” Cartwright said.

Read More

New Zealand timber industry welcomes 10% tariff as a ‘bit of relief’

Radio New Zealand
September 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

NEW ZEALAND — News that US President Trump imposed a tariff of 10 percent on imported timber has come as a relief to industry, which expected a higher figure. Mark Ross, chief executive of the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association, said it was a relief as they thought it would be higher. “We’ve been working through the essential impact of a tariff on our products since March this year so it wasn’t a shock because we were, at one point, expecting a 50% tariff. “So 10% is a bit of relief. It is still going to have a financial impact on the wood processing industry in New Zealand. …Ross said they were working with exporters to work out how to handle the extra costs. …Ross said the United States was New Zealand’s third-largest export market and continued to grow.

Read More

Trump to Keep Tariff Probes Running Through Government Shutdown

By Gregory Korte
Bloomberg Politics/Economics
September 29, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

The Commerce Department in a shutdown contingency plan released Monday said it will continue “the necessary work to address the effect of imported articles on national security.” The contingency guidelines mark a subtle shift from the previous plan, which said investigations would continue with unexpired funds if Congress failed to approve additional spending by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. By claiming a national security rationale for the investigations, the administration can continue work on probes being conducted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. That provision allows for the imposition of tariffs on goods deemed critical to national security. …Section 232 investigations could take on even greater weight if the Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. [to access the full story a Bloomberg subscription is required]

Read More

China Reacts to Donald Trump’s New Tariffs

By Shane Croucher
Newsweek
September 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

©wayfair

China said there are no winners in trade wars as it reacted to U.S. President Donald Trump’s new and rising import tariffs on softwood lumber, upholstered furniture, and kitchen cabinets and vanities. Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a regular press briefing on Tuesday that “there are no winners in tariff or trade wars, and protectionism leads nowhere,” according to a paraphrasing of his remarks by state-run Global Times. The tariffs are being introduced despite fruitful talks between trade delegations from the U.S. and China as Trump continues to aggressively pursue his economic policy of trying to rebuild American manufacturing by throttling foreign competitors. …”In order to make North Carolina, which has completely lost its furniture business to China, and other Countries, GREAT again, I will be imposing substantial Tariffs on any Country that does not make its furniture in the United States,” Trump said a post on Truth Social.

Read More

Musser Biomass partners with Trex company on sustainability initiative

Coherent Market Insights
September 26, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Musser Biomass announces a new sustainability partnership with Trex Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking and a pioneer in recycled materials innovation. Musser Biomass operates one of the most advanced low-temperature drying systems in North America, reducing energy use and preserving the integrity of wood fiber. Through partnerships like this one with Trex, Musser Biomass is further extending the life cycle of valuable resources and supporting a circular economy. Through its NextTrex program, Trex Company recycles everyday plastic film materials, keeping them out of landfills and turning them into high-performance composite decking. The updated packaging will begin rolling out nationwide. Musser Biomass produces premium wood pellets and engineered bedding using cutting-edge drying and screening technology.

Read More

Erik Wilson Joins Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau as Executive Vice President

Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau
October 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

Erik Wilson

FEDERAL WAY, Washington – The Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB) has hired Erik Wilson as their new Executive Vice President. In this newly established leadership role, Erik will be working closely with PLIB President Jeff Fantozzi and the Board of Directors and staff directors to drive PLIB’s strategic objectives and reinforce relationships with its stakeholders, regulatory agencies, and industry partners. His responsibilities will also include staff development, brand enhancement both domestically and internationally, and the expansion of LIBs educational programs. “Appointing Erik to the EVP role accomplishes an important milestone in PLIB’s strategic and succession plans,” said PLIB President Jeff Fantozzi. His integrity and wide-ranging industry experience brings valuable depth and expertise to our already exceptional team. We are extremely excited about this new chapter in PLIB’s evolution.”

Read More

Roseburg Forest Products lays off 107 employees, closes Dillard Hardwood Plywood plant

By Israel La Rue
KEZI News 9 Oregon
September 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

ROSEBURG, Oregon – The “Timber Capitol of the World” was just hit by a major blow. One of the area’s major employers, Roseburg Forest Products laid off more than 100 employees on Sept. 25 after closing one of its Dillard plants. …“Roseburg Forest Products … has ceased operations at its Dillard Hardwood Plywood facility and will exit the hardwood plywood market. This strategic move reflects the company’s long-term plan to concentrate resources on a more focused product portfolio.” Representative of House District 2 Virgle Osborne represents nearby Roseburg and other areas of Douglas County, reacted to the sudden layoffs. …Osborne said this could do real harm for the area in both the short and long term. Roseburg Forest Products said they are encouraging the 107 laid off employees to apply for open positions within the company.

Read More

Hancock Lumber sales leader named NeLMA chairman

The HBS Dealer
October 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Matt Duprey

Hancock Lumber’s Sawmill Chief Sales Officer, Matt Duprey, has been elected as the newest Chairman of the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NeLMA). …Duprey has been with Hancock since 1994 after earning his Forestry and Wood Science + Technology degree. First starting in the yard at Hancock’s Casco Mill, Duprey eventually worked his way through various positions and into his current role as Chief Sales Officer of Eastern White Pine. Prior to his appointment as NeLMA Chairman, Matt also served as the chair of its marketing committee for a decade. …Current NeLMA President, Jeff Easterling said, “NeLMA is pleased to see Matt continue his ascent within the organization as he steps into the Chairman of the Board of Directors role.” Duprey said: “I feel quite proud of this appointment.”

Read More

Weyerhaeuser to Invest $1 Million in West Virginia Community

Weyerhaeuser Company
October 6, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

BUCKHANNON, West Virginia — Weyerhaeuser announced a commitment to invest $1 million in Buckhannon, West Virginia, through the company’s THRIVE program. The investment will be made over the next several years with input from local elected officials, business leaders, nonprofits, employees and other community partners. …”Rural operating communities like Buckhannon are so important to the success of our business and to the greater health of the forest products industry,” says Devin W. Stockfish, CEO. “We want to make sure these communities remain great places to live, work and do business for years to come.” …Weyerhaeuser’s THRIVE program goes far beyond the financial investment. In selected communities, Weyerhaeuser leaders engage deeply with local stakeholders to identify and prioritize the challenges to be addressed through long-term collaboration, investment and advocacy. Potential opportunities in Buckhannon include youth education and workforce development.

Read More

EPA to look into wood-industry pollution in Missoula’s rivers

By Laura Lundquist
The Missoula Current
October 6, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

MISSOULA, Montana — The US Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to analyze samples from local rivers to see how much contamination is from wood-processing plants, including the Smurfit-Stone pulp mill site. During Thursday’s meeting of the Frenchtown Smurfit-Stone Citizens Advisory Group, a few group members hit the highlights of a brief tour of the Smurfit mill site they took with Congressman Ryan Zinke and his staff on Sept. 24. During the tour, Zinke was told about a new development where the EPA has agreed to have some of their “displaced scientists” analyze several years’ worth of fish-tissue and water data collected from the Clark Fork, Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers. …However, Smurfit isn’t the only source of contamination. Wood-processing businesses exist in several places along the Clark Fork, Blackfoot and Bitterroot rivers, and they all likely pollute the rivers with dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PCB contaminants. 

Read More

Finance & Economics

Lumber Futures Ease from Near 2-Month Highs

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

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

Read More

Trump has his eye on Canadian forestry stocks. You should, too

By David Berman
The Globe and Mail
October 3, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

It’s hard to find anything good to say about Canadian forestry stocks right now. Some of the biggest names in the sector have been on a downward slide for the past three years. … But the onslaught of grim news has highlighted some bargains. …Okay, the definition of attractive rests on an assumption that risk-averse investors might not want to embrace just yet: Despite Mr. Trump’s bluster, the US still needs Canadian lumber in a big way to feed its lumber-intensive home construction industry. Says who? The National Association of Home Builders, for one. …Some analysts believe that US forestry companies will struggle to replace Canadian softwood. Ben Isaacson, at Bank of Nova Scotia, estimates that US producers would have to build 50 new mills to become fully independent of Canadian lumber. Just two companies build the specialized equipment required in mills. They would struggle to supply even two mills a year. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

Read More

How are increased antidumping duties on Canadian lumber shipments to US likely to impact the market?

RISI Fastmarkets
October 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Although we are skeptical how effective the C$500 million in “transition” funding will be, the C$700 million in loan guarantees, which are clearly designed as a short-term lifeline for companies to weather the storm, seem pretty meaningful to the Canadian industry at first glance. …If Canadian producers were to simply absorb the incremental duty rate increase, using today’s FOB price for most Canadian softwood lumber and last year’s export volumes to the US translates to a “just pay it” cost of C$1.6-1.7 billion in additional duty payments over the next 12 months. Canadian mill operators are not in a financial position to simply absorb an additional 21-percentage-point increase in duties, so this is an extreme estimate of the true cost. Mills will curtail output rather than continue producing at heavy losses until prices adjust accordingly. Additionally, there is usually some degree of passthrough from the buyer to the seller.

Read More

U.S. Section 232 Tariffs on Lumber: Navigating the New Trade Landscape

By Audrey Dixon
ResourceWise Forest Products Blog
October 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

The softwood lumber trade dispute between the US and Canada, which has led to ever-higher US import duties on Canadian lumber, has lasted for decades. …Canadian lumber has the backing NAHB, which sees lumber tariffs as exacerbating high costs for builders and worsening the US housing affordability crisis. There is currently a “Wall of Wood” in the US, after Canadian producers increased shipments to the US in anticipation of the hike to existing ADD and CVD duties in August. Expectations that a large increase in duties would force the closure of Canadian sawmills, lead to shortages, and a boost in lumber prices, overlooked the current weak US demand for lumber, according to Matt Layman. …As US homebuilders now face additional tariff-driven costs, including a 50% tariff on cabinets and vanities, it’s hard to see the lumber demand situation improving, even if more Canadian suppliers have to curtail production or close sawmills.

Read More

Lumber Futures Prices Rise on Trump’s New Tariff

By Ryan Dezember
The Wall Street Journal
October 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures prices are trading higher after President Trump slapped a 10% tariff on wood imports. Lumber prices have been on a rollercoaster this year, lifted by higher import taxes and tugged lower by the deteriorating housing and construction markets. …Trump’s executive order said the additional 10% tariff, which will also raise the price of lumber from European suppliers like Germany and Sweden, is aimed at protecting domestic sawmills. …Analysts expect the tariff to benefit domestic sawyers and timberland owners, such as Weyerhaeuser and PotlatchDeltic, at the expense of competitors north of the border, who have been losing US market share because of the duties, challenges supplying their sawmills with logs and the abundance of cheap US pine. “Canadian lumber producers’ cash costs should further increase, resulting in capacity closures and a tightening of lumber supply-demand dynamics,” said Michael Roxland of Truist Securities. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]

Read More

U.S. lumber tariffs could add $8,900 to cost of building a home: USB Group

Seeking Alpha
September 30, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

The Trump administration’s latest tariffs on housing materials could raise the average cost of building a single-family home by nearly $9,000, according to a report Tuesday from UBS. Research analyst John Lovallo said the new levies include “an incremental 10% Section 232 tariff on softwood timber and lumber imports, as well as 25% levies on kitchen cabinets, vanities and upholstered wood products.” UBS estimates the lumber tariff will add about $720 per home, while cabinet and vanity tariffs could tack on another $280. Upholstered wood products were not included in the calculation because they are generally purchased by homeowners rather than builders. “As a result, we now estimate the total tariff impact on the cost to construct an average home at approximately $8.9K,” Lovallo wrote. …“Importantly, we continue to believe this cost impact will be spread throughout the entire housing value chain, with the builders perhaps best positioned to push back on suppliers,” he said.

Read More

Trump’s new timber tariffs could drive up housing costs

By Catherine Baab
Quartz Media
September 30, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

President Trump ordered fresh tariffs on softwood timber, lumber, and wood furnishings, even as housing groups warn the move could drive up construction costs and furniture-industry advocates said the levies would lead to US job losses. The tariffs may, however, prove more legally durable than Trump’s reciprocal country-by-country penalties because they fall under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, the same legal tool the White House has used to justify duties on steel and aluminum. …The measures hit Canada especially hard because the country already faces duties of more than 35%, a result of recent but separate trade initiatives. Publicly traded lumber producers most directly exposed include Canada’s West Fraser Timber, Canfor, and Interfor. In the US, Weyerhaeuser, Boise Cascade, and Louisiana-Pacific are the closest listed peers, with stocks prices that often move in step with lumber tariffs and demand. US-based furniture retailers may also experience pain, with many dependent on foreign wood.

Read More

US Lumber Market in Chaos

By Russ Taylor, Russ Taylor Global
Truck LoggerBC Magazine
September 29, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Occasionally, market chaos happens, and in August and September 2025 it was happening. BC and Canadian sawmills were facing weak lumber market demand, increased US import duties and plunging prices, with little upside evident in the short term. And it happened quickly. …One of the ongoing problems is that US lumber demand has been very flat since 2016 when it was 48.3 billion bf. The average US lumber consumption between 2016 and 2024 has been just 50 billion bf as compared to 50.5 billion bf in 2024. So, simply no growth .This is despite some 8 billion bf of new capacity constructed in the US South over that same period. …Going forward, sawmill curtailments in high-cost or negative margin regions will be the next phase of the current market cycle. As a result of these low lumber prices, I expect to see a lengthy list of sawmill curtailments, especially in the US South, Quebec and BC. 

Read More

Trump urges Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to jumpstart stalled homebuilding

By Liezel Once
Mortgage Professional America Magazine
October 6, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

President Donald Trump has reignited debate over the nation’s housing shortage, calling on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to spur a wave of new home construction. Trump accused large homebuilders of “sitting on 2 million empty lots, a record,” and likened their behavior to OPEC’s control of oil prices. …“I’m asking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to get Big Homebuilders going and, by so doing, help restore the American Dream!” The president’s comments come as housing inventory has rebounded from historic lows in 2022, but builders continue to face limited incentives to ramp up construction. …Since taking office, Trump has made housing a central policy focus, including an executive order for emergency price relief and a campaign to pressure the Federal Reserve for lower rates. …Despite Trump’s calls, the mechanics of how Fannie and Freddie might spur more homebuilding remain unclear. 

Read More

Trump’s New Tariffs Could Worsen America’s Housing Crisis

By Sydney Ember
New York Times
October 2, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

President Trump’s latest round of tariffs aimed at wood, furniture and other household furnishings could drive up the cost of building and owning homes, further weighing on an already weak housing sector. Analysts said the steep levies could aggravate the nationwide housing shortage by slowing the pace of new home construction. The higher costs, as well as hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum that went into effect in June, could also dampen any jolt the housing market might have derived as the Federal Reserve begins to lower interest rates. …“These tariffs are really hard to understand given that the president has said to his supporters, ‘I want to bring down inflation, I want to bring down interest rates,’” said Anirban Basu, at the Associated Builders and Contractors. …And there could be ripple effects, including higher prices for home insurance because houses and their components would cost more to replace. [to access the full story a NY Times subscription is required]

Read More

Fannie Mae predicts major mortgage rate change coming soon

By Jeffrey Quiggle
The Street
October 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Fannie Mae revised its mortgage rate forecast and other predictions about the U.S. economy in the September report. Among its projections are:

  • Mortgage rates are expected to end 2025 and 2026 at 6.4% and 5.9%, respectively, compared to 6.5%  and 6.1% in Fannie Mae’s prior forecast.
  • The total home sales outlook for 2025 was revised to 4.72 million, compared to 4.74 million previously. Its 2026 home sales projection is 5.16 million, compared to 5.23 million previously.
  • It revised its real gross domestic product (GDP) growth outlook for 2025 and 2026 to 1.5 percent and 2.1 percent on a Q4/Q4 basis, compared to 1.1 percent and 2.2 percent in its previous forecast, respectively.
  • Regarding inflation, Fannie Mae expects the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to rise to 3.1 percent Q4/Q4 in 2025, compared to its August forecast of 3.3 percent. The CPI outlook for 2026 is 2.6 percent, a prediction that is unchanged.

Read More

US Consumer Confidence Drops on Job Concerns

By Fan-Yu Kuo
NAHB Eye on Housing
October 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

US Consumer confidence fell to a five-month low as consumers remain concerned about reignited inflation and a weakening labor market amid economic uncertainty. The labor market differential, which measures the gap between consumers viewing job as plentiful and hard-to-get, has narrowed for nine straight month and is now at lowest level since March 2021. This is consistent with recent job reports showing fewer job openings and slower hiring. The Consumer Confidence Index is a survey measuring how optimistic or pessimistic consumers feel about their financial situation. This index fell from 97.8 to 94.2 in September, the lowest level since April. …In September, the Present Situation Index decreased 7.0 points from 132.4 to 125.4, the largest monthly decline since September 2024; the Expectation Situation Index dropped 1.3 points from 74.7 to 73.4. This is the eighth consecutive month that the Expectation Index has been below 80, a threshold that often signals a recession within a year.

Read More

US Consumer Sentiment Fell 5.3% in September

By Joanne Hsu, Director
The University of Michigan
September 26, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Consumer sentiment confirmed its early-month reading and eased about 5% from last month but remains above the low readings seen in April and May of this year. Although September’s decline was relatively modest, it was still seen across a broad swath of the population, across groups by age, income, and education, and all five index components. …Nationally, not only did macroeconomic expectations fall, particularly for labor markets and business conditions, but personal expectations did as well, with a softening outlook for their own incomes and personal finances. Consumers continue to express frustration over the persistence of high prices, with 44% spontaneously mentioning that high prices are eroding their personal finances, the highest reading in a year. …Year-ahead inflation expectations receded slightly to 4.7% from 4.8% last month. Long-run inflation expectations moved up for the second straight month to 3.7% in September.

Read More

Wood, Paper & Green Building

Industry Leaders Highlight Common Goals of North American Lumber Industry

By The Softwood Lumber Board
You Tube
August 5, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, United States

To underscore the importance of this work, the Softwood Lumber Board is spotlighting industry leaders, programs, and partners who are advancing market growth. This month, Brad Thorlakson, Executive Chairman of Tolko Industries, and George Emmerson, Board Chairman of Sierra Pacific Industries, highlight how producers throughout North America share a common passion for the sustainability and growth of our industry.

Read More

The Softwood Lumber Board’s Impact—Now and in the Years Ahead

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

The September monthly update from the Softwood Lumber Board includes these headlines and more:

  • The SLB Generated 438 MM BF of Incremental Lumber Demand in Q2: Q2 Report highlights strategy to drive long-term demand for lumber through education, code advancements, project support, and compelling content—efforts that will protect, expand, and diversify markets.
  • The SLB’s Strategic Plan to Grow Light-Frame by +1.4 BBF Annually:  new strategic plan sets a bold target: 2.9 BBF in new annual lumber demand by 2035.
  • Industry Leaders Highlight Common Goals of North American Lumber Industry: This month, Brad Thorlakson, Executive Chairman of Tolko Industries, and George Emmerson, Board Chairman of Sierra Pacific Industries, highlight how producers throughout North America share a common passion for the sustainability and growth of our industry.
  • The SLB Backs Global Framework to Increase Lumber Demand: Built by Nature’s Principles for Responsible Timber Construction is a first-of-its-kind global framework to ensure building with wood benefits climate, nature, and people.

Read More

Ironworkers: The Best Kept Secret in Mass Timber Construction

By International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers
Globe Newswire
September 29, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Washington, D.C. – When most people think of ironworkers, mass timber is not the first thing that comes to mind. But that perception is changing fast. The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (Iron Workers), is proving that ironworkers are not only part of the mass timber conversation, but they are the best equipped trade to erect these projects. From landmark projects like the Walmart Headquarters in Arkansas, erected by Iron Workers’ signatory contractor Foust Fab & Erectors, to countless hybrid timber-and-steel structures across the United States and Canada, ironworkers are quietly setting the standard for mass timber erection. Ironworkers have proven that their structural steel expertise, efficiency, and safety culture make them the #1 choice for this growing market. …Our mass timber training is in partnership with WoodWorks, and therefore, third-party validated,” said Iron Workers Executive Director of Apprenticeship and Training James Owens. 

Read More

Clemson institute works with industry on new markets for South Carolina timber

By Jonathan Veit
Clemson University News
September 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East

CLEMSON, S.C. — With South Carolina’s forestry and forest products industries facing significant headwinds, Clemson University’s Wood Utilization + Design Institute (WU+D) convened industry, government and academic leaders Sept. 24 at the Madren Conference Center to explore new products and markets for the state’s abundant timber. The meeting took place amid a series of high-profile mill closures, including those of International Paper in Georgetown, the WestRock plant in Charleston, International Paper in Savannah, and the Containerboard Mill in Riceboro, which have reduced market capacity and disrupted the wood supply chain. …The open house showcased how WU+D and its partners hope to transform wood side-streams, which are by-products from pulp mills and sawmills once considered waste, into valuable materials such as lignin-based asphalt binders, advanced wood pulp adjuvants for agriculture, multifunctional bio-based coatings for mass timber and high-performance oriented strand board.

Read More

Pulp mill waste becomes green solution to remove toxic dyes

By University of Arkansas
Phys.Org
September 26, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Dyes like Congo red and methyl orange create brightly hued shirts, sweaters and dresses. But these commonly used azo dyes can be toxic, carcinogenic and are hard to remove from wastewater. David Chem, a University of Arkansas Ph.D. candidate, developed an environmentally friendly solution to remove these dyes using a common byproduct of the pulp and paper industry. Azo dyes are used in 60%–70% of commercial textile production. The dyes dissolve easily in water and resist biodegradation, which makes them an environmental hazard. …To remove azo dyes from water, Chem started with lignin, a low-cost, widely available biopolymer derived from plant cell walls. …The modified lignin removed 96% of the Congo red dye and 81% of the methyl orange dye. With this method, both the dyes and the lignin can be reused. “The process is really scalable. It’s a relatively green process. And it is highly effective,” Chem said.

Read More

Forestry

Domtar Releases First Post-Integration Sustainability Report, Marking a Milestone Toward 2030 Goals

Domtar
October 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States

FORT MILL, South Carolina — In a major stride towards its ambitious 2030 sustainability strategy, Domtar released its sustainability report. The report, entitled Building on Strong Legacies, is the first comprehensive release since the successful operational unification of Domtar’s three legacy companies last October under the Domtar brand. “This report delivers an initial view of our unified company’s performance across a comprehensive set of sustainability indicators,” said John D. Williams, Non-Executive Chairman. “It marks a pivotal milestone following the May 2025 release of our 2030 sustainability strategy.” …Qualitative content within the report is structured with reference to the three strategic pillars of Environmental Stewardship, Our People and Communities, and Responsible Business. …”We are consolidating our sustainability report and unifying our CDP submissions, ensuring everyone can evaluate our environmental performance holistically as an integrated company,” said Sabrina de Branco, global chief sustainability officer.

Read More

U.S. funding cuts threaten wildlife on both sides of the Canadian border

By Olivia Gieger
The Narwhal
September 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States

In many places, moose, bear, wolves and other wildlife can simply walk between the two nations. There are barriers — roads, development and a lack of protected habitat on either side — but for more than a century, relatively relaxed border policy and a shared sense of purpose saw conservationists in both countries working together to overcome them. Now, US President Trump has ratcheted up the challenges to cross-border conservation. …Many of Trump’s actions have explicit implications for cross-border conservation — in North America and globally. …Canadian conservation organizations have reported losing co-funding as a result of Trump’s cuts to foreign aid. As his administration has stretched staffing thin and proposed deep budget cuts at the US National Park Service, it ended funding many found crucial to habitat conservation work across the border. Trump has also withdrawn from the Green Climate Fund and the Paris Agreement.

Read More

Forest Stewardship Council US Announces Revised Forest Stewardship Standard Approved

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

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

Read More

Proclamation: Fire Prevention Week, 2025

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

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

Read More

Outcry as Trump plots more roads and logging in US forests: ‘You can almost hear the chainsaws’

By Oliver Milman
The Guardian
October 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

VIRGINIA — Today, this site in George Washington national forest, along with other near-pristine forests across the US that amount to 58m acres, equivalent to the size of the UK, could soon see chainsaws whir and logging trucks rumble through them amid a push by Donald Trump to raze these ecosystems for timber. The Trump administration has said it will rescind Clinton’s roadless rule, more than two decades after its introduction appeared to mark the end of the bitter battle between environmentalists and loggers over the future of America’s best remaining woodland. …Yet advocates of the roadless rule argue these areas should not be viewed as mere sources of timber, pointing to their crucial ecological role in protecting and filtering the streams and rivers that provide clean drinking water to millions of Americans. …The American Forest Resource Council called the roadless rule removal “a long-overdue correction”.

Read More

Pines at the tip of Michigan peninsula joins network of old-growth forests

By Sheri McWhirter
Michigan Live
September 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

NORTHPORT, Michigan – Old-growth white pines and century-old hemlocks surround the shoreline at Kehl Lake near the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, the latest woodsy spot in Michigan to gain a special forestry recognition. Nonprofit Leelanau Conservancy last week enrolled its Kehl Lake Natural Area into the Old-Growth Forest Network and celebrated with a guided one-mile hike on Sept. 25 at the 279-acre protected wetlands and forest. The site is the second in Leelanau County to be registered in the nationwide network under the condition of no future commercial logging. …The natural area near the Lake Michigan shoreline is an important wildlife corridor as a valuable habitat refuge along a critical migratory bird flyway. There are two miles of trails for visitors and a viewing platform at a marshland for watching waterfowl and songbirds.

Read More

Trump administration plans to close unknown number of US Forest Service offices in Alaska

By James Brooks
Anchorage Daily News
September 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

The Trump administration is planning to close some US Forest Service offices in Alaska under a national reorganization announced this summer. Public comment on the reorganization is open through Tuesday. …A spokesperson for the USDA said “We recognize this may be difficult, but we are hopeful that affected employees will remain with us through this transition.” In July, US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she intends to close the Forest Service’s nine national regional offices “over the next year” but “will maintain a reduced state office in Juneau, Alaska, and an eastern service center in Athens, Georgia.” Research stations, like the Juneau Forestry Science Laboratory in Auke Bay, will be closed and “consolidated into a single location in Fort Collins, Colorado.” Nationally, Rollins said she intends to scatter more than half of the Agriculture Department’s 4,600 Washington, D.C.-based administrators to five regional hubs; one each in Utah, Colorado, North Carolina, Missouri and Indiana.

Read More

Meeting America’s Reforestation Needs — Why the H-2B Visa Program Is More Critical Than Ever

By Tim O’Hara, FRA President
Forest Resources Association
September 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

As wildfires continue to reshape America’s forest landscapes, the demand for reforestation has surged—and with it, the need for seasonal forestry workers. The H-2B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for temporary non-agricultural jobs, has become essential in restoring public and private forestlands and supporting rural economies. Forestry contractors rely heavily on H-2B workers to perform essential seasonal tasks, including: Tree planting after timber harvests or natural disturbances; Site preparation and vegetation management; and Reforestation of public and private lands. These workers plant over 85% of the trees on U.S. forestlands following a timber harvest or natural disturbance, making them indispensable to national reforestation efforts. …As policymakers consider reforms to the H-2B program, it’s vital they understand the ecological and economic stakes tied to forestry labor. 

Read More

Forest Service falls behind on wildfire prevention

Center for Western Priorities
October 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Despite the Trump administration’s pledge to aggressively clear overgrowth from national forests, the U.S. Forest Service is falling significantly short on wildfire mitigation work. By mid-September, the agency had only treated about 2.2 million acres through thinning and prescribed burns. That’s far short of the over 4 million acres treated during the last year of the Biden administration, and it’s also behind the agency’s annual average over the past decade. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz blamed “operational challenges” and said agency resources were diverted to help battle blazes in Canada. However, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon is blaming the slowdown in fuel treatments on the Trump administration firing thousands of Forest Service employees earlier this year. …the government shutdown has stopped wildfire prevention efforts across the country’s entire 193 million acres of national forest land [at] the ideal time for the agency to conduct safe prescribed burns across the West.

Read More

‘All the trees are dead’: An ancient California forest has been wiped out

By Julie Johnson
The San Francisco Chronicle
October 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Roughly 500 years ago in California’s High Sierra, pine cones dropped to the ground and a cycle began. …Half a millennia later, US Forest Service scientists began testing strategies to save these now ancient and massive trees in the little-known area east of Fresno called the Teakettle Experimental Forest. They had plans to light a huge prescribed burn to clear overgrowth next year.  But then the Garnet Fire ignited and scorched all 3,000 federally protected acres on its path through the Sierra National Forest. …Scott Scherbinski, a biologist at the Climate & Wildfire Institute, said “It will be a start-over event for this forest.” …Malcolm North, a Forest Service ecologist said…fires with less intensity can be beneficial in California’s fire-adapted landscapes, but the Garnet Fire, when it burned through in September, may have killed most trees and sterilized the ground — making it unlikely the forest can rebound without intervention. [to access the full story a San Francisco Chronicle subscription is required]

Read More

Wqwhington’s stream buffer rule: Big economic impact, little environmental evidence

By Jacob Vail, Hampton Family Forests
The Cascadia Daily News
October 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Jacob Vail

I work for a local forest products company and in this line of work, it can feel like we live and breathe forest policy. …Unfortunately, major changes to forest policy have recently been proposed without adequate analysis or justification. The state Forest Practices Board is currently grappling with an ongoing debate surrounding the regulation of non-fish perennial streams, essentially streams without fish that flow year-round. The Washington Department of Ecology is proposing a new rule that would create additional tree buffers on these streams, taking another 200,000 acres of private forestland out of timber production. If passed, this rule would reduce harvests on private lands by 4–8%. …Washington’s private forestlands are already sustaining salmon habitat and clean water, and there’s no evidence current temperatures are harming fish or that the new rule will improve fish recovery. The Forest Practices Board should restart the adaptive management process to determine the best path forward.

Read More

Oregon’s Douglas fir trees in crisis with widespread, ‘unprecedented’ dieback

By Zach Urness
The Register-Guard
October 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Drought and insects have killed an unprecedented number of Oregon’s Douglas fir trees during the last decade, costing billions in timber value, damaging infrastructure and ramping up wildfire danger. Beginning in 2015 and accelerating with the 2021 heat dome, roughly 635,000 acres of forest have been impacted by what’s known as Douglas fir “dieback” in southwest Oregon and the Willamette Valley. “It’s hitting trees of all sizes, but it’s hitting larger and older trees the hardest,” Max Bennett, a retired forest researcher with Oregon State University, told members of the Oregon Legislature on Sept. 30. “What we’re seeing now is unprecedented.” The dieback has led to $1.1 billion in lost timber value, $500 million in potential road hazard costs and created a tinderbox of forest fuel capable of spawning the West’s most destructive wildfires, a group of foresters and researchers told the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water.

Read More

Montana logging project on track to clear legal challenge

By Monique Merrill
Courthouse News Service
September 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

A coalition of conservation groups’ attempt to stop a forest project in Montana’s Bitterroot National Forest fell flat on Tuesday when a magistrate judge recommended the court toss their claims. In her findings and recommendations, U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen DeSoto noted inconsistencies in the conservation groups’ arguments across different filings, leading to many of their claims being waived. “Therefore, defendants argue, plaintiffs have conceded these issues,” DeSoto wrote. “Defendants further point out that several of plaintiffs’ arguments are raised for the first time on reply.” The groups challenged the planned Mud Creek Vegetation Management Project, claiming it violates multiple federal conservation acts by failing to provide exact details of where logging and burning will take place, as well as what effects it will have on the environment. The project will include logging, thinning, controlled burns and road construction on 48,000 acres of federal forest. It is intended to mitigate wildfire risk.

Read More

In shift, Bureau of Land Management blocks environmental groups, media from Oregon timber auctions

By Zach Urness
The Statesman Journal
September 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

OREGON — George Sexton said he’s attended a couple dozen timber auctions during his 23 years as conservation director at KS Wild, an Ashland-based environmental group. But when he showed up at the Bureau of Land Management office in Medford on Sept. 25 for a timber auction, he, a lawyer and a reporter for Jefferson Public Radio were not allowed to enter. Sexton said that for years, he’s attended the auctions to observe and make sure BLM follows its laws and that bidders know about potential lawsuits. In this case, KS Wild is planning litigation to stop the “Take A Chance” timber sale, one of the four that was being offered. Sexton said the public has only been blocked from the meetings recently, coinciding with the Trump administration’s focus on increasing logging. BLM said closing timber auctions isn’t a new policy and that it was never intended as a “public meeting.”

Read More

Tribes in the Pacific Northwest lead the way in forest resilience

By Sydney Gleason
The Washington State Standard
September 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

WASHINGTON — Tribal lands in the Pacific Northwest are earning national recognition for something the US Forest Service has struggled to achieve: healthy, resilient forests. …Their success is rooted in thousands of years of stewardship and a willingness to act where federal policy too often stalls. Long before European colonization, Indigenous people actively managed forests through cultural burning and selective thinning. “In my neck of the woods, there was a five to 15 year fire return interval that was clearly from tribal management,” said Cody Desautel, of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which extends across Washington and into British Columbia, Oregon, and Idaho. …“When you’re not managing these forest types like they were previously managed, Mother Nature is going to have a course correction and reset the clock,” said Steve Rigdon, tribal partnership stewardship and resource manager at Sustainable Northwest. That course correction has arrived.

Read More

To fight rising wildfire danger, New Jersey turns to tree thinning in the Pinelands

By Jeff Pillets
The Jersey Vindicator
October 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Last April, a pair of teenage boys … set fire to wooden pallets someone had dumped in the woods. Within a few hours it became one of the fastest-moving and most destructive wildfires on record in the New Jersey Pinelands. By the time it was brought under control three weeks later, about 15,000 acres of preserved forest were destroyed, and thousands of people were forced to flee their homes and businesses. Most official accounts of what became known as the Jones Road Fire attribute its ferocious power to the intensifying cycles of drought and heat linked to climate change that continue to affect coastal areas. But forestry experts in New Jersey point to another cause. …On Sept. 18, the New Jersey Pinelands Commission took a big step toward more aggressive management of the state’s Pinelands National Preserve voting to thin out a 12,000-acre stretch of pine and oak woodland adjacent to the wildfire site.

Read More

27th annual wildfire academy begins next week at Camp Swift

Texas A&M Forest Service – Texas A&M University
October 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

The 27th annual Capital Area Interagency Wildfire and Incident Management Academy begins at the Camp Swift National Guard Facility in Bastrop, Texas, next week. The academy will take place Oct. 7-20, 2025. Each year, federal, state, local and private firefighters travel from across the state and nation to attend the academy to continue their education and earn National Wildfire Coordinating Group training qualifications. This academy is one of two Texas Interagency Wildfire and Incident Management Academies, which aim to enhance wildland firefighters’ knowledge, utilizing National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards, while promoting safe and cost-effective operations. …Academy partners include the Texas Army National Guard, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Department of Emergency Management, Federal Bureau of Prisons and Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System.

Read More

Forested Future – a Documentary on U.S. Hardwood Forests Premiering This Fall!

By Michael Snow
Miller Wood Trade Publications
October 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

For the last two years, the American Hardwood Export Council has worked with noted environmental journalist and author of A Trillion Trees, Fred Pearce, to tell the story of hardwood forests and the people who depend on them. This project, Forested Future, has just been officially selected to be a part of the BARQ Architectural Film Festival in Barcelona this November and will be made available to the public shortly after! The website for the film is www.forestedfuture.film where you can watch the trailer. Forested Future is a feature-length documentary examining our complex relationship with forests and the inherent bond we have with trees. The film follows characters whose lives and sense of identity are inseparable from the hardwood forests in which they live and work. This project has the chance to tell the story of our forests, and our industry, to an audience never before reached.

Read More

Shutdown causes ‘confusion’ across the US Forest Service

By Kylie Mohr
The High Country News
October 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

MONTANA — With the federal government in a shutdown, the Forest Service has paused much of the wildfire preparation and prevention work it does on its 193 million acres of national forest. A Forest Service contingency plan, current as of Sept. 30, calls for continued wildfire response. But the work necessary to reduce the fuels for massive wildfires, including prescribed burns, is on hold. …“We were told, ‘No ignitions,’” said a Forest Service fire management officer, who didn’t want to be named for fear of losing his job. “‘Don’t even start.’” The cooler, wetter fall season is an ideal time for prescribed burns and pile burning across the West. …Other significant activities will be delayed during the shutdown, including statewide forest inventories, processing special use permits and reimbursing partners like the states and non-governmental organizations that do forest management work with federal funds.

Read More

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources completes project to sow trees by helicopter

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
October 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

©DNRFacebook

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has completed an aerial seeding project via helicopter to disperse jack pine, white pine and black spruce seeds on DNR-managed forests across the state. The flights are part of the DNR’s typical fall reforestation work, which can also include activities like direct seeding and planting, bud capping, prescribed burns, and other site preparation. Reforestation is led by the DNR’s Silviculture Program. …“Depending on each site and future goal, we choose the right mix of tree species and use every available tool to make sure we’re giving trees their best chance to grow,” said Chris Gronewold, DNR Silviculture Program coordinator. Some sites are too remote or geographically difficult to reach with a crew on the ground. In these instances, the DNR contracts a helicopter to aerially disperse seeds. 

Read More

Federal wildfire policy sparks debate: timber or trees?

By Samantha Ku
Michigan State University – Spartan News
September 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

LANSING, Michigan – New federal policy is aimed at addressing the nation’s wildfire crisis by boosting timber production, but some experts say it’s not expected to have a major impact in Michigan. There are more than 2.5 million acres of national forest in the Northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula, but most forestland in Michigan is owned by the state, local governments and private entities and individuals. …Supporters of the policy change say it also will provide a major boost for the US timber industry, as well as preventing wildfires. However, some experts, including Shivan Gc, an assistant professor in the Michigan State University Department of Forestry, criticize the new policy. …Gc said the policy change may increase timber production in the short term but that she doesn’t expect a big impact on the economy, especially in Michigan, since it primarily applies to federal land. 

Read More

Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Supreme Court shoots down challenge to Washington’s carbon market

By Conrad Swanson
The Seattle Times
October 7, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US West

WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a high-profile challenge to Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, marking yet another victory for the state’s keystone climate policy. The lawsuit started with the private operator of a natural gas power plant in Grays Harbor County. The plant is required to buy pollution allowances to pay for the many tons of greenhouse gasses it emits into the atmosphere under the 2021 “Cap and Invest” law. The plant’s owner, Chicago-based Invenergy, sued Laura Watson, then-head of Washington’s Department of Ecology, in late 2022, arguing that the state’s carbon market is unconstitutional. The lawsuit claimed that the state law discriminated against privately operated natural gas plants. In 2023, US District Court Judge Benjamin Settle dismissed the case. The company appealed. …The Supreme Court on Monday denied Invenergy’s petition outright. The justices did not publish any written justification for their decision.

Read More

Health & Safety

50 Years of Answering the Call

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

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

Read More

As attention on the issue grows, major wildfire smoke conference kicks off in Colorado

By Murphy Woodhouse
Boise State Public Radio News
October 6, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: US West

In recent months, concern about the health risks wildland firefighters face has been growing. Now a major conference exploring that issue has started in Colorado. Over the summer, the New York Times published a series of stories documenting what it called an “occupational health crisis” due to the heavy smoke that wildland firefighters breathe without respiratory protection. During a U.S. House oversight hearing last month, members pressed the U.S. Forest Service chief on the issue. Certain masks are now available for voluntary use, and federal officials are studying further changes. “A lot of moving parts,” said Luke Montrose, who runs a lab at Colorado State University that focuses heavily on smoke and firefighter health. He’s the organizer of the Rocky Mountain Wildfire Smoke Symposium, which started Monday in Loveland, Colo. Its theme this year: Working to Protect Those Who Work in Smoke.

Read More

Minnesota firefighter killed by falling tree while helping with controlled burn in Idaho

By Riley Moser
CBS News
September 28, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: US West

A firefighter from Minnesota died Friday while helping the United States Forest Service with a controlled burn in Idaho, officials say. The Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) says Isabella Oscarson had been struck by a falling tree while assisting the U.S. Forest Service’s Tinker Bugs with a prescribed fire in the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. She was evacuated from the scene and flown to a hospital in Grangeville, Idaho, where she later died. Oscarson was a seasonal employee with the IDL. “IDL extends its deepest sympathies to Isabella’s family and friends. This is a tragedy that hits the employees at Idaho Department of Lands and the broader wildland fire community extremely hard,” Dustin Miller, director of IDL, said. Idaho Gov. Brad Little ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor Oscarson until the day following her memorial service.

Read More

Chemical Safety Board investigation focuses on combustible dust

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

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

Read More

Forest Fires

Labor Mountain Fire near Cle Elum consumes 35,000 acres, more fire support on its way

By Stella Sun
KOMO News
September 29, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

@DirtyFreehub

CLE ELUM, Wash. — The Labor Mountain Fire continues to grow near US-96 Blewett Pass, forcing Level 3 “get out now” evacuation orders in and around the area. The fire, which began Sept. 1 from lightning, has forced a 30-mile closure of US-97 between mileposts 149 and 178, affecting the popular recreation area of Blewett Pass. A dozen trailheads, recreation residences, Camp Wahoo, the Teanaway Community Forest, and a historic guard station are at risk. These areas remain under evacuation orders… Marilyn Davis, the Labor Mountain Fire public information officer, said the fire has exceeded 35,000 acres as of Monday, Sept. 29. Just four days prior, on Sept. 25, the fire was only 17,000 acres. The Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest is known for its rugged terrain, “is considered the most rugged of any national forest in the country,” according to the Labor Mountain Inciweb fire update webpage.

Read More