Region Archives: United States

Business & Politics

Trump’s tariffs to remain in effect after appeals court grants stay

By Dietrich Knauth and Sarah Marsh
Reuters
May 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

A federal appeals court temporarily reinstated the most sweeping of President Trump’s tariffs, a day after a US trade court ruled that Trump had exceeded his authority in imposing the duties and ordered an immediate block on them. The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington said it was pausing the lower court’s ruling to consider the government’s appeal. Wednesday’s surprise ruling by the US Court of International Trade had threatened Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs and additional tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China. The trade court ruled that the Constitution gave Congress, not the president, the power to levy taxes and tariffs, and that the president had exceeded his authority by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. …Trump administration officials had said they were undeterred by the trade court’s ruling, saying they expected either to prevail on appeal or employ other presidential powers to ensure the tariffs go into effect.

Related coveraged in:

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How to win a trade war: Canada, Trump and a delicate dance in asymmetric warfare

By Andreas Schotter, Adam Waterous, Jack Mintz, Munir Sheikh & Ian Robertson
The Globe and Mail
May 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Canada continues to stare down the barrel of the American trade war. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement faces its first big review in 2026. This country remains in a uniquely high-stakes moment. …This will, and will always be, an uneven fight. Canada is 40 million people and only the world’s ninth largest economy. A middle power is going up against the world’s richest and most powerful country. How exactly is it even possible for Canada to win in this asymmetric trade war? Crucially, this conflict isn’t just about steel, soybeans or softwood lumber – it’s about narrative and power. …US President Trump frames trade deficits as proof that the US is “losing”:

  • Give Trump some face-saving concessions that look like a win for him
  • Use oil, Canada’s unique economic hard power
  • Play defence: Reform our corporate tax regime
  • Northern gambit: Arctic crisis for trade leverage

[to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]

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Trump tariffs suffer staggering setback in U.S. court

By Alexander Panetta
CBC News
May 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

A U.S. court delivered a sharp rebuke of President Donald Trump’s trade policy on Wednesday, declaring he abused his authority and striking down many of his tariffs — at least for now. The upshot for trading partners, including Canada: Certain specific tariffs on steel and aluminum remain in place, but gone, for now, are sweeping levies on entire countries. The order by the Manhattan-based U.S. Court of International Trade quashes Trump’s 10 per cent across-the-board tariff on most nations and his declaration of a fentanyl emergency to impose 25 per cent tariffs on numerous Canadian and Mexican goods. The White House vowed to fight back with every available tool. This means an immediate appeal and Trump possibly turning to different legal weapons to fight his trade wars. Nevertheless, this decision made history.

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Coalition continues push for U.S. lumber reliance

Hardware + Building Supply Dealer
May 28, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

The U.S. Lumber Coalition, a nationwide alliance of softwood lumber dealers, continues to rail against what it views as “unfair Canadian trade practices” that dilute demand, production and competition in the country. Last week, it sent out a release seeking to counter CNBC’s recent coverage that featured builders’ anxiety tying imminent price increases to tariffs and elevated duties—as well as broader concerns about the nation’s ability to produce enough domestically-sourced lumber should imports cease or slow down. The NAHB, which has been resolutely against any tariffs or duties that might increase the price of building materials, takes the view that “Price increases to lumber can cause a huge disruption for home builders. And lack of certainty adds complexity to the home-building process.”

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Swiss Krono Group to acquire Collins Pine Company’s Klamath Falls facilities in Oregon

The Collins Pine Company
May 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

KLAMATH FALLS, Oregon – The Swiss Krono Group has entered into an agreement to acquire Collins Pine Company’s particleboard and engineered wood siding manufacturing facilities located in Klamath Falls, Oregon. This acquisition marks a strategic expansion for Swiss Krono in North America, complementing its existing operations in Barnwell, South Carolina, and building its presence in the Western United States. The decision by Collins to divest the Klamath Falls facilities supports the company’s strategic focus on its core business of timberlands management and softwood and hardwood lumber manufacturing. The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions. Financial terms of the deal will not be disclosed. …Collins Pine Company, founded in 1855, is family-owned with over 370,000 acres of FSC certified land in California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. 

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Timberlab Plans Millersburg, Oregon, Manufacturing Operations

Area Development
May 27, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

Timberlab Inc, a subsidiary of Swinerton Incorporated and provider of holistic mass timber systems, plans to establish operations in Millersburg, Oregon. The approximately $117 million project is expected to create 100 jobs. The investment will include the construction of a 190,000-square-foot cross-laminated timber manufacturing facility, located on 33.51 acres, which will produce 7 to 9 million square feet of CLT annually. Operations are scheduled for 2027. “This facility groundbreaking is happening at a pivotal moment. Over the last 18 months, Oregon mills have been closing and jobs have been lost,” said Chris Evans, Timberlab president. “The firm is committed to investing in rural economies, as proven by its investment in two GLT facilities and a sawmill and planing mill, all in rural Oregon. …“Today’s groundbreaking marks an exciting step forward in the growth of Oregon’s mass timber industry – a revolutionary technology key to our shared goal of building a sustainable, low-carbon future,” noted Governor Tina Kotek.

Timberlab Press Release: Timberlab breaks ground on state-of-the-art CLT facility in Oregon

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New Montana law aims to incentivize new wood products facilities

KPAX.com
May 27, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

SEELEY LAKE, Montana — A law passed during the 2025 legislative session could provide $6 million in low-interest rate loans for an entity that wants to start up a wood products facility. The measure could impact Seeley Lake, where Pyramid Mountain Lumber once operated. “I think the likelihood of you know, somebody coming here, obviously, there’d be opportunity at other mills as well, but they really like the, the ability to source timber from this site,” said Pyramid Mountain Lumber owner Todd Johnson. Johnson says the new law would incentivize anyone looking to open a new facility by providing funding for one portion of the total for opening a new mill. “I think the, the main designs behind it were so that it would allow somebody to secure a site. Six million dollars would go a long ways towards securing, you know, a site here in Montana,” said Johnson. 

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South Carolina paper mill with stinking past also had toxic mercury discharges

By Sammy Fretwell
The State
May 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

YORK COUNTY — South Carolina’s New Indy paper mill… releases more of a powerful neurotoxin into the air than any other major paper plant in the country, a new report says. The amount of mercury leaving New Indy’s York County plant is detailed in a study that examines air pollution at the nation’s largest 185 paper and pulp mills. A major finding is that many paper mills aren’t fully reporting the amount of greenhouse gases they release into the air because of a loophole in federal law. The report says they are burning fuels that release too much air pollution. But the report also provides insight about the discharge of mercury. The study, conducted by the Environmental Integrity Project, calls New Indy’s plant “the worst polluter in the nation’’ for mercury at paper mills, as well as for zinc, another type of metallic waste.

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Finance & Economics

RBC forecasts further declines in lumber and OSB prices

Investing.com
June 3, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

On Monday, RBC analysts reported a decrease in the prices of lumber and oriented strand board (OSB) over the past week. The Framing Lumber Composite price fell by $4 to $438, while the OSB Composite price dropped by $7 to $282, according to Random Lengths data. These price movements are particularly relevant for building materials companies like AZEK, a significant player with a $7.17 billion market capitalization and strong 37.22% gross margins. RBC Elements, in collaboration with its in-house data science team, developed a multi-variable time series model to project future price movements. This model estimates that the Framing Lumber Composite will decrease by an additional $1 to $437 in the coming week. Similarly, the OSB Composite is forecasted to decline by $5 to $277 next week, based on the same predictive model. These projections are part of RBC’s ongoing analysis of the paper, packaging, and forest product sectors.

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Going No Where in 2025-Q2, But Higher Prices Coming in Q3 from Duties (and Maybe Tariffs)

By Russ Taylor
Russ Taylor Global
June 2, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

US market conditions have been lackluster since the Trump tariffs on Canadian lumber were postponed for the second time in early April. …The proposed 25% tariffs were the catalyst for SPF prices rising in the first two months of 2025. …Today, this puts BC Interior SPF mills back near break-even levels at current lumber prices and 14.4% duties with other Canadian regions looking to be marginally profitable. With tariffs in suspension mode, the US market fundamentals have now been exposed – the market is weak and remain weak – and there is too much supply – again! ….The silliness of the Trump administration’s irrational rhetoric as well as biased trade policies will only result in raising all lumber prices to the US home builder, the renovation contractor, and the consumer. How much of the tariffs (or Canadian duties) are passed on to the consumer is the only wild card, but it will likely be the majority.

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What temporary tariff halts and new housing hopes mean for clients

By Phil Porado
Canadian Underwriter
May 29, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

A pause on some tariffs creates a window for Canadian companies to re-examine their risk profiles and work with brokers to secure needed coverage. Both Bay Street and Wall Street are cheering the ruling from the US Court of International Trade that, at least temporarily, tamps down the 10% tariffs the White House imposed on most countries, and drug-related emergency orders setting 25% tariffs on some goods from Canada and Mexico. …Some companies may use tariff lulls to stock up on certain key materials. …Construction companies, for example, often import flooring products from the US, even though Canadian builders have good access to lumber. For them, stockpiling those materials reduces the economic impacts of both US tariffs and Canadian retaliatory tariffs. …Additional optimism arrived via King Charles III’s Speech from the Throne this week. The document opening Canada’s parliament commits to major economic initiatives, including large-scale increases in housing construction.

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Weyerhaeuser, Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance Partner for Fourth Year to Provide Mental Health Resources for Wildland Firefighters

Yahoo Finance
May 28, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada West, US West

Weyerhaeuser Company and Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (FBHA) today announced an extension of their Fighting Fires Together campaign, a partnership that provides specialized mental health support for wildland firefighters and their families across the Pacific Northwest. Fighting Fires Together, now in its fourth year, addresses the often-overlooked mental health impacts of wildland firefighting in isolated, hazardous and highly stressful conditions. Through a free online resource hub, first responders can find specially designed content, including videos about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression, anxiety and suicide prevention, along with mental health tips, educational articles and contacts for occupationally aware support groups and counselors in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Weyerhaeuser’s support for wildland firefighting efforts in the Pacific Northwest began in the aftermath of the Yacolt Burn in 1902, when the company began advocating for Washington’s first forest fire legislation and the funding of community fire prevention education and patrols. 

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Tariff Whiplash Has Already Hurt Housing Affordability

National Association of Home Builders
May 29, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The on-again, off-again nature of the tariffs and threats of higher levies have already had a negative effect on housing affordability by creating business uncertainty and disrupting building material supply chains. When asked about the impact of tariffs on their business in the NAHB’s April survey, 60% of builders reported their suppliers have already increased or announced increases of material prices due to tariffs. On average, respondents reported that suppliers increased their prices by 6.3% in response to announced, enacted or expected tariffs. …And in a May survey of builders, 78% reported difficulties pricing their homes recently due to uncertainty around material prices. NAHB estimates that approximately 7% of all goods used in new multifamily and single-family residential construction originated from a foreign nation in 2024. The cost of building materials has already risen by 41.6% in the five years since the pandemic, which is far higher than the rate of inflation (21.9%).

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Hit by Trump trade wars, US economy falls 0.2% in first quarter, an upgrade from initial estimate

By Paul Wiseman
The Associated Press in the Canadian Press
May 29, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The US economy shrank at a 0.2% annual pace from January through March, the first drop in three years, as President Trump’s trade wars disrupted business… a slight upgrade of its initial estimate. First-quarter growth was brought down by a surge in imports as companies in the United States hurried to bring in foreign goods before the president imposed massive import taxes. The January-March drop in gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — reversed a 2.4% gain in the fourth quarter of 2024. Imports grew at a 42.6% pace, fastest since third-quarter 2020, and shaved more than 5 percentage points off GDP growth. Consumer spending also slowed sharply. And federal government spending fell at a 4.6% annual pace, the biggest drop in three years. …From January through March, business investment surged 24.4%. An increase in inventories — as businesses stocked up ahead of the tariffs — added more than 2.6 percentage points to first-quarter GDP growth.

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US home sales and building slump in the face of uncertainty

By Laurel Wamsley
National Public Radio
May 27, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Economic uncertainty has produced a double whammy for the housing market: sluggish home sales and plodding construction. Last month was the slowest April for existing home sales in 16 years — a sharp rebuke to hopes that this spring the housing market would recover after two very sleepy years. In a May survey of builder confidence, home builder sentiment dropped to a level last seen in November 2023. The problem, as ever, is the cost of housing: Home prices are out of reach for many who would like to buy. And the tariff drama under President Trump has both made it more expensive to build new homes and made the future more unpredictable for would-be homebuyers. The result is a country where builders want to build, and buyers want to buy — but the future is too much in doubt.

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US Building Material Price Growth Minimal in April

By Jesse Wade
NAHB – Eye on Housing
May 27, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Prices for inputs to new residential construction—excluding capital investment, labor, and imports—fell 0.4% in April, following a (revised) increase of 0.8% in March. …The inputs to the New Residential Construction Price Index grew 0.6% from April of last year. …Energy input prices were up 0.1% between March and April but were 17.6% lower than one year ago. Building material prices were down 0.3% between March and April but up 2.2% compared to one year ago. Energy costs have continued to fall on a year-over-year basis, as this marks the ninth consecutive month of lower input energy costs.

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US Consumer Confidence Partially Rebounds in May

The Conference Board
May 27, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® increased by 12.3 points in May to 98.0 (1985=100), up from 85.7 in April. The Present Situation Index—based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions—rose 4.8 points to 135.9. The Expectations Index—based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions—surged 17.4 points to 72.8, but remained below the threshold of 80, which typically signals a recession ahead. The cutoff date for preliminary results was May 19, 2025. About half of the responses were collected after the May 12 announcement of a pause on some tariffs on imports from China. …Stephanie Guichard, Senior Economist, said “The monthly improvement was largely driven by consumer expectations as all three components of the Expectations Index—business conditions, employment prospects, and future income—rose from their April lows. 

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Home sales and building slump in the face of economic uncertainty

By Laurel Wamsley
Oregon Public Broadcasting
May 28, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, US West

Economic uncertainty has produced a double whammy for the housing market: sluggish home sales and plodding construction. Last month was the slowest April for existing home sales in 16 years — a sharp rebuke to hopes that this spring the housing market would recover after two very sleepy years. In a May survey of builder confidence conducted by Wells Fargo and the National Association of Home Builders, home builder sentiment dropped to a level last seen in November 2023. The problem, as ever, is the cost of housing: Home prices are out of reach for many who would like to buy. And the tariff drama under President Trump has both made it more expensive to build new homes and made the future more unpredictable for would-be homebuyers. The result is a country where builders want to build, and buyers want to buy — but the future is too much in doubt.

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Exports of Southern Pine lumber fell 12% in Q1, 2025 compared to Q1, 2024

Southern Forest Products Association
May 26, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, US East

Q1 2025 exports of Southern Pine lumber (treated and untreated) were 12% behind the same quarter in 2024 at 122 MMBF, but up 2% over the fourth quarter of 2024. On a monthly basis, Southern Pine lumber exports were down 20% in March over March 2024 but up 4.6% over February 2025. When looking at the report by dollar value, Southern Pine exports are down 7% to $50 million in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, but down 17% over the fourth quarter of 2024. Mexico led the way at $13.2 million, followed by the Dominican Republic at $10.4 million, and Canada at $4.3 million. The total global value in March hit a six-month high of $18 million. Treated lumber exports, meanwhile, were down 19% compared to the first quarter of 2024 at $28 million and down 6% over the fourth quarter of 2024.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Domestic vs. international: The trade-offs in mass timber suppliers

By McCownGordon Construction
Dallas Business Journal
June 1, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Mass timber continues to gain traction in the United States for its sustainability, strength and aesthetic appeal. …In just the last four years, Texas saw a 168% increase in the amount of mass timber projects either in design, construction or completed. As mass timber developments in Texas increase in popularity, owners and contractors face a critical decision: whether to source the material domestically or internationally. The decision isn’t as simple as price — although it is a big factor. There are other points to consider when selecting your mass timber provider. …With threats of tariffs and rising material costs, builders might feel inclined to source mass timber from domestic providers. According to Forisk, an industry research and consulting firm, there are 38 mass timber production facilities across the United States and Canada —24 of which can produce cross-laminated timber (CLT). Nearly 51% of those facilities are located in the Northwest region of the United States.

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Tallest mass timber academic building on the East Coast completed for UPenn

By Niall Patrick Walsh
Archinect News
May 28, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East

©Lake|Flato Architects

The University of Pennsylvania has announced the completion of Amy Gutmann Hall, a six-story, 116,000-square-foot facility for data science and artificial intelligence programs. Designed by Lake|Flato Architects in collaboration with KSS Architects, the building is the tallest mass timber academic structure on the East Coast. Named in honor of the university’s longest-serving president, the building was designed as a hub for cross-disciplinary collaboration in emerging technological fields. The design approach sought to reflect a dual commitment to innovation and sustainability, incorporating biophilic design principles and advanced building systems. The scheme is constructed through a mass timber structural system, which contributes to a significant reduction in the building’s embodied carbon: 52% less than a concrete structure and 41% less than a steel equivalent, according to the project team. Exposed timber, natural wood finishes, and daylight-optimized layouts are used throughout the interior to support user well-being and a connection to nature.

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Forestry

Study identifies US regions that benefit birds, people & climate the most

By Spoorthy Raman
Mongabay
May 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

A new study identifies key regions across the U.S. where investments can deliver triple benefits for people, the climate and birds. These conservation sweet spots support significant numbers of more than half of U.S. bird species, including 75% of forest birds. … Researchers used data from a previous study that mapped priority areas in the U.S. for 11 different ecosystem services, including pollination, recreation, carbon storage and flood mitigation. They then combined that information with abundance data on 479 bird species across the U.S. from eBird, a citizen science biodiversity data set. Overlaying bird population data with information about ecosystem service and carbon storage priority areas, researchers found regions that benefit people, the climate and birds the most are the Appalachian Mountains, New England, the southeastern U.S., the Ozarks and the Sierra and Cascade mountain ranges — all densely forested areas.

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US Department of Agriculture Invests $200M to Expand Timber Production, Strengthen Rural Economies, Secure American Industry

The US Department of Agriculture
May 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a bold $200 million investment to implement the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service’s National Active Forest Management Strategy, a key initiative to increase timber harvest, improve forest health and productivity, reduce wildfire risk, and support rural prosperity in forest communities. The strategy supports President Trump’s Executive Order: Immediate Expansion of Timber Production by streamlining burdensome regulations, leveraging emergency authorities, and expediting project approvals—ensuring faster access to critical timber resources. Increasing the use of long-term contracts to carry out these projects, the strategy envisions a more stable supply of wood products, healthier forests, and stronger rural economies. “Trump is committed to cutting red tape, rolling back burdensome regulations and unleashing the potential of America’s abundant natural resources. This is a win for … forest management which will help keep our forests safer and reduce wildfire risk,” said Secretary Rollins.

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Managing forests and other ecosystems under rising threats requires thinking across wide-ranging scenarios

The Conversation
May 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

In Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California, trees that have persisted through rain and shine for thousands of years are now facing multiple threats triggered by a changing climate. Scientists and park managers once thought giant sequoia forests nearly impervious to stressors like wildfire, drought and pests. Yet, even very large trees are proving vulnerable, particularly when those stressors are amplified by rising temperatures and increasing weather extremes. The rapid pace of climate change – combined with threats like the spread of invasive species and diseases – can affect ecosystems in ways that defy expectations based on past experiences… To protect these places, which are valued for their natural beauty and the benefits they provide for recreation, clean water and wildlife, forest and land managers increasingly must anticipate risks they have never seen before. And they must prepare for what those risks will mean for stewardship as ecosystems rapidly transform.

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As Trump cuts U.S. Forest Service, California deploys an extra $72 million to reduce wildfire risk and ‘rake the forest,’ fast-tracks critical projects

By Governor Gavin Newsom
Government of California
May 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

SACRAMENTO – As the Trump administration cuts the U.S. Forest Service and creates rampant uncertainty ahead of peak wildfire season, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the state is continuing to ramp up its efforts to reduce wildfire risk and increase forest health. CAL FIRE awarded nearly $72 million today to support large-scale, regionally based land management projects aimed at restoring forest health and resilience throughout California, while enhancing long-term carbon storage. Additionally, Governor Newsom announced that under his wildfire prevention emergency proclamation, which became operational on April 17, the state has already fast-tracked approval for 13 projects totaling nearly 7,000 acres, on top of the 2 million acres treated in recent years. These projects involve tribes and other partners, natural resource managers and fire districts.

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Court denies request to halt logging activity in Elwha Watershed

By Emma Maple
The Daily World
May 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

The Clallam County Superior Court denied environmentalists’ request for an administrative stay on two local Department of Natural Resources parcels, although it granted a motion to compel information from the state agency. If the stay had been granted, it would have barred logging-related activities for 90 days on the parcels named Parched and Tree Well. The motion to compel will require the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to file administrative records relevant to the case by June 18 — a five-month delay from the original required date of Jan. 2. The logging rights for these two forests were bought by Oregon-based Murphy Company in December. The sale to the Eugene, Ore.-based Murphy Company was approved by the Washington State Board of Natural Resources in December. The Murphy Company is a more-than-a-century-old, family-owned wood products company based in Oregon, with a veneer mill in Elma.

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Bureau of Land Management timber sales to offer up to 8.5 million board feet in western Oregon

By Kyle Sullivan, Medford District Office
US Bureau of Land Management
May 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

MEDFORD, Ore. – The Bureau of Land Management will offer up to 8.5 million board feet of timber across 380 public acres for sale on June 26, 2025. Timber produced from these sales will provide critical supplies for construction and other industries, and support jobs across western Oregon economies. The Salt Creek salvage sale will offer salvage logging on 110 acres, producing an estimated 2.2 million board feet. The Rotors Up timber sale will offer commercial thinning on 16 acres, selection harvest on 252 acres, and right of way clearing on two acres, producing an estimated 6.3 million board feet of timber. “The BLM is proud to offer these timber sales,” said BLM Medford District Manager Elizabeth Burghard. “Our timber sales provide building materials and jobs that improve life in local communities, while also improving the health of local forests.”

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Court denies request to halt logging activity in Elwha Watershed

By Emma Maple
Peninsula Daily News
May 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The Clallam County Superior Court denied environmentalists’ request for an administrative stay on two local Department of Natural Resources parcels, although it granted a motion to compel information from the state agency. If the stay had been granted, it would have barred logging-related activities for 90 days on the parcels named Parched and Tree Well. The motion to compel will require the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to file administrative records relevant to the case by June 18 – a five-month delay from the original required date of Jan. 2. The logging rights for these two forests were bought by Oregon-based Murphy Company in December. Although road building has begun, there is no planned logging on these properties until next year at the earliest, according to Murphy’s intervenor.

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Elliott State Research Forest HCP Integrates Forest Management and Conservation Efforts

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
May 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued an Endangered Species Act incidental take permit to the Oregon Department of State Lands for its Elliott State Research Forest Habitat Conservation Plan. The permit covers incidental take of the threatened marbled murrelet and northern spotted owl associated with implementing the HCP over 80 years. The state voluntarily created the HCP to promote innovative forest research and timber production while ensuring the conservation of listed species and their habitats in the Elliott State Research Forest, located in Coos and Douglas counties. The incidental take permit provides consistency and management certainty for the landowner and the public while facilitating extended studies essential to understanding working forests. …The HCP is intended to be financially self-sufficient, using revenue generated from the sale of harvested forest products consistent with the plan’s research framework and conservation measures.

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Legal Intervention Aims to Defend Tongass Against Increased Old-Growth Logging

The Center for Biological Diversity
May 28, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

JUNEAU, Alaska— A coalition of conservation groups, Alaska tribes, a commercial fishing advocacy group and an ecotourism operator today filed a request to intervene in a timber industry legal challenge that seeks to revive industrial old-growth logging in the Tongass National Forest. The timber industry litigation, filed March 6, asks a federal court to order the U.S. Forest Service to offer more old-growth trees for timber sales. The plaintiffs — the Alaska Forest Association, Viking Lumber Co. and Alcan Timber Co. — contend the Forest Service violated the law by announcing the Southeast Alaska Sustainability Strategy, or SASS, in 2021 and not offering enough large old-growth timber sales to meet government-estimated market demands. The groups seeking to intervene in the case argue that current forest management is legal and supports a sustainable regional economy that has flourished in recent years as the Tongass has started to recover from large-scale industrial logging.

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Utility companies update AZ Corporation Commission on wildfire mitigation efforts

By David Bolla
The Payson Roundup
May 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

As Arizona utility companies make aggressive plans to mitigate wildfire risks, many met in Payson to update a state regulatory body. On May 15, the Arizona Corporation Commission hosted a special open meeting on wildfire mitigation at the Payson Public Library. ACC Vice-Chairman Nick Myers moderated the nearly three-hour town hall, which included stakeholder presentations from Arizona Public Service, Tucson Electric Power & UniSource, Salt River Project, Navopache Electric Cooperative, Alliant Gas, Arizona Water Company, and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. Following brief opening remarks and commissioner comments, utility companies from throughout the state provided insight and information regarding their ongoing wildfire mitigation efforts. The electric companies focused on both grid hardening and creating defensible space around their infrastructure, before providing updates about each of their Public Safety Power Shutoff programs.

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Court denies request to halt logging activity in Elwha Watershed

By Emma Maple
Peninsula Daily News
May 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

PORT ANGELES – The Clallam County Superior Court denied environmentalists’ request for an administrative stay on two local Department of Natural Resources parcels, although it granted a motion to compel information from the state agency. If the stay had been granted, it would have barred logging-related activities for 90 days on the parcels named Parched and Tree Well. The motion to compel will require the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to file administrative records relevant to the case by June 18 – a five-month delay from the original required date of Jan. 2. The logging rights for these two forests were bought by Oregon-based Murphy Company in December. …These organizations have lawsuits filed on several other sales in Clallam and Jefferson Counties, as well. …In addition to the motions, activists have blocked access to the parcel titled “Parched” since May 7 by engaging in a tree sit.

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Slowly dying trees impact forest recovery post-wildfires, according to study of 2020 fires

By Cristina Rojas
Portland State University
May 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Across the western U.S., wildfires are becoming larger and more severe — and even trees that initially survive are dying in subsequent years, making it harder for forests to regenerate, according to new research from Portland State University. Building on previous research exploring fire refugia — the green islands of live trees that remain after forest fires — researchers in PSU’s Global Environmental Change lab mapped annual changes in the extent of live tree cover up to three years after the unprecedented 2020 Labor Day fires in Oregon’s western Cascades. The study quantifies changes in the spatial distribution and attributes of fire refugia as a result of delayed tree mortality. …there is potential for delayed fire effects to cause trees to die in subsequent years, including direct burn injuries as well as a combination of direct and indirect effects related to climate, insects, pathogens and heatwaves. 

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The rate at which California trees are dying hits 10-year low

By Ryan Curry
KCRA Sacramento
May 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The rate at which trees are dying in California has hit a 10-year low, according to a survey from the U.S. Forest Service. Trees were dying at an alarming rate from 2015 to 2018, but after significant snow and rainfall in recent years, trees are getting their necessary nutrients. “We’ve had a couple good years of precipitation,” said Jeffrey Moore, aerial survey manager with the Forest Service. “We expected the amount of mortality to start tapering off, and indeed that was the case.” Severe droughts, he says, are the main culprits for the amount of trees that die. Less water means fewer nutrients, which then allows for a greater chance of trees to get disease or infected with bugs that feed on dry bark.

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New Maine law will require landowners to report enrollment in forest carbon programs

By Kate Cough
The Maine Monitor
June 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

MAINE, USA — A law signed by Gov. Janet Mills last week requires landowners who are participating in the forest carbon credit market to report basic data — including a landowner’s name, contact information, date of enrollment and total enrolled acreage — to the state on an annual basis, information the state will use to create a database and track the impact of carbon credits on Maine’s forests. “We need to understand how Maine woodland owners are participating in the emerging forest carbon market, given both Maine’s forest-based economy and its climate change initiatives,” said Morten Moesswilde, the division director of Forest Policy and Management for the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, in a work session on the legislation in February. …The law was supported by conservation organizations as well as the Maine Forest Products Council and several woodlot owners, who stressed the importance of understanding an emerging market.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Environmental groups offer support to residents in fight over biomass plant

By Charles Swenson
Coastal Observer
June 2, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US East

Of the two dozen people who showed up for a meeting to talk about a proposed biomass energy plant in Georgetown, five were from conservation groups. Another five were reporters. The rest were fewer in number than organizers hoped to draw to the 240-seat Soul Saving Station in Georgetown. It stands in the shadow of the International Paper Co. mill that closed last year. Last week’s meeting was planned as a follow-up to one held earlier in the month. 60 people who attended were eager to learn more about the biomass plant and its impacts on the county in general …The state House unanimously approved a bill this year that defines biomass as “renewable and carbon neutral.” …“At first, I thought it was a joke,” said Paul Black, who leads the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal initiative in the state. “This is worse than coal.”

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Health & Safety

Smoke from Canadian wildfires triggers air quality alerts in Midwest and Plains

By Aria Bendix
NBC News
June 1, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, United States

Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to blanket parts of the Midwest and Great Plains, leading to air quality alerts across several states. More than 90 fires scattered across Canada are burning out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, a nonprofit that supports the government’s wildfire response. Active fires in the central Canadian province of Manitoba have forced roughly 17,000 people to evacuate. Winds high in the atmosphere pushed that smoke into the Upper Midwest on Friday, and the plumes continued to travel southeast over the weekend, reaching as far as the Georgia-Florida border. Some U.S. states may experience poor air quality through Monday, meaning sensitive groups such as pregnant people, newborns, older adults or those with respiratory or heart problems should limit their time outdoors. People in the affected areas may notice a campfire smell and hazy skies, as well as colorful sunrises and sunsets.

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Thousands evacuated in 3 provinces as Canadian wildfires threaten air quality into some US states

By Julie Walker
The Associated Press
June 1, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, United States

FLIN FLON, Manitoba — More than 25,000 residents in three provinces have been evacuated as dozens of wildfires remained active Sunday and diminished air quality in parts of Canada and the US, according to officials. Most of the evacuated residents were from Manitoba, which declared a state of emergency last week. About 17,000 people there were evacuated by Saturday along with 1,300 in Alberta. About 8,000 people in Saskatchewan had been relocated as leaders there warned the number could climb. Smoke was worsening air quality and reducing visibility in Canada and into some US states along the border. “Air quality and visibility due to wildfire smoke can fluctuate over short distances and can vary considerably from hour to hour,” Saskatchewan’s Public Safety Agency warned Sunday. “As smoke levels increase, health risks increase.” …In some parts of the U.S., air quality reached “unhealthy” levels Sunday in North Dakota and small swaths of Montana, Minnesota and South Dakota.

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Forest Fires

US Department of Agriculture sends wildfire resource help to Canada

KIRO 7
June 1, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, United States

WASHINGTON D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service has sent resources to Canada as wildfires spread across multiple parts of the country. On May 29, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center raised its wildfire preparedness level as Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Alberta, Canada, have seen very high wildfire activity. “We are here to help our neighbors during their time of need, and our Forest Service Wildland Firefighters are the best in the business,” said Brooke L. Rollins, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

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Oregon’s first large wildfire of season, the Butte Creek Fire, mapped at 1776 acres

By Zach Urness
Salem Statesman Journal
May 27, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

Oregon’s first major wildfire of the season, the Butte Creek Fire, has been mapped at 1,776 acres burning on the John Day River 9 miles north of Clarno in eastern Oregon as of May 27. Firefighters were suppressing the blaze with multiple crews, engines, dozers and aircraft. Some structures are threatened by the fire, officials said. Wheeler County Fire & Rescue and South Gilliam County Rural Fire Protection District are providing structure prevention. No evacuations or closures were in place. However, boaters on the popular stretch of the John Day River “are being asked to use caution as helicopters will continue dipping water out of the John Day River today,” according to Central Oregon Fire Information.

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