Region Archives: United States

Business & Politics

US Lumber Coalition and American Loggers Council Disappointed by CNBC Inaccurate Reporting on US Softwood Lumber Cost, Import Duties and Housing Affordability

The US Lumber Coalition
May 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

“The coverage by CNBC entitled ‘Why The U.S. Might Increase Duties On Canadian Lumber Again‘ is disappointingly one-sided reporting from a business news network. The claims made in the piece asserting that lumber price volatility and import duties on lumber are pricing consumers out of the market are false,” stated Andrew Miller, Chair of the US Lumber Coalition. The reporting included views of Canadian analysts and US homebuilding representatives but, crucially, did not include input from US lumber producers nor US loggers. “Lumber accounts for a very small share of the sales price of a newly constructed home, typically 1%-2%.” …”Commodities other than lumber have seen much larger price increases, including building materials such as iron & steel & concrete,” stated Zoltan van Heyningen, Executive Director. …”We support President Trump’s plan to further increase the supply of Made in the U.S.A. softwood lumber to build U.S. homes,” concluded Miller.

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US Home Builders Cite Impact of Tariff Uncertainty on Home Building

National Association of Home Builders
May 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Tariff uncertainty from the Trump administration continues to impact home builders across the country, as builders prepare for potential price hikes and supply chain issues. …Lumber remains a primary concern, with countervailing and antidumping duties expected to more than double this fall. Steve Martinez, president of Tradewinds General Contracting in Boise, Idaho, recently spoke with CNBC to emphasize just how much lumber goes into the construction of a new home. “This entire house is built out of wood,” Martinez said. “I mean, we really do have wood on the floor, wood on the walls, wood on the ceiling. Can’t really get away from building a house like this without using a large number of wood products in the home.” As a result, 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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Paul Mackie named Cedar Champion by the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association

By Brad Kirkbride, Managing Director
The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
May 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Paul Mackie

This year, I get to present the Cedar Champion Award to Paul Mackie of the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association. Paul is working for our co-operative marketing organization with a laser focus on ensuring Cedar makes it into projects and markets that will not only work for the members today, but will build the reputation of the association and the species. This triumvirate of Cedar Champions are very different people with very different career paths, but all three share the same trait – they are mission driven individuals who believed that cedar needed to be handled a certain way and never let the easy solutions supplant the right one. …Paul has lived and breathed cedar for nearly 30 years. Every day he seeks to convert someone new into a cedar champion. Paul has shown what a field rep can do when they are mission driven. The board and executive will look to add additional field reps in the near future and that is in no small part because we have watched Paul punch above his weight class for 3 decades. All of us in the association have benefited from Paul’s passion and integrity.

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Weyerhaeuser to Sell Princeton, BC Lumber Mill to Gorman Group

By Weyerhaeuser Company
Cision Newswire
May 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Weyerhaeuser announced it has reached an agreement to sell its lumber mill in Princeton, BC, to the Gorman Group, owners of Gorman Bros. Lumber. The purchase price is approximately Cnd$120 million, which includes Weyerhaeuser’s manufacturing facility and all associated timber license assets in BC. …Weyerhaeuser and Gorman Group have a long-standing relationship in CanadaGorman Bros. Lumber is currently the Princeton mill’s largest customer, and Gorman Group has operated in Canada for more than 75 years, with offices and facilities in B.C. and Washington state. Devin W. Stockfish, CEO for Weyerhaeuser, said “Gorman has been a great customer and strategic partner, and we believe this will be a seamless transition.” …”Weyerhaeuser’s Princeton operation will be a natural fit with the Gorman Group,” says Nick Arkle, CEO of the Gorman Group. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review, with the sale of the mill expected to be completed in third-quarter 2025, and the forest tenures to follow over the ensuing months. 

In related coverage: 

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Carney won the election battle, but the trade war is far from over

By Derek Burney, former Ambassador to the USA
The National Post
May 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Derek Burney

The election result was a personal triumph for Prime Minister Mark Carney with generous assistance from Donald Trump. Instead of being a verdict on the dismal Liberal decade of slow growth, low productivity and investment, and declining competitiveness, it quickly became a referendum on who would be the best leader to withstand the tariff attacks and disrespectful challenges against Canada’s independence by America’s mercurial president. …The best answer would be concrete plans to stimulate economic growth and improve productivity, competitiveness and investment. …There should be no rush to negotiate with the U.S. until we clarify what its objectives are regarding Canada. The trust factor remains an open question. …US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum should be sought out as rational members of the U.S. cabinet to dialogue with, as opposed to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

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US Hardwood Plywood Manufacturers File Petition For Antidumping & Countervailing Duties

The Decorative Hardwood’s Association
May 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

The Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood has petitioned for antidumping and countervailing duties to counter unfair trade practices by Indonesia, Vietnam, and China. These petitions were filed on Thursday, May 22, with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission and have significant implications for our economy, in which hardwood plywood plays a critical role in producing numerous downstream products. The Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood alleges that the governments of Indonesia, Vietnam, and China are actively subsidizing dozens of programs benefiting their industries, including providing products at subsidized rates and multiple grant, tax, and lending programs. According to the petitions, hardwood and decorative plywood manufacturers in these countries are also dumping their products into the U.S. at discounted prices, with margins of up to 133.7% for Vietnam, 202.8% for Indonesia, and 474.2% for China.

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Clemson University’s Dr. Pat Layton Receives the 2025 SFI President’s Award

Sustainable Forestry Initiative
May 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Kathy Abusow & Pat Layton

Minneapolis, Minnesota — Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is proud to announce Dr. Patricia (Pat) Layton, Director of the Wood Utilization and Design Institute at Clemson University, as the recipient of the 2025 SFI President’s Award. Presented during SFI’s 2025 Annual Conference, the award recognizes Layton’s exceptional leadership and longstanding contributions to SFI and to urban forestry, forest literacy, and innovation in green building. “It’s especially meaningful that Pat is being recognized with the President’s Award on our 30-year anniversary, since she’s been involved with SFI since its inception,” said Abusow. “Pat has shown what’s possible when sustainable forest management and education come together. Through her leadership, Clemson has become a model for how campuses can manage forests responsibly, engage students in real-world learning, and inspire future environmental stewards.”

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Jimmy Bullock Receives the Dr. Sharon Haines Memorial Award for Innovation and Leadership in Sustainability

Sustainable Forestry Initiative
May 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Kathy Abusow, Jimmy Bullock & Jeremy Poirier

Minneapolis, MN – The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and International Paper, a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, are proud to announce the recipient of the 2025 Dr. Sharon Haines Memorial Award for Innovation and Leadership in Sustainability. Jimmy Bullock, Senior Vice President, Forest Sustainability at Resource Management Service, LLC (RMS), was presented with the award at the SFI Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for his lifelong dedication to collaborative conservation and sustainable forest management. “The award honors Sharon’s legacy by recognizing individuals who drive progress in sustainable forestry, and I can think of no one more deserving than Jimmy,” said Lee Alexander, VP Global Fiber Supply, at International Paper. “Following in the footsteps of his mentor, Sharon Haines, Jimmy has dedicated his career to advancing conservation within the forest sector, and his work has had a lasting impact on forest health and sustainable forest management in the US and abroad.”

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Sierra Pacific Industries to Pay for Damages Caused by Forest Fire in El Dorado County

US Dept of Justice
May 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

CALIFORNIA — Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) has agreed to pay $204,284.42 to resolve the United States’ claim for damages resulting from a 2021 wildfire that burned about 29 acres, including National Forest System lands on the Eldorado National Forest, Acting US Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The wildfire, known as the “Cold Fire,” ignited on Jan. 19, 2021, on SPI land in El Dorado County. US Forest Service fire investigators determined that the fire originated from one of SPI’s timber slash piles that escaped containment during a wind event. “Our office will continue to hold individuals and corporations responsible for damages caused by wildfires,” said Acting US Attorney Beckwith. …The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

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Oregon lawmakers are now considering a ‘cap-and-trade’ program to fund roads, wildfire prevention

By Dirk VanderHart
Oregon Public Broadcasting
May 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

As Oregon lawmakers frantically search for money to fund roads and wildfire prevention, they have landed on a surprising idea: Dredging up a fight over cap-and-trade that once dominated legislative attention. Recently, there’s been increasing momentum to adopt a cap-and-trade system, where polluters purchase credits for their greenhouse gas emissions, and trade them with other emitters to ensure they are meeting a declining state emissions cap. That push has been led, according sources, by Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Dundee. But it appears to have gained traction as other proposals to raise money for road and bridge maintenance and firefighting face an uncertain fate. Washington and California have cap-and-trade programs, and early talks in Oregon have involved adopting a law similar to Washington’s… Funds generated from gas and diesel suppliers could pay for road projects … wildfires, climate nonprofits, and transit or pedestrian uses.

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Antigo school’s first-in-the-nation training sawmill readies students for lumber industry

By Rob Mentzer
Wisconsin Public Radio
May 26, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US East

A newly opened commercial-scale sawmill in Antigo is the only training sawmill of its kind in the U.S. The sawmill at Northcentral Technical College’s Antigo campus will be a teaching tool for northern Wisconsin students and members of the lumber industry. It’s part of the school’s wood sciences program, and was funded by about $4.5 million out of an $8 million state Workforce Innovation Grant to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Wisconsin Forestry Center. That grant is meant to provide career training that will help address worker shortages in the lumber industry. …In addition to the eight students enrolled full-time in the program for the fall, wood sciences program director Logan Wells leads certificate programs and continuing education courses for industry professionals looking to sharpen their skills or gain experience with new technology. About 100 students per year come through those programs.

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U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities releases 2024 Annual Report

By The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
EIN Presswire
May 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

GREENVILLE , SC — The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities released its 2024 Annual Report. The report highlights a year of expanded reach with $29.1 million awarded across 109 projects in 30 states and Washington, D.C., through innovative programs that strengthen the links between healthy forests, resilient communities and sustainable markets. The report details the Endowment’s sharpened focus on transformative initiatives, including the launch of an impact investing program, advancements in forest carbon transparency and streamlined market access for domestic wood fibers. “2024 was a pivotal year where we not only supported critical projects but also invested in scalable, sustainable solutions,” said Pete Madden, president and CEO of the Endowment. “By magnifying the connections between working forests, strong markets and vibrant communities, we are helping to drive systemic change across the forestry sector.”

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Wood paneling manufacturer pledges $250M investment, 300 jobs in rural South Carolina

By Jessica Holdman
South Carolina Daily Gazette
May 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

A German wood paneling maker plans to open a $250 million manufacturing plant in South Carolina’s rural Clarendon County. Homanit announced Wednesday it will build its first United States manufacturing facility on 140 acres near the small community of Alcolu — population 425. The company pledged to employ 300 people in the area located off Interstate 95, about 40 miles north of its intersection with I-26. “This investment marks a significant milestone for our company, and we’re proud to become part of such a vibrant and forward-looking region,” Homanit Managing Director Fritz Homann said in a statement. “The area’s skilled workforce, strategic location and strong infrastructure make Clarendon County the ideal foundation for our next phase of growth in North America.” The announcement marks the largest single investment in Clarendon County economic development history, according to Central SC Alliance President Jason Giulietti.

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Finance & Economics

Volatile Spring Selling Season Continues in the US

By Robert Dietz, Chief Economist
NAHB – Eye on Housing
May 26, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The Census estimate of new home sales posted an unexpected gain in April even as builders and consumers continue to deal with economic uncertainty, elevated interest rates and rising building material costs. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in April increased 10.9% to a 743,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate from a downwardly revised March number, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales in April was up 3.3% compared to a year earlier. The April new home sales figure may be revised as it runs counter to market commentary and the fact that builder sentiment moved markedly lower in May. A less volatile look at the market would be the year-to-date figures, which show new home sales are down 1.2% thus far in 2025 on elevated interest rates, ongoing policy uncertainty and rising construction costs.

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US Existing Home Sales Fall in April

By Fan-Yu Kuo
NAHB – Eye on Housing
May 22, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Despite the brief retreat in mortgage rates and increased supply, existing home sales dropped to 7-month low in April, according to the National Association of Realtors. …While existing home inventory improved, the market faces headwinds as mortgage rates are expected to stay above 6%. …Total existing home sales, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops, fell 0.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.00 million in April. On a year-over-year basis, sales were 2.0% lower than a year ago. The first-time buyer share was 34% in April, up from 32% in March and 33% from a year ago. The existing home inventory level was 1.45 million units in April, up 9.0% from March, and up 20.8% from a year ago. …Homes stayed on the market for an average of 29 days in April, down from 36 days in March but up from 26 days in April 2024.

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US Income Growth Helps Mute Existing Affordability Constraints

National Association of Home Builders
May 22, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Despite solid income gains and lower home prices, Americans still continue to face major housing affordability challenges, according to the latest data from the NAHB/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI). The CHI results from the first quarter of 2025 show that a family earning the nation’s median income of $104,200 needed 36% of its income to cover the mortgage payment on a median-priced new home. Low-income families, defined as those earning only 50% of median income, would have to spend 72% of their earnings. …“While affordability registered slight gains, the Cost of Housing Index clearly shows the need for policymakers to take action,” said NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes. “Eliminating burdensome regulations, ending tariffs on Canadian lumber and other building materials, providing funding to promote careers in the skilled trades and expediting approvals for affordable projects will allow builders to construct more homes.”

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Fannie Mae raises its GDP and housing outlook on lower mortgage rates

Fannie Mae News
May 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON, DC – Total single-family home sales are expected to close 2025 at 4.92 million units, with existing home sales accounting for 4.24 million of those units, according to the May 2025 Economic and Housing Outlook from the Fannie Mae Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group. Revisions to the home sales forecast were driven in part by the ESR Group’s lower expectations for mortgage rates, which it now forecasts to end 2025 and 2026 at 6.1% and 5.8%, respectively. The latest outlook also projects real gross domestic product growing at 0.7% in 2025 and 2.0% in 2026 on a Q4/Q4 basis. …We now expect the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to rise 3.5 percent Q4/Q4 in 2025, unchanged from our April forecast. Core CPI is expected to rise 3.8 percent Q4/Q4 in 2025 (down from 3.9 percent previously) and 2.6 percent in 2026 (unchanged).

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How lumber duties could worsen home affordability in the US

By DeLon Thornton
CNBC News
May 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Volatile lumber prices are once again rattling the U.S. housing market, squeezing builders and threatening to exacerbate an already dire affordability crisis. Softwood lumber prices in April surged 23% year-over-year, while futures rose sharply in early 2025 amid fears of increased U.S. duties and widespread sawmill closures across North America, according to the National Association of Home Builders. This has weighed heavily on major homebuilders such as Lennar, D.R. Horton and Toll Brothers, which have all seen their stocks slump this spring. …“The unpredictability of lumber prices adds serious complexity to planning and budgeting,” said Steve Martinez, of Idaho-based Tradewinds General Contracting. …Beyond homebuilding, higher lumber costs are hitting renovations, fencing and interiors. The US Forest Products annual market review found that U.S. lumber production inched up… but demand continues to outpace supply. Environmental regulations, aging forests and labor constraints compound the challenge.

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US Single-Family Home Size Trending Higher

By Robert Dietz, Chief Economist
NAHB Eye on Housing
May 20, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

An expected impact of the virus crisis was a need for more residential space, as people used homes for more purposes including work. Home size correspondingly increased in 2021 as interest rates reached historic lows. However, as interest rates increased in 2022 and 2023, and housing affordability worsened, the demand for home size has trended lower. According to first quarter 2025 data from the Census Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design and NAHB analysis, median single-family square floor area was 2,190 square feet, near the highest reading since mid-2023. Average (mean) square footage for new single-family homes registered at 2,408 square feet.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

The Future Is Framed With Wood

The Softwood Lumber Board
May 22, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

In this month’s newsletter, you’ll find these headlines and more:

  • Steel Industry Group and SLB Partner Embraces Steel-Timber Hybrid Construction: A new video from constructsteel, the World Steel Association’s market development program and an SLB partner, celebrates steel-timber hybrid construction as a path to building more sustainable cities.
  • Industry Leader Considers SLB’s Role Essential to Growing Market: SLB Chair Emerita Caroline Dauzat, Owner of Rex Lumber, explains why it’s important for the industry to continue building momentum and developing a path to keep expanding market share.
  • In 2027 Codes, the AWC Defends and Grows Opportunities for Wood
  • WoodWorks Inspires Design Teams and Developers With Built Wood Projects
  • SLB Education’s VR Experience Puts Students Into Mass Timber Construction—No Hard Hat Required
  • College of Architecture Pavilion Serves as a Learning Lab for Wood Construction
  • The Future Is Under Construction. And It’s Framed With Wood.

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How Trees Destroyed by the L.A. Fires Are Being Recycled Into New Lumber

By Anjulie Rao
Yahoo! News
May 22, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

After this year’s fires burned through the Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods, destroying over 16,000 structures, the city is reckoning with 4.5 million tons of debris, according to LAist—”the largest municipal wildfire cleanup operation in recent history.” As a result, the Army Corps of Engineers is sending trucks to 18 different regional facilities including landfills and recycling plants to manage the process of clearing out build remnants and remediating hazardous materials. Trees that appear damaged or unviable are cut down and sent to a local golf course to be mulched—a fact that doesn’t sit right with local sawmill owner Jeff Perry. In the aftermath of the Palisades and Eaton Fires, Perry teamed up with local landscape architects to create Altadena Reciprocity, an initiative that helps homeowners recycle an often-overlooked resource—neighborhood trees—into a product that residents can use for flooring, stair treads, door casings, and much more. 

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Swinerton Completes California State University’s First Mass Timber Building at Chico State

By Swinerton
Cision PRWeb
May 20, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US West

CHICO, California — Swinerton Builders (Swinerton), California’s premier general contractor, and its mass timber partner Timberlab, are proud to announce the completion of the new University Services Building at California State University, Chico—a first for the California University System and a key milestone in Swinerton’s expanding portfolio of sustainable higher education infrastructure in California. Delivered through a design-build partnership with Dreyfuss + Blackford Architecture, the $14.5 million, 22,132-square-foot, two-story facility consolidates campus operations into a single, efficient, and forward-looking structure. Mass timber elements—orchestrated by Timberlab—serve as both a sustainable and aesthetic choice, enhancing the workspace with biophilic warmth while significantly reducing embodied carbon. …The project was completed on time and on budget despite material lead time challenges and seasonal weather conditions. The prefabrication of structural timber components played a critical role in accelerating the schedule and minimizing disruption to ongoing campus activities.

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Forestry

EU releases controversial EUDR country risk benchmarking amid fierce environmental criticism

By Ian Westcott
New Food Magazine
May 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States

The European Commission has released its much-anticipated country benchmarking under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) roughly one month ahead of schedule, marking a key milestone in its enforcement. The benchmarking system classifies countries into “low risk,” “standard risk,” or “high risk” categories based on the likelihood that commodities sourced from these regions contribute to deforestation and forest degradation. However, the benchmarking has immediately drawn strong criticism from environmental groups. Mighty Earth branded the system a “farce” and accused the European Commission of prioritising political convenience over genuine environmental protection. …Mighty Earth points out that some of the world’s highest deforestation hotspots — including Brazil, Bolivia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo — have been omitted from the high-risk list. Meanwhile, countries with documented deforestation issues, such as Canada, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, and Romania, have been labelled low risk. [The United States appears in this list under the “low risk category”].

In related coverage:

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Sustainable Forestry Initiative Annual Awards

Sustainable Forestry Initiative
May 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is pleased to announce the following awards:

The Lyme Timber Company as the recipient of the 2025 SFI Leadership in Conservation Award. Lyme Timber, certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard, is being recognized for a longstanding commitment to advancing conservation outcomes across its land base. SFI specifically recognizes Managing Directors Peter Stein and Sean Ross for their instrumental leadership in partnering on meaningful conservation efforts related to biodiversity conservation, research-based forest management practices, and climate smart forestry.

The 2025 SFI Implementation Committee Achievement Award winner at the SFI Annual Conference. As part of SFI’s deepening commitment to a world that values and benefits from sustainably managed forests, SFI Implementation Committees promote responsible forestry and sourcing to create positive change that sustains communities.

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Non-fire forest workers to be deployed during 2025 wildfires, USDA head says

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

As the U.S. moves towards peak fire season, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has signed a memo signaling the Department of Agriculture’s approach to wildfire response under the Trump administration. The memo – signed on Tuesday 20 May – directs the Forest Service to take several actions over the next 30 days, including policy changes for when the nation’s fire preparedness level is high. At Preparedness Level 3 and above, Rollins directed USFS Chief Tom Schultz to “prioritize and redeploy the non-fire workforce” to support wildfire response. A Preparedness Level 3 is issued when the potential for wildland fires is normal for the time of year, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, meaning it’s likely non-fire personnel will be deployed in 2025… The directive was made just months after the department was forced to hire back all 6,000 USDA workers the Trump administration fired on Feb. 13.

Related content:

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Trump plans to merge wildland firefighting efforts into one agency, but ex-officials warn of chaos

By Matthew Brown
Associated Press in Atlanta Journal-Constitution
May 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

BILLINGS, Mont. — President Donald Trump’s administration is trying to merge the government’s wildland firefighting efforts into a single agency, a move some former federal officials warn could increase the risk of catastrophic blazes and ultimately cost billions of dollars. …Budget documents do not disclose how much the change could cost or save. …The Trump administration in its first months temporarily cut off money for wildfire mitigation work and sharply reduced the ranks of federal government firefighters through layoffs and retirement. …But organizations representing firefighters and former Forest Service officials say it would be costly to restructure firefighting efforts and cause major disruptions in the midst of fire season. …“You will not suppress your way to success in dealing with catastrophic fires. ….” said Steve Ellis, the chairman of the forest service retirees group and a former wildfire incident commander.

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Conservation coalition joins lawsuit protecting northern spotted owl

By Robert Schaulis
Eureka Times Standard
May 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

A coalition of conservation groups announced it has intervened in a lawsuit that seeks to remove almost 3.5 million acres of land in California, Oregon and Washington from protected status. …“This is a tired story: the timber industry attempting to game the legal system in order to expand logging on our public lands,” said Tom Wheeler, executive director of Arcata-based Environmental Protection Information Center, in a joint press release issued by the coalition. “Unfortunately for them, they have to come through us first. We have stood up for the northern spotted owls and science for decades, and we aren’t backing down.” …The lawsuit, filed by timber industry representatives from the American Forest Resource Council — along with a coalition of counties in Washington, Oregon and California and the Association of O&C Counties — contends that a November 2021 rule change by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is illegal.

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The Debate that American Conservationists Should Be Having On The Endangered Species Act

By Emma Marris
The Atlantic
May 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The Endangered Species Act was intended to protect ecosystems as well as individual species but it has no provisions to do so directly. For decades, conservationists successfully plugged that hole by arguing in court that the ESA’s prohibition of harm to individual species includes destroying a species’ habitat. Now the Trump administration wants to negate that argument by asserting that to harm an endangered species means only to injure or kill it directly: to rip it out by the roots or blow it away with a shotgun. Habitat destruction has been the most common threat to endangered species in the US since 1975. If the administration succeeds in redefining harm to exclude it, the Endangered Species Act won’t be able to effectively protect most endangered species. …Preserving old-growth forest for a single owl species means the forest—and everything living there—suddenly loses protection if that owl goes extinct anyway. [to access the full story an Atlantic subscription is required]

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Washington state environmental solutions discussed at policy forum in Spokane

By Sue Lani Madsen
Everett Post
May 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Mike Lithgow, director of policy and outreach for the Kalispel Tribe joined panelists Amanda Parrish, executive director of The Lands Council, and Todd Myers, vice president for research at the Washington Policy Center, for the 2025 Forum on the Environment in Spokane. Parrish introduced her organization’s work with the Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition, the U.S. Forest Service, and regional tribes. The Lands Council is currently working with the city of Spokane’s urban forestry program to plant trees in low-income neighborhoods. …On a broader scale, the Kalispel Tribe reaches out from their small reservation in collaborative work across 2.3 million acres of Washington, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, Canada. Lithgow said the tribe focuses on restoration, which might not be high on the list for other partners. In addition to water, their conservation efforts include forests and wildlife. Forest management in Washington is a concern going into the summer, owing to the potential for wildfires. 

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How prescribed burns are reshaping Southern Oregon forests and communities

By Juliet Grable
Jefferson Public Radio
May 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

In fire-prone Southern Oregon, residents of the Greensprings joined forces to carry out a 12-acre prescribed burn… The effort reflects a growing movement to use“good fire” to reshape landscapes and build community resilience. …The volunteers — a mix of firefighters, Greensprings residents, and fire experts with the Rogue Valley Prescribed Burn Association — were there to put “good fire” on a 12-acre triangle of land owned by Deb Evans and Ron Schaaf. …In fire-prone Southern Oregon, intentionally setting fire to a forested hillside might seem reckless, especially as summers have grown hotter and wildfire seasons more intense. But under the right conditions, fire can burn away vegetation that would otherwise fuel dangerous wildfires in warmer, drier months, helping protect homes and forests before the next wildfire strikes. Now, a growing number of residents are learning how to use prescribed burns to make their communities safer.

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Public land sales and repeals of Colorado resource management plans stripped from House reconciliation package

By Ali Longwell
The Aspen Times
May 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

U.S. House Republicans narrowly passed a budget reconciliation bill early Thursday morning that pushes forward President Donald Trump’s domestic policy on health care, energy, immigration, and more. …Included in the package were provisions pushing Trump and Republicans’ policy around increasing domestic energy, timber and mineral production, and restoring the federal multiple-use mandate on public land. …House Democrats in the committee, who have criticized Trump’s reconciliation package as a way to fund tax cuts for billionaires, referred to the legislation as one of the most destructive and extreme anti-environment bills in the country’s history. …Now, the big bill is heading to the Senate, where advocates are hopeful changes will continue to be made. Louis Geltman, the vice president of policy and government relations for the recreation member group Outdoor Alliance, said in a statement that the act is still “very bad for public lands and waters.”

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Don’t be fooled by Tongass Roadless Rule propaganda

By Rich Moniak, retired civil engineer, U.S. Forest Service
Anchorage Daily News
May 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

By executive order, President Donald Trump reinstated the Tongass National Forest Roadless Rule exemption, reversing action taken by President Joe Biden in January 2023. For Alaska-based environmental organizations, that means redeploying propaganda about how much of the old-growth forest in the Tongass could be subjected to large-scale logging. And they often get help from journalists and opinion writers who don’t do their homework. …In a joint press release responding to the Biden administration’s plan to consider restoring the Roadless Rule …Rep. Don Young accurately described that “only 9 percent of the Tongass is available for any kind of development.” …Environmentalists have a choice. They acknowledge these facts and stop challenging the Roadless Rule exemption for the Tongass. Or they can continue undermining their credibility by peddling the kind of disinformation that’s making our political discourse so toxic.

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Grizzly regulations logjam timber economy

By Ned Newton
Bonners Ferry Herald
May 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

In a May 13 petition, members of Congress from Northern Rockies states once again admonished the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for what they say is a “flawed” and “ludicrous” proposal to continue listing the grizzly bear as an endangered species.  “This decision punishes Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho’s successful grizzly bear recovery efforts,” states the petition, signed by U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, James Risch, R-Idaho, and U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho. “The FWS’s ‘Grizzly Bear Recovery Program 2023 Annual Report’ shows that our states have met and far exceeded the most recent set of recovery goals that FWS set for grizzly bears. All of this collaborative work is undermined by the FWS decision to yet again move the goalpost for delisting grizzly populations.” From Greater Yellowstone to the Selkirk Mountains of North Idaho, grizzly bear habitat protections have stalled the timber industry — a pillar of the region’s economy.

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Over 1.1 million acres of Colorado forests have been treated for health, wildfire management since 2000

Glenwood Springs Post Independent
May 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Over one-third of Colorado is forested acreage — 24 million acres of the state’s 66.48 million acres — managed by a variety of local, state and federal entities.  The Colorado State Forest Service and the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, both part of Colorado State University, launched a new online tool to better track completed forest management activities in the state. The Colorado Forest Tracker provides information on where and when forest projects occurred, how projects were funded and what agency oversaw the work. It includes projects between 2000 and 2023 that altered forest vegetation in some way, including cutting trees or bushes, prescribed fire and reforestation efforts. In the 23 years, the tool cataloged over 25,000 forest management projects on 1.1 million acres of Colorado forest. The majority — 900,577 acres — were on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The federal agency oversees the largest segment of Colorado forest.

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Logging protest continues with climber in tree

By Emma Maple
Peninsula Daily News
May 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

A tree-sit protest, which has blocked logging access to state Department of Natural Resources parcels, is now two weeks old. An injunction hearing regarding the parcels has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday in Clallam County Superior Court. If a 90-day injunction is issued, the tree climber will remove themselves from the tree. If the decision is not in favor of the environmentalists, the climber likely will stay up there indefinitely. “It’s going to be crunch time,” activist Peter Stedman said. The tree sit began about 5:30 a.m. May 7, when an unidentified professional tree climber attached themselves to a dunk tank platform 50 to 100 feet up in a tree. That platform was then attached to debris piled in the middle of a logging road. If the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) attempts to remove the debris to gain access to those parcels, the tree climber’s platform will drop.

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Legal Intervention Defends Northern Spotted Owl Habitat

The Center for Biological Diversity
May 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

PORTLAND, Oregon— Conservation groups intervened in a lawsuit brought by the timber industry and counties seeking to strip northern spotted owls of protections for their critical habitat across millions of acres of forests in California, Oregon and Washington. The industry lawsuit attempts to reinstate a critical habitat rollback issued in the final weeks of the first Trump administration that removed nearly 3.5 million acres from the 9.6 million acres that were protected for spotted owls in 2012. “The forests these precious owls depend on also provide all of us with benefits like clean water, recreation, jobs and climate resiliency,” said Chelsea Stewart-Fusek, an endangered species attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Given Trump’s relentless assaults on our most cherished wildlife and public lands, it’s no surprise that corporate timber interests are resurrecting their attacks on northern spotted owls and the places they live in the name of short-term profit.”

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Supporting reforestation after Carbon County Packerton fire

By Emily Kress
WNEP 16 ABC News
May 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Jim Thorpe – Pennsylvania — It was a sight like no other, last month, smoke clouded the air as a wildfire spread on Bear Mountain in Jim Thorpe. The fire burned 500 acres in what the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources called the Packerton fire. “We are really still evaluating; it’s probably still too early to tell. Certainly, some trees got killed in that process, and we are still evaluating how extensive the damage was, explained Seth Cassell, Director of the Bureau of Forestry with DCNR.  On Arbor Day, DCNR launched an online donation drive for communities impacted by wildfires. … Officials with DCNR say there are several types of trees that make up the forests of Carbon County. “Where the fire was, there is often pine trees, oak trees, we see a lot of chestnut oak trees in those areas, and some of those trees are there because of repeat fires in those areas.”

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More trees in Wayne National Forest to be cut after executive order

By George Shillcock
WOUB Public Media
May 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

©Ohio, The Heart of it All

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Trump administration wants to increase harvesting in the more than 100 million acres of national forests and is targeting Ohio’s only national forest as part of the effort. Ohio is home to the Wayne National Forest — nearly 244,000 acres with three non-contiguous tracts near Athens, Marietta and Ironton. The Wayne is teeming with life this time of year with thousands of species of plant life and dozens of mammals, birds and fish calling the quarter of a million acres of forest home. President Donald Trump wants to expand American timber production in the nation’s national forests by 25%. A March executive order said cutting more trees will boost the construction and energy industries and also improve forest management to reduce wildfire risk. …The Trump administration hopes the executive order will jumpstart the nation’s lumber industry. Some in the industry are skeptical of how much this could help in the long run.

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Weyerhaeuser Acquiring High-Quality Timberlands in North Carolina and Virginia

By Weyerhaeuser Company
PR Newswire
May 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Weyerhaeuser announced an agreement to acquire approximately 117,000 acres of high-quality timberlands in North Carolina and Virginia from Roanoke Timberlands, a subsidiary of Roseburg Forest Products, for $375 million. Comprised of mature, highly productive timberlands, the acreage will be well-integrated with existing Weyerhaeuser timberland and mill operations in North Carolina, will expand the company’s footprint into attractive markets in southeastern Virginia and will offer substantial alternative value opportunities. …Mature planted pine age class expected to produce an average annual harvest of 7.4 tons per acre (or 860,000 tons) over the first five years. …The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter and is subject to customary closing conditions. …When the acquisition is complete, Weyerhaeuser will own or manage approximately 744,000 acres of timberlands in North Carolina and 150,000 acres in Virginia — employing more than 600 people across the two states.

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Registration Now Open for Forest Products EXPO 2025

The Southern Forest Products Association
May 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Haven’t been to the Forest Products Machinery & Equipment EXPO before, or if you have, has it been a while? You’re missing out! But you can change that now that registration and housing reservations in the official hotel block for the 38th Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Exposition (EXPO 2025), presented by the Southern Forest Products Association, are now open! The three-day biannual tradeshow, to be held August 6-8, 2025, at the Music City Center in Nashville, will provide you with solutions for nearly every stage of manufacturing for softwood and hardwood operations. From raw material handling to crane operations; metal detection and scanning technologies; log optimization, drying, grading, sorting, packaging, and distribution, there’s an exhibiting company representative on site to explore these solutions with you face to face. EXPO 2025 will be one of the best yet with: 220+ exhibitors from 34 states and 9 countries showcasing products from 168 different categories across nearly 60,000 square feet.

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