Region Archives: US East

Business & Politics

BlueLinx Announces Expansion of Distribution Partnership with LP Building Solutions

By BlueLinx
The Financial Times
June 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

ATLANTA — BlueLinx and Louisiana-Pacific announces the expansion of their distribution partnership to Springfield, Missouri. The expanded collaboration will include LP’s renowned Siding Solutions brands and prefinished solutions, namely LP® SmartSide® Trim & Siding and LP® SmartSide® ExpertFinish® Trim & Siding. This strategic move expands BlueLinx’s stocking footprint of LP® SmartSide® to 19 locations, spanning five of BlueLinx’s regions across the United States.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.”

Read More

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.

Read More

White House’s approach to tariffs may bring serious consequences for American hardwoods

By Scott Seyler, Northland forest Products Inc.
The Williamsport Sun Gazette
May 17, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Scott Seyler

PENNSYLVANIA — As a result of the Trump Administration’s reckless tariff policies, America’s hardwood industry has faced a range of consequences, including lost revenues, cancelled orders and the high costs of diverting shipments already in route to China. The 125% tariffs that China applied to U.S. imports in response to the staggering 145% tariffs that the Trump administration placed on Chinese goods on April 2 jolted hardwood producers. …For now, the trade war between United States and China has simmered, with tariffs rates on American exports to China now set at 10%. Still, there is much at stake for America’s hardwood producers. In Pennsylvania, which is the nation’s leading producer of hardwood lumber… the forest-products industry employs over 60,000 people and has a $21.8 billion direct impact and a $39.1 billion indirect impact on the state economy. The livelihoods of foresters, loggers, sawyers, material handlers, lumber graders and many more well-paying jobs hang in the balance. 

Read More

International Paper closes Texas plants, cuts 117 jobs

By Noi Mahoney
Freight Waves
May 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

EDINBURG, Texas — International Paper recently said it was shuttering two Texas facilities and laying off 117 workers as it restructures its presence along the US-Mexico border. The company is closing two production facilities in Edinburg, Texas, one that manufactures containers and another that makes paper sheets. The sheet plant will be converted into a warehouse. While the company is closing two production plants in Edinburg, it is investing more funds at a nearby facility in McAllen, Texas, as well as a plant across the border in Reynosa, Mexico, officials said. “There are 117 positions impacted; however the expansion at McAllen will create 40 new hourly positions to be filled,” International Paper said. “The company will assist employees and customers through this transition.” …Since October, International Paper has laid off over 2,500 employees and closed facilities in Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.

Read More

Georgia-Pacific to Shut Down Cedar Springs Mill in 2025

The Paper Advance
May 14, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Georgia-Pacific has announced it will permanently close its Cedar Springs containerboard mill in Georgia later this year, impacting approximately 535 employees. The company informed workers on May 14 that most positions at the site will be eliminated by August 1, 2025, with all roles eventually affected. While production will continue temporarily to meet existing customer commitments, the mill’s operations are set to wind down in the coming months. Georgia-Pacific cited multiple factors behind the decision, emphasizing that the mill could no longer competitively serve its customers in the long term. The company stressed that the closure is not a reflection of the employees’ performance. “Our focus now is to operate safely and support our employees through this transition,” the company stated, pledging to treat all affected workers with “dignity and respect.”

Read More

West Fraser General Manager retires after 51 years

By Amber Lollar
The Henderson News
May 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

HENDERSON, Texas — Henderson’s West Fraser recently celebrated the long-deserved retirement of their General Manager, Raymond Mitchell, after 51 hard-working years with the still-growing company. The company threw a blow-out bash for Mitchell. Local officials, current and former employees, and West Fraser upper management gathered on the expanded facility to celebrate Mitchell and his many accomplishments throughout his time with the company. Mitchell started his decades long tenure in the lumber industry at the ripe age of 19. He has held the title of Mill Manager since 1999.

Read More

St. Paul must take action to avoid harming forest-products industry

By Robert D. Walls, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
The Duluth News Tribune
May 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Robert Walls

Last year, Minnesota passed an extended producer responsibility (EPR) framework with the intent to improve recycling in the North Star state. Yet, in their haste, lawmakers inadvertently put good-paying manufacturing jobs tied to the production and recycling of paper products at risk. Thankfully, lawmakers have an opportunity to change course and make alterations to the state’s EPR law that will both improve recycling infrastructure and support a U.S. forest-products industry that is a significant driver of Minnesota’s economy. Forest products are the fifth-largest industry in the state and the industry generates over $205 million in state and local taxes … Minnesota’s EPR program risks targeting the raw materials used to make paper products, not the actual paper and paper packaging that we put in our recycling bins. …By focusing the EPR law on the actual residential recycling stream and protecting high-performing commercial systems, we can build a policy that works with workers, not against them.

Read More

Georgia Governor signs major hurricane relief package

The Tifton Gazette
May 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

FORSYTH, Georgia — Gov. Brian Kemp signed landmark legislation Thursday at the Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) headquarters delivering urgently needed relief to forest landowners and rural communities impacted by Hurricane Helene — a storm that caused more than $1.28 billion in timber losses across Georgia’s most productive forestlands. The legislation, passed with strong bipartisan support, delivers both immediate recovery tools and long-term support to ensure Georgia’s forestry sector can recover, replant, and remain a pillar of the state’s economy, the GFA said. …The package includes: — A refundable reforestation tax credit for planting and restoration efforts. — A state income tax exemption for federal disaster aid. — A sales tax exemption for certain farm rebuilding materials. — Ad valorem harvest tax relief for landowners in affected counties — paired with state reimbursements to protect local government budgets. These measures mirror the real-world needs voiced by landowners, loggers, and mills.

Related news by Associated Press: Federal officials set timeline for Helene aid to farmers

Read More

Finance & Economics

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.

Read More

Wood, Paper & Green Building

A Guide to Mass Timber Construction: The Future of Sustainable Architecture and The Role of Forestry

Rayonier Inc.
June 3, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Mass timber, a renewable, durable, environmentally friendly building material, is changing the building industry for the better. In this article, we take a deeper look at the environmental, economic and human benefits of mass timber and highlight some mass timber success stories. …In this guide, we’re looking at the benefits of mass timber and how it is reshaping the commercial building industry. We’re also taking a close look at the story of 619 Ponce, an entirely locally-sourced mass timber structure championed in part by the Georgia Forestry Foundation in the heart of Atlanta.

Read More

Green Bay Packaging to invest $1 billion in Morrilton plant

By Lucas Dufalla
Askansas Democrat
June 2, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Pulp and paper company Green Bay Packaging will be breaking ground on a $1 billion expansion to its Morrilton packaging plant Tuesday, according to a news release from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office. The company announced an expansion of its Arkansas Kraft Mill in Morrilton in December. The news release from Sanders’ office lauded the investment as the “largest capital investment project in Central Arkansas’ history.” It comes about a month after the announcement of a $1 billion data center in Little Rock, which was referred to as the “largest economic development capital investment” in Little Rock’s history. Green Bay’s multi-year expansion is geared toward modernization. According to a release, it will “significantly enhance the infrastructure of the mill” and, among other investments, it will involve the installation of an electric turbine generator, which will “substantially reduce” the plant’s Scope One and Scope Two greenhouse gas emissions.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

Michigan Department of Natural resources marks mass timber milestone with Newberry building

UPWord
May 14, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East

The newly opened DNR Customer Service Center in Newberry is more than just another new structure. It happens to be Michigan’s first mass timber building built with Michigan wood.  The 10,000-square-foot building was constructed with cross-laminated panels made with Michigan red pine, marking a significant step forward in sustainable construction in the Great Lakes State. According to Michigan State University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, “Mass timber buildings are cropping up across North America, along with factories that manufacture these versatile, sustainable, engineered wood building materials. That’s because mass timber offers a compelling suite of benefits.” Those include progress toward forest health management goals, rural economic development and new opportunities in manufacturing.

Read More

New York city borough plans 500 mass timber housing units

By Dakota Smith
Woodworking Network
May 13, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Economic Development Corporation’s Andrew Kimball announced that Artimus and Phoenix Realty Group have been selected to build over 500 new mixed-income housing units along the waterfront on the north shore of Staten Island, with a quarter of the new units set aside for affordable housing. The development will be the largest mass timber residential project in New York City… advancing commitments in Mayor Adams’ “Green Economy Action Plan,” a roadmap to grow the city’s green economy, invests in jobs and sectors that help the city combat climate change, and positions New Yorkers to benefit from the nearly 400,000 projected “green-collar” jobs in New York City by 2040. Mayor Adams… “We are not only building the affordable homes New Yorkers need but using sustainable materials to reduce our carbon footprint and help turn New York City’s waterways into the ‘Harbor of the Future.’”

Read More

Project uses tree rings to determine age of historic Atlanta buildings

By Kristal Dixon
Axios Atlanta
May 13, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

A metro Atlanta nonprofit is teaming up with college students to find the exact age of historic buildings using a unique area of study. While historical documents may say a building was constructed in a certain year, the wood used to create the structure could tell us a different story. Cobb Landmarks is using dendrochronology — the study of tree rings — to pinpoint when wood for metro Atlanta buildings was harvested for construction. Trevor Beemon, Cobb Landmarks’ executive director, said they are partnering with University of West Georgia students who, under the guidance of two professors, will take 12 to 15 samples from structures around metro Atlanta. …The partnership is “really the one chance” South Downtown has to learn about these buildings before they are redeveloped, Capps said. 

Read More

Sterling Solutions Announces Mass Timber Shaft Wall System

By Sterling Structural
GlobeNewswire
May 13, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

PHOENIX, Ill. — Sterling Structural, a leading manufacturer of cost-effective, pre-fabricated mass timber and hybrid structural systems in North America, announced a modular Shaft Wall System for new construction. The system supports all major elevator manufacturers or egress stair designs and enables builders to save time and cost from elevator wall shafts without sacrificing fire safety or structural integrity, all while reducing embodied carbon compared to concrete or masonry shaft walls. The new system features pre-fabricated Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels for shaft walls—and, in some cases, roofs—along with coordinated connection details and all necessary hardware. Sterling’s project management team coordinates deliveries, sequencing panels for easy installation, whether the project uses platform or balloon framing.

Read More

Vermont woodworking school opens 8-week program

HatchSpace
April 16, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Vermont HatchSpace is pleased to launch From Forest to Woodshop, an 8-week, full-time, 300-hour intensive program in wood furniture and products innovation, beginning in September of 2025. Rooted in an integrated approach of study from forest to woodshop, the immersive program offers participants the opportunity to study wood as a material, as well as methods of manipulation that support furniture and product design through sourcing, designing, drawing, cutting, sawing, joining, bending, and glueing. The perfect gap year experience or career-changing accelerator… The program will be delivered from HatchSpace’s expansive woodworking facility in downtown Brattleboro, a region surrounded by some of the world’s finest hardwood forests. Students benefit from a geography well positioned to gain an understanding of the interconnected field of sustainable forestry and its impacts on wood furniture and products innovation. Students will benefit from a wide-ranging team of more than nine experienced and award-winning woodworker educators.

Read More

New York City announces 500-unit waterfront housing development for Staten Island’s North Shore

By Paul Liotta
Staten Island Live
May 13, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East

Momo Sun

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York City officials marked their latest ceremonial groundbreaking for a $400 million public investment along the North Shore waterfront. …When underway, officials say the project will be the largest mass-timber construction in the five boroughs with the Stapleton project using wood-based building materials for much of its interior. Mass timber developments, which proponents say bring lower carbon footprints and reduced construction times, have caught on in recent years, including at the Portland International Airport in Oregon. Momo Sun — regional director for Woodworks, a non-profit that advocates for mass timber developments and works with the city Economic Development Corporation — said the wood materials meet the same construction and fire requirements as any other material.

Read More

Forestry

Logging will increase by 10% in Pennsylvania’s only national forest this year under Trump directive

By Abigail Hakas
SpotlightPA
June 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Pennsylvania …The move has sparked fierce debate between environmentalists and pro-logging groups who disagree on cutting trees to reduce wildfire risks or improve forest health — two reasons cited in new federal guidance. In the coming fiscal year, the state’s only national forest is set to sell 45 million board feet, an over 12% increase from this fiscal year, said Alisen Downs, public affairs specialist for the Allegheny National Forest. The federal government’s fiscal year begins Oct. 1. …While next year’s logging will be an increase from the over 39 million board feet sold for harvest in 2023-24 and the 40 million planned for this year, it’s not an historic high. In 2020-21, almost 50 million board feet were harvested. …But under a recent emergency designation affecting almost 60% of national forest land, some federally mandated regulations and processes aren’t required, including some put in place to protect endangered species or allow challenges to logging proposals.

Read More

Sawmills Relieve Wildfire Threat from Hurricane Helene Debris

By Mike Berger
LBM Journal
June 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Sawmills are working to recycle trees blown down by Hurricane Helene to assist wildland firefighters while boosting domestic timber production. Many of the trees downed by the storm are usable, according to Johnny Evans, owner of EvAns Lumber Co. in Manchester, Tennessee. About 6% of the lumber produced at his facility comes from trees that fell during natural disasters. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division estimated it could take at least three years for the thickest trees downed by Hurricane Helene to dry out enough to become potential wildfire fuel. However, those trees can still hinder firefighting efforts by getting in the way of bulldozers used to create firelines. “Those trees are there just blocking the dozers. So we have to send in crews to clear a path for the dozers,” Megan Carpenter, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division, said.

Read More

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.

Read More

Lush nature preserve near Lake Michigan added to nationwide roster of old forests

Michigan Live
May 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Thousands of acres of deep-woods habitats at Arcadia Dunes are now part of a nationwide network of current and future old-growth forests. The wooded areas at the C.S. Mott Nature Preserve in Benzie County this week became the latest place in Michigan to be inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network, which now includes more than 270 permanently protected forests nationwide. The forest near the Lake Michigan shoreline boasts unique microclimates teeming with old beech and hemlock trees, spring wildflowers, and rare native plants. Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy hosted a two-mile hike Wednesday, May 21, along the preserve’s Dryhill Trail Chestnut Loop to celebrate the northern mesic forest being added to the nationwide old-growth roster. The nature preserve is the conservancy’s largest and includes a mix of secondary hardwoods, coastal dunes, and open fields around old farmland and pastures.

Read More

Protecting Maine’s forests from spruce budworm takes all of us

By Allison Kanoti, Maine state entomologist & Patty Cormier, Maine state forester
Bangor Daily News
May 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

…Today, populations of spruce budworm are once again building, slowly but surely, on hundreds of thousands of acres in northern Maine. The good news is, we’re not starting from scratch, and we’re not waiting to intervene. This spring, a coalition of forestry stakeholders, including landowners, scientists, industry partners, and state and federal government agencies, is taking a science-based approach to spruce budworm management through the Early Intervention Strategy. Approximately 240,000 acres of budding budworm populations will be treated with narrowly targeted insecticides in late May and early June. …This year’s treatment blocks were selected months in advance and supported by research, monitoring, ownership and forest composition data. …We also invite landowners to take advantage of the vast number of resources on sprucebudwormmaine.org.

Read More

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.”

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

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.

Read More

Michigan State University researcher receives $500K grant to study tree species suited to future Michigan climates

By Cameron Rudolph
Michigan State University
May 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Jeremy Johnson

EAST LANSING, Mich. — A Michigan State University researcher has received a $500,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to explore assisted tree migration as a way to protect the future productivity of Michigan forests. …The project is led by Jeremy Johnson, an assistant professor of forest genetics in the MSU Department of Forestry. He said that many of Michigan’s most important tree species, such as red pine, are at the southern end of their native ranges. As temperatures increase and precipitation becomes more unpredictable, these species may struggle to adjust. …Johnson and his team will monitor how climate and soil type affect tree growth using a common garden model in which several tree species are grown together under the same conditions. Six conifer species and American Chestnut were identified for planting at nine common gardens across Michigan. In the seed collection process, 50 families will be represented for each species.

Read More

First-ever National Forest biomass risk assessment receives interim approval.

US Endowment for Forestry and Communities
May 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

The first-ever Regional Risk Assessment (RRA) for National Forest System lands under the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has been completed and approved for use by biomass producers, providing a comprehensive framework for sustainable biomass sourcing across all forests administered by the USDA Forest Service (USFS) in the contiguous U.S. SBP-endorsed RRAs are crucial for identifying and mitigating risks associated with the sustainable sourcing of feedstock for biomass and woodchip production, opening significant opportunities in markets with strict sustainability requirements, such as Europe and Asia. By expanding access to these markets, this interim risk assessment provides a unique opportunity that balances conservation goals with economic and renewable energy development. Typically, RRAs analyze specific geographic regions, provinces or states. This RRA is unique in that it took the innovative approach of considering the vast and unique network of National Forests in the United States as one region, providing a targeted and specific review.   

Read More

How a worm perpetuated wildfires in northern Minnesota

By Kyeland Jackson
The Minnesota Star Tribune
May 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Wildfires are burning through thousands of acres of forest in Northern Minnesota damaging buildings and forcing residents to evacuate their homes. The yet-to-be-contained Camp House fire, Jenkins Creek fire and Munger Shaw fire have a small accomplice to thank for their continued destruction: spruce budworms, a well-known pest that has terrorized Minnesota forests for at least half a century, killing trees and making them more susceptible to fire. The fires’ other helper? Humans. “Spruce budworm’s largest impact, in my opinion, is that it can help perpetuate dense stands of balsam fir on the landscape that are fire prone,” said Mike Reinikainen, a silviculture program consultant with the state’s Department of Natural Resources’ forestry division. Much of the area was infected by spruce budworms, whose infestations worsened the Greenwood fire near Isabella, Minn. in 2021.

Read More

Zinke and Neguse Introduce Bill to Extend Successful Forest Management Program

By the Office of Ryan Zinke
Montana Outdoor
May 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Ryan Zinke (R-MT-01) and Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) introduced the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) Program Reauthorization Act of 2025, which would extend and expand a successful program focused on reducing wildfire risk, restoring forest health, and supporting rural economies through proven, locally driven strategies. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced companion legislation in the Senate. Originally authorized in 2009, the CFLR program is a model of how communities, industry partners, landowners, and local governments can work together to improve forest conditions and prevent catastrophic wildfires. In its first decade, CFLR projects treated and restored 5.7 million acres of forest, improved 1,000 miles of trails, and maintained over 25,000 miles of forest roads helping keep public lands open and safe.

Read More

Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

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

By Kate Cough
AP News
June 2, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US East

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… Maine landowners have so far been reluctant to participate in the forest carbon market. Reporting in 2022 found that only 3.5 percent of the state’s large landowners have made deals to sell their carbon, despite a market that has been around for decades. Small woodlot owners have also been reluctant to buy in, citing payments too low to justify the costs of complying with rigorous standards. The law will not require landowners to report on the financial value of the credits,  and will redact personal identifying information from reports and public records requests.

Read More

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.”

Read More

Georgia offers carbon credits for mass timber projects. How it works.

By Margaret Walker
The Telegraph
May 16, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States, US East

Georgia is the first state in the nation to create a carbon registry program that rewards sustainable building practices with carbon credits, with goals to boost both the state’s environment and economy equally. And while only one building project has made it to the registry since the program started, those who helped start the program are confident more developments in the Peach State will start taking advantage of the program soon. The Georgia Carbon Sequestration Registry, first developed in 2008, was originally created to help landowners certify the carbon stored in their forests. But as Georgia kept rapidly growing, lawmakers saw an opportunity to expand the registry’s impact, changing it to allow for financial incentive for constructing developments with mass timber. In 2021, legislation passed that gave the Georgia Forestry Commission a year to write the protocol for the amended carbon registry.

Read More

Health & Safety

Southern Forest Products Association Announces 2024 Sawmill Safety Award Recipients

The Southern Forest Products Association
May 14, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US East

The Southern Forest Products Association has announced the recipients of the John Edgar Rhodes 2024 Sawmill Safety Excellence Awards. The SFPA Safety Awards embody the impact, dedication, and legacy of the Association’s founding leader, John Edgar Rhodes. The seven award recipients represent a record of 1,883,749 total hours worked among 757 employees – achieving safety excellence with zero reported incidents. This is the fourth year in a row where at least seven member mills reported zero incidents. SFPA Lumber Manufacturer members are considered for the award based on standardized information submitted using OSHA Form 300A – the Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. This form offers a yearly snapshot of workplace safety by reporting the number of work-related injuries and illnesses at each facility. Awards are presented in three divisions, and safety performance is judged by how each mill’s safety record stacks up against facilities with comparable lumber output throughout the year.

Read More

Forest Fires

3 wildfires continue raging in northeastern Minnesota; 20K acres burnt so far

By Stephen Swanson, David Shuman & Jason Rantala
CBS News
May 13, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: United States, US East

Crews continue to battle three wildfires on Tuesday in northeastern Minnesota, all with zero containment. St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay says the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service expect Tuesday to be another “heavy fire day” with more “dangerous conditions.” Leanne Langeberg with the Minnesota Interagency Fire Center said since Sunday, crews have responded to about 80 wildfires across the state amid “uncommonly dry fuels and warm temperatures” from a multi-day stretch of red flag conditions. On Monday, Gov. Tim Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard, which will use its Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters to aid in the fire fight. …The governor says the state typically sees just more than 1,100 wildfires a year on more than 37,000 acres, but 970 have already happened in 2025 — with 40 each on Sunday and Monday.

Read More