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Business & Politics

ThirdGen Timber Group Acquires Majority Stake in Canadian Timberframes

By ThirdGen Timber Group
Cision Newswire
November 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

MUSKOKA, Ontario and GOLDEN, BC – ThirdGen Timber Group, parent company of True North Log & Timber Homes and Legacy North Construction Management, has announced that it has acquired a majority stake in Canadian Timberframes, one of Canada’s most respected and established timber frame manufacturers. This transformational partnership brings together Canada’s leading log and timber manufacturers. …Mark Wrightman, Co-Owner of ThirdGen Timber Group, “Together, we’re building the most complete log and timber offering in North America — expanding our ability to deliver complex projects, innovate in sustainable design, and create new opportunities for our people and partners.” …Jeff Bowes, President of Canadian Timberframes, “By joining ThirdGen Timber Group, we can expand our reach and capabilities while continuing to deliver the exceptional projects we’re known for.”

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U.S. Lumber Coalition and American Loggers Council Blast Canadian Subsidies, Call on Trump to Increase Tariffs

By Zoltan van Heyningen
The US Lumber Coalition, American Loggers Council
November 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

WASHINGTON, DC – New Brunswick Premier Holt announced on Monday that yet another subsidy package is coming from the Canadian federal government to prop up Canada’s massive excess lumber production capacity. “By pouring on yet more subsidies, Canada is making it perfectly clear that they are looking to circumvent U.S. trade measures, and neutralize President Trump’s Section 232 measures, imposed specifically to address Canada’s unfair trade in lumber. This cat and mouse game has to stop now,” stated Zoltan van Heyningen, Executive Director. “We urge President Trump to increase tariff measures on unfairly traded Canadian lumber until Canada gets the message that subsidies for its industry to the detriment of our industry are not tolerated,” added van Heyningen. “This is an issue of survival, prosperity, and growth of U.S. manufacturing, in local communities, and state economies nationwide.”

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The fault lines in B.C.’s ‘Go West’ economic plan

By Kirk LaPointe
Business in Vancouver
November 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The BC NDP’s new Go West agenda bills itself as the most ambitious economic strategy in a generation. It purports to be a 10-year sprint for “nation-building” projects, a magnet for $200 billion in private investment, swifter permits and a pipeline of skilled workers to fill the gaps. On paper, it suggests a province ready to grow up economically, and not a moment too soon. Public finances are a shambles. Investment eludes us. As critical industries, mining is mired, energy is enervated, forestry is forlorn. …Premier David Eby calls Look West part of his new “relentless and remorseless” approach. …The problem is how development actually works in a province bound by geography, litigation and a fragile relationship with Indigenous nations. …Many of the promised terminals, ports, transmission lines and mining corridors have been queued for years. …Bill 15, which lets cabinet declare “provincially significant” projects, might speed things up but raises legal risks.

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Large fire breaks out at former sawmill on banks of Fraser River in Delta, BC

By Cheryl Chan
The Vancouver Sun
November 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC — A large fire broke out on the banks of the Fraser River in Delta on Thursday morning. Fire crews from Delta and Surrey were called between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. to the former sawmill under demolition north of the Alex Fraser Bridge on Alaska Way. The land is owned by the Port of Vancouver and the organization confirmed the fire is at the site of the former mill. There are currently no impacts to port operations. …The fire broke out on the site of the former Acorn mill, which stopped operations after a blaze in April 2024. The sawmill was built in 1963 and was acquired by forestry giant Interfor in 2001. It was used primarily to cut specialty timber for traditional Japanese home construction. In 2022, the mill was purchased by San Group, a Langley-based forestry firm. The company filed for creditor protection last November.

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Lumber Tariffs Are Killing My Logging Town

By Surinderpal Rathor, Mayor of Williams Lake
Maclean’s Magazine
November 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Surinderpal Rathor

I moved from Punjab to Williams Lake, B.C., in 1974. At age 21. …Williams Lake is an industry town at heart. When you drive in, you see stacks of processed wood in the lumber factories and massive trucks rumbling to nearby mines. A railway that transports our products to the rest of Canada runs through the town. …Since then, it’s grown to become the biggest industry in our region. …Much of the wood from Williams Lake gets sold across the border. …For a long time, the US has been Canada’s best customer for wood, but it may be time to diversify our customer base. In a twisted way, the tariff has been a wake-up call to reduce our reliance on the US and think seriously about developing our Asian export market. The practice of selling primarily to the US hasn’t been sustainable for a while, and it’s time to finally do something about it.

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Millworkers heartbroken over West Fraser-100 Mile Lumber closure

By Patrick Davies
100 Mile House Free Press
November 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

West Fraser-100 Mile Lumber employees like Kris Taylor are taking each day as it comes, following the announcement of the closure of their mill. Taylor is one of 165 West Fraser employees who were informed that they’ll be losing their jobs by the end of the year. He said receiving the news was absolutely devastating for him and his coworkers. …Despite how it’s ending, Taylor said he still looks back on his time with West Fraser fondly. …“I would like to thank West Fraser for giving me the opportunities I dreamt of”. …Taylor said for those who have been there for more than 40 years, he predicts they’ll just retire early. People like him, who still have families, will struggle with this change. …He did note that West Fraser is working to come up with a list of jobs at other mills they could potentially transfer to. 

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Fraser Valley has prefab potential despite slow market, says board

By Jami Makan
The Richmond News
November 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

©Fast+Epp

The Fraser Valley is in pole position to adopt prefabrication and other innovative construction methods despite the current market downturn, says a new report. There is a fundamental need for faster, “smarter” housing delivery, according to an Oct. 30 report by the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB). …The FVREB report gives nine policy recommendations to accelerate prefab adoption. Chief among them is the need to harmonize municipal zoning. …The FVREB report highlights mass timber prefabrication as a particularly promising technology, saying it’s “a key component in off-site building methods.” One Metro Vancouver mass timber company with Fraser Valley projects says benefits include sustainability, suitability for prefabrication and quicker installation. But challenges include the need for wider education about how mass timber works differently as a structural system. …Coquitlam-based Seagate Mass Timber’s current projects in the Fraser Valley include a 92,000-square-foot covered soccer field.

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Nova Scotia Forestry Innovation Transition Trust commits $1.8M for forestry innovation projects

By Jennifer Heudes
CTV News
November 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

The Nova Scotia Forestry Innovation Transition Trust is investing $1.8 million to assist private landowners and forest contractors in finding new markets for underutilized wood fibre and to support sustainable forestry management. According to a news release, the Association for Sustainable Forestry will use $800,000 over the next year to help private landowners and forest contractors find new and more efficient ways of harvesting, transporting and selling low-grade fibre. It will also help reduce the risk of wildfires through the removal of material that would normally be left on the forest floor. …“With this funding, we will be able to help them actively manage their woodlots,” said Todd Burgess, of Forest Nova Scotia. …Forest Nova Scotia will use $1 million over two years to help woodlot owners develop and maintain access roads into their woodlots. The funding will allow owners to harvest more wood and lower the risk of wildfires.

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Nova Scotia government to bid on Northern Pulp assets

By Michael Gorman
CBC News
November 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

The Nova Scotia government will bid on the assets of Northern Pulp, which include extensive timberlands. Potential bidders had a deadline of Nov. 20 to declare their intentions. Government officials confirmed the plan. The Northern Pulp mill at Abercrombie Point in Pictou County ceased operations in January 2020 after the company failed to get environmental approval for a new effluent treatment facility. …In August, a BC Supreme Court Justice approved an initial bid of $104 million for the company assets, which include about 162,000 hectares of timberland, and a nursery and seed orchard in Debert. That initial bid from an Ontario-based company called Macer Forest Holdings Inc., would have stood up in the absence of any other parties declaring an interest by Thursday’s deadline. With the provincial government making it at least two parties in the process, Macer’s bid will be the starting point for an auction to be held Nov. 27.

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Suspension of operations at Arbec OSB mill in Amos, Quebec reignites urgency for a forest industry strategy

Unifor Canada
November 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

AMOS, Quebec – Unifor Quebec has responded with anger and concern in the wake of the announcement by Arbec Forest Products that it will suspend operations at its OSB mill in Amos for an indefinite period starting December 20. This decision will impact nearly 100 workers. “Behind every ‘market analysis’ and every ‘difficult decision,’ there are families losing their income, communities becoming poorer, and a region once again facing uncertainty about its future,” said Unifor Quebec director Daniel Cloutier.  According to information provided by the employer, the company is suspending operations, not dismantling the mill, and the assets will be maintained and secured. Unifor sees clear potential for Arbec’s facilities in Amos and insists that every effort must be made to ensure their recovery. Unifor points out that this announcement comes on top of a series of closures, slowdowns and suspensions in the forestry sector that have particularly impacted regions of Quebec. 

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Struggling northeastern Ont. paper mill to secure more federal funding

By Aya Dufour
iPolitics
November 17, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Kap Paper expects another round of support from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) will be announced shortly. The company’s CEO, Terry Skiffington, told a House committee that the tens of millions of dollars of government loans secured this fall will only keep the plant going until the end of 2025. Kap Paper obtained a $10-million conditional repayable loan from FedNor on October 31, and some $27-million in loans from the province since the beginning of the year. Skiffington said there are talks underway with both the provincial and federal governments to keep operations going into next year. …Skiffington says Kap Paper is racing against the clock to reinvent itself, moving away from traditional pulp and paper products and betting on advanced building materials. “There is a market,” he said. …The plan is to replace existing manufacturing lines with completely new ones over a 30 month period.

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King, Collins Urgently Request Certainty on Tariffs for Maine’s Forest Products Industry

By Angus King and Susan Collins
Office of Angus King
November 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Angus King

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are urgently requesting tariff relief for Maine’s forest products industry. …The Maine forest products industry is deeply interconnected with Canada. Last year alone, Maine exported roughly 2 million tons of wood. Similarly, and within the same time frame, Maine imported 2.3 million tons of wood. …“We are aware that the Administration is considering measures to provide aid to agricultural industries that cannot weather the headwinds in global markets as a result of the tariffs. Accordingly, we believe that the forestry products industry should be eligible and included in any relief program. …“In closing, we are supportive of the Administration’s goal to strengthen domestic manufacturing and the U.S. forestry industry. However, as trade negotiations continue, we ask that you provide prompt relief to our hardworking forestry product manufacturers so they can thrive now and for years to come,” the Senators concluded.

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U.S. Lumber Coalition Responds to Governor Healey Misstatements Regarding Softwood Lumber

By Zoltan van Heyningen
The US Lumber Coalition
November 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Zoltan van Heyningen

WASHINGTON — Massachusetts Governor Healey recently echoed misleading talking points by Canada and the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) that US duties and tariffs against unfairly traded Canadian lumber imports cause housing pricing affordability issues. …The US Lumber Coalition is urging Governor Healey to reconsider siding with Canada and its well known and documented unfair and harmful trade practices against hundreds of thousands of US workers, thousands of US forestry dependent communities, millions of private U.S. landowners, and hundreds of US lumber companies. …”Governor Healey, like all US governors, should be for US industry and workers, and should understand the facts before taking sides with foreign industries,” stated Zoltan van Heyningen. …”The Governor and her staff would do well to understand that… it is Canadian softwood lumber companies who pay virtually all of the duties and tariffs, not U.S. consumers. 

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Domtar reports waste leak at Domtar Park

By Jorgelina Manna-Rea
Kingsport Times News
November 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

KINGSPORT, Tennessee — About 300 gallons of waste leaked from Domtar’s mill site to Domtar Park, according to Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation documents. Of the 300 gallons of waste, which included liquids and solids, about 150 gallons were recovered. The mill’s 25-acre lagoon was lowered four to six inches as a precautionary measure in response to the leak, Domtar told the Times News. In its letter to TDEC, Domtar said no detrimental effects were observed to the property or the environment due to the “organic nature” of the lagoon’s contents. Domtar also said it believed the waste found at Domtar Park was “partially” treated through its wastewater treatment process. “The leak did not reach waters of the state and Domtar representatives indicated mitigation was taking place. No further action was taken by the department,” said TDEC spokesperson Jennifer Donnals in a statement to Six Rivers Media.

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USDA helps Timber Professionals Cooperative Enterprises expand sawmill in Shawano County, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Politics News Service
November 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

STEVENS POINT, Wisconsin – USDA Rural Development Wisconsin State Director Andrew Iverson announced the Timber Professionals Cooperative Enterprises (TPCE) will use a Rural Development loan of $800,000 to re-open and expand the former Hoffman Wood Fiber sawmill in Shawano County. This investment is through the Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP). TPCE will use guaranteed loan funds to purchase over 49 acres of real estate and equipment. The equipment will allow TCPE to improve the efficiency of manufacturing wood chips. The project also includes plans to expand capabilities of the site to manufacture new, higher-value products from the same raw materials. The project will create six jobs. …TPCE plans to implement a detailed process to improve productivity involving processes in the wood yard and chip mill. Installation of an automatic log feed deck will help increase production from 2,500 to 4,000 tons per month.

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Hampton Lumber represents $225 million investment, creates at least 125 new jobs

By Michael DeWitt
The Bluffton Today
November 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Henry McMaster

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster visited the Lowcountry last week to participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking for a project that developers say will bring at least 125 new jobs to one of the most poor and rural areas of the state. On Nov. 5, Gov. McMaster, representatives of the SouthernCarolina Alliance (SCA), and other state and local partners joined Hampton Lumber officials as they broke ground on a 375,000-square-foot lumber mill in Fairfax, which is located in Allendale County, not far from Hampton County. …”Hampton Lumber’s new operation in Allendale County will be a notable addition to our state’s forestry industry, while also providing opportunities for our people and contributing to the local economy,” said Gov. McMaster. …Hampton Lumber officials say the company will construct a “state-of-the-art,” 375,000-square-foot lumber mill. The new operation will specialize in producing quality Southern Yellow Pine framing lumber.

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Timber industry groups unite over illegal wood imports

By Stephen Powney
The Timber Trades Journal
November 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

EU and UK timber industry organisations have declared their “unwavering commitment” against imports of Russian and Belarusian wood products. In an announcement published on the TDUK website, CEI-Bois (European Confederation of Woodworking Industries), ETTF (European Timber Trade Federation), EOS (European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry), and TDUK (Timber Development UK) – have signed the united statement reaffirming the EU and UK woodworking industry’s and wood traders’ strong and unwavering commitment to complying with applicable legislation governing the import of wood products from Russia or Belarus. …Sanctions on wood from Russia and Belarus were introduced years ago, yet residual quantities of prohibited wood regrettably remain in circulation in Europe. …“Our message is clear: the EU and UK wood industry value chain is united in its determination not to import Russian and Belarusian wood. Integrity is a core value of our industry, and we reject illegal and unethical practices by any company.”

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Finance & Economics

Canada housing starts fall 17% in October

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
November 18, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

OTTAWA – The six-month trend in housing starts decreased (3%) in October (268,907 units), according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). …The total monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada was down 17% in October (232,765 units) compared to September (279,174 units). “Both the six-month trend in housing starts and the SAAR were pushed lower in October by significantly lower monthly starts in Ontario and British Columbia. However, higher starts in markets like Montréal, Calgary, and Edmonton continue to keep national year-to-date elevated compared to the same period last year. While these results are generally reflective of investment decisions made months or even years ago, they also highlight persistent and significant regional contrasts in housing construction trends across the country,” said Tania Bourassa-Ochoa, CMHC’s Deputy Chief Economist.

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US Existing Home Sales Rise in October

By Fan-Yu Kuo
NAHB Eye on Housing
November 20, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Existing home sales rose to an eight-month high in October as buyers took advantage of lower mortgage rates, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Resale inventory improved from a year ago but remained below pre-pandemic levels. Relatively tight supply continued to push home prices higher and challenge housing affordability. …Mortgage rates hovered between 6.5% and 7% earlier this year due to economic and tariff uncertainty. However, with the Fed resuming rate cuts in September, mortgage rates have fallen gradually. As of October 30th, the average mortgage rate decreased to 6.17%, the lowest in over a year. …Total existing home sales, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops, rose 1.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.10 million in October, the highest level since February. On a year-over-year basis, sales were 1.7% higher than a year ago.

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Builder Sentiment Relatively Flat in November as Market Headwinds Persist

By Robert Dietz, Chief Economist
NAHB Eye on Housing
November 18, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Market uncertainty exacerbated by the government shutdown along with economic uncertainty stemming from tariffs and rising construction costs kept builder confidence firmly in negative territory in November. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes rose one point to 38 in November, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). While lower mortgage rates are a positive development for affordability conditions, many buyers remain hesitant because of the recent record-long government shutdown and concerns over job security and inflation. We continue to see demand-side weakness as a softening labor market and stretched consumer finances are contributing to a difficult sales environment. After a decline for single-family housing starts in 2025, NAHB is forecasting a slight gain in 2026 as builders continue to report future sales conditions in marginally positive territory.

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Suzano–Kimberly-Clark joint venture will not impact pulp volumes on the market, executive says

Tissue Online
November 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

Suzano, the world’s largest pulp producer and Kimberly-Clark formed this year a global joint venture in the tissue market, with operations in more than 70 countries and a US$ 1.734 billion investment. …“We have spoken with three to four manufacturers about shifting from a verticalized model to an integrated model with Suzano, but nothing is definitive. If it happens, we will remove volume from lower-margin markets to supply these clients,” said Leonardo Grimaldi. …Grimaldi emphasized that the joint venture will not affect the pulp volumes the company sells on the market. …According to the company, 15% of global short-fiber pulp production currently operates with negative margins, a percentage even higher for long fiber. In this context, Grimaldi described the current price level as “unsustainable” and expects an increase in permanent closures or unplanned maintenance shutdowns in the second half of the year.

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China Tightens Recycled Pulp Import Restrictions: Global Ripple Effects on Paper and Recycling Industries

ResourceWise Forest Products Blog
November 20, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

China’s recent environmental policy shift is transforming the global recycled pulp market. After years of tightening restrictions on solid waste imports, China has now expanded its scope even further by banning certain types of recycled pulp. This development highlights the country’s ongoing goal to eliminate “foreign garbage” and improve the quality and sustainability of its locally produced paper. …In January 2021, China fully implemented the National Sword policy — a sweeping ban on most solid waste imports, including unsorted and recycled paper. …In October 2025, China took its environmental agenda a step further by targeting specific types of recycled pulp — particularly those processed through dry-milling techniques. …The new restrictions have rippled across the global paper recycling supply chain. Exporters that previously relied on China’s massive demand are scrambling to find alternative markets, while Chinese paper producers face delays and shortages in pulp supply.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Michigan officials announce mass timber project initiatives

By Dakota Smith
Woodworking Network
November 21, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

LANSING, Michigan — Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources, along with Michigan State University, the Michigan Green Building Collaborative and WoodWorks, have announced a new initiative program for mass timber projects being built in the state. …Although mass timber is not yet produced in Michigan, construction using mass timber has grown significantly. That increased demand, combined with Michigan’s forest resource signals significant potential for mass timber manufacture here. …The new program provides financial and technical support to project teams engaged in the early planning and design phases of new projects that use mass timber as a primary structural or architectural material. …Project teams that receive awards – ranging from $25,000 to $75,000 – will participate in a cohort led by MassTimber@MSU and WoodWorks. …“WoodWorks is proud to partner with the Michigan Mass Timber Catalyst Program to accelerate the adoption of mass timber for new construction projects throughout Michigan,” said Jennifer Cover, CEO of WoodWorks.

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Biodegradable glitter solution proposed to combat microplastics

By Jonathan Pert
Print Monthly
November 21, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Futamura, a Japanese manufacturer of cellulose films and packaging products, has announced a solution to help reduce the quantities of microplastics generated from glitter products. Microplastics are defined as plastic particles less than 5mm in size, which can be either intentionally manufactured at that size (primary microplastics) or created when larger plastic items break down (secondary microplastics). Glitter has been particularly criticised in recent years for its contribution to microplastic pollution in oceans and soil. According to Futamura, biodegradable glitter can be created from its NatureFlex materials [wood pulp], which will safely degrade in the environment it was disposed of after use without producing harmful microplastics. …Currently, glitter based on conventional plastics can still be sold into cosmetic applications due to a transition period granted under the EU’s Microplastics Regulation. However, once this period ends cosmetic applications will also be banned.

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UK Wood Awards 2025 winners announced

By David Hopkins, Timber Development UK
The Timber Trades Journal
November 21, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

A transformation of the Natural History Museum’s grounds, including a new café and education building, has been named the UK’s best new timber project, having won the Gold Award at the Wood Awards 2025 last night. …Combining a Douglas fir glulam timber frame with a load-bearing masonry façade, the café features a stepped roof with a glazed lantern and openable panels for natural ventilation. …The Urban Nature Project timber structures were designed by Feilden Fowles in collaboration with timber design specialist Xylotek, and structural engineering by engineers HRW. …“The UK’s long and proud tradition of timber construction is powerfully reflected in this year’s Gold Award winner,” said David Hopkins, CEO of Timber Development UK. Other winners on the night were: Bespoke Award: A Forest Datum; Interior Design Award: Pine Health; Residential: Chowdhury Walk; Commercial Award: New Wave House; Sustainability Award: New Wave House; and Production Furniture Award: The Levity Collection.

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The use of a rare wood pits violinists against environmentalists

The Economist
November 19, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

BRAZIL — In 2017 a french auctioneer sold a 200-year-old violin bow made by François Xavier Tourte, regarded as the Antonio Stradivari of bow-making, for a record $687,000. Tourte was among the first to make consistent use of a raw material that is still prized today for the best bows: pernambuco, or brazilwood. …And that’s a problem. Logging, urban sprawl and ranching have shrunk Brazil’s Atlantic forest, the tree’s habitat, to an eighth of its former area. …Brazil’s government wants cites to list the trees among the most endangered species, giving them the highest protection. …The proposal has spooked practitioners of Tourte’s craft and the musicians who depend on it. …It should be possible to save both brazilwood and bows. Around 3m trees have been planted since the early 1970s, some with the help of bow-makers. Some of these could be harvested after 30-40 years. [to access the full story an Economist subscription is required]

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Forestry

Mapping the climate niches of forest insects and diseases in Canada under current and future climate

By John Pedlar, Daniel McKenney & Glenn Lawrence
Nature
November 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States

Insects and diseases are important disturbance agents in Canadian forests and there is concern that their impacts will intensify under climate change. Here we report on an effort to model and map the climate niches of more than 4000 forest insect and fungus species in Canada – including high-profile pest species that are already, or may soon become, established in the country. This work employs occurrence data from historical, national-scale forest insect and disease surveys. …We further employ national forest inventory products (gridded maps) to summarize forest host volumes at risk of infestation by selected insect and disease species. …We demonstrate use of the products through examples, including brown spruce longhorn beetle, southern pine beetle, oak wilt, and map overlays that show hotspots for bark beetles under current and projected climate. We hope this tool will help pest managers to better understand how these species may respond to projected climate change.

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BC Green Party leader joins Prince George protest against old-growth logging

By Matthew Hillier
The Prince George Citizen
November 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Emily Lowan

PRINCE GEORGE, BC — More than 30 people took part in a demonstration outside the BC Ministry of Forests office in Prince George on Tuesday, Nov. 18 to show their animosity toward the continued logging of old-growth forests in the province. Among the protesters at the Ospika Bouleveard office was BC Green Party Leader Emily Lowan. …“We’ve seen massive backsliding from the province,” said Lowan. “From the minister of forests on the protection of primary forests. We’re seeing a continuation of decades of neglect, of a rip-it-and-ship-it mentality in the province that is purely driven by the profit motive rather than protecting critical primary and old-growth forests.” …Lowan emphasized how large forestry monopolies and the province’s continued old-growth cutting may have further consequences for small and medium-sized forestry businesses in the North.

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Protests held province-wide urging forestry reform, targeting B.C. Timber Sales

By Tom Summer
CBC News
November 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

©SaveOldGrowthForests

©WestKootenayH20shed

BC non-profits calling for protection of old growth organized protests across the province Tuesday. …They feel the status quo, and the logging of old-growth forests in particular, increases wildfire and flood risk. Rallies were held by environmentalist groups in 10 communities, including Save What’s Left Conservation Society in Nelson and Conservation North in Prince George. …Michelle Connolly, at Conservation North, says logging in old-growth deferral areas has been more aggressive. “It’s almost like it was targeted. …UBC forestry professor Lori Daniels feels there still needs to be some management in old growth and primary forest to remove fuels that increase wildfire risk. …The Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society has proposed what they call the “New Forestry Act” — a framework that would dramatically reduce the AAC to just 20 million cubic metres. …Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said he’s “proud of the work that we’re doing to strike the balance.

In related news:

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Trump administration seeks to roll back protections for imperiled species and their habitat

By Matthew Brown and Susan Montoya Bryan
The Associated Press
November 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

BILLINGS, Montana — President Trump’s administration moved Wednesday to roll back protections for imperiled species and the places they live, reviving a suite of changes to Endangered Species Act regulations from the Republican’s first term that were blocked under former Democratic President Joe Biden. The proposed changes include the elimination of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s “blanket rule” that automatically protects animals and plants when they are classified as threatened. Government agencies instead would have to craft species-specific rules for protections, a potentially lengthy process. The administration’s announcement answers longstanding calls for revisions to the Endangered Species Act from Republicans in Congress and industries including oil and gas, mining and agriculture. Critics argue the landmark 1973 environmental law has been wielded too broadly, to the detriment of economic growth. But environmentalists warned the changes could cause yearslong delays in efforts to save species such as the California spotted owl.

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EPA & Army Corps Unveil Clear, Durable WOTUS Proposal

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
November 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

WASHINGTON – US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced a proposed rule that would establish a clear, durable, common-sense definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. The proposal follows the Supreme Court decision in Sackett and delivers on the Trump Administration’s commitment to protect America’s waters while providing the regulatory certainty needed to support our nation’s farmers who feed and fuel the world and advance EPA’s Powering the Great American Comeback initiative. ….When finalized, the rule will cut red tape and provide predictability, consistency, and clarity for American industry, energy producers, the technology sector, farmers, ranchers, developers, businesses, and landowners for permitting under the Clean Water Act. …Here’s what people are saying: The American Forest and Paper Association thanked the administration… “for bringing clarity and predictability for U.S. manufacturing. This is welcome news for the US paper manufacturing industry.”  

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Trump deal with China hands lifeline to Alaska timber

By Marc Heller
E&E Greenwire
November 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, International

The timber industry built around the Tongass National Forest in Alaska got a boost from the Trump administration’s latest trade deal with China. In settling part of its trade battles, China agreed to accept imports of US sawlogs for the first time since banning them in March due to worries about insect pests. The resumption of exports — effective Nov. 12 — would help companies like Alcan Forest Products in Ketchikan, which for years has sold unprocessed logs to China. The latest agreement lasts one year, said Tessa Axelson, executive director of the Alaska Forest Association. A 10% tariff on products from both countries would still apply. …Southeast Alaska’s timber industry relies heavily on the nearly 17-million-acre Tongass, although most of the forest is off-limits to logging. Federal law allows the export of unprocessed logs, a practice long banned elsewhere to protect the domestic lumber processing industry. [to access the full story an E&ENews subscription is required]

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Lawsuit Seeks Final Protection for California Spotted Owls

The Center for Biological Diversity
November 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

SAN FRANCISCO— The Center for Biological Diversity, represented by Earthjustice, sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for failing to finalize Endangered Species Act protections for California spotted owls. “The survival of the California spotted owl hangs by a thread and they desperately need protections,” said Noah Greenwald, at the Center for Biological Diversity. …In February 2023 the agency proposed protecting spotted owls in southern California as endangered and those in the Sierra Nevada as threatened, starting the clock on a one-year deadline to finalize protections. Those decisions are now more than two years overdue. The Center and partners first petitioned to protect the owls 25 years ago. …The U.S. Forest Service and the timber industry have instituted some protections for the spotted owl’s habitat, but damaging clearcutting and salvage logging persist. Combined with the increased risk of severe fire, these practices are resulting in continued loss of habitat.

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Forest board’s poor decision is another hit to timber-reliant communities’ livelihood

By Joel McEntire, R-Cathiamet
The Chronicle
November 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Joel McEntire

The Washington Forest Practices Board’s recent approval of the rule requiring buffers along streams is another devastating hit to Washington’s rural timber-reliant counties, and one they cannot afford. It is an insult to our communities, their schools, libraries and hospitals, and to anyone whose livelihood is connected to sustainable forest management. …The laws of our forests, fish and streams have been under the Forests and Fish Law since 1999. …For more than 25 years, the Forests and Fish Law has guided responsible forest management across Washington state. …The board’s new rule has brought many in the original coalition out of the woodwork. They, along with many others, including legislators from both sides of the aisle, have let the board know the rule is greatly flawed and needs to go back through the adaptive process. …Keep in mind that Commissioner Dave Upthegrove announced that the state was putting aside 77,000 acres for conservation.

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Minnesota forest management dispute hinges on age of aspen when it’s cut

By Dennis Anderson
The Minnesota Star Tribune
November 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Minnesota Forest Industries executive vice president Rick Horton argues in this second installment of my interview with him that loggers don’t determine the age of aspen that is cut on state lands, the Department of Natural Resources does. The conflict is one of a handful of flashpoints that arose after the federal government withheld more than $20 million from the DNR for failing to document wildlife benefits of logging on state wildlife management areas — a controversy about which the Legislative Auditor also issued a critical report. In my November 14 column, I quoted a retired DNR forest wildlife planner and a retired DNR forester who said the state’s timber industry’s influence over the DNR threatens forest wildlife. Headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota Forest Industries represents the state’s approximately 69,000 Minnesotans who cut timber and manufacture lumber, siding and other wood and paper products. 

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Council ready to start talks with Parliament on a targeted revision of the deforestation regulation

Council of European Union
November 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The Council of European Union adopted its negotiating mandate on a targeted revision of the EU regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR). The aim is to simplify the implementation of the existing rules and to postpone their application to allow operators, traders and authorities to prepare adequately. …The Council supports the Commission’s targeted simplification of the due diligence process. The Council also pushes to introduce a uniform one-year postponement of the application of the regulation for all operators, until 30 December 2026, with an extra six-month cushion for micro and small operators. …The mandate maintains and adds on the simplification measures originally proposed by the Commission, focusing on reducing administrative burdens while preserving the objectives of the regulation. …The Council will start negotiations with the European Parliament in order to reach a final agreement in the coming weeks and before the current EUDR becomes applicable as of 30 December 2025.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Federal budget fails to mandate climate disclosures, warns accountants group

By Stefan Labbé
Business in Vancouver
November 20, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

Canada’s latest federal budget has earmarked tens of billion dollars over the next decade to kick-start the country’s clean economy. But according to a national association of accountants, it has failed to adopt national climate disclosure standards to transparently assess what will work. The latest federal budget lays out federal government spending through a new Climate Competitiveness Strategy. It earmarks a rolling $2 billion toward a Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund and $6 billion for a Build Communities Stronger Fund (over 10 years) to build and retrofit local infrastructure and clean energy projects. …It also seeks to create and expand investment tax credits for clean electricity, technology and critical minerals. …But on Tuesday, Chartered Professional Accountants Canada CEO Pamela Steer warned the lack of consistent and verifiable financial disclosure measures means there’s no reliable way to understand how government spending truly reduces emissions.

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Ontario wants to bury carbon dioxide deep underground. Here’s what that means

By Olivia Bowden
The Narwhal
November 19, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

A new law, Bill 27, could allow for large-scale geologic carbon storage to reduce the emissions from industrial processes like natural gas power generation, cement and steel-making, but critics say it’s not a silver bullet. …Ontario’s associate minister Sam Oosterhoff is impressed by Suncor Energy. The company… “cares deeply about reducing emissions.” And Oosterhoff believes they should do it through a process known as carbon capture and storage. That’s why Ontario should pass new legislation that would enable this process for high-emitting industries like cement and steel. …Bruce Hart, an adjunct professor in earth sciences at Western University, said he’s optimistic about Ontario’s carbon storage plans, given the types of rock available in the southwestern part of the province. …Aly Hyder Ali, at Environmental Defence, characterizes it as a tactic that allows emitters to expand fossil fuel production, not a meaningful solution to climate change.

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COP30: Forests drive agricultural success, not conflict, report shows

UN FAO
November 19, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Belém, Brazil – Forests are at the heart of COP30 discussions in the Brazilian Amazon city of Belém. But less is said about how forests provide a vital support system for agriculture. Promoting synergies between the two is therefore essential for sustainable agrifood system transformation in the face of climate change, according to a report released today at COP30 in Brazil. Published jointly by the FAO, the Stockholm Environment Institute, Conservation International, and the Nature Conservancy, Climate and ecosystem service benefits of forests and trees for agriculture underscores how the often-overlooked services provided by forests and trees can strengthen agrifood systems. The report calls for policies, investment and better management to turn this evidence into action. The report draws on extensive research on how forests moderate temperatures, sustain rainfall and regulate the water cycle.

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Host Brazil pushes for progress on big issues at COP30 and some see cause for optimism

By Melian Walling, Seth Borenstein and Anton Delgado
The Associated Press
November 18, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

BELEM, Brazil — As United Nations climate talks bubble to a critical point, negotiators on Tuesday were pressured to ensure that oil — along with fossil fuels coal and natural gas — won’t be burned in the future. Although the conference is scheduled to run through Friday, the Brazilian presidency is pushing for an interconnected decision sooner on four issues. Meanwhile, dozens of nations banded together in a concerted call to deliver a detailed road map for the world to phase out or transition away from fossil fuels. …Much of it will come to a head on Wednesday, the deadline set by COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago for a decision on four issues that were initially excluded from the official agenda: whether countries should be told to toughen their new climate plans; details on handing out $300 billion in pledged climate aid; dealing with trade barriers over climate and improving reporting on transparency and climate progress.

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