Federal Minister Steven Guilbeault dangles big money and invites Quebec to negotiate on caribou. In related news: the Wet’suwet’en First Nation’s fight to save BC old forests; transforming Canadian forestry and helping First Nations prosper; US ENGO’s highlight support for old-growth protections; Minnesota is short on seeds and the people to collect them; and Google invests in forestry-based carbon credits.
In wildfire news: a NY Times’ piece on the shortage of wildfire fighters; more regulations not the answer to US wildfire risks; and Oregon is running out of money, warns its fire season is not over yet.
In Business news: BC Conservative leader touts his forestry credentials; Washington State’s timber industry is front and centre in the November election; California’s new Yuba biomass plant secures local financing; the significant role of UK’s waste wood industry; and the US Biochar Initiative names Myles Gray as its new Executive Director.
Finally, it’s National Forest Week in Canada—how will you celebrate?
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
VANCOUVER, BC – West Fraser Timber announced that it will indefinitely curtail its sawmill in Lake Butler, Florida by the end of this month. Today’s decision is the result of high fiber costs and soft lumber markets. The indefinite curtailment of Lake Butler Sawmill will impact approximately 130 employees and reduce West Fraser’s U.S. lumber capacity by approximately 110 million board feet. West Fraser expects to mitigate the impact on affected employees by providing work opportunities at other company operations. High fiber costs at Lake Butler and the current low-price commodity environment have impaired the ability to profitably operate the mill. The indefinite curtailment of Lake Butler sawmill better aligns our U.S. lumber capacity with demand. West Fraser anticipates taking an impairment charge in the third quarter of 2024 associated with the announcement.
The European Union has been a world leader on climate change, passing groundbreaking legislation to reduce noxious 
Prices of products manufactured in Canada, as measured by the Industrial Product Price Index (
The Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut last week has given prospective homebuyers something to celebrate: lower borrowing costs. …But while lower mortgage rates may translate to more buying power for homebuyers, America’s housing market woes aren’t likely to be solved solely by rate cuts. A shortage of homes for sale, combined with rising expenses like homeowners’ insurance and rent, have made the cost of both owning and renting a home in America increasingly unaffordable for many. …This shortage of homes has helped propel home prices to record highs. According to the National Association of Realtors, the median existing-home sales price was $416,700 in August, down slightly from the record high of $426,900 set in June. …There’s another reason: Many Americans bought homes in the years after the pandemic when rates were at historic lows. Many of those homeowners have been reluctant to sell and lose those cheap loans.
Toilet paper is a waste of Canada’s boreal forest, a U.S. environment group says. And now, more green options are hitting the market, according to its latest tissue and toilet paper 
Reconciliation is a provincial imperative, embedded in law, and there is real progress and change. In 2019, government passed the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act). …Through this work, government is building a province where Indigenous excellence, leadership, governance and self-determination are recognized and respected. …Reconciliation agreements [with significant forestry components] include:
INDIANA — Managing public lands is a balancing act. There are laws, policies, executive orders, local economies, visitor needs, climate change predictions, effects to threatened and endangered species, the protection of cultural resources and sensitive natural areas, tribal consultation, public input, and the latest science to consider when making decisions. …First, it must be noted that our forests are not pristine, nor are they static. Habitat loss and degradation have resulted in major bird declines, including ruffed grouse, American woodcock and a variety of songbirds. We need to reestablish a diversity of forest habitats, from young to old, with a variety of plant species and structural complexity to meet the needs of native wildlife. …We also need to consider the mix of tree species the forest needs on the landscape in the future, as some species are predicted to be more successful than others given our changing climate.
CALIFORNIA — Construction is moving forward on a biomass plant in California that has been trying to get greenlit for the past decade. In addition to generating energy for Californians, the plant is intended to help reduce the risk of wildfires spreading. The new plant will receive wood and other plant materials from nearby forest restoration and maintenance projects in the Yuba River watershed. …Biomass is not necessarily the cleanest form of renewable energy. Cutting down trees just to turn them into biomass, for example, is not environmentally friendly. However, in California’s case, the biomass would come from plant materials removed to aid in wildfire prevention, making the entire process much less wasteful. …The plant, which will cost $30 million in total, is being funded in part by $7 million and an $8.3 million low-interest loan from the Yuba Water Agency.
UK — Wood and coal-burning homes in the UK now produce more particle air pollution than the vehicles on our roads. …The campaign group Mums for Lungs have called for a ban on stove sales and a public health campaign, but government action is based on helping people to burn better rather than not burning at all. …Dr James Heydon from the University of Nottingham has carried out a 