Canada announced $694 million in NSERC funding for discovery and applied research: the University of BC, University of Northern BC and University of New Brunswick congratulate their award recipients. In other Business news: Ontario is urged to support its pulp & paper mills; Kamloops council urges fibre measures for BC’s forest sector; Billerud’s North America president is leaving; and RONA appoints JP Towner president and CEO.
In Forestry/Wildfire news: ENGOs say Canada’s biodiversity roadmap is not enough; Minister Guilbeault struggles to preserve BC’s spotted owls; caribou protection begets new BC park; Arizona grapples with restoration logging; Washington state closes in on new wildfire protection rules; and BC’s fire situation eases, as fires rage near Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.
Finally, Canada’s housing starts hit highest level in seven months.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
Canada announced $693.8 million in funding for discovery and applied research. The lion’s share, more than $554 million, will flow through the NSERC 
MCKENZIE, BC — Conifex Timber will appeal the ruling of the BC Supreme Court upholding a government decision that
VANCOUVER — West Fraser Timber has declared a quarterly dividend of US$0.32 per share on the Common shares and Class B Common shares in the capital of the Company, payable on July 12, 2024 to shareholders of record on June 26, 2024. The quarterly dividend has been increased from the prior US$0.30 per share in light of the share count reduction resulting from execution of recent normal course issuer bids. “We are pleased to increase our dividend this quarter,” said Sean McLaren, West Fraser’s President and CEO. “A sustainable quarterly dividend is a key priority within our capital allocation strategy.”
Lumber prices rebounded toward $500 per thousand board feet, moving away from the eight-month low of $488 observed from June 4th as the latest US data lifted the demand outlook. Softer-than-expected US inflation data, which bolstered expectations for multiple Federal Reserve rate cuts this year, added further optimism for reduced mortgage rates amid a sharp decline in US Treasury yields. Still, housing starts continued to struggle amid high rates and home prices continue to weigh on home builders. Mortgage rates remained above 7% for over two months, while building permits in the US sank for a second straight month in April, limiting the outlook for wood and housing construction materials.
HELSINKI — European softwood production declined by 6.4% in 2023 to 80,894,000m3 with a further slight drop expected in 2024, according to the European Organisation of the Sawmilling Industry (EOS). The figures were presented at the EOS summer General Assembly in Helsinki on June 12-13. The forecast for 2024 is 79,459.000m3, which if accurate will be the lowest production output for EOS countries for about nine years. But the EOS says there is hope in the industry that the market will bottom out this year. Production shrunk by 5-10% across EOS member countries in 2023, with the decline in turnover much more sizable. Overseas the situation was equally difficult with subdued exports across the board with the exception of the US. Increasing sawnwood deliveries to the US have helped some European sawmills navigate this challenging environment. “Many countries have emphasized a disconnect between subdued sawnwood prices and high raw material prices,” said the EOS. 
On January 1, 2024, Canada’s Parliament passed the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act. This important piece of legislation is a vital response to global concerns about the prevalence of forced and child labour worldwide and helps Canada – and Canadian businesses – meet international treaty obligations, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. As part of the Act, all Canadian businesses over a certain size must submit a report to the federal Minister of Public Safety by May 31 each year, detailing the steps taken to ensure that their business supply chains are free of forced labour or child labour. As part of the Paper Excellence Group, Domtar Corporation and its subsidiaries, which includes Resolute Forest Products, and Paper Excellence Canada Investments Corporation recently submitted their first