BC’s Minister of Forests said he was surprised by Canfor’s closures given fibre assurances provided. In related news: Northern Pulp considers moving mill to Nova Scotia’s Queens County; JD Irving is building a sawmill in Ashland, Maine; Tolko wins sales tax-exemption court case; and the US EPA fines PotlatchDeltic for stormwater violations. Meanwhile: Matt Holt is named dean of Clemson’s College of Forestry; and UBC’s Mark Martinez wins two TAPPI Awards.
In Forestry news: Pacific Northwest forests are not too wet to burn; Ontario’s wildfire scene is better this year; Oregon’s unique relationship with fire; and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs and the Wilderness Committee call for action on old-growth. Meanwhile: the US steel industry opposes new mass timber bill; and UK researchers find recipe for zero-carbon cement.
Finally, three safety stories on Day 3 of Forest Safety Awareness Week:
- Buckle Up because it’s all about: Safety Audits (Western Forestry Contractors)
- Respect, Collaboration & Innovation Key To Safety (Wood Pellet Association)
- Everyday noise may be impacting your hearing (Interior Logging Association)
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
BC’s Minister of Forests says he was surprised by Canfor’s recent decision to curtail operations in three communities in Northern BC. …At the time, the company said there wasn’t enough fibre for the Northwood Pulp Mill in Prince George but it also blamed policy and regulation changes. However, Bruce Ralston, minister of forests, 
BC’s forestry sector has been the topic of much debate and discussion across the province this week after the loss of over 700 jobs in the North. The leader of the Conservative Party of BC told NowMedia on May 13 that the announcement was “tragic.” …He also called on Premier David Eby to provide immediate relief for forestry workers. …An economic study from the BC Council of Forest Industries found that the number of forestry-related jobs dipped to 90,000 in 2023 and harvest levels dropped to 35 million cubic metres, which is down from the 50 million cubic metres in 2021. …However, Bruce Ralston, minister of forests, told NowMedia in a statement that the province’s “number one focus” was supporting workers, families and communities impacted by the mill closures. …Ralston said he acknowledged the stress people were feeling with the announcement of the Canfor closures.
MISSOULA — The Montana woods products industry recently received financial support thanks to the U.S. Forest Service under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. A total of eight companies, consisting of sawmills, wood products manufacturers and logging operations, received grant money — totaling $5 million across all eight — for innovation and infrastructure assistance. They include: Kanduch Logging: $229,973, Panhandle Forest Products: $300,000, Montana Technology Enterprise Center: $300,000, California Hotwood, Inc.: $189,045, Sun Mountain Lumber, Inc.: $1,000,000, Stillwater Post and Pole LLC: $1,000,000, SmartLam NA Enterprises US, LLC: $1,000,000, and Panhandle Forest Products Inc.: $1,000,000. …Besides helping replace old machinery and equipment, this grant money will also help the companies continue to partner with the U.S. Forest Service to help promote and maintain healthy forests — mainly by reducing the amount of fuel for wildfires and increasing forest resilience to fire.
Minnesota is poised to be the fifth U.S. state to pass extended producer responsibility for packaging after adding the program language into the 2024 Environment and Natural Resources Budget, which is now on the governor’s desk. …An Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee 
Canadian forestry giant Paper Excellence won’t have its sustainability certification revoked by the world’s premier forestry credentialing body after an examination of the company’s ties to an Indonesian resource conglomerate, but environmental NGOs and legal experts say the assessment appears to be rife with conflicts. The international Forest Stewardship Council conducted a “corporate group review” of allegations that Paper Excellence has deep operational and ownership ties to Indonesian conglomerate Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), which has a record of rainforest destruction and lost its FSC designation in 2007. …The FSC hired one of Paper Excellence’s go-to law firms, McMillan LLP, to conduct the review. …Most of Paper Excellence’s operations have some kind of FSC certification. It stood to lose that certification if it was deemed a part of the APP business empire. …But the FSC announced Friday morning that its review confirmed there is “no corporate control” between Paper Excellence and APP. 
New members of B.C.’s Climate Solutions Council will support the Province’s work to transition to a clean economy with good, sustainable jobs for British Columbians. “After another year of unprecedented climate impacts and the worst wildfire season in B.C.’s history, we know we need to accelerate our work taking action on climate change,” said Minister George Heyman. …The combined knowledge of the Climate Solutions Council is an important part of our work to find a path forward to a cleaner future for all of us. We welcome aboard our new members and appreciate our outgoing members’ contribution.” …New council members [include]: Denni Clement, climate-action peer network lead for the Coastal First Nations Great Bear Initiative; Linda Coady, president and CEO, Council of Forest Industries; [and] Matt Horne, manager of climate mitigation, City of Vancouver.