Blog Archives

Special Feature – COFI Convention

COFI 2026 Opens with Call to Reframe Forestry’s Public Narrative

Kelly McCloskey, Editor
Tree Frog Forestry News
April 9, 2026
Category: Special Feature - COFI Convention
Region: Canada, Canada West

The BC Council of Forest Industries launched its 2026 annual convention Wednesday evening with an opening reception at the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, drawing what COFI President and CEO Kim Haakstad described as 650 delegates expected over the three-day event — making it Western Canada’s largest gathering of forestry sector leaders. Haakstad and Andrew James, Partner at KPMG and sponsor representative for the evening, both took to the podium to welcome attendees and frame the days ahead around the conference theme: “Forestry is a Solution.” Haakstad welcomed delegates and acknowledged the sponsors supporting the convention, with particular recognition of KPMG as the sponsor of the opening reception.

James developed the theme at greater length, describing it as both a statement of fact and a strategic assertion — a necessary counterpoint to public narratives that tend to focus on the sector’s constraints rather than its contributions. Speaking to an audience that included forestry professionals, industry executives and government representatives, he argued that forestry functions as a solution across several distinct dimensions. For rural and Indigenous communities in BC, he said, the sector provides a foundation for sustainable economic development, skilled employment and long-term community resilience. On climate, he pointed to renewable materials, carbon storage and responsible forest management as areas where forestry contributes directly to environmental objectives. And on innovation, he noted ongoing industry investment in new technologies, products and operating models as evidence of the sector’s capacity for adaptation.

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Opinion / EdiTOADial

It’s only a matter of time before forest product companies suffer the consequences of the war

By Kevin Mason, Managing Director
ERA Forest Products Research
April 6, 2026
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada, United States

Kevin Mason

The conflict in Iran has extended into a sixth week. Despite growing fears about economic wreckage (we have already seen cracks in consumer sentiment, mortgage rates climbing, etc.), we have yet to see any significant second- and third-order impacts on forest products commodities (the operative word is yet). Despite President Trump’s suggestion that the US will retreat from the Middle East in the next two to three weeks, risks abound. Even with a retreat, the risk to the world’s energy arteries will likely persist; it is only a matter of time before companies in our universe suffer the consequences of the war. 

Some cost inflation has shown up quickly (e.g., energy and transport) and will pressure margins as soon as Q2. While a select few companies (those in certain packaging and paper grades) may successfully hike prices to at least partially offset higher costs, for others the downside peril to underlying demand means that margin compression is a risk (prices could fall without supply reductions). As such, while our commodity price and company earnings forecasts have not declined materially, we are adopting a more cautionary approach to valuations and moving EBITDA multiples lower for companies and commodities for which we perceive at more risk. …Several producers in our space needed markets to come to the rescue this year; however, with each passing day that the world is mired in this conflict, it looks increasingly as if 2026 will become another year to survive. 

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Business & Politics

Trade agreement talks unlikely to be resolved by July 1: U.S. trade representative

By Kelly Malone
Victoria Times Colonist
April 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Jamieson Greer

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that he doesn’t expect negotiations on the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement on trade to be resolved by July 1. …July is the required deadline for the trilateral trade pact, known as CUSMA. The CUSMA review sets up a three-way choice for each country. They can renew the deal for another 16 years, withdraw from it or signal both non-renewal and non-withdrawal — which triggers an annual review that could keep negotiations going for up to a decade. …Canada is still being slammed by Trump’s separate tariffs on industries like steel, aluminum, autos, lumber and cabinets. Greer previously has floated the idea of abandoning the trade pact in favour of two separate bilateral agreements. …Greer said the Trump administration’s baseline is that “things have to be changed.” …Greer, however, said there are “load-bearing pillars” in the North American trade deal that work well.

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First Nations blast Eby in leaked transcript of DRIPA meeting

By Alessia Passafiume
The Canadian Press in Business in Vancouver
April 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

David Eby

A leaked transcript of a meeting between Indigenous leaders and BC Premier David Eby, about his plan to suspend the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, or DRIPA, shows them accusing him of “absolute betrayal” and colonialism. Speaker after speaker in the transcript obtained by The Canadian Press, criticize Eby’s handling of DRIPA, which he says needs to be suspended for up to three years. DRIPA is at the centre of a legal and political storm after being cited by First Nations in two landmark court cases last year, including an appeal ruling that says the act should be “properly interpreted” to incorporate the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into BC laws “with immediate legal effect.” …Eby says the government proposed to introduce legislation to implement the suspension… to give time for the Supreme Court of Canada to rule on the government’s appeal in the Gitxaala case.

In related news by:

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U.S. says Ottawa failing to block imports made with forced labour as Washington weighs more tariffs

By Steven Chase
The Globe and Mail
April 1, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The US says in a new report that Canada is failing to stop foreign goods made with forced labour from entering its market, a finding that coincides with Washington’s probe into the matter, which could lead to more tariffs. The 2026 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers from the US government says it appears Canada is importing goods that cost less than they should because they were made with forced labour. It’s an early indication of how the US will rule on Canada. …US customs policy treats all goods from China’s Xinjiang region as though they were made with forced labour unless importers can provide “clear and convincing evidence” to the contrary. …Canada passed a law, the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act in 2024 and requires government and businesses to annually report on steps they have taken. However, the US report said that Canada’s measures are not working. [to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]

Related news In:

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Fighting U.S. tariffs, Canada mulls its own as cheap imports surge

By Thomas Seal
Bloomberg in the Financial Post
April 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Canadian officials are considering unusual measures to protect domestic producers of vegetables and wood products from low-priced imports. The move threatens to complicate Prime Minister Mark Carney’s efforts to fight US tariffs and strengthen Canada’s trade relationships with other countries, while also tackling cost-of-living challenges. Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne ordered an investigation last month into imports of frozen and canned vegetables. …He also said he’d received an “urgent” request for trade protection from makers of wood furniture, cabinets and flooring, adding that his department would respond soon. …The group behind the appeal on wood products, the Canadian Wood Products Alliance, is seeking a temporary tariff of 100 per cent to 125 per cent for four years, representative Alain Ouzilleau said. The measure would apply to all imports except those from the US. or Mexico, he added. …Canada wood-products manufacturers were already facing increased competition from China.

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US tariffs disrupt global forestry trade flows

By Markku Bjorkman,
Finish Forestry Association in PulpaperNews.com
April 8, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

Global trade is being reshaped by escalating tariffs and geopolitical tensions, with the Nordic and European forestry industries directly affected. During 2025 and 2026, the United States introduced a series of trade measures that are altering the conditions for exports of timber, paper and pulp. …At the same time, the US has imposed steep tariffs on several major trading partners. Canada faces tariffs of 35%, although some products covered by the USMCA agreement are exempt. Brazil is subject to tariffs of up to 50% on paper and paperboard, while China continues to face high tariff levels. …Even where products are exempt from tariffs, trade is affected by higher supply chain costs, currency fluctuations and weaker demand. There is also a risk of trade diversion. If Canadian or Brazilian exporters face higher tariffs, they may redirect volumes to other markets, increasing competition in Europe. The broader trend points to a more fragmented global trading system.

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On Montana’s border with Canada, the Blackfeet want off Trump’s train of tariffs

By Nathan Vanderklippe
The Globe and Mail
April 6, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

Builder Ed Kennedy finished this powwow and event space last May in Browning, Montana, seat of the Blackfeet Nation. Mr. Kennedy got this lumber from Canada before tariffs raised the price by more than 57 per cent. ‘Now everybody wants my wood.’ …Mr. Kennedy has instead begun to seek ways to avoid tariffs altogether, laying plans for the establishment of an inland seaport on Blackfeet land that could be used to import goods from Canada for re-export, or perhaps for additional manufacturing and eventual re-export, based on a belief that centuries-old law enshrines the right of Native Americans to trade duty-free. …In the year since Mr. Trump began his large-scale imposition of tariffs, the Blackfeet have actively sought to turn their territory into a small but potentially economically important tariff-free portal. So far, they have failed. An initial case seeking tariff relief was rejected by a federal court. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

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Kimberly Clark Warehouse Destroyed by Fire in Ontario, California; Employee Arrested

By Janet Freund, Redd Brown, and Andrea Chang
Bloomberg Industries
April 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

ONTARIO , California — A Kimberly-Clark Corp. employee has been arrested on arson charges after a massive fire broke out Tuesday morning at a California distribution center that serves around 50 million people. The 1.2 million-square-foot facility — located in Ontario, about 35 miles outside of Los Angeles — houses facial tissue and toilet paper, according to a local Fox report. Ontario Deputy Fire Chief Mike Wedell said the building’s roof completely collapsed and all products inside were destroyed. …The blaze reached a six-alarm response, involving around 175 firefighters. The fire was contained to the building of origin. …The department also said it had identified a suspect: Chamel Abdulkarim, an employee of NFI Industries, a third-party logistics provider for Kimberly-Clark products. …Kimberly-Clark said that there were no reported injuries. The company’s shares fell 4.1% on Tuesday. Analysts warned that the fire could lead to supply problems in the region.

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Washington state timber industry buffeted by regulations, trade war

By Megan Boyanton
The Seattle Times in the Chronicle
April 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

WASHINGTON — Countless logging trucks rumbled through timber country, their drivers headed toward Hampton Lumber’s sawmill in Morton. …”We take our logs and get every bit out of it that we possibly can. And we replant,” said plant superintendent Tony Gillispie. “We want this to last for hundreds of years.” But will Washington’s timber industry overcome its ongoing slump and endure for centuries? Myriad issues are at play, with fingers pointing in every direction. The private sector, which harvests the majority of Washington’s wood, feels squeezed by policies restricting its access to state trust lands in the fight against climate change. …Meanwhile, the state government points to the residual effects of trade wars, particularly with China, after Washington’s exports of forest products hit a 21-year low in 2025. Local demand for lumber has also dropped in line with the recent slowdown in construction activity across the state.

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Emergency crews respond to explosion at Weyerhaeuser plant in Columbia Falls

KPAX Missoula & Western Montana
April 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

COLUMBIA FALLS, Montana — Emergency crews have cleared the scene at Weyerhaeuser in Columbia Falls after an explosion started a fire at the plant Saturday morning. Columbia Falls Fire Chief Karl Weeks told MTN the department was dispatched to the MDF plant on Mills Drive at 6:40 a.m. due to an explosion. Heavy smoke was coming out of the west side of the building, according to Weeks. Several agencies were called in to help including Whitefish, Bad Rock, Evergreen, and Three Rivers. No injuries were reported in the explosion, which is still under investigation. A cause has not yet been determined. Fire crews cleared the scene at 2:46 p.m. Saturday. Cleanup was turned over to Weyerhaeuser. Weeks said Saturday’s incident is not connected to another explosion in February 2025 at the plant. That explosion was caused by an electrical issue.

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Domtar wastewater treatment project remains on schedule

By Jorgelina Jmanna-Rea
The TimesNews
April 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

KINGSPORT, Tennessee — A new wastewater treatment system at Domtar’s Kingsport mill is still on schedule to start running later this year, part of an effort by the mill to mitigate odors affecting neighboring residents. Mill Manager Tony Clary updated the Kingsport Economic Development Board on the project’s timeline, the construction of an anaerobic digester, at the board’s monthly meeting Tuesday. The project is at a halfway point, and the new system is expected to ramp up at the end of the year. The mill faced scrutiny from city officials and residents over odors emitting from its wastewater after the site converted from manufacturing paper to recycling containerboard in 2023. The company secured funding to construct a new wastewater treatment system in December 2024 and broke ground in August 2025.

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Packaging Corporation of America to close Richmond, Virginia packaging plant

Packaging Gateway
April 6, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

RICHMOND, Virginia  — Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) is shutting its converting plant in Richmond, Virginia, resulting in the loss of 110 jobs, effective June. In a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing, the Illinois-based containerboard producer said it will coordinate with state and local authorities in Virginia on support for employees who lose their jobs. The company also said it will assist workers interested in relocating to other PCA sites. Mark Romaniuk, deputy general counsel at the company, described the move as “a difficult business decision.” …PCA also referenced a satellite warehouse in North Chesterfield, Virginia, which employs six people. …The decision to close the Richmond plant follows downsizing in Washington state. …The closures affected 168 jobs – 60 in Allentown and 108 in Salisbury.

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Fire breaks out at Rayonier Paper Mill in Jesup, Georgia

By Sarah Smith and Evan Smoak
WSAV News 3
April 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

JESUP, Georgia — The Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) Paper Mill in Jesup caught fire on Saturday, according to the Wayne County Fire Department. Fire Chief Jared Huffman told WSAV the initial call came in around 10:30 p.m. but first responders were able to contain the fire within approximately 30 minutes before fully extinguishing it at approximately 1:30 a.m. Sunday. On Sunday, a representative from RYAM shared the following comment on the fire “On Saturday evening around 10:00 PM, a fire occurred in the digester area at RYAM’s Jesup facility. The company’s on-site team shut down the affected equipment and extinguished the fire with assistance from local first responders. There were no injuries or off-site impacts, and the facility is otherwise operating normally. The area has been secured and the company is completing standard follow-up work.”

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Canfor Southern Pine to invest $10.5 million in Mobile County, Alabama

By Gracie King
WKRG News 5
April 1, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

MOBILE COUNTY, Alabama — A lumber company is set to make a multi-million dollar investment into its Port City location. According to a release, a subsidiary of Canfor Southern Pine, New South Lumber Company Inc., is investing $10.5 million in the Mobile County location. The company will be adding “a new dual-path continuous dry kiln.” This move aims to increase efficiency and drying capacity, as well as provide room for growth in the future. “This investment reinforces the company’s commitment to maintaining and strengthening its existing workforce and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the operation,” said Canfor Southern Pine Inc. President Lee Goodloe. Construction is set to begin in April and be completed in June.

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Finance & Economics

Lumber Futures Fall to 1-Month Low

Trading Economics
April 7, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures tumbled toward $580 per thousand board feet, marking a one month low as the combination of high interest rates and falling home construction has crushed demand faster than sawmills can reduce supply. This downward pressure is driven by a 14.2% collapse in single family housing starts and a 5.4% decline in building permits that signaled an abrupt cooling of spring activity. While ongoing sawmill closures have removed 1.3 billion board feet of capacity and US duties on Canadian imports remain at 45% these supply factors are failing to support prices against a sharp loss of buyers. The recent surge in mortgage rates to 6.46% has stifled traffic and left builders managing a 2.4% increase in unsold inventory that necessitates immediate price cuts. Furthermore the April 2nd announcement of C$2.1 billion in Canadian forestry subsidies has introduced expectations of more wood availability that offsets the risks of shipping delays through the Strait of Hormuz.

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Trump Seeks Nearly $11 Billion Cut to HUD Programs

The National Association of Home Builders
April 7, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

President Trump has proposed a budget that would cut non-defense discretionary spending by $73 billion for fiscal year 2027, which runs from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027. The spending reductions include a $10.7 billion cut — about 13% — for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). …The president’s proposed budget changes include:

  • Eliminating funding for the Community Development Block Grant program.
  • Eliminating the Home Investments Partnerships Program.
  • Eliminating the Fair Housing Initiatives Program under the Fair Housing Act.
  • Eliminating programs deemed to fall under the executive orders “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Programs and Preferencing” and “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” including homeless assistance programs, housing counseling, Pathways to Removing Obstacles (PRO) Housing, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS.

Although the cuts are unlikely to be enacted, NAHB will continue to monitor the appropriations process as funding decisions are made on key housing, tax, labor and environmental programs.

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US Job Growth Rebounds in March

By Jing Fu
NAHB Eye on Housing
April 3, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The U.S. labor market showed signs of a modest rebound in March following a weak February, as payroll employment increased and the unemployment rate edged down to 4.3%. Job growth was led by healthcare, construction, and transportation and warehousing. However, signs of cooling are emerging. Job openings posted their largest decline in nearly a year and a half in February, pointing to a potential easing in labor demand. Meanwhile, growing geopolitical uncertainty adds further downside risk to the labor market outlook. Wage growth slowed in March, with average hourly earnings rising 3.5% year-over-year. This pace is 0.7 percentage points lower than a year ago. Importantly, wage growth has been outpacing inflation for nearly two years, which typically occurs as productivity increases. …Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate—the proportion of the population either looking for a job or already holding a job—declined 0.2 percentage points to 61.9%. 

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‘All roads lead to higher prices and slower growth,’ warns IMF chief as Iran war hits global economy

By Joseph Wilkins
CNBC News
April 7, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, International

Higher inflation and weaker growth ahead are inevitable for the global economy as a consequence of the Iran war, the head of the International Monetary Fund warned on Monday as the institution prepares to cut its forecasts. “All roads now lead to higher prices and slower growth,” IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva said Monday night. Before the war, the IMF anticipated issuing a small upgrade on its outlook for global growth of 3.3% in 2026 and ​3.2% in 2027, according to Georgieva. But those expectations have since been upended as the Iran conflict has sent shockwaves through the global economy that are unlikely to unravel anytime soon, even if the war is brought to a rapid resolution. …“Directionally, it is stagflation,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “It’s higher inflation and weaker economic growth that is the result of policy — tariff policy and immigration policy.”

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US Consumer Confidence Climbs Despite Oil Price Surge

By Fan-Yu Kuo
NAHB Eye on Housing
April 1, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

US Consumer confidence in March rose to a three-month high as consumers’ improved view of current business and labor market conditions outweighed weaker future expectations. Despite the increase, consumers remained concerned as inflation expectations surged to a seven-month high due to the Iran war and job worries from economic uncertainty. The labor market differential remained narrow and reached its second lowest level since February 2021.This is consistent with recent job reports showing fewer job openings and slower hiring. …Consumers’ assessment of current business conditions improved in March. The share of respondents rating business conditions as “good” increased by 1.5 percentage points to 21.9%. …Consumers were more pessimistic about the short-term outlook. …The share of respondents expecting “more jobs” fell. …The Conference Board also reported the share of respondents planning to buy a home within six months. The share of respondents planning to buy a home fell slightly to 5.7% in March. 

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Iran Conflict Reverses Decline in Mortgage Rates

By Catherine Koh
NAHB Eye on Housing
April 2, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Mortgage rates, which dipped below 6% in February, climbed back up to end the month just under 6.4%. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.18% in March, 13 points (bps) higher than February. The average 15-year rate also increased by the same amount to 5.56%. Despite the recent increase, both rates remain lower than a year ago by 47 bps and 27 bps, respectively. The rebound in mortgage rates was driven primarily by movements in the 10-year Treasury yield, which jumped 11 bps to 4.24% as tensions in the Middle East escalated. The ongoing Iran conflict has disrupted oil markets, pushing oil prices higher and reigniting fears that inflation could pick up again. Amid this uncertainty, the Federal Reserve held the federal funds rates unchanged at 3.5% to 3.75%. They revised their inflation expectations higher from 2.4% last December to 2.7% but maintained that one rate cut is still possible in 2026.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Big tech eyes mass timber for construction

By Larry Adams
The Woodworking Network
April 7, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Mass-timber built structures are being constructed at a breakneck pace around the world, in metro area and converted rural locations, from residential buildings to office complexes and in greater numbers to data centers and big tech office spaces. Vittorio Salvadori, director of design at TimberBLDR, reflected on the recent International Mass Timber Conference in Portland, said that “About 10% of mass timber sold in 2025 went to data center–related projects. Amazon and Meta alone are leading this shift. …Meta, for instance, is utilizing mass timber in its new data centers in an effort to achieve net zero emissions across its value chain in 2030. …Most data centers today are constructed of concrete, structural steel and other pre-engineered metal. …In 2024, Microsoft constructed two data centers in Northern Virginia using a hybrid structure of CLT, steel, and concrete to reduce carbon emissions. …A recently opened Amazon delivery center in Indiana makes heavy use of mass timber.

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Associated Press (AP) says it will offer buyouts as part of pivot away from newspaper-focused history

By David Bauder
The Start Beacon
April 6, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

The Associated Press, one of the world’s oldest and most influential news organizations, said Monday it is offering buyouts to an unspecified number of its US-based journalists as part of an acceleration away from the focus on newspapers and their print journalism that sustained the company since the mid-1800s. The News Media Guild, the union that represents AP journalists, said more than 120 of the staff members it represents received buyout offers on Monday. The news organization is becoming more focused on visual journalism and developing new revenue sources, particularly through companies investing in artificial intelligence, to cope with the economic collapse of many legacy news outlets. Once the lion’s share of AP’s revenue, big newspaper companies now account for 10% of its income. “We’re not a newspaper company and we haven’t been for quite some time,” Julie Pace, executive editor and senior vice president of the AP, said.

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AF&PA raises cost concerns as EPR expands in US

The American Forest & Paper Association
April 26, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

As more U.S. states consider extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws, the American Forest & Paper Association warns the policy could raise the cost of everyday goods, Midland reports. EPR raises costs for American families because it shifts recycling expenses onto manufacturers. Global studies show when there are new regulatory fees, prices for packaged items increase. EPR works like a consumption tax. It ultimately increases the overall cost of groceries, household goods and paper products. As a result, Americans will feel the impact when shopping at the grocery store and for everyday necessities, according to AF&PA. EPR will increase costs without improving paper recycling. …Extended Producer Responsibility requires companies to pay for collecting, recycling and disposing of their products. That’s true even for materials like paper that are already widely and successfully recycled today.

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Lumber grading training goes digital – the Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau debuts an online learning portal

The HBS Dealer
April 1, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

As with any other natural resource, building with wood starts with ensuring each piece is up to snuff. And while there are machines to help vis-a-vis bots spotting knots, human eyes and judgement remain essential.  To help expand that human portion of the grading project, the Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB) has rolled out the Fundamentals of Lumber Grading. The online portal offers training modules designed to get lumberyards and mills up to speed on the basics of grading lumber, though PLIB says the course is an “ideal training tool for anyone involved in buying, selling or trading lumber.”  The course also may be useful for architects, engineers, specifiers or code officials. Really, anyone who wants to acquire the skills needed to sort the “wheat from the chaff” regarding what constitutes code-compliant boards. PLIB’s curriculum covers National Grade Rule standards for studs, light framing, structural light framing, and joists and planks.

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West Virginia hosts forest products trade mission with buyers from India and Vietnam

West Virginia Department of Agriculture
April 2, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

CHARLESTON, West Virginia — The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) recently hosted a highly successful inbound trade mission March 26-28 in partnership with the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA), connecting international buyers from India and Vietnam with West Virginia’s log and lumber industry. The mission focused exclusively on forest products, with visiting buyers touring log yards and sawmill facilities across the state. These site visits provided a firsthand look at West Virginia’s high-quality hardwood resources, sustainable forestry practices, and production capabilities. Stops included Cherry River Lumber (Richwood), Meadow River Hardwood Lumber (Rainelle), and Laurel Creek Hardwoods (Richwood). In addition, buyers met with additional companies in one-on-one meetings before the site visits.

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Stora Enso executes new hybrid timber building in Austria

Wood & Panel Europe
April 8, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

AUSTRIA — Stora Enso announced that they have introduced a complete new hybrid timber building for modern operational logistic and sustainability. With the new building for the Bernstein Volunteer Fire Department, a forward-looking facility is being created that harmoniously combines functionality, sustainability and architecture. …The new building was constructed using a hybrid timber system: while all parts in contact with the ground and the columns of the vehicle hall are made of reinforced concrete, all load-bearing walls and superstructures were implemented in mass timber. This combination ensures maximum stability, efficient construction and significant CO₂ reduction. The timber installation was carried out by our partner company, Zimmerei Franz Gollubits, whose precision and craftsmanship played a key role in realising this modern emergency facility.

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Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of New Zealand Targets High-Value Wood Processing

By Jason Ross
Wood Central Australia
April 9, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Mark Ross

NEW ZEALAND — Wood Processors and Manufactures Association (WPMA) CEO Mark Ross, released the Association’s 2026 general election manifesto calling on the next government to back a decisive national shift from raw log exports to high-value wood manufacturing. Global softwood fibre is in short supply, and New Zealand must act before the window to capitalise closes. The 2026 election manifesto calls on all sides to pivot from raw log exports to high-value wood manufacturing across five interlocking fronts. …As it stands, up to 60% of New Zealand’s harvest currently leaves the country as raw logs. WPMA argues the sector is forfeiting billions in unrealised value and leaving regional communities exposed to commodity price cycles beyond their control. Its primary demand is a national commitment to shifting that equation, backed by regulatory settings that incentivise long-term investment, support innovation, and accelerate the development of emerging forest bio-products as commercial pillars alongside sawn timber and engineered wood.

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Forestry

Global Forestry Companies Gather in Tokyo to Pursue Forestry Natural Capital Accounting

EIN Presswire in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
April 1, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States, International

TOKYO — Leaders from the global forestry sector met last week in Tokyo to advance the Forestry Natural Capital Project, where they collectively identified metrics to measure and report the seven chosen ecosystem services provided by sustainable managed forests. This project… prioritised the seven ecosystem services to use for this pilot: carbon, habitat and biodiversity, water quality and quantity, air quality, recreational, and sustainable timber supply. The Tokyo session concentrated on defining how these services can be consistently measured and valued across geographies and forestry management systems. The project, an initiative of the International Sustainable Forestry Coalition (ISFC)… aims to develop a consistent natural capital accounting approach for the forestry sector, enabling companies to report nature-related impacts and dependencies in a way that is credible, comparable, and relevant for investors and policymakers. …The project brings together 18 forestry organisations managing more than 23 million hectares across 38 countries.

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Forestry company secures five years of wood, adding stability to sector

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
April 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A non-replaceable forest licence has been awarded to Box Lake Lumber Products, enhancing its operations and the sustainable use of local timber. The opportunity is targeted to boost B.C.’s value‑added wood sector, putting to work unlogged timber. “A stable supply of wood to small-town forestry companies is a win for everyone in the community,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “This means more wood … for manufacturing companies, logging contracts for haulers and another boost to our value-added wood manufacturing sector. Our independent wood manufacturers put B.C. on the map as the global leader in high-quality wood products, and this licence is one more way to support that work.” A competitive opportunity provided specifically to value-added wood manufacturing companies, the non-replaceable forest licence will provide a consistent and stable supply of wood to Box Lake Lumber Products in the Kootenays.

Additional coverage in Castlegar News: Nakusp wood company granted logging licence near Slocan

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Nakusp wood company granted logging licence near Slocan

The Nelson Star
April 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

NAKUSP, BC — A Nakusp company has been awarded a five-year licence to log in an area west of Slocan. Box Lake Lumber Products will be allowed to harvest approximately 445 truckloads of logs per year, according an April 8 announcement by the Ministry of Forests. The accepted bid allows the company to access Interfor’s Tree Farm Licence 3, located south of Valhalla Provincial Park on what the ministry describes as steep mountain slopes where wood has been damaged by wildfires and pests. “This licence will help us secure logs to keep our mill operating,” said Box Lake Lumber Products president Daniel Wiebe. “We look forward to working with the ministry and Interfor, and are very appreciative of their support.” Box Lake Lumber Products, located southeast of Nakusp, specializes in split-rail fencing that it ships to North American and European markets. The licence is part of the province’s Value-Added Accelerators program.

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Watchdog’s report on controversial RCMP unit delayed due to lack of chairperson

By Chantelle Bellrichard
CBC News
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A years-long investigation into a special RCMP unit that polices protests against resource extraction in BC is finished but can’t be finalized because the RCMP’s oversight body has been without a chairperson for more than a year. The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) receives and oversees public complaints against the Mounties. It recently announced the completion of a systemic investigation into the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG), which drew national attention in 2019. …It’s unclear why the CRCC has been without a chairperson since January 2025. …At the top level of the agency there is meant to be a chairperson and up to four other members. According to the CRCC, all of those positions are currently vacant. …The majority of complaints against C-IRG came in response to civil court injunction enforcements and arrests in relation to Wet’suwet’en-led opposition to Coastal GasLink pipeline and protests against old-growth logging in the Fairy Creek area.

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Trump’s Forest Service Reorganization: Timber Over Conservation

By Ethan Brooks
The Times News
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

The administrative architecture of America’s national forests is undergoing its most radical transformation in decades. In a series of swift moves designed to prioritize industrial output over conservation, the Trump administration has initiated a sweeping overhaul of the US Forest Service (USFS), relocating its headquarters and dismantling the regional oversight structures. …By moving the agency’s center of gravity from Washington, DC, to Salt Lake City, Utah, and shuttering nine regional offices, the administration is pivoting away from a centralized, science-driven conservation model toward a decentralized system focused on the immediate extraction of timber and wood products. For rural America, the impact is twofold. While the administration is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the timber industry and sawmill infrastructure, the move guts the scientific research and environmental safeguards that many rural communities rely on. This transition effectively replaces long-term ecological stewardship with a short-term commodity-driven mandate.

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Faster Detection of Forest Loss

NASA Earth Observatory
April 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, International

Tropical forests span 1.6 billion hectares of Earth. …But over the past two decades, an average of 10 million hectares of these forests have been lost each year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, affecting the ecosystems and communities that depend on them. NASA scientists recently developed a new method for tracking tropical forest loss that delivers deforestation alerts more than three months faster than current methods. Although the technique was designed for the Amazon rainforest, data from a recently launched satellite are expected to expand its application globally. …To address Landsat’s cloud challenge, researchers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center tuned into a different wavelength. Led by Africa Flores-Anderson, associate program manager for NASA’s Ecosystem Conservation Program, the team piloted a system for the Amazon that combines existing satellite-based approaches with cutting-edge radar data. …Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) doesn’t require daylight or clear skies. 

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New U.S. Forest Service unit aims to support timber economy

David Lepeska, Editor
Jefferson County Monitor
April 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

MONTANA — The U.S. Forest Service plans to create a logging unit across regional national forests, seeking to boost economic stability by committing to process timber only via local businesses. The new Sustained Yield Unit – a concept created by 1944 federal law – would include 22 Montana counties and all of Helena-Lewis & Clark and Beaverhead-Deerlodge national forests, as well as most of Custer Gallatin. …Speaking for the Governor’s Office, Amanda Kaster, director of Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, expressed the state’s strong support. …The draft plan estimates that the unit would directly support 192 jobs per year over the next decade, plus an additional 225 jobs via economic ripple effects. But the Marks saw the yield unit’s harvest plan as inadequately ambitious. …Barb Cestero, Montana director at the Wilderness Society, feared that given the Forest Service’s recent staff cuts, a potential over-emphasis on logging could be problematic.

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How a dubious emergency timber directive is fast-tracking logging into 25 million acres of protected wilderness

By Dillon Osleger
High Country News
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

For the last 25 years, 58 million acres of American forest have had no new roads, no logging equipment, and no reason to appear on anyone’s industrial map. This year that is changing — and much faster than most people realize. The 2001 Roadless Rule has functioned as a safeguard for some of the most secluded and pristine lands in the Western US. …On June 23, 2025, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the intent to rescind the rule entirely. As of 2026, the process has moved into its most critical phase; the USDA has announced an imminent release of the draft environmental impact statement and a formal proposed rule this spring. This release triggers a final public comment period. Compounding this shift, on March 31, the USDA issued a formal reorganization order for the Forest Service. This structural overhaul, including the moving or closure of regional offices and science centers, is anticipated to accelerate the implementation of extraction orders.

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Rural Washington schools struggle with drop in logging dollars

By Aspen Ford
The Washington State Standard
April 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

In the North Cascades… the Mount Baker School District is facing a budget deficit exceeding $1 million, which local officials say is tied to declining timber sales on state lands. Three years ago, the rural district entered into what’s known as “binding conditions,” an arrangement where the state now oversees its day-to-day financial operations. Since then, it’s cut around 30 employees and increased class sizes. “Our main reason that we went in binding conditions was a precipitous drop in timber revenue,” said Russ Pfeiffer-Hoyt, school board president. The district’s timber revenue predicament is not unique among rural school districts. And it highlights rising tension around how the state is managing its public forests at a time when Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove has limited logging of some older tracts of trees. In the backdrop is a debate about whether Washington’s K-12 schools should depend heavily — or at all — on timber harvests.

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A warm winter in the West: Understanding the 2026 snow drought

By Brandon McWilliams
USDA Forest Service
April 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Mountains across the West have lost their usual wintry look this year. Snowpacks in the Cascade Range, the central and southern Rockies, and the Sierra Nevada are significantly below average. As of February 1, 2026, Oregon, Colorado, and Utah reported the lowest snowpack levels on record since continuous snow data collection began in the early 1980s. …This condition is a snow drought—a period when snowpack is abnormally low relative to the time of year and location. Many of the areas with low snow received ample precipitation early in the season. November and December snowfall was near normal in many parts of the West and looked to be setting the stage for a reasonable snow year. However, warm and dry January conditions and scattered rain-on-snow events in February caused much of the early accumulated snow to melt. This condition has put large parts of the West in a warm snow drought.

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New book guides readers through histories and forests of campuses across the eastern U.S.

The University of Georgia
April 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the eastern US own acres of forested land, ranging from Virginia Tech’s modest 11-acre Stadium Woods to Rutgers University’s 500-acre William L. Hutcheson Memorial Forest.  The forthcoming “Woodlands of the Mind” features 15 campus forests in 11 states, spanning from North Georgia to the Ohio Valley to coastal Maine. The selected forests represent diverse ecosystems and management systems, with some left wild and others more controlled and aimed for recreation than conservation. While some are protected in perpetuity, others face development and money troubles, and all face ecological threats. But each forest is unique, representing the various ways they serve their campuses, whether for research, recreation or preservation.  For wanderers and armchair adventurers alike, these essays discuss each forest’s ecology, landscape architecture and history. 

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University of Maine ecology professor Brian McGill named a 2026 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow

The University of Maine
April 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Brian McGill

University of Maine ecology professor Brian McGill has been named a 2026 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow, one of the highest honors in the scientific community. AAAS Fellows are a group of scientists, engineers and innovators recognized for their achievements across disciplines, from research, teaching and technology, to administration in academia, industry and government, to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public. …McGill’s work established the importance of prediction in ecology and identified unifying principles in the field. He also pioneered solutions to conceptual issues in his discipline related to the widely-used and vaguely-defined term biodiversity. …Through the blog “Dynamic Ecology,” McGill and two co-authors shape the way research is conducted in labs across the planet and provide mentorship globally on successfully navigating academic cultures.

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