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The Tree Frog Forestry News
June 30, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway
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Kurt Niquidet grew up in Williams Lake, a place shaped by forestry. When he speaks about it, it’s from the perspective of someone who knows. “I grew up in Williams Lake and really a forestry-dependent community,” he says. Kurt Niquidet is vice-president and chief economist at the BC Council of Forest Industries, with a career that bridges policy, academia, and central banking. He holds a PhD in natural resource economics and policy from the University of Groningen and has worked at the Bank of Canada and the University of British Columbia. He also serves as an adjunct professor at UBC’s Faculty of Forestry and has published widely on B.C. forest policy. Now, he is applying that perspective to new data on the sector’s reach across British Columbia. His latest report, Rooted in BC: Economic Impact of Forestry, tracks forestry’s economic footprint across the province. The findings challenge a common assumption. Forestry is not just a rural story.
Kurt Niquidet to step down from COFI and BC Lumber Trade Council
By Kurt Niquidet
LinkedIn
June 24, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
Kurt Niquidet
After seven years with the BC Council of Forest Industries, today is my last day with the organization. It has been a privilege to serve as Chief Economist and, over the past two years, as President of the BC Lumber Trade Council. Thank you to everyone who shared their time, expertise, and friendship along the way. The relationships I’ve built and the experiences I’ve gained will stay with me long after today. While this chapter is coming to a close, I’m looking forward to a new opportunity and the chance to take on a different challenge. More to come soon. Thank you, COFI.
FORT MILL, SC—Domtar, a leading North American manufacturer of diversified forest products, today released its 2025 sustainability report entitled Advancing Our Sustainability Journey. The report reflects Domtar’s second year of disclosure as a unified company and demonstrates the progress the company has made in advancing its sustainability journey. “This report shows how much we’ve achieved since we launched our 2030 Sustainability Strategy in May 2025,” said Sabrina de Branco, Global Chief Sustainability Officer. “In a relatively short period of time, we have made meaningful progress in strengthening governance, aligning key policies and processes, clarifying responsibilities and advancing initiatives that are now taking shape across the organization.
In Korbel, the first mass timber facility in California is offering new opportunities for Humboldt County’s struggling timber industry. Mad River Mass Timber creates dowel-laminated timber that offers a climate-friendly alternative to steel and concrete. … Recent code changes in California have allowed for the creation of buildings up to 18 stories tall using only mass timber. This combined with a new California law that will require embodied carbon in new construction has opened up new opportunities for the mass timber industry. …Mad River Mass Timber recently moved out of their concept phase and are looking to expand operations in phase two later this year. “We’ll be expanding to our phase two facility, which will be a much higher capacity, more of like the large-scale mass timber,” said Mad River Mass Timber founder George Schmidbauer. “For that, we’ll be hiring up to 30 employees of various different skill sets.”
Camosun fine furniture grads to showcase salvaged wood chairs in Saanich
By Tony Trozzo
Victoria News
June 24, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West
Sixteen Camosun College students are turning reclaimed local wood into a statement on human craftsmanship at a new chair exhibition opening June 24. The showcase, titled “Against the Grain: An Exhibition of Handcrafted Chairs,” kicks off with a free gala event from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. this Wednesday at the Arts Centre at Cedar Hill. Running until July 19, the exhibition serves as the capstone project for students completing the 10-month Fine Furniture and Joinery Trades Foundation Certificate program at Camosun’s Interurban campus. This year’s graduating class designed their unique chairs out of reclaimed Garry Oak, Maple, and Horse Chestnut. The materials were supplied by the Vancouver Island Woodworkers’ Guild wood recovery program, which has supported the Camosun certificate program since its inception.
Advancing Wood Projects Through Codes, Support, and Education
The Softwood Lumber Board
June 26, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States
In this Monthly Update, you find these stories and more:
Across SLB-supported programs, the operating environment is becoming more data-driven, faster-moving, and more contested. Artificial intelligence allows the SLB and its programs to turn technical expertise and institutional knowledge into market influence more efficiently. …SLB and its programs have moved from AI awareness into active implementation.
At the International Code Council’s final Public Comment Hearings in April, the AWC secured wins that directly protect and expand wood product markets.
30 architecture educators from 24 schools across 17 states came together in Auburn, Alabama, for the largest faculty development workshop the SLB has supported to date. …When faculty return to campus better prepared to teach wood, the impact reaches future professionals…
General contractors unfamiliar with mass timber often inflate bids to account for perceived risk… To help address this issue, the WoodWorks Construction Management team is reaching out proactively to mass timber projects at the “Waiting for Construction” stage.
Scientists have developed sawdust-based foams that could offer an alternative to fossil fuel-based materials used in protective packaging, such as polystyrene (PS) packing peanuts and box inserts. Published in ACS Applied Polymer Materials, the prototypes incorporate cellulose binders and other additives to create rigid or flexible materials. According to the scientists, some versions matched PS strength and impact resistance, while a beeswax coating improved water resistance. …The team blended fine processed wood powder or coarse unprocessed mill waste with cellulose binders and cross-linking ingredients. Then, the researchers poured the mixtures into molds, froze them, and freeze-dried the foams to remove all the moisture. A final heat-drying step activated the cross-linked networks. The properties of the prototype foams can be different depending on the type of cellulose binders. Carbomethyl cellulose versions were stiffer than PS, while hydroxypropyl cellulose produced a softer material, according to the research.
Food and Agriculture Organization and Bauhaus Earth report highlights wood’s role in cutting construction emissions
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
June 25, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International
London – Greater use of sustainably sourced wood could help reposition the construction sector from a major greenhouse gas emitter to a driver of climate change mitigation, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Bauhaus Earth. The findings come at a time when the built environment accounts for 37 percent of global energy and process-related emissions. With the global urban population set to double by 2050, a substantial part of the world’s future housing still needs to be built, mostly in Asia and Africa. Launched today during London Climate Action Week 2026, Wood products in the bioeconomy: scenario-based assessment of the potential for engineered wood products in climate change mitigation examines the potential use of wood in construction to reshape demand across the forest sector. In particular, engineered wood products are gaining momentum in construction, offering reduced carbon emissions compared to conventional materials such as steel and concrete.
Join us for the 16th edition of this flagship event—the only conference of its kind this year offering such a comprehensive view of the Cellulose market, covering the entire value chain from upstream to downstream. CelCo started up the conference Investing in Cellulose in 2011. Since then, it has been running every year in London, in November, the first Monday of the London Pulp Week. Its objective is to gather the entire cellulose value chain: from specialty wood pulp and cotton linters pulp suppliers to all viscose, acetate, ether & MCC, nitrate, cellophane, tyrecord, sausage casings, and sponge applications, as well as final converters up to “Brand levels” (textile, hygiene, pharmaceutical, cigarette, automotive, food, construction industries, etc.). The one-day conference includes a full-day event with 8 speakers, a breakfast, formal lunch, coffee breaks, and a cocktail the previous evening. The event will be held on Monday, November 9, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the luxurious Waldorf Hotel near Covent Garden. …This event is organized by CelCo, a cellulose consulting company registered in Switzerland, led by Christian Chavassieu, and assisted by its partner, Numera Analytics.
Research out of the Great Lakes Forestry Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is raising new concerns about an invasive insect that has been steadily moving closer to the Canadian border. “Unfortunately, what we have found is that the spotted lanternfly, particularly their eggs, are actually able to withstand really cold temperatures,” said Amanda Roe, a research scientist with Natural Resources Canada based at the forestry centre. Recent studies have found that spotted lanternfly eggs can survive temperatures up to -25 C, suggesting winter may not be enough to prevent the destructive pest from establishing populations in parts of Canada, she said. “Winter itself isn’t going to be a barrier, particularly in the areas of Canada where their impact might be greatest,” Roe said. …The insect feeds on more than 100 plant species …including maple trees, something that has caught the attention of Canada’s maple syrup industry.
…When it came to fighting two of the worst fires in Vancouver Island’s history, BC Wildfire Service took advantage of Coulson Aviation’s successful night vision aerial firefighting program. Almost 15 years to the day after testing how effective a helicopter could be dropping water on hot spots at night, the Wesley Ridge fire broke out between Port Alberni and Qualicum Beach. “The first trial was 22 targets and with 22 loads, we were able to extinguish it and put water in all 22 (targets) and that’s when we knew we had something,” said Wayne Coulson, CEO of the Alberni-based Coulson Aviation. …One of the other challenges for aerial night firefighting was filling the helicopters with water. …Coulson said government officials didn’t believe it was safe to hover fill at night so on a November night in 2017 a company aircrew spent three hours at the Alberni Valley’s Sproat Lake testing the process.
Town of Ladysmith calls for provincial intervention to protect watershed at Banon Creek Forest Service Road
By Justin Baumgardner
My Cowichan Valley Now
June 27, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
The Town of Ladysmith said immediate action needs to be taken along the Banon Creek Forest Service Road to address water contamination and wildfire prevention.A letter has been sent to the province asking for emergency enforcement and protection of the watershed.“The province has already acknowledged the severity of the risk by closing the road; it must now ensure this measure is supported by the necessary physical infrastructure, enforcement capacity and operational resources required to make the closure effective,” Mayor Deena Beeston said. “The town can’t continue to accept conditions that place residents of all affected communities and others at daily risk.”The town said conditions have continued to go downhill …criminal activity is increasing and causing conditions to deteriorate. …the watersheds are located outside the town’s boundaries and supply drinking water to 12,000 residents across the town, Stz’uminus First Nation, the Diamond Improvement District and the Saltair area.
Kamloops Fire Centre warns Sicamous council of underlying dry conditions in local forests
By Luc Rempel
Castanet
June 25, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
A Kamloops Fire Centre spokesperson told Sicamous council that local forests are still quite dry despite a burst of fresh green growth brought on by recent wet weather. At the June 24 District of Sicamous committee of the whole meeting, Kamloops Fire Centre manager Jeff Dunne gave council an overview of BC Wildfire Service’s regional operations and a look at what to expect in the coming months. Dunne said a dry start to the spring compounded on drought conditions experienced over the winter. “As everyone is aware, our spring this year looked a little bit challenging,” Dunne said. “Over-winter snows in some parts of the region were way below average.” …Dunne said typically, the Kamloops Fire Centre will be the busiest in the middle of July, but this year BCWS has already seen significant fire behaviour and growth across the region.
Woodlots BC has been invited to Victoria to work collaboratively with representatives from the BC Community Forest Association, the First Nations Forestry Council, and government officials in a solutions-focused dialogue to: explore a principled pricing framework that promotes greater equity across woodlots, community forest agreements, and First Nations woodland licences, to address inconsistencies among tenure types that have resulted in inequities within the current system; and understand, articulate, and assess the implications and implementation considerations of various policy options on Woodlot holders. The Province has committed to advancing this work through its Intentions Paper: Modernizing Forest Policy Initiative, with the goal of establishing a more consistent and equitable pricing framework for woodlots, community forest agreements, and First Nations woodland licences. Broader engagement with the woodlot community is tentatively planned for this fall. Woodlots BC are advocating for no changes to tabular rates and continue the 1 CP process on woodlots.
BC forestry policies destroy priceless values and bias the regulatory system
By Laurisa Dohm
Northern Beat
June 25, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
B.C.’s forestry collapse is devastating communities across the province, with provincial policy failures identified as the primary cause. But the dysfunction is causing more than economic losses. It is also destroying two things which are arguably priceless: old growth forests, and a free, fair, and open market. Old growth logging continues under licences the government has legal authority to restrict. Yet reportedly, less than half of the 2.6 million hectares identified by its own technical advisory panel as most at risk have actually been deferred. Forest protection advocates point to Canfor and West Fraser as the top two private companies logging old growth. What they omit is that Canfor’s tenures were transferred to two bands in 2024, months after West Fraser’s tenures were combined with a different band’s months earlier—tenures the province subsequently increased by more than 2,000 per cent in 2025. In the same timeframe, the mills these companies used to operate have closed at a steady clip.
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality calling for release of 2024 wildfire investigation
By Tom Summer
CBC News
June 25, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
The Northern Rockies Regional Municipality is calling on the province to release an investigation by the Natural Resource Officers Service into the 2024 Parker Lake wildfire. Mayor Rob Fraser says more than 3,000 people were forced to evacuate for 17 days because of the wildfire and alleges the province is holding back due to a clerical error. … Fraser claims the Natural Resource Officers Service is refusing to release an investigative report due to a clerical error that temporarily left his community out of the Wildfire Act. According to Fraser, his community was listed as the “Town of Fort Nelson” under the provincial Wildfire Act, when they should have been the “Northern Rockies Regional Municipality.” Looking at the governance, the Town of Fort Nelson was amalgamated with the Northern Rockies Regional District in 2009 to become the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality.
Forest Enhancement Society of BC project updates from around the province.
The Forest Enhancement Society of B.C.
June 26, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) is highlighting the growing impact of community forestry across the province, recognizing projects that reduce wildfire risk, improve wildlife habitat and strengthen local economies. At the BC Community Forest Association’s 2026 Conference, FESBC presented its inaugural Community Forest Project of the Year Award to the Kaslo & District Community Forest Society for its “Jimi Crack Corn” project. The latest FESBC newsletter also features updates on fuel reduction work with Nazko First Nation, new federal funding aimed at reducing wood waste and supporting forest resilience, and a safety message from the BC Forest Safety Council encouraging supervisors to recognize early warning signs before serious incidents occur. Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar notes that more than 60 new FESBC-supported projects will build on last year’s wildfire mitigation and fibre utilization efforts, helping create safer, healthier forests and supporting jobs in rural British Columbia.
Osoyoos Indian Band set to restore native plants, species in wildfire-ravaged forests
By Aaron Hemens
IndigiNews
June 25, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Osoyoos Indian Band is working to revitalize forests in its territories that have been ravaged by wildfires — turning them into fire-resistent zones full of biodiversity, wildlife and medicinal plants for its members. The band-owned Nk’Mip Forestry is planning to revive two woodlands located above the First Nation’s reservation in the highlands between Oliver and Mount Baldy — making up just over 40 hectares combined. The forest tenure where the project is located is approximately 50,000 hectares in size, and is co-managed between the Osoyoos Indian Band and Gorman Bros. The two forests — a drier douglas fir ecosystem with ponderosa pine, and a montane spruce ecosystem dominated by dense lodgepole pile further up the hill — were both impacted by the 2021 Nk’Mip Creek Wildfire, which is estimated to have burned just over 20,000 hectares.
Oregon lawsuit could upend federal management of public lands
By Alex Brown
Stateline
June 25, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West
A new lawsuit challenging a logging project in Oregon threatens to unravel the management plans governing hundreds of millions of acres of federal public land. At stake are thousands of leases and permits covering billions of dollars of economic activity — including mining, drilling, grazing, logging, ski resorts, wind and solar projects, outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing. If successful, the lawsuit could throw the management of huge swaths of the West into chaos. Some experts fear the new legal uncertainty around federal agencies’ management authority could unleash a tsunami of lawsuits targeting everything from mining to the conservation of wildlife habitat. “When you throw that whole system into chaos, it’s a problem whether you’re the oil and gas industry or the timber industry,” said Susan Jane Brown, the attorney who filed the lawsuit and serves as principal at Silvix Resources, a nonprofit environmental law firm.
US Forest Service eyes emergency logging for 5 million acres in Idaho, Montana
The Daily Montanan in the Bonner County Bee
June 26, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West
The U.S. Forest Service published an eight-page emergency plan that it says addresses catastrophic wind damage done to federal forest land after two weather emergencies, but environmental watchdog groups say it’s rushed and could result in millions of acres being used for commercial logging with an almost impossibly short public comment period. The project’s scoping document doesn’t disclose which parcels of federal forest land will be logged and treated as part of the emergency plans, but a table shows it could involve more than 5 million acres spanning across Montana and Idaho’s Panhandle. The notice, issued by the USFS Northern Regional office in Missoula, said the “emergency salvage” effort is a response to the straight-line and high wind events in December 2025 and April 2026. The Forest Service said the windstorms created large patches of overturned or “downed” trees.
Seeing the forest for the trees: Recognizing the impacts of overabundant deer
By Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Government of Massachusetts
June 26, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East
When we walk through the woods, spotting a white-tailed deer can be a highlight of the day. They are native to Massachusetts and an iconic part of our landscape. However, an ecosystem is all about balance. When deer populations grow beyond what the land can support, the impacts ripple through the entire forest. These issues become particularly pronounced in areas that don’t allow hunting. But how can you tell if a forest is healthy or if it is buckling under the pressure of overabundant deer? You just need to know where to look. …When deer are overabundant, they consume almost all palatable vegetation within their reach; typically below five or six feet. This creates a stark, unnatural browse line. Below this point, the woods look hollowed out and park-like. While it might make for an easy hike, this open understory is an ecological red flag indicating a forest that is being eaten from the ground up.
Worker says Victoria’s forestry transition program ‘decimated’ Gippsland’s small towns
By Madeleine Stuchbery
ABC News Australia
June 29, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: International
As the Victorian Forestry Transition Program comes to a close, some residents in regions that relied on the timber trade are questioning what has been done to build a replacement economy. The state government’s transition program ends today, two-and-a-half years after Victoria’s native logging industry was brought to an end with the flourish of a pen. The government committed $1.5 billion to support the transition, including $320 million to the Forestry Transition Program to provide financial support for affected workers, businesses and communities. But some residents remain unconvinced enough has been done to replace the jobs lost. …A Victorian auditor general’s report into the end of the industry, released in April this year, critiqued the government’s transition plan and where funds were allocated. It found 80 per cent of displaced timber workers were in full-time employment before the end of the industry, a figure that fell to 60 per cent after the end of the sector.
Forests are natural carbon sinks. But as reforestation of degraded land is becoming a global climate solution, a persistent question lingers: How do we know how much carbon a forest is actually storing? Researchers say ground-based laser scanning, or LiDAR, could improve the efficiency of measuring the outcomes of reforestation. And a recent paper published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence found that LiDAR scanning in Australia offered an improvement over other methods of carbon estimation. …However, other experts say that LiDAR is not free from errors, and that it is a very expensive tool. Some entry-level terrestrial laser scanning equipment costs more than $40,000, making it unaffordable for projects without adequate funding. …The larger question for Andrew Macintosh, a professor of environmental law, is: Can improving accuracy of biomass measurement really improve the integrity of the markets where carbon credits from tree-planting projects are bought and sold?
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and IKEA launch global research lab on rainforest restoration
SLU, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
June 25, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: International
For more than 25 years, the IKEA-launched Sow a Seed project has contributed to the restoration of rainforests in Malaysian Borneo. Today marks the launch of a new phase, the Living Rainforest Restoration Lab, shifting focus toward research and knowledge sharing on these vital ecosystems. The journey started in 1998, when IKEA’s founder Ingvar Kamprad initiated what would become Sow a Seed; a long standing and large-scale restoration project in the rainforests of Borneo. Jointly headed by SLU and the Malaysian Sabah Foundation, Sow a Seed is one of the world’s longest standing restorations of its kind. This program is exceptional in its commitment to long-term impact. By combining a rare 25-year legacy of restoration work with a funding model spanning two consecutive decades, it creates a unique platform for generating knowledge that simply cannot emerge from short-term research, says Petter Axelsson, researcher at SLU within the Sow a Seed-programme.
Building Canada Stronger — Join the Conversation at the 2026 WPAC Conference
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada
June 30, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada
Get ready for WPAC’s annual conference, September 22-23, 2026, in beautiful Victoria, BC! This year’s theme, Building Canada Stronger: Navigating the Global Wood Pellet Transition, covers securing supply, resilient energy and next-gen bioenergy. Day 2 focuses on the innovation, decarbonization and domestic markets. Sessions include:
BECCS, CDRs and Carbon Markets: Examine how bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) can deliver benefits beyond emissions reduction, including fibre utilization, export competitiveness and forest sector resilience. Also explore Canada’s readiness, global project developments and the role of carbon markets and investment signals.
Strengthening Canada’s Energy Resilience with Biomass: Heat, Industry, and Domestic Supply: Explore how biomass can help strengthen Canada’s energy security by delivering reliable, low-carbon heat across diverse applications. Discover the projects, infrastructure and logistics needed to scale domestic biomass energy nationwide.
Industry Leadership Session—What We Do Next: Engage with WPAC Board members to discuss the strategic priorities for WPAC and the Canadian wood pellet sector in the next few years.
Joint Australia-Canada-United Kingdom Statement on Energy and Climate Cooperation
By Environment and Climate Change Canada
PR Newswire
June 25, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, International
Julie Dabrusin
Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom recognise the immediacy with which we must act to secure a clean energy future, following a prolonged period of global disruptions to energy security, markets and supply chains. We affirm that accelerating the clean energy transition, and shifting from fossil fuels to clean electricity, will greatly reduce exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets and improve long-term energy supply resilience, affordability, and economic competitiveness. …Our three nations … are rapidly transitioning to decarbonise our economies, powered by clean energy; making record investments in clean energy and electrification…; enhancing our grids to deliver reliable, clean power…, while creating new job opportunities across our regions. … To further these efforts, we have committed to working together on building and contributing to diverse, secure and sustainable supply chains that can power the world with clean energy, including the critical minerals, technologies and components required for grid flexibility, reliability and resilience.
Getting warmer: Slower forest growth means less carbon storage
By Caitlin Hayes
Cornell University Chronicle
June 25, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: US East
Ithaca, NY — Forests and land play an important role in absorbing carbon dioxide emissions, but current models and forecasts don’t incorporate a new and surprising ecological discovery: Despite more available carbon, climate change and warmer temperatures are slowing forest growth. A new study considers for the first time the impact of the discovery on climate models, finding that one of the most-used land models for determining the impacts of climate change may overestimate forests’ future potential for carbon storage by as much as 30%. “Knowing how well the land will be able to keep taking up carbon in the future is really important,” said first author Brendan Clark. “But the land models are probably underestimating the effects of hotter, drier air on actual growth.” …Clark first learned about the new ecological findings from co-author and ecologist Shan Kothari, at the University of Alberta, and immediately wondered how they might impact climate models.
Tick reports are surging across Eastern Canada this year – and especially in Ontario. Driven by climate change, migratory birds, and expanding mice and deer populations, experts expect the troubling trend to continue well into the future, increasing the risk of serious tickborne illnesses like Lyme disease. Data submitted to eTick.ca as of June 23 shows that confirmed tick reports are up 38.5 per cent in Canada so far this year compared to the same period in 2025. Reports of blacklegged and western blacklegged ticks – the two species that carry Lyme disease – are also up by 35.2 per cent. After suffering through a late-stage Lyme disease diagnosis in 2015, Justin Wood founded Geneticks, Canada’s first private tick testing lab. “I expect this upward trend to continue every year in Canada for the foreseeable future,” Wood told CTVNews.ca from Uxbridge, Ont. “Climate change is the driver to this process.” …To help aid national monitoring efforts, and to help you identify potentially dangerous species, Canadians are encouraged to submit tick sightings with photographs to eTick.ca.
3 dead in plane crash near Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, fire officials confirm
By Chris Windeyer and Emma Tranter
CBC News
June 25, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada West
Three people are dead after a plane responding to a wildfire near Fort Simpson, N.W.T., crashed on Wednesday evening. N.W.T. Fire said in a news release Thursday afternoon that responders went to the crash site and confirmed the deaths. “Our organization is grieving alongside the families, friends, colleagues, and the broader wildfire community as we process this unthinkable loss,” Mike Westwick, the manager of wildfire prevention and mitigation, said in the release. “We will honour those who lost their lives in the line of duty at the appropriate time and in accordance with the wishes of their families,” Westwick added. The RCMP said they are helping to recover the deceased and the N.W.T coroner’s office is also investigating. …The plane involved was a fixed wing Turbo Commander 690 Bird Dog 104. Bird dog aircraft are small, typically single-engine planes that carry crew who direct air traffic near a fire and coordinate the airtankers.
Clinton Township woman among 3 firefighters killed while battling Colorado wildfire, officials confirm
By Jenny Sherman
Click on Detroit
June 29, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: US West
MESA COUNTY, Co. – A 38-year-old Clinton Township woman was among three firefighters who were killed on Saturday while responding to a wildfire in western Colorado near the Utah border. Emily Barker, a member of the U.S. Forest Service Rifle Helitack crew, was assigned to the Knowles and Gore fires when a fast-moving burnover incident led to emergency conditions, trapping her and several other first responders. Nick Hutcherson, 27, of Glendale, Ariz., and Sydney Watson, 26, of Warrior, Ala., were also killed. Hutcherson was a member of the U.S. Forest Service Kaibab National Forest, and Watson was assigned to the U.S. Wildland Fire Service Rifle Helitack. All three were dispatched to the fire as part of the helitack crew to quickly respond and assess a wildfire. …Two other firefighters on the crew survived and are being treated for injuries. “This is an incredibly difficult moment for the entire wildland fire community,” said Forest Service Deputy Chief Sarah Fisher.
Residents of Fort Simpson, N.W.T., have been ordered to evacuate due to a nearby wildfire. The Village of Fort Simpson issued the evacuation order at 7:10 p.m. MT on Sunday. Residents are advised to head for Yellowknife. …An evacuation alert was issued Friday evening warning people to be prepared to leave on short notice, after a fire was detected about 10 kilometres from Fort Simpson’s airport. As of Sunday, the fire was about seven kilometres away. A fire information officer told CBC News the fire is not expected to reach the community overnight. The Village of Fort Simpson also declared a local state of emergency on Sunday evening. It said on Facebook that gas stations will remain open 24/7… The community of about 1,300 is approximately 600 kilometres, or a 7-hour drive, from Yellowknife, and requires crossing a ferry at the Liard River. …the ferry is running 24 hours so people can drive out.
First Nation in Manitoba orders residents to leave due to evacuation of nearby town
Canadian Press
June 28, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West
LYNN LAKE – A First Nation in northern Manitoba is evacuating its residents due to a wildfire that’s threatening a nearby town. Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), an Indigenous advocacy group, says the Marcel Colomb First Nation has ordered the evacuation because it relies on critical infrastructure and resources from Lynn Lake, a town about 25 kilometres to the west whose residents have already left. The statement says Lynn Lake, which began evacuation flights on Saturday, serves as a key supply and service hub for the First Nation and that it would be unsafe for its people to remain. …the Manitoba government’s wildfire information page said the fire was over 50 square kilometres in size as of Saturday. …Further east, the MKO statement says O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation is under a state of emergency and is evacuating priority residents, which includes people in need of medical assistance.
Firefighters are battling 11 new out-of-control wildfires that broke out Wednesday in B.C., as hot and dry conditions mix with lightning strikes in some areas. Two of the new rapidly spreading wildfires that ignited Wednesday are south of Lillooet, including the Riley Creek wildfire, located about 25 kilometres south of Lillooet. Both are believed to have been ignited by lightning. In Lytton the Saw Creek wildfire forced evacuations and a highway closure on Friday. That fire is considered to be under control as of Tuesday. …Firefighters were also called out to another quick moving wildfire that sparked Wednesday evening between Whistler and Pemberton. Fire officials say the .06-square-kilometre blaze was also ignited by lighting. Overall there are 39 wildfires burning in B.C., including 23 that broke out between Tuesday and Wednesday night, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.
A number of wildfires are burning in western Colorado and the high country after high winds, heat and dry conditions moved into the region over the weekend. The Willow fire started Sunday near the base of Mount Massive in Lake County, and evacuations are in place for campers and hikers near Turquoise Lake west of Leadville. As of Sunday evening the fire had burned more than 1,000 acres, and roads, campgrounds and trails around the lake are closed and being evacuated. Evacuation and preevacuation orders are in effect, according to the Lake County Office of Emergency Management. The cause has not been announced. In southwestern Colorado, the Ferris fire north of Cortez has burned more than 10,600 acres in Dolores Ranger District of the San Juan National Forest as of Sunday evening.
Arizona — The Pocket Fire north of Sedona grew more than 3,600 acres from Saturday to Sunday, officials said. The size of the blaze was reported at 6,016 acres with 0% containment in the Forest Service’s Sunday evening update. That was a significant increase from the 2,349 acres reported Saturday evening, as winds continued to push the flames further northeast along Woody Mountain Road (Forest Road 231). “GO” evacuation orders for residents in Oak Creek Canyon, zones 14 and 15, have been changed to “SET” status. Proof of residency is required to enter the area, while residents and business owners still need to be prepared to evacuate should fire behavior or weather conditions change. …With high temperatures, strong winds with gusts up to 45 mph, low humidity and no rain in the forecast, the National Weather Service declared a Red Flag Warning for Friday through Sunday.
Olympic National Park crews battle 86-acre wildfire sparked by lightning near Mount Olympus
By Adel Toay
King 5 News
June 26, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West
Washington — Olympic National Park crews are responding to an 86-acre wildfire sparked by lightning in a remote area west of Mount Olympus, according to park officials. The Mount Tom Creek Fire was reported by backpackers on June 24 after a lightning storm moved through the area June 23. The fire is burning on a steep, densely forested mountainside in the Mount Tom Creek Basin, about 5 miles west-northwest of Mount Olympus. Officials said the fire remained 0% contained as of Thursday. No structures have been damaged and a full suppression strategy is being used. Fire managers have deployed aviation and ground resources, including Type 1 and Type 2 helicopters, reconnaissance aircraft, wildland fire engines and hand crews. A Type 3 Incident Management Team is scheduled to assume command of the fire Friday. The fire is located about 6 miles from the Hoh Rain Forest administrative site. The Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center, campground and trails remain open.
The McCauley Springs wildfire, detected early Wednesday morning near Jemez Springs, has a “high potential for spread,” according to Santa Fe National Forest officials, and has prompted evacuation orders and electrical shutoffs as crews race to suppress the blaze. The fire was discovered around 6 a.m. Wednesday south of New Mexico State Road 4 about six miles northeast of Jemez Springs. It grew from 30 acres around 10:30 a.m. to roughly 150 acres by 2 p.m, according to the Santa Fe National Forest. The wildfire prompted immediate evacuation orders in the Jemez Falls Campground, and nearby communities of Sierra los Pinos and Vallecitos. The Jemez Electric Co-op shut off power to customers east of Thompson’s Ridge. Forest Service officials said the Santa Fe Interagency Hotshot Crew has responded, along with two helicopters, and that another crew tackling the 147-acre Rio Fire nearby in the Española area has been reassigned to McCauley Springs Fire.
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Join us for the 16th edition of this flagship event—the only conference of its kind this year offering such a comprehensive view of the Cellulose market, covering the entire value chain from upstream to downstream. CelCo started up the conference Investing in Cellulose in 2011. Since then, it has been running every year in London, in November, the first Monday of the London Pulp Week. Its objective is to gather the entire cellulose value chain: from specialty wood pulp and cotton linters pulp suppliers to all viscose, acetate, ether & MCC, nitrate, cellophane, tyrecord, sausage casings, and sponge applications, as well as final converters up to “Brand levels” (textile, hygiene, pharmaceutical, cigarette, automotive, food, construction industries, etc.). The one-day conference includes a full-day event with 8 speakers, a breakfast, formal lunch, coffee breaks, and a cocktail the previous evening. The event will be held on Monday, November 9, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the luxurious Waldorf Hotel near Covent Garden. …This event is organized by CelCo, a cellulose consulting company registered in Switzerland, led by Christian Chavassieu, and assisted by its partner, Numera Analytics.
A Kamloops Fire Centre spokesperson told Sicamous council that local forests are still quite dry despite a burst of fresh green growth brought on by recent wet weather. At the June 24 District of Sicamous committee of the whole meeting, Kamloops Fire Centre manager Jeff Dunne gave council an overview of BC Wildfire Service’s regional operations and a look at what to expect in the coming months. Dunne said a dry start to the spring compounded on drought conditions experienced over the winter. “As everyone is aware, our spring this year looked a little bit challenging,” Dunne said. “Over-winter snows in some parts of the region were way below average.” …Dunne said typically, the Kamloops Fire Centre will be the busiest in the middle of July, but this year BCWS has already seen significant fire behaviour and growth across the region. 
The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) is highlighting the growing impact of community forestry across the province, recognizing projects that reduce wildfire risk, improve wildlife habitat and strengthen local economies. At the BC Community Forest Association’s 2026 Conference, FESBC presented its inaugural Community Forest Project of the Year Award to the Kaslo & District Community Forest Society for its “Jimi Crack Corn” project. The latest FESBC newsletter also features updates on fuel reduction work with Nazko First Nation, new federal funding aimed at reducing wood waste and supporting forest resilience, and a safety message from the BC Forest Safety Council encouraging supervisors to recognize early warning signs before serious incidents occur. Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar notes that more than 60 new FESBC-supported projects will build on last year’s wildfire mitigation and fibre utilization efforts, helping create safer, healthier forests and supporting jobs in rural British Columbia.
A new lawsuit challenging a logging project in Oregon threatens to unravel the management plans governing hundreds of millions of acres of federal public land. At stake are thousands of leases and permits covering billions of dollars of economic activity — including mining, drilling, grazing, logging, ski resorts, wind and solar projects, outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing. If successful, the lawsuit could throw the management of huge swaths of the West into chaos. Some experts fear the new legal uncertainty around federal agencies’ management authority could unleash a tsunami of lawsuits targeting everything from mining to the conservation of wildlife habitat. “When you throw that whole system into chaos, it’s a problem whether you’re the oil and gas industry or the timber industry,” said Susan Jane Brown, the attorney who filed the lawsuit and serves as principal at Silvix Resources, a nonprofit environmental law firm.
As the Victorian Forestry Transition Program comes to a close, some residents in regions that relied on the timber trade are questioning what has been done to build a replacement economy. The state government’s transition program ends today, two-and-a-half years after Victoria’s native logging industry was brought to an end with the flourish of a pen. The government committed $1.5 billion to support the transition, including $320 million to the Forestry Transition Program to provide financial support for affected workers, businesses and communities. But some residents remain unconvinced enough has been done to replace the jobs lost. …A Victorian auditor general’s 
Get ready for WPAC’s annual conference, September 22-23, 2026, in beautiful Victoria, BC! This year’s theme, Building Canada Stronger: Navigating the Global Wood Pellet Transition, covers securing supply, resilient energy and next-gen bioenergy. Day 2 focuses on the innovation, decarbonization and domestic markets. Sessions include:
Ithaca, NY — Forests and land play an important role in absorbing carbon dioxide emissions, but current models and forecasts don’t incorporate a new and surprising ecological discovery: Despite more available carbon, climate change and warmer temperatures are slowing forest growth. A new study considers for the first time the impact of the discovery on climate models, finding that one of the most-used land models for determining the impacts of climate change may overestimate forests’ future potential for carbon storage by as much as 30%. “Knowing how well the land will be able to keep taking up carbon in the future is really important,” said first author Brendan Clark. “But the land models are probably underestimating the effects of hotter, drier air on actual growth.” …Clark first learned about the new ecological findings from co-author and ecologist Shan Kothari, at the University of Alberta, and immediately wondered how they might impact climate models. 
