Weyerhaeuser looks to biocarbon plants to utilize its waste fibre—following pulp-mill closures. In related news: Maine’s Woodland Pulp is set to reopen; Domtar’s Crofton mill closure highlights the downside of one-industry towns; Harmac Pacific rejects Nanaimo bylaw that would threaten future business activities; workers at Western’s Chemainus mill are getting nervous; and the USDA invests in Tenneessee’s hardwood future. Meanwhile, on the US-Canada trade front: the latest on the US and Canada positions, and the US Supreme Court’s pending decision.
In Forestry/Climate news: WPAC’s Gordon Murray opines on BC’s fibre access challenges; the RCMP make more arrests at BC forestry blockade; a BC First Nation is suing the province over lost carbon credits; a federal judge halts logging near Yellowstone National Park; wildfire reduction projects are coming to Colorado forests; and the latest on New Zealand’s emission trading scheme.
Finally, the future of decorative concrete looks a lot like wood decking.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
CORVALLIS, Ore. – If mistletoe’s status as a nutrient-stealing freeloader has been cooling your holiday ardor, new research led by an Oregon State University scientist may help relight the fire. A survey of urban forests in seven western Oregon cities found no observable connection between mistletoe infestation and negative health outcomes for the trees it was parasitizing. So worry not: Your yuletide kissing tradition probably does not involve a tree killer. And as you’re setting concern aside, you might want to head outside. “This is the best time of year to look for mistletoe because there are no leaves on the trees,” said College of Forestry professor emeritus Dave Shaw, an OSU Extension Service forest health specialist. “Also, chances are it will be found in an oak tree – most other trees don’t get infested. So if you are looking for a kiss, keep an eye out for oaks.”
This infographic, released December 12, 2025, provides an overview of the lumber industry, showcasing key metrics and trends related to production, exports and price change. It highlights significant data points, illustrating the state of the market and offering insights into the current landscape of lumber in Canada.
The province has retained an external consultant with expertise in the pulp and paper sector to assess options for the Crofton mill site, B.C.’s Forest Minister Ravi Parmar told North Cowichan’s council during a meeting on Dec. 10. Parmar also discussed the possibility of a new owner acquiring the property to resume pulp and paper production, or repurposing the property for another industrial use, the municipality said in a statement. “Given the significant implications for our community, we have requested that North Cowichan be actively involved at all stages of this work and in any discussions or decisions related to the future of the site,” North Cowichan said. North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas said they are continuing to work with the provincial and federal governments to secure transition funding and support for the mill workers.
Forest Minister Ravi Parmar says proposed new zoning regulations in Nanaimo for heavy industries could have “extreme” consequences for a local pulp and power producer. …A motion by Nanaimo Coun. Paul Manly at a Nov. 17 meeting targets emission-intensive industries such as garbage and waste incineration facilities and chemical, petroleum and LNG plants. …“This is not anti-Harmac,” Manly said in an interview on Friday. …In a letter to Nanaimo’s mayor and council this week, Parmar said the motion sends the wrong signal at a time when the B.C. forest manufacturing industry is in a downward spiral. “This move could result in lost investment, confidence and assuredness in the local forest sector,” said Parmar, noting Harmac Pacific is a key driver of the local forest sector and a major employer in Nanaimo’s economy. “We need to be supporting our forestry operators, not punishing them. This motion is closer to the latter.”
Join industry, government, First Nations, and community leaders at the 2026 COFI Convention as we focus on rebuilding competitiveness and shaping a more resilient future for BC’s forest sector. British Columbia’s forest sector is at a crossroads — facing tough challenges, but also leading the way in solutions that matter most to our province: housing, wildfire resilience, reconciliation, and building a resilient provincial economy. At the 2026 COFI Convention, themed Forestry is a Solution, leaders from industry, government, First Nations, local government will come together to advance competitiveness and chart a strong, sustainable future for BC’s forest sector. Discounted hotel rates are nearly sold out, book now to secure conference pricing and guarantee your stay. April 8 – 10, 2026 | JW Marriott Parq in Vancouver
A First Nation is suing the B.C. government alleging it advanced a secret land claim policy to give away rights to its traditional territory, surrender control over lucrative carbon credits, and prevent it from safeguarding threatened caribou. The allegations, made in a Dec. 12 lawsuit filed by Chief Johnny Pierre on behalf of the Tsay Keh Dene First Nation, target the B.C. government’s handling of overlapping land claims—specifically, a policy that allows First Nations to switch between multiple identities to give them the best chance of claiming traditional territory. Tsay Keh Dene says it learned of the alleged government policy in October 2025 after the province confirmed the nation would see a sharp drop in the amount of money it received from a previously negotiated agreement to share revenue from forestry activities. In 2023, the province had quietly started negotiating with the neighbouring Kwadacha Nation to develop a similar agreement, the lawsuit claims.
The RCMP made more arrests over the weekend for allegedly breaching the court-ordered injunction at a blockade near a forestry operation in the Carmanah Valley, near Lake Cowichan. A police statement said that on the evening of Dec. 12, while patrolling the injunction area around the Walbran Forest Service Road, police located a cantilever structure across a bridge and a tripod structure in the middle of the roadway a short distance away. The two structures blocked both directions in and out of the cut block where the Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership and Tsawak-qin Forestry Inc. forest companies were conducting work.
Gold River, BC — This has not been a good year for forestry as the industry continues to feel the pain from escalating tariffs, mill closures and job losses. But in Nootka Sound a First Nation is looking to a future where trees have a higher value staying in the ground. …the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation is looking at an entirely different economic approach to managing its territorial forests and waters in Nootka Sound. The First Nation’s Salmon Parks project aims to have 66,595 hectares, comprising approximately 20 per cent of its land territory, under a protected designation by 2030. The initiative strictly limits industrial activity within the Salmon Parks – particularly old growth logging – with hopes of eventually allowing nature to heal itself to the point that salmon runs rebound from the headwaters to the ocean. …As the project seeks an economic future, the Salmon Parks initiative is looking at the economic value of keeping trees standing by selling carbon credits. 
One of the most profound shifts in how the United States manages wildland fire is underway. Federal wildland fire forces are spread across several agencies, closely collaborating but each tackling prevention and protection somewhat differently. Now, the Trump administration is creating an entirely new “U.S. Wildland Fire Service” to combine as much of that under one headquarters roof as it can. A firefighter with decades of federal and local experience says he has been tapped to head that agency, news that heartened much of the wildfire community when it broke just over a week ago. …But the muddled rollout of these plans—along with widespread layoffs at agencies that fight wildfires and a crackdown on efforts to combat the climate change that’s fueling the flames—have sowed concerns that this is not the right administration to carry out such a significant transformation.
Forestry leaders have warned Scotland will fail to meet its planting targets for yet another year amid concern investment is going elsewhere. Since annual targets for woodland expansion were set, the Scottish Government has missed the goal every year apart from 2018, when it was met for the first time. In recent years, planting rates have often fallen significantly short of the set targets, with the year from 2022 to 2023 seeing only 8,190 hectares of a 15,000 target planted. Jon Lambert, of Goldcrest Land & Forestry Group, an independent UK firm of chartered surveyors and foresters based in Edinburgh, warned the figures are down because of the lengthy and clunky grant application process. “The amount of planting in Scotland is way down than it should be,” said Mr Lambert.
IFA Farm Forestry Chair Padraig Stapleton has acknowledged the establishment of the Group Forest Certification Ireland Board as a positive development for the Irish forestry sector. This follows the inaugural meeting of the Board which was held this week. IFA Forestry Policy Executive Amy Mulchrone has been appointed as a member of the Board by Minister Michael Healy-Rae. “The establishment of the Group Forest Certification Ireland board is a positive initiative by the Minister. The increased focus on voluntary certification of privately-owned forests that this Board will now hopefully bring should significantly scale up the area certified. To date, only 8% are certified, substantially lower than Coillte plantations, which have dual certification from both the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme of Forest Certification (PEFC).”
Douglas-fir may prove to be a productive alternative to Sitka spruce for the UK’s commercial forestry sector. That is one of the early conclusions from ongoing research to test the suitability of 17 tree species as potential options for future timber production. Taking place across a network of nine large-scale experiments (in locations such as the Newcastleton, Cowal, and the Black Isle), the Forest Research-led investigation also found Douglas fir had the promise for further use in the south and east of the country, where the climate is forecast to become significantly hotter and drier than today. While already considered by many as a serious option, the species only makes up around 4 per cent of the UK’s total commercial forest.
At its November 2025 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and the Prevention Manual. The amendments relate to