The US Senate passed a bipartisan housing supply bill to improve affordability, but builders warn of negative consequences. In other Business news: the Iran war strands some timber shipments; Fibre Excellence suspends French pulp mill; what to do with Crofton’s water; and a BC First Nation sounds alarm on pollution.
In Wood Product news: the Canadian Wood Council has a new mass timber calculator; a New York symposium features StructureCraft’s Lucas Epp; Australia’s timber-push by Wood Solutions’ Christine Briggs, the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower nears completion; and new research on wood treatments and bacterial survival.
In Forestry news: BC ENGOs bemoan progress on old growth protection; a US judge dismisses push for more logging in Alaska; Oregon scientists thwart whitebark pine blister rust disease; and Washington state restores its wildfire funding. Meanwhile: Woodlots BC’s latest newsletter; and a feature on Weyerhaeuser’s historic sawmill office.
Finally, BC research trio track Sasquatch across Vancouver Island.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
For years, three Greater Victoria men have been locked in the ultimate game of hide-and-seek with its most celebrated player and current reigning champion: Sasquatch. …Inspired by some of North America’s most renowned Sasquatch researchers – including Comox Valley’s John Bindernagel and Canadian journalist John Green – and driven by their own deep-seated fascination, the trio founded the Vancouver Island Sasquatch Society in 2018. Dedicated to rigorous fieldwork and evidence collection, the citizen science group aims to move the Sasquatch conversation from myth toward fact. …Dave Hill and Stephen Gray have both worked for the Canadian Forest Service, experience that helps them assess if a woodland area could realistically support a large, primate-like beast. …Alex Solunac, a senior media analyst at the University of Victoria, has been involved in Sasquatch research since the ’80s. …It was a similar story for gorillas, the threesome notes. The species was widely considered a mythical creature by European explorers until the mid-19th century, when an American named Thomas Savage found gorilla bones in Liberia.
Alberta — Are you passionate about forestry education and inspiring the next generation? Looking for work that’s anything but a desk job — flexible, dynamic, and always evolving. You just found your next opportunity. Work Wild, a program within the Alberta Forest Products Association, reaches out to people who are making one of the most important choices in their lives — finding a career they love! We are looking for an engaging, people-orientated individual to join our Work Wild team in the role of Southern Alberta Forestry Educator. Reporting to the Program Manager, the Forestry Educator implements Work Wild program objectives, which include educating Albertans on forest sector practices as well as career opportunities in Alberta’s forest industry. The Forestry Educator will spend much of their time traveling to communities throughout southern Alberta engaging middle and high school students, educators, and job seekers about the variety of rewarding opportunities in Alberta’s forest sector.
Federal help is being called on to assist laid-off workers at the curtailed Chemainus sawmill to access Employment Insurance benefits. Brian Butler, president of United Steelworkers Local 1-1937, which represents workers at the mill, Jennifer Foster, senior vice president of human resources at Western Forest Products, which owns the mill, and North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas recently sent a letter to Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu on the issue. “We write to you as representatives of labour, industry, and local government to request urgent federal intervention to address barriers that prevent Chemainus sawmill workers from accessing the full range of Employment Insurance supports available to them,” the letter said. …They pointed said that the workers are not facing a short-term layoff. “They have been formally advised that there will be no return to work this year, yet many are now being told their Employment Insurance benefits will soon expire,” their letter said..png)
The Carney government’s strategy to protect nature is expected to be released in the coming weeks — and some nature advocacy groups worry it won’t come with any new funding. Billions of federal dollars earmarked for conservation are set to expire at the end of March. If they aren’t renewed, the groups say Canada will not meet its 2030 targets. …national nature groups have been sounding the alarm that previous investments in biodiversity projects are in jeopardy, [saying] they haven’t received any assurances that long-term funding would be extended. …Funding for projects meant to halt and reverse species loss is set to soon expire. The enhanced nature legacy program earmarked $2.3 billion over five years, ending March 31. As 
Ecologists Rachel Holt and Karen Price, landscape analyst Dave Daust, veteran forester Garry Merkel and economist Lisa Matthaus, members of a former panel the British Columbia government appointed to identify old-growth for potential protection in 2021 now says they’re concerned about continued logging in those same rare and “irreplaceable” forests. In a document sent to Premier David Eby, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill they say the proposed old-growth deferrals were meant to be an interim measure to reduce the risks of logging, allowing time for long-term planning. But the process has not worked as intended says the document provided to The Canadian Press. Instead, the B.C. government continues to approve logging in forests the panel identified, while long-term plans have yet to be finalized, Holt said in an interview.
Woodland Almanac from the Federation of BC Woodlot Associations is now available, offering a look at the people, programs, and practical tools shaping woodlot management in British Columbia. This issue highlights the Charles Bloom Forestry Program, a hands-on training initiative that introduces high school students to forestry skills and careers while working on a real operating woodlot. The newsletter also features the Executive Director’s report, details on the 2026 Woodlots BC bursary program, and an invitation to attend the Woodlots BC Annual Conference and Workshop in Parksville, October 1–4. Readers will also find updates on value-added opportunities for woodlot licensees and revisions to the Commercial Thinning Guide, along with two “Meet a Woodlotter” profiles featuring the Zemanek Family and Garrett Ranches. Together, the stories showcase the innovation, stewardship, and community connections that continue to define BC’s woodlot sector.
Alberta’s forestry minister says wildfire preparations have gone smoothly as the season opens, but he is concerned about the lack of precipitation and warm weather in the southern part of the province. Alberta’s wildfire season officially began March 1 with 30 wildfires extinguished already so far this calendar year. Two fires remain active, according to the province’s online wildfire dashboard, and more than 280 hectares have been affected so far. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen said Wednesday that while parts of the province are in relatively good shape ahead of the key spring weeks still to come, the southwest corner of the province in particular faces a more risky set of conditions. …Loewen said the province’s overall wildfire readiness is in a good state with most staff hiring already completed, but added the weather over the next two months will greatly affect how many fires crews the province will have this summer.
Fears of a wildfire devastating a drinking water source for up to 80,000 people in the North Okanagan are bringing local Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments together to protect their shared watershed. Last month, leaders of Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB), the District of Lake Country and City of Vernon declared that protecting the crucial North Aberdeen Plateau watershed goes far beyond just preventing or mitigating wildfires. “We can’t let it go back to what it was,” Lake Country Mayor Blair Ireland told fellow members of the Okanagan-Similkameen Collaborative Leadership Table at the Feb. 20 meeting. …In November, a North Aberdeen Plateau Guidance Plan was signed by Ireland, OKIB Chief Dan Wilson, and Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming. The plateau, near Kalamalka Lake in the North Okanagan, includes four smaller watersheds that provide water for homes and farms across Lake Country and the greater Vernon areas. 
Taan Forest, the forest management enterprise owned by the Council of the Haïda Nation, is leading the way under the Forest Stewardship Council Verified Impact program. This milestone marks the first Verified Impact project in Canada and one of the first globally to be verified for enhancing Indigenous cultural values, showcasing how FSC certification can credibly demonstrate positive outcomes for biodiversity, cultural heritage, and community-led stewardship.
Whistler’s forests are home to one of the region’s most elusive birds of prey: the northern goshawk. Bob Brett, a local biologist and co-founder of the Whistler Naturalists, says Whistler is almost uniquely positioned among southern B.C. communities to support the at-risk forest hawk because of the remaining old-growth forests scattered along the valley’s lower slopes. “[Goshawks] hunt inside the forest, so they need wide-spaced trees, they need big branches to nest on and they need access to the forest floor for hunting,” Brett said. “They’re in big trouble on the coast of British Columbia because of all the logging and the lack of old-growth suitable habitat,” he added. “…And our challenge is to make sure that Whistler continues to have habitat for them.” Brett said that challenge extends to the protection of connected ecosystems—particularly the Rainbow Wildlife Corridor, identified as the 21-Mile Creek corridor.
Join us in Nanaimo, March 25 at the Shaw Auditorium, for an exclusive screening of this urgent and impactful documentary, exploring the roots of British Columbia’s wildfire crisis and what we must do to protect our forests, communities, and future. This powerful documentary addresses British Columbia’s escalating wildfire crisis and the urgent need for solutions. … But within this crisis lies opportunity. The film explores how proactive forest management and policy reforms can reduce fire risk. A fact-finding journey to California highlights innovative strategies from its Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan. BC is Burning is more than a documentary—it’s a call to action to rethink how we manage our forests, protect our communities, and secure a sustainable future for British Columbia.
City of Powell River councillors were provided an overview on March 5 of Tla’amin Nation’s negotiations to repatriate access to forest lands currently held by Western Forest Products (WFP). Adam Culos, general manager of Thichum Forest Products, said that Tla’amin had announced a milestone agreement, where Thichum Forest Products, through Tla’amin, is working on an agreement with WFP to acquire Tree Farm Licence 39 block one. Seanna McConnell, Western Forest Products vice-president, Indigenous partnerships, said Qwoqwnes Forestry Holdings Limited Partnership, wholly owned by Tla’amin, will be purchasing 100 per cent ownership of WFP’s Stillwater forest operation for $80 million. …Culos said the acquisition … supports Thichum’s long-term success through investment in their business and the future of the community, [adding] that almost all the wood supplies domestic mills, so there are three fibre supply agreements. One will be WFP, supporting the company’s five coastal mills, along with Mosaic Forest Management and Domtar.
Quesnel City Council has endorsed the “Forestry is a Solution” campaign. Erin Robinson, Forestry Initiatives Manager at the City, talked about the “Forestry is a Solution” campaign at the most recent Council meeting. “It was launched in January at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George. The “Forestry is a Solution” campaign is led by a coalition of forest sector organizations, community leaders, workers, and industry advocates to demonstrate strong public support for British Columbia’s forest sector. The initiative highlights forestry’s role in: supporting affordable housing, reducing wildfire risk through active forest management, sustaining family-supporting jobs, generating public revenues, and contributing to lower carbon construction.” Robinson said it is in line with Council’s concerns over the current state of the industry.
The Ontario Professional Foresters Association will host its 2026 Annual Conference and AGM in Pembroke, Ontario, April 21–23, bringing together forestry professionals, government representatives and industry leaders under the theme “Professional Forestry in Action: Diverse Roles, Shared Impact.” The conference opens with an optional field tour through the Ottawa Valley, where participants will visit forest management sites and hear directly from field practitioners about harvesting, regeneration and forest renewal practices. The program also features a series of technical sessions and plenaries examining key issues facing the profession. Among the highlights is a presentation by Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada, who will discuss how evolving Canada–US relations are affecting the forestry sector and what may lie ahead. The three-day event also includes networking opportunities and the Association’s Annual General Meeting, with both in-person and virtual attendance options available.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by timber industry groups and operators seeking to force increased old-growth logging in the Tongass National Forest, ruling the industry groups had no valid legal claim. U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason granted the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service’s motion to dismiss and directed the clerk to enter final judgment for the federal defendants. “This ruling is a big victory for the Tongass’ old-growth forests. I’m relieved the court squarely rejected the logging industry’s rash attempt to force large-scale logging,” said Marlee Goska, Alaska attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity in a statement. “We need to leave the Tongass standing for the sake of wildlife, climate and local communities.” The case centered on how the Forest Service manages timber sales in the Tongass, the nation’s largest national forest and the world’s largest temperate old-growth rainforest.
In 2002, Crater Lake National Park ecologist Michael Murray thought the park’s majestic whitebark pine trees were as good as gone. An invasive fungus called white pine blister rust was killing the trees around the crater of the lake. …It was accidentally introduced to the U.S. in a shipment of infected nursery trees from Europe around 1900. Since then, it’s wiped out millions of whitebark pine trees and threatened the survival of the species. But Oregon scientist Richard Sniezko, a geneticist with the U.S. Forest Service, said some whitebark pine trees have natural resistance to the blister rust disease. …Murray took this science with him to his current job as forest pathologist for 
ELOCHOMAN RIVER VALLEY, Washington — Investment companies have whittled away the land hunters can use in Wahkiakum and Pacific counties. Access to tens of thousands of acres of longtime hunting grounds is now blocked because a new generation of private landowners won’t offer access. The landowners are often investment companies, not based in the region or even the country. Not only is hunting off limits on their lands, they also often block access to adjacent properties that are state-owned — and therefore should be public — or adjacent privately owned property that still allows free hunting. Steve Ogden, an assistant manager for land operations at Washington Department of Natural Resources, said the agency’s hands are tied — private landowners can’t be forced to allow people on their land. The companies’ land restrictions have begun to erase generations-old family traditions, especially among the working class, and reduce access to affordable foods, like elk, in Washington’s second-poorest county.
Four Montana-based Conservation Groups — Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Gallatin Wildlife Association, Native Ecosystems Council, and Council on Fish & Wildlife — sued the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service for removing wildlife protections on 1.1 million acres of the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana. The federal government agencies issued a “Forest Plan Amendment” in 2025 to remove protections on 1.1 million acres of habitat that was formerly mapped and protected as “lynx habitat” for the Canada lynx, a threatened species listed under the Endangered Species Act. …The lynx population in the Greater Yellowstone Area is currently at risk of extinction, but if managed properly, the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest could aid the recovery of the imperiled Greater Yellowstone lynx population by serving as a connectivity corridor with the healthier lynx populations in Northern Montana. 
When Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina, forestry officials conservatively estimated the storm damaged 822,000 acres of timber. Now satellite imagery showing changes in forest cover suggests the extent of damage was much greater. Nearly 18 months after Helene, forestry officials and the state fire marshal warned legislators Thursday that North Carolina needs to be much better prepared to battle wildfires. Deputy Forester Kevin Harvell with the North Carolina Forest Service said from the air, it’s easy to spot areas where complete stands of trees were flattened, making forest roads and logging roads impassable. …In many counties, N.C. Forest Service staffing consists of just three people – a county ranger, an assistant ranger, and a heavy equipment operator. That means a local county fire department may be the first responder when a brush or woods fire is reported. As in many areas of state government, Hicks says low pay is making it increasingly difficult to keep experienced staff.
As the EU’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) nears implementation this year, furniture giant IKEA may need stronger traceability systems to prove its timber isn’t linked to post-2020 deforestation. Although nearly all IKEA wood is FSC-certified or recycled, past investigations show this voluntary scheme can miss illegal or unsustainable logging. The EUDR requires geolocation data and stricter due diligence than existing certifications or regulations, but repeated delays and possible rule changes have created uncertainty for companies like IKEA preparing to comply. Industry watchdogs say high-profile companies like IKEA can “do more” to champion the landmark regulation and implement leading wood traceability systems, rather than relying solely on existing — voluntary— certification schemes.