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The Tree Frog Forestry News
March 5, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway
Hello early bird! We just want you to know that the news team is busy adding stories to this page. Be sure to check back at 9:00 am (PST) for the full line up of articles.
Mill closures across North America hit pulp, paper and packaging
The Tree Frog Forestry News
March 4, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway
February mill closures across North America hit pulp, paper and packaging workers hard. In related news: Metsä Fibre halts its Joutseno pulp mill (again); federal politician hosts town hall on Cowichan, BC mill closures; no word on the future of Ear Falls, Ontario sawmill; and a fire destroys the Neopit, Wisconsin wood mill. Meanwhile: a new bill could prevent tariffs from driving up US housing costs; and builder sentiment on housing remains cautious.
In Wood Product news: Canada Wood Group highlights Premier Eby’s trip to India and other wood market news; University of BC opens six-storey mass timber Gateway Health building; and Oregon’s Mass Timber Coalition is featured on ‘All Access with Andy Garcia’. In Forestry news: WWF calls out Canada on biodiversity funding; Prince Edward Island’s auditor general gives province a failing grade on forest management; and BC truck drivers have the most injury claims—and driver fatigue is a contributing factor.
Finally, ERA’s Kevin Mason on forest product markets and tariffs post US Supreme Court-ruling.
Forest Products Association of Canada Announces New Board Leadership
Forest Products Association of Canada
March 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada
Luc Thériault
Juan Carlos Bueno
Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Luc Thériault as Chair of the Board of Directors. Mr. Thériault, CEO, Pulp and Wood Products and President – Canada for Domtar, is a respected leader with over 30 years of experience in the forest products industry. Juan Carlos Bueno joins as Vice Chair of the Board. Mr. Bueno, Chief Executive Officer, President, and Director of Mercer International Inc. (Mercer Int.), has tremendous international business experience over his distinguished 30-year career. FPAC extends its heartfelt gratitude to David M. Graham, President of Weyerhaeuser Company Ltd (Canadian subsidiary), for his outstanding leadership and service as Board Chair. Mr. Graham has been a key figure in advancing FPAC’s mission and supporting Canada’s forest products sector during his tenure.
After the Rupture: Positioning BC and Canada in a Changing Global Trade Landscape
By the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship
The University of British Columbia
March 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
March 19, 2026 | 6:30-9 PM | UBC Robson Square Theatre — Experts from the Allard School of Law (Ljiljana Biuković), Vancouver School of Economics (Torsten Jaccard), Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship (Harry Nelson), and Political Science (Stewart Prest) will explore the evolving Canada–U.S. economic relationship and what it means for Canada’s future. As the 2026 joint review of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) approaches, Canada faces significant shifts in its most important trading relationship. From tariffs on steel to ongoing tensions in British Columbia’s forestry sector, long-standing trade dynamics are being tested and the era of predictable trade and stable multilateral rules may be coming to an end. Policymakers, industry leaders, and people interested in understanding the structural changes shaping Canada’s economic future are encouraged to attend. Panelists will examine emerging geopolitical realities and their implications for Canada, highlighting BC forestry as a case study on how international trade pressures are affecting local industries, workers, and communities.
Jeff Kibble, MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, will host a Forestry Workers Town Hall on March 5 to speak about the crisis facing workers and towns hit by mill closures. Forestry workers, union members, industry stakeholders, government representatives, and affected community members are invited to come together for the town hall, which will be held at Duncan Meadows Golf Course beginning at 6:30 p.m., and discuss the issues. The panel at the event will be chaired by Kibble, and leaders from government, industry and labour will join the discussion to listen directly to worker concerns, acknowledge the human cost of shutdowns, and work toward meaningful, community-driven solutions. He said the town hall will focus on real impacts, from job loss to community sustainability, and explore concrete steps forward, including support programs, policy reforms, and coordinated industry-government-union action.
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act head departs as Eby prepares to curb court fallout
By Rob Shaw
Business in Vancouver
March 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
The head of B.C.’s Declaration Act Secretariat has left government on the eve of Premier David Eby’s move to change the landmark law to address court rulings that threaten private property rights. Jessica Wood, the province’s first Indigenous deputy minister, announced late last week she was departing the secretariat. “The Declaration Act was the first legislation in Canada to require consideration and alignment of provincial law with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples,” Wood said in a post on LinkedIn. …Her departure comes as the NDP government prepares to amend DRIPA this session, in response to court rulings that have led to a public backlash over its impact on other laws and private property rights. …Priscilla Sabbas-Watts, a former vice-president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, will move from assistant deputy minister to acting deputy minister of the secretariat starting Monday.
Squamish, 100 Mile House mayors want to save railway that connects South Coast to the Interior
By Tom Summer
CBC News
February 28, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
The mayors of Squamish and 100 Mile House, B.C., want to see the railway linking their two communities preserved. CN Rail is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of a portion of B.C.’s rail network between Squamish and Exeter, just northwest of 100 Mile House. In July 2025, the national rail operator said it provided notice of its intent to discontinue those operations. 100 Mile House Mayor Maureen Pinkney says her town is working with several other municipalities to make a business case for the railway, and have hired a consultant to research the details. The rail line goes through an industrial park in 100 Mile House, explained Pinkney, connecting industries like forestry. The town’s oriented strand board plant shut down in 2019 and West Fraser closed its lumber mill at the end of last year, but Pinkney said there’s still fibre that can be utilized for other wood products.
Wisconsin’s Forests first: Launches effort to strengthen state’s forest products industry
Wisconsin State Affairs
March 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US East
Madison, WI — A new statewide initiative, Wisconsin Forests FIRST (Forest Industry Roadmap and Strategies for Tomorrow), has officially launched to develop a strategic plan and long-term roadmap to ensure Wisconsin’s forests remain healthy while supporting a resilient, sustainable, and competitive forest products industry. Wisconsin Forests FIRST is funded through a $1 million State of Wisconsin grant awarded to the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association and the Wisconsin Paper Council, in close collaboration with the Wisconsin Council on Forestry. The two-year initiative brings together industry leaders and subject matter experts to identify challenges and align priorities to position Wisconsin’s forest and wood products sector for long-term success. …“This first-of-its-kind collaborative project will bring together industry experts from across the state to help create a strategic roadmap to ensure Wisconsin’s forests and forest products industry remains strong into the future”, said Scott Suder, President of the Wisconsin Paper Council”.
Three potential impacts of Iran war for furniture importers
By Spencer Musick
Furniture Today
March 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International
WASHINGTON — The widening conflict in the Middle East following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran is introducing fresh uncertainty into global markets, with potential downstream effects for furniture importers, who despite relying more heavily on Asia-based sourcing than directly in the region are still exposed to volatility across the global supply chain. Analysts told Reuters that a broader regional conflict could disrupt global trade routes, supply chains and commodity prices, all of which have implications downstream for furniture importers by heaping pressure on both costs and capacity. Three potential effects of the ongoing unrest in the Middle East that could spill over for furniture companies include higher fuel costs and landed container prices, container capacity pressures, and risks and longer-term supply chain strains. Over the longer term, the conflict underscores the need to reassess geographic concentration risk.
Feds earmark $5.5M for new B.C. mass timber factory
By Jami Makan
Business in Vancouver
March 4, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada West
A large B.C.-based mass timber company is receiving $5.5 million in federal funding to expand its production capacity, the government’s latest support for prefabrication as a means to boost housing supply. Castlegar-based Kalesnikoff Mass Timber Inc. is receiving the funding from Pacific Economic Development Canada’s Regional Tariff Response Initiative. The initiative is investing more than $13 million in 10 projects across B.C.’s southern Interior, helping businesses impacted by tariffs, said a March 2 press release. Kalesnikoff is receiving a repayable investment of $5.5 million to help purchase new equipment to make prefabricated housing components used in multi-family housing, schools, daycares and commercial buildings, said the release. Kalesnikoff’s new mass timber facility in Castlegar, which went into operation last year, is ramping up production, said Andrew Stiffman, the company’s vice-president of construction services.
For decades, hospital design has prioritized efficiency and low capital cost. This approach … overlooks the built environment’s critical role in healing. The building industry is the world’s largest source of carbon emissions, and hospitals are among its highest emitters. …Mass timber offers a viable solution for cost-effectively aligning environmental and patient priorities… Despite these advantages, mass timber has yet to be widely adopted by health care, with Canadian building codes still precluding its use in most hospital settings. …To address this, KPMB Architects and British Columbia’s Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)—along with an integrated team of consultants—recently designed a speculative mass timber study for an in-patient unit using Canadian programming and planning norms, codes, and standards. The undertaking was a practical and cost-effective response to the existing barriers. …Most effectively employed in hospitals when integrated with other building systems, mass timber should be applied to areas where … its biophilic benefits offer the greatest return.
Visit Canada Wood’s Market News for these stories and more:
BC advanced its international wood promotion efforts on several fronts this month. Premier David Eby and Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon led a trade mission to India under the Province’s Look West Strategy, highlighting B.C.’s leadership in sustainable forestry and wood products as part of efforts to diversify export markets.
Meanwhile, Canada Wood co-sponsored a seven-day tour for eighteen senior members of the Japan 2×4 Home Builders Association to mark the association’s 50th anniversary. The delegation visited Edmonton and Vancouver to strengthen industry ties and explore advances in wood construction.
Japan is preparing to introduce a national Life Cycle Assessment framework by 2028 that will measure whole-building carbon impacts—an approach expected to favour wood materials. Even Expo 2025’s iconic Grand Ring will be dismantled and reused under a circular-market program.
Despite a 6.5% drop in 2025 Japan’s housing starts, wood increased its market share to 58.6%, with gains in both residential and non-residential construction.
University of British Columbia’s Gateway Health building centralizes student wellbeing
The REMI Network
March 2, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West
VANCOUVER — UBC’s newest building, Gateway Health, is opening as a hub for student health, interdisciplinary teaching and collaborative research. The 270,550-square-foot building gives a purpose-built home to the school of nursing, consolidates kinesiology programs from eight campus locations, and centralizes student health and wellbeing services for the first time. …The six-storey mass timber building houses a mix of spaces such as lecture theatres and classrooms, wet and dry labs, clinical spaces, gym and fitness facilities and office and administration areas. Architectural elements include warm wood finishes, exposed timber, terracotta cladding and filtered daylight in the atrium. Gateway Health was designed to achieve net-zero carbon certification and meet LEED, WELL and Rick Hansen accessibility standards. Its hybrid mass-timber structure makes sustainability visible. The project was delivered with UBC Properties Trust, Perkins&Will, Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects and Heatherbrae Builders.
Best Wooden Toys (2026): Panda Crate’s Thoughtfully Designed Developmental Play Kits
By Consumer365
PR Newswire
March 3, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States
NEW YORK — Consumer365 has recognized Panda Crate by KiwiCo in its coverage of best wooden toys… Wooden toys have remained a consistent choice for parents seeking alternatives to electronic and screen-based products. …Why Wooden Toys Continue to Matter
Durability: Wood is a sturdy material that can tolerate repeated dropping, stacking, and handling. Babies and toddlers frequently explore objects by throwing, banging, or mouthing them. Wooden toys tend to maintain their structural integrity over time, making them suitable for repeated use within a household.
Tactile and Sensory Feedback: When infants hold and transfer wooden objects between hands, they experience tactile and proprioceptive input that contributes to sensory development. Wood’s solid feel can support early hand strength and coordination as babies practice grasping and releasing.
Fine Motor Development: Stacking wooden blocks, fitting shapes into corresponding slots… strengthen small hand muscles and improve hand-eye coordination.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — ProWood, a manufacturer and distributor of premium pressure-treated lumber and part of UFP Industries, Inc., released its 2026 State of the Industry Report. The report examines how shifting homeowner expectations are reshaping the construction landscape—from supply chain strategies and product innovation to workforce dynamics and purchasing priorities. “What we’re seeing is a convergence of factors reshaping how the industry operates—from homeowner expectations to labor availability to product performance,” said Jeff Crisp, vice president of operations at ProWood. “Supply chain strategy is part of that shift, alongside changes in who’s building, what materials are trusted, and how long-term performance is being defined.” The report translates those converging forces into several key trends shaping the future of construction.
PLT Canada promotes career development events for forest sector job seekers
By Project Learning Tree
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada
Project Learning Tree (PLT) Canada’s latest My Green Job newsletter highlights several upcoming virtual events aimed at helping students and job seekers build careers in the forest and conservation sector. As spring approaches, PLT Canada is encouraging participants to explore opportunities to strengthen their knowledge of the sector and improve their job readiness. Upcoming events include the Women in Forestry Virtual Summit on March 5, co-hosted by PLT Canada President Christine Leduc. The free online gathering will bring together forestry leaders and professionals to discuss gender equality and diversity in the sector, aligning with the International Women’s Day theme, #GivetoGain. Additional webinars include Growing Your Career Pathway in Ontario’s Forest Sector, featuring Registered Professional Forester James Thordarson, and Rooted for Success: Career Readiness 101, which will cover résumé writing, networking, digital portfolios, and strategies to manage interview anxiety. Together, the sessions aim to help participants prepare for employment opportunities in Canada’s forest sector.
Forest Stewardship Council Canada News and View for March
Forest Stewardship Council Canada
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada
The Forest Stewardship Council Canada newsletter highlights initiatives supporting responsible forest management and stronger connections across the forest sector. Reflections from the 2026 Indigenous Land Symposium emphasize the importance of Indigenous leadership, knowledge sharing, and collaborative approaches to land stewardship. FSC Canada is expanding its communications with the launch of a new podcast series that explores how forest managers, Indigenous leaders and scientists are reshaping what “sustainable forestry” means in a warming world. The organization recently joined the WoodWorks Canada pavilion at Buildex Vancouver, where discussions focused on the growing interest in FSC-certified lumber and meeting sustainability goals in the built environment. The newsletter also provides updates for certificate holders, including guidance on the new FSC trademark standard and notice that the draft advice note on “very limited portion” has moved into the Policy and Standards Committee revision process. The issue concludes with practical suggestions for organizations looking to advance sustainability priorities in 2026.
Nature can’t wait: World Wildlife Fund Canada calls on Canada to close the biodiversity funding gap
By World Wildlife Fund Canada
Cision Newswire
March 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada
OTTAWA, ON – …Canada’s plan to restore and protect nature has fallen dangerously off track and funding is about to dry up. To close the gap between promises and progress made, WWF-Canada is calling for renewed momentum and long-term investment, including $1.5 billion for nature conservation. A recent update to Canada’s National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plan (NBSAP) shows the country is well off track with not enough progress made on its domestic and international biodiversity targets. At the same time, a key source of funding for nature, the $2.3-billion Enhanced Nature Legacy fund, is set to expire at the end of March. Failing to renew this funding in last fall’s budget, which also saw the government cancel its landmark 2 Billion Trees program, was short-sighted and will set Canada back even further when it comes to meeting its goals for nature — goals that were promised in the Liberal election platform.
Don’t miss 2026 Sustainable Forestry Initiative Annual Convention
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
March 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States
With the 2026 SFI Annual Conference in Montréal, Quebec from May 5-7, 2026 only a couple of months away, now’s the time to secure your early bird discount to experience impactful sessions, practical takeaways, and one of the sector’s most anticipated networking events—all in one spot. Leave the details to us! Your registration includes access to all main sessions, continuing education credits, and complimentary food and beverages throughout the event so you can focus on learning and connecting. The Wednesday evening offsite event will give you a taste of Montréal, and is not to be missed. Attendees will also receive an SFI-certified welcome gift. Conference sessions will explore the most pressing challenges, and biggest opportunities, shaping the future of the forest sector. Visit our website to view detailed session descriptions.
Gain CEO perspectives on global market challenges, investments, and the path forward,
Discover how cutting-edge spatial data tools are transforming forestry operations,
Learn from leaders advancing Indigenous stewardship and leadership in forestry,
Explore the SFI Climate Smart Forestry projects that are turning science into practice,
See how SFI Standards align with global reporting frameworks,
Mission-area residents invited to reforest recently logged cutblock at public forest
By Mike Vanden Bosch
Fraser Valley Today
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
MISSION – Mission-area residents are invited to attend a CutBlock Party and help replant trees at the Mission Municipal Forest later this month. The City of Mission says the event will be held on Saturday, March 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The public is invited to help reforest a recently logged cutblock by planting trees for the future and better understand how the municipality’s sustainable forestry operations support the community. The free event invites community members to enjoy easy guided hikes, try their hand at axe throwing, climb into a massive rock truck and explore the history and future of the forest.
Sqomish Forestry looks to engage Squamish school kids in land stewardship, through cedar and log donations
By Ina Pace
The Squamish Chief
March 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Sqomish Forestry’s special projects superintendent Roger Lewis explained the motives behind the Indigenous company’s latest education initiative in Squamish; that is, to encourage school kids to plant cedar seedlings, and to carve a race canoe. Since 2019, Sqomish Forestry has operated under the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) business arm Nch’ḵay̓. “Sqomish Forestry shared about 1,000 western red cedar and yellow cedar seedlings with our friends and community members at the Squamish Nation’s Nexwsp’áyaḵen ta Úxwumixw (Community Operations), Ta na wa Yúus ta Stitúyntsam̓ (Rights & Title), and Elders teams, the St’a7mes School, and Don Ross Middle School,” Nch’ḵay announced last month. …Nch’ḵay’s vice president of forestry and sustainability Molly Hudson explained that the Nation intend to use their donations of cedar seedlings to rehabilitate sites such as schools as cedar itself has cultural significance with Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and other coastal First Nations.
The Root of It Podcast – What is environmental stewardship?
By the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship
The Root of It
March 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Introducing The Root of It — the official podcast of the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship at UBC. In our debut episode, our host Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Dean, Dr. Rob Kozak, digs deep into the ideas, research and real-world impact shaping environmental stewardship today, with faculty members Dr. Janette Bulkan and Dr. Scott Hinch. From forests and climate to community and resilience, this is where bold conversations take root. This isn’t just a podcast about trees, it’s about the people, science and stories driving change for our planet.
North Cowichan needs more water, wants province to speed up licensing
By Robert Barron
The Ladysmith – Chemainus Chronicle
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
North Cowichan wants the province to expedite increases to water licences for the Cowichan and Chemainus aquifers. Council authorized Mayor Rob Douglas to write a letter to Randene Neill, B.C.’s Minister of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, asking the government to accelerate the licence process at its meeting on Feb. 18. The request came after a presentation by North Cowichan’s engineering director Clay Reitsma on key infrastructure constraints in the municipality. Reitsma said that increased growth and development demands, provincial housing targets, and the recent closure of the Crofton pulp mill have combined to create significant constraints and impacts on North Cowichan’s limited water and sewer servicing, and water-licensing limits. He pointed out that most of Crofton’s water currently comes from the now closed Domtar mill… Domtar has committed to keep the water flowing from the mill’s water systems to Crofton until the end of 2026, but no promises have been made beyond that.
By the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
Government of British Columbia
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Members of the public are invited to an open house to learn about the development of a Xwulqw’selu (Koksilah) Watershed and Water Sustainability Plan, and provide input to help guide long-term approaches to water supply and ecosystem health in the area. The open house will take place on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 3-6 p.m. at The Hub at Cowichan Station, 2375 Koksilah Road in the Cowichan Valley. The B.C. government and Cowichan Tribes are leading the development of the plan, building on several years of engagement with community members, farmers and industry through local advisory tables, such as the Cowichan Tribes Guidance Group and the Community Collaborative Advisory Table.
By Rob Botterell, Green Party MLA for Saanich North and the Islands
The Peninsula News Review
March 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Rob Botterell
“Talk and log” old growth, mill closures, drought, wildfires, lack of value-added products from second-growth forests, and climate change have shaken … the forest sector in BC. NDP forestry initiatives, such as the Old Growth Strategic Review, have stalled. Nor is the province any closer to protecting 30 per cent of the B.C. landbase by 2030, implementing the biodiversity and ecosystem health framework, local watershed governance, and a paradigm shift to a sustainable industry… Out of the 2025 Green/NDP Accord, an independent body, the Provincial Forest Advisory Council, developed a road map to transform forestry management to a system that delivers stability to the sector that everyone can support. …For my part as the Green caucus forests critic, I will continue to press for immediate implementation of the PFAC report, as well as previous commitments, including full implementation of the Old Growth Strategic Review, 30/30, the biodiversity and ecosystem health framework, and local watershed governance.
Commemorating a Decade of Building Healthier, More Resilient Forests Throughout British Columbia
Forest Enhancement Society of BC
March 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Wayne Clogg on right
Reflections from Forest Enhancement Society of BC’s First Board Chair, Wayne Clogg as FESBC marks its 10th anniversary… For decades, foresters across British Columbia (B.C.) within government, industry, and academia had been calling for increased public investment in forest management beyond basic reforestation obligations. “B.C. has world-class forest practice standards,” Clogg shared. “We ensure that harvested areas are replanted and planned appropriately, but there was no long-term program at the time to invest in improving forest conditions beyond that baseline.” …While FESBC was initially envisioned as fully independent, Clogg acknowledges that this structure proved impractical. “FESBC is, in reality, a Crown agency, delivering forest enhancement projects on behalf of the Provincial government,” he said. …As FESBC continues to steward government funding to invest in forest enhancement projects, Clogg hopes the public will continue to support sustained investment and recognize the Society’s ability to deliver high quality results with its many project partners.
Mission locals petition to stop logging project in Hatzic Valley, cites area history of landslides
By Alyssa Conti
Fraser Valley Today
February 28, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
MISSION — Hundreds of Mission residents are hoping to stop a logging project at its root before the first branch breaks. The Hatzic Valley Community Association recently issued an advisory regarding plans to log between Eng and Kussman Roads, with construction set to begin this summer if Forest Service Road Proposal 2801 is permitted. Residents were then advised to share their thoughts about terrain stability, historical flooding and landslide events, or watershed concerns in the area before March 6 with the Chilliwack District Tenures Team. As of Thursday, February 26, a petition was started to stop the project, citing the watershed’s 44-year history of repeated debris flows, landslides and destructive flooding that have once damaged 45 homes in a single storm and relocated entire creek channels through residential areas.
Poll Finds Industry Members Unclear About WFCA Role: A recent WFCA survey found that many forestry sector contractors and staff may not be certain what the WFCA does. The WFCA is now developing a communications strategy for its members, the public and politicians. The goal is for the reforestation-restoration community to be recognized for their necessity to the wood products sector, their reliability as a supply chain, youth employment opportunities, growing role in recovering from and mitigating climate change, commitment to reconciliation, boon to rural economies, skill in growing seedlings and plants, example-setting in workplace safety and training, and their remarkable and skilled workers and their stories.
If a Restoration Economy is the Future of Our Forestry Sector, What Is It? “What is the restoration economy?” was the central question at last month’s WFCA Conference.
Forestry Service Providers Compensation Fund Gets $5 Million
The February 2026 FGC eNewsletter highlights several key developments in forest genetics across British Columbia and beyond. It introduces Dan Nadir, RPF, as the new Executive Secretariat for FGC, succeeding Brian Barber, and outlines his forestry background and experience. The newsletter promotes an upcoming BC Seed Orchard Association webinar on March 12, featuring presentations on seed extraction and orchard management from Quebec and New Brunswick. Recent events where forest genetics featured prominently are covered, including presentations on seed planning in a changing climate at the Western Forestry Contractors’ Association conference and FGC’s participation at the Forest Professionals BC conference. The update also highlights a new national report identifying challenges and solutions for improving Canada’s tree seed supply chain. Finally, it lists upcoming meetings and conferences in 2026, such as tree improvement workshops and international seed orchard conferences, encouraging engagement and continued professional development.
Prince Edward Island auditor general gives province failing grade on forestry management, biomass oversight
By Stu Neatby
The Guardian Charlottetown
March 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East
Three years after an audit found the P.E.I. government was failing to manage its public forests in accordance with its own laws and policies, a followup audit has found almost all recommendations remain unfulfilled. In a followup report to its original 2023 examination of the province’s forestry management practices, P.E.I.’s auditor general found only one of its eight recommendations have been implemented. The 2023 audit, which focused on publicly owned forested lands, found the province had not reviewed its forest policy since 2006 and had not established plans to manage public forest districts. The audit also found the province had not publicly released state of the forest reports every 10 years, as required under the Forest Management Act. The audit found that the province had not ensured wood used for biomass heating of public buildings was harvested in a sustainable manner.
The amount of land protected has increased, but the method is raising eyebrows. Nova Scotia’s environment minister revealed Thursday that his government has increased the amount of protected land in the province, but it’s not in a way that sits well with environmentalists or the interim Liberal leader. In response to an inquiry from Iain Rankin during question period, Tim Halman said the government has protected 14.55 per cent of the province, nearing its goal of 15 per cent by the end of the year. The minister also acknowledged the recent jump from 13.8 per cent was accomplished using something called other effective area-based conservation measures (OECM), which refers to land that isn’t suitable for forestry activity, such as steep slopes or buffer areas between watercourses and forestry operations. “That is a new shift that has never been seen in this province before,” Rankin said in the House.
Sustainable Forestry Initiative Releases Regional Climate Risk Summaries to Support Climate Smart Forestry
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States
Washington, D.C.— The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announces the release of the SFI Regional Climate Change Risk Summaries. Available United States summaries include the Northeast and Lake States, Northwest, and the Southeast regions. The new science-based resources are designed to support the identification and prioritization of climate risks to forests in the United States. These summaries have been developed as part of the SFI Climate Smart Forestry Initiative in collaboration with the Michigan State University Forest Carbon and Climate Program and with support from the Doris Duke Foundation. The SFI Forest Management Standard requires assessing climate-driven forest vulnerability and taking steps to address risk. These summaries will advance the interpretation and implementation of Climate Smart Forestry across the SFI footprint by supporting COs in meeting these requirements.
Trump Taps Obscure Laws to Boost Logging in Oregon, Alaska
By Bobby Magill
Bloomberg Law
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West
The Trump administration is turning to rarely used laws to circumvent environmental restrictions and expand logging in certain Pacific Northwest forests, legal analysts and advocates say. In plans announced in February to expand logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest and on federal land in western Oregon … administration is using the 1990 Tongass Timber Reform Act to prioritize logging in the largest national forest in the US, and BLM is citing a 1937 law, the Oregon and California Revested Railroad Lands Act, to do so on its land in western Oregon. Both apply only to specific forests and envision logging as a primary use of those lands. The agencies are using federal laws that “privilege timber harvesting and will use that argument to short circuit environmental protections,” especially at the expense of endangered species, said Andrew Mergen, a Harvard Law School professor who was previously a lawyer at the Justice Department’s Environment & Natural Resources Division.
Maple syrup from the Pacific Northwest? Bigleaf maple syrup industry is on the rise
By Jamie Hale
The Oregonian
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West
OREGON — The Pacific Northwest isn’t known as maple syrup country, but a burgeoning syrup industry in Oregon and Washington is trying to change that perception, one gallon of sap at a time. The Northwest’s more temperate climate and more watery maple sap make it harder to make syrup at a commercial scale. Producers can invest in technology, much of it developed in Canada, to improve their harvests, but that means steeper initial investments for farmers, and it doesn’t solve the fact that making bigleaf maple syrup still requires long, grueling hours that producers say can be a barrier to entry. Because of that, the Northwest maple syrup industry has required more effort to get off the ground. But those passionate about local syrup say the delicious, boutique product is well worth the trouble.
US Sen. Ron Wyden wants answers from Trump administration on wildfire preparedness
By April Ehrlich
Oregon Public Broadcasting
March 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West
Ron Wyden
Lawmakers across the West are nervous about a potentially destructive wildfire season at a time when federal firefighting agencies are strained. Now U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon who has been vocal about the nation’s wildfire preparedness, is raising questions about whether Trump administration policies and budget cuts could spell disaster at a time when Oregon is on track to measure its lowest annual snowpack in modern history. “This administration’s decision not to recognize the climate crisis as a threat to our communities is having catastrophic consequences for Oregonians,” Wyden wrote Wednesday in a letter to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. About half of the land in Oregon is managed by the federal government. That means federal firefighting agencies — including the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management — are responsible for preparing for and fighting wildfires on that land. But wildfires don’t respect jurisdictional boundaries.
We may be underestimating the true carbon cost of northern wildfires
By Kara Manke
University of California, Berkeley
February 27, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West
Wildfires in the northern boreal forests of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and Russia may be more damaging to the climate than previously thought, a new UC Berkeley-led study suggests. That’s because these fires don’t just burn through trees; they can also penetrate deep into the carbon-rich layers of soil underneath many boreal forests, releasing carbon that has been accumulating for hundreds or even thousands of years. These carbon-rich soils, also known as peat, are primarily found in the far north, where the cold, wet climate prevents vegetation from fully decomposing and leads to a buildup of partially decayed organic matter over time. The study found that major models of wildfire carbon emissions — which are largely based on data from fires at lower latitudes, and use satellite images of visible flames to guide their estimates — are not properly accounting for the impact of fire on these underground carbon stores.
Safe Wood Pellet Storage: Preventing, Detecting, and Managing Self-Heating Incidents Workshop in Japan
Wood Pellet Association of Canada
March 5, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, International
The Wood Pellet Association of Canada, Firefly, FutureMetrics, Hanwa and Ørsted are conducting a one-day workshop—Safe Wood Pellet Storage: Preventing, Detecting, and Managing Self-Heating Incidents in Tokyo, Japan, on March 12, 2026. This workshop is a must-attend for professionals seeking to enhance pellet storage safety, mitigate fire risks, and improve operational resilience in large-scale storage environments. Join industry experts for a crucial discussion on the risks, detection, and prevention of self-heating incidents in wood pellet storage. This workshop will offer invaluable insights into major incidents, technical causes, risk mitigation strategies, and emergency response procedures, assisting professionals in enhancing safety standards across storage facilities. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with leading specialists and drive industry-wide improvements forward.
Truck driver fatigue is costly – and can be reduced
BC Truck Loggers Association
March 3, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada West
Transport truck drivers have the most injury claims for work-related crashes of any occupation in BC over the last 10 years. And driver fatigue is a contributing factor in many crashes. Developing a strategy for reducing driver fatigue is smart business. It can help save lives and reduce the risk of injuries. It can also help you meet your legal responsibilities. Use Road Safety at Work’s no-cost resources to create or enhance your fatigue management strategy. Transport truck drivers account for nearly one-quarter of all injury claims from work-related vehicle crashes in our province, according to WorkSafeBC. …A successful fatigue management strategy depends on an effective safety culture and employee engagement. Encourage drivers to report fatigue and to pull over for a short rest when they feel it. Discuss it at safety meetings. Make fatigue part of your fit for duty assessments. Emphasize the importance of adequate sleep.
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March 19, 2026 | 6:30-9 PM | UBC Robson Square Theatre — Experts from the Allard School of Law (Ljiljana Biuković), Vancouver School of Economics (Torsten Jaccard), Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship (Harry Nelson), and Political Science (Stewart Prest) will explore the evolving Canada–U.S. economic relationship and what it means for Canada’s future. As the 2026 joint review of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) approaches, Canada faces significant shifts in its most important trading relationship. From tariffs on steel to ongoing tensions in British Columbia’s forestry sector, long-standing trade dynamics are being tested and the era of predictable trade and stable multilateral rules may be coming to an end. Policymakers, industry leaders, and people interested in understanding the structural changes shaping Canada’s economic future are encouraged to attend. Panelists will examine emerging geopolitical realities and their implications for Canada, highlighting BC forestry as a case study on how international trade pressures are affecting local industries, workers, and communities.
The head of B.C.’s Declaration Act Secretariat has left government on the eve of Premier David Eby’s move to change the landmark law to address court rulings that threaten private property rights. Jessica Wood, the province’s first Indigenous deputy minister, announced late last week she was departing the secretariat. “The Declaration Act was the first legislation in Canada to require consideration and alignment of provincial law with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous Peoples,” Wood said in a post on 
The mayors of Squamish and 100 Mile House, B.C., want to see the railway linking their two communities preserved. CN Rail is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of a portion of B.C.’s rail network between Squamish and Exeter, just northwest of 100 Mile House. In July 2025, the national rail operator said it provided notice of its intent to discontinue those operations. 100 Mile House Mayor Maureen Pinkney says her town is working with several other municipalities to make a business case for the railway, and have hired a consultant to research the details. The rail line goes through an industrial park in 100 Mile House, explained Pinkney, connecting industries like forestry. The town’s oriented strand board plant shut down in 2019 and West Fraser closed its lumber mill at the end of last year, but Pinkney said there’s still fibre that can be utilized for other wood products.
WASHINGTON — The widening conflict in the Middle East following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran is introducing fresh uncertainty into global markets, with potential downstream effects for furniture importers, who despite relying more heavily on Asia-based sourcing than directly in the region are still exposed to volatility across the global supply chain. Analysts told Reuters that a broader regional conflict could disrupt global trade routes, supply chains and commodity prices, all of which have implications downstream for furniture importers by heaping pressure on both costs and capacity. Three potential effects of the ongoing unrest in the Middle East that could spill over for furniture companies include higher fuel costs and landed container prices, container capacity pressures, and risks and longer-term supply chain strains. Over the longer term, the conflict underscores the need to reassess geographic concentration risk.
A large B.C.-based mass timber company is receiving $5.5 million in federal funding to expand its production capacity, the government’s latest support for prefabrication as a means to boost housing supply. Castlegar-based Kalesnikoff Mass Timber Inc. is receiving the funding from Pacific Economic Development Canada’s Regional Tariff Response Initiative. The initiative is investing more than $13 million in 10 projects across B.C.’s southern Interior, helping businesses impacted by tariffs, said a March 2 press release. Kalesnikoff is receiving a repayable investment of $5.5 million to help purchase new equipment to make prefabricated housing components used in multi-family housing, schools, daycares and commercial buildings, said the release. Kalesnikoff’s new mass timber facility in Castlegar, which went into operation last year, is ramping up production, said Andrew Stiffman, the company’s vice-president of construction services.
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VANCOUVER — UBC’s newest building, Gateway Health, is opening as a hub for student health, interdisciplinary teaching and collaborative research. The 270,550-square-foot building gives a purpose-built home to the school of nursing, consolidates kinesiology programs from eight campus locations, and centralizes student health and wellbeing services for the first time. …
North Cowichan wants the province to expedite increases to water licences for the Cowichan and Chemainus aquifers. Council authorized Mayor Rob Douglas to write a letter to Randene Neill, B.C.’s Minister of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, asking the government to accelerate the licence process at its meeting on Feb. 18. The request came after a presentation by North Cowichan’s engineering director Clay Reitsma on key infrastructure constraints in the municipality. Reitsma said that increased growth and development demands, provincial housing targets, and the recent closure of the Crofton pulp mill have combined to create significant constraints and impacts on North Cowichan’s limited water and sewer servicing, and water-licensing limits. He pointed out that most of Crofton’s water currently comes from the now closed Domtar mill… Domtar has committed to keep the water flowing from the mill’s water systems to Crofton until the end of 2026, but no promises have been made beyond that.
Members of the public are invited to an open house to learn about the development of a Xwulqw’selu (Koksilah) Watershed and Water Sustainability Plan, and provide input to help guide long-term approaches to water supply and ecosystem health in the area. The open house will take place on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 3-6 p.m. at The Hub at Cowichan Station, 2375 Koksilah Road in the Cowichan Valley. The B.C. government and Cowichan Tribes are leading the development of the plan, building on several years of engagement with community members, farmers and industry through local advisory tables, such as the Cowichan Tribes Guidance Group and the Community Collaborative Advisory Table.
MISSION — Hundreds of Mission residents are hoping to stop a logging project at its root before the first branch breaks. The Hatzic Valley Community Association recently issued an advisory regarding plans to log between Eng and Kussman Roads, with construction set to begin this summer if Forest Service Road Proposal 2801 is permitted. Residents were then advised to share their thoughts about terrain stability, historical flooding and landslide events, or watershed concerns in the area before March 6 with the Chilliwack District Tenures Team. As of Thursday, February 26, a petition was started to stop the project, citing the watershed’s 44-year history of repeated debris flows, landslides and destructive flooding that have once damaged 45 homes in a single storm and relocated entire creek channels through residential areas.
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The February 2026 FGC eNewsletter highlights several key developments in forest genetics across British Columbia and beyond. It introduces Dan Nadir, RPF, as the new Executive Secretariat for FGC, succeeding Brian Barber, and outlines his forestry background and experience. The newsletter promotes an upcoming BC Seed Orchard Association webinar on March 12, featuring presentations on seed extraction and orchard management from Quebec and New Brunswick. Recent events where forest genetics featured prominently are covered, including presentations on seed planning in a changing climate at the Western Forestry Contractors’ Association conference and FGC’s participation at the Forest Professionals BC conference. The update also highlights a new national report identifying challenges and solutions for improving Canada’s tree seed supply chain. Finally, it lists upcoming meetings and conferences in 2026, such as tree improvement workshops and international seed orchard conferences, encouraging engagement and continued professional development.
The Trump administration is turning to rarely used laws to circumvent environmental restrictions and expand logging in certain Pacific Northwest forests, legal analysts and advocates say. In plans announced in February to expand logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest and on federal land in western Oregon … administration is using the 1990 Tongass Timber Reform Act to prioritize logging in the largest national forest in the US, and BLM is citing a 1937 law, the Oregon and California Revested Railroad Lands Act, to do so on its land in western Oregon. Both apply only to specific forests and envision logging as a primary use of those lands. The agencies are using federal laws that “privilege timber harvesting and will use that argument to short circuit environmental protections,” especially at the expense of endangered species, said Andrew Mergen, a Harvard Law School professor who was previously a lawyer at the Justice Department’s Environment & Natural Resources Division.
OREGON — The Pacific Northwest isn’t known as maple syrup country, but a burgeoning syrup industry in Oregon and Washington is trying to change that perception, one gallon of sap at a time. The Northwest’s more temperate climate and more watery maple sap make it harder to make syrup at a commercial scale. Producers can invest in technology, much of it developed in Canada, to improve their harvests, but that means steeper initial investments for farmers, and it doesn’t solve the fact that making bigleaf maple syrup still requires long, grueling hours that producers say can be a barrier to entry. Because of that, the Northwest maple syrup industry has required more effort to get off the ground. But those passionate about local syrup say the delicious, boutique product is well worth the trouble.
Wildfires in the northern boreal forests of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia and Russia may be more damaging to the climate than previously thought, a new UC Berkeley-led study suggests. That’s because these fires don’t just burn through trees; they can also penetrate deep into the carbon-rich layers of soil underneath many boreal forests, releasing carbon that has been accumulating for hundreds or even thousands of years. These carbon-rich soils, also known as peat, are primarily found in the far north, where the cold, wet climate prevents vegetation from fully decomposing and leads to a buildup of partially decayed organic matter over time. The study found that major models of wildfire carbon emissions — which are largely based on data from fires at lower latitudes, and use satellite images of visible flames to guide their estimates — are not properly accounting for the impact of fire on these underground carbon stores. 
Welcome to the Wood Pellet Association of Canada’s Spring 2026 newsletter. We hope you enjoy reading it, and we welcome your feedback.
Transport truck drivers have the most injury claims for work-related crashes of any occupation in BC over the last 10 years. And driver fatigue is a contributing factor in many crashes. Developing a strategy for reducing driver fatigue is smart business. It can help save lives and reduce the risk of injuries. It can also help you meet your legal responsibilities. Use Road Safety at Work’s no-cost resources to create or enhance your fatigue management strategy. Transport truck drivers account for nearly one-quarter of all injury claims from work-related vehicle crashes in our province, according to WorkSafeBC. …A successful fatigue management strategy depends on an effective safety culture and employee engagement. Encourage drivers to report fatigue and to pull over for a short rest when they feel it. Discuss it at safety meetings. Make fatigue part of your fit for duty assessments. Emphasize the importance of adequate sleep.