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The Tree Frog Forestry News
March 25, 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.
Tariff-hit industries struggling as trade war drags into second year
By Ian Bickis
The Canadian Press in the Victoria Times Colonist
March 24, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada
TORONTO — Canadian businesses hit by targeted U.S. tariffs are struggling to respond as the trade war drags into its second year. …industries like metal production, lumber and automobiles continue to face steep duties more than a year after U.S. President Donald Trump upended the global status quo. Companies have cut staff, pulled back on production and pushed for government action as the heavy duties continue to shake the crucial and long-standing trade relationship with the U.S. …“Because of the way that these tariffs are imposed … five to six key manufacturing subsectors are really, really hurting versus the rest of the economy”, said Claire Fan, senior economist at RBC. …The softwood lumber industry was hit by harsh duties back in 2017, which Trump has since added to, resulting in production down over 25 per cent since the first round, she noted. The result is 22 mills closed since 2022 and another 50 with reduced operations…
Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre kicks off program support for startup companies in forestry sector
Northern Ontario Business
March 24, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East
The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NOIC), in partnership with the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) and the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE), is pleased to announce the launch of its first accelerator program under The Boreal Springboard. This initiative, inaugurated in fall 2025, is designed to strengthen and diversify northwestern Ontario’s forestry sector by supporting the commercialization of innovative forest-based solutions. The accelerator is a 12-week, intensive program that delivers targeted investment of resources and supports into innovative early-stage companies. Participating companies are advancing new forest-based products and technologies that add value to the region’s abundant and sustainably managed forest resources. This value creation may be achieved through improved efficiencies for the operations of established incumbents in the sector, or through the development of new products, markets, and applications that build out around our core capacities, regional fibre supply, and residual streams.
Push grows for second biomass plant as thinning efforts face deadline
By Peter Aleshire
Payson Roundup
March 23, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US West
Arizona — Efforts to scale up forest thinning across northern Arizona are intensifying, as local officials, industry representatives and environmental groups warn that time is running short to reduce wildfire risk and protect critical watersheds. “Everybody is aware now that there is a biomass issue, but very, very, very few people have any real knowledge of the solution,” Eastern Arizona Counties Organization Executive Director Pascal Berlioux said during a recent Natural Resources Working Group meeting. A broad coalition is advocating for construction of a second biomass-burning power plant, arguing it is essential to prevent the collapse of the region’s wood products industry. Without that industry, leaders say, large-scale thinning efforts could stall, increasing the likelihood of severe wildfires threatening forest communities.
Vancouver mass timber tower pushes clean building boundaries
By Evan Duggan
Sustainable Biz Canada
March 24, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West
A 17-storey mass timber-Passive House tower under construction in downtown Vancouver will help push forward clean, tall timber construction techniques, the company building the mixed-use structure at 981 Davie St. says. The builders, Kindred Construction, with developers Community Land Trust (CLT), hosted a tour of the building on March 13. The tower will have 154 homes, including 123 co-op homes operated by CLT and 31 homes operated by McLaren Housing Society; two storeys of retail; and a new QMUNITY centre serving Vancouver’s 2SLGBTQIA+ community.Kenny Dempsey, project director at Kindred Construction, led the tour. He said the building is unique as it blends a concrete core atop two levels of concrete podium. The 15 levels above are designed and built with mass timber reinforced by steel. The mass timber panels were produced by Castlegar, B.C.-based Kalesnikoff.
Why B.C.’s wood opportunity in Vietnam lies beyond Asia
By Daisy Xiong
Business in Vancouver
March 25, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West, International
Inside a factory on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City, workers assemble a sample chest of drawers for an upcoming trade show. The Canadian material is different from what they normally use. In a sector dominated by domestic plantation species, processed wood and imported hardwoods such as oak and walnut, the use of B.C.’s western hemlock and Douglas fir is an outlier, according to Nguyen Trong Hieu, group CEO of Truong Thanh Furniture Corp. The company, one of Vietnam’s largest furniture manufacturers, is working with B.C. Crown corporation Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) to develop its first trial products using Canadian wood for prospective buyers. …The sector is eyeing Vietnam as an emerging market, according to FII, which opened a Ho Chi Minh City office in 2022. “Vietnam is a growing market. There’s more production happening here. There’s more demand,” FII president and CEO Michael Loseth said in January.
Industry coalition seeks injunction against California’s SB 343
By Stefanie Valentic
Resource Recycling
March 19, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US West
A cross-sector group of packaging producers, farmers, restaurants and grocers has filed a class action lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction to block enforcement of SB 343, California’s controversial recycling labeling law. The coalition argues the legislation imposes unconstitutional restrictions on free speech, ultimately working against recycling participation programs by making it harder for consumers to understand what can and cannot go in the bin. At the heart of the complaint is SB 343’s prohibition on the use of widely recognized recycling symbols and claims, even when those claims are factually accurate, according to the suit. Under the law, producers cannot label packaging as recyclable unless it meets state-defined, “rigid” criteria that allegedly fails to reflect how recycling actually works. …“SB 343 establishes labeling standards that could discourage innovation and limit the ability to provide accurate recycling information to consumers,” the American Forest and Paper Association stated.
Bay Mills Indian Community receives $50,000 for mass timber project
Michigan Live
March 24, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East
BRIMLEY, MI – The Bay Mills Indian Community will receive $50,000 in state funding to support planning and design of a long-term care facility in Brimley, making it the only Upper Peninsula project selected in the first round of Michigan’s Mass Timber Catalyst Program. The planned facility is among 10 projects statewide sharing $400,000 in grants aimed at expanding the use of mass timber construction in Michigan. The state received six applications from the Upper Peninsula. “We received six applicants for a number of different projects in the Upper Peninsula,” said Patrick Mohney, senior lands program manager with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Public Lands. “This shows that interest in this building technique is growing.” Nine Lower Peninsula projects were also selected, with individual grants ranging from $25,000 to $60,000. Recipients include a woodworking school in Adrian, a municipal building in Grand Rapids, and mixed-use facilities in several locations.
Modus Studio awarded grant to develop laminated wood storm shelter prototype
By Dylan Sherman
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette
March 24, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East
Jason Wright
Fayetteville-based Modus Studio has landed a $258,000 grant to help develop a storm shelter prototype built with laminated wood. The architecture, interior and fabrication studio said in a news release that the funding will help it design a shelter that meets ICC 500 standards for a Federal Emergency Management Agency safe room. Jason Wright, a partner at the studio, said the project started as an Arkansas conversation. “We have the forests. We have the manufacturers. We have school districts required by code to build storm shelters,” he said. “If we can validate (cross-laminated timber) for this application here, it opens a responsible, scalable pathway not just for our state, but for tornado-prone communities across the country.” Modus has been designing FEMA-compliant safe rooms for Arkansas, and other multipurpose storm shelters across the U.S.
The LEGO Group has confirmed plans to construct an office building using engineered mass timber as part of its new manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia, scheduled to open in 2027. …While the primary manufacturing buildings will rely on steel, concrete and glass …The office component will use engineered mass timber, with early project modelling indicating a reduction in embodied carbon of up to 40 per cent compared with conventional structural systems. The approach reflects a targeted substitution strategy, applying timber where it can materially reduce carbon intensity without affecting structural performance or delivery timelines. Designed by LS3P with Gray | Hourigan as general contractor, the building will draw on timber sourced from regions close to Virginia, including native species. This localised supply approach reduces transport inputs while aligning with regional forestry outputs. The link between LEGO’s product logic and the construction approach is hard to ignore.
Insurers push Ottawa to federalize wildfire response as disaster costs surge
Western Standard
March 21, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada
Canada’s insurance industry is urging Ottawa to take direct control of wildfire management, warning that rising disaster costs and what critics describe as a reactive federal response demand a centralized national agency. Blacklock’s Reporter says in submissions to the House of Commons environment committee, the Insurance Bureau of Canada called on Parliament to create a federal emergency management body similar to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, arguing current systems are no longer adequate. “The trend is clear,” the Bureau wrote. “Canada has already entered an era of record-breaking natural disasters with no signs of slowing.” The proposal would mark a major shift from the current model, where provinces and territories lead wildfire response efforts through mutual aid agreements coordinated by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, established in 1982.
Islands Trust has lost sight of its original purpose
By Priya Puri, Shauna Doll and Chris Genovali
Victoria Times Colonist
March 24, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
A commentary by two forest ecologists who lead Raincoast Conservation Foundation’s Forest Conservation Program, and Raincoast’s executive director, who is a Southern Gulf Islands resident. The Islands Trust recently invited public input to help update its Trust Policy Statement, a document that guides how land-use decisions are made across the Trust Area in the Salish Sea. While the draft includes some overdue updates, it drifts from its mandate of environmental protection and fails to connect words in a policy document to decisions on the ground. To work properly, the Trust Policy Statement must clearly show how the Islands Trust will carry out its environmental protection mandate. The Islands Trust is a unique form of government. When it was established 50 years ago, its role was clear: to prevent unrestrained growth and development in the Trust Area of the Gulf Islands. The legislation recognized that the islands’ natural environment and rural character were fragile and irreplaceable.
New website, film launched to highlight Logan Lake Community Forest
By Kristen Holliday
Castanet
March 24, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
A new website and film showcasing wildfire mitigation efforts have been launched by the Logan Lake Community Forest. New branding has been launched alongside the release of a movie that delves into the community forest and its role in wildfire risk reduction and recreation. In a news release, Randy Spyksma, general manager for Logan Lake Community Forest, said the new, refreshed branding “better reflects who we are today and where we are going.” “It is a visual highlight of our commitment to responsible forest stewardship while supporting the long-term sustainability of our community.” …“Our film speaks to the heart of what we do as a community forest and allows us to share this work through storytelling,” Spyksma said.
Film screening in Victoria sparks conversation around old-growth logging
Victoria News
March 24, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
A packed theatre in Victoria brought together residents, experts and advocates on March 19 for a film screening and panel discussion focused on the future of British Columbia’s old-growth forests. …The 50 minute screening examined forestry practices in B.C. and raised concerns about what speakers described as outdated policies and unsustainable logging. A panel discussion followed, featuring Suzanne Simard, Casey Macaulay, Teresa Ryan, Rachel Holt and Garry Merkel who addressed questions from the audience. Dr. Rachel Holt, an ecologist working in forest policy, said current approaches to forest management are too focused on timber production. …Gary Merkel, a forester and policy adviser, said the issue is complex and involves balancing environmental protection with economic realities. “We’ve had a forest sector that’s existed the same way for a long time, and it’s going through a major transformation,” Merkel said. …While public concern over old-growth logging has grown, Merkel noted that the path forward remains unclear.
New University of British Columbia tool may help stop a destructive insect in its tracks
By Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship
University of British Columbia
March 23, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Richard Hamelin
UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship (FES) researchers has developed a new genomic test that can trace the Asian spongy moth—one of the biggest threats to North America’s forests—back to its source, giving officials a better chance of stopping infestations before they spread. SpongySeq is a DNA analysis tool designed to detect the Asian spongy moth, an invasive insect capable of defoliating entire forests within weeks. Unlike the European spongy moth, which has been established in North America for more than a century and spreads slowly because its females cannot fly, the Asian variety can travel long distances, feeds on a far wider range of trees—including conifers—and remains a high-risk invader with no strong natural controls. …Dr. Richard Hamelin’s team created a tool that works like a “genomic passport,” analyzing 283 specific DNA markers at once to identify a moth’s geographic origin with 97-per-cent accuracy.
Wildfire roundtable convenes in Clearwater ahead of fire season
By Josh Fischlin
The Clearwater Times
March 23, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Clearwater recently hosted a roundtable discussion on wildfire risk reduction, training and preparation in advance of the approaching fire season. The Clearwater and Area Community Wildfire Roundtable was held on March 16. Chance Breckenridge, Clearwater FireSmart coordinator, said the meeting brought together 25 people representing a “broad cross-section of agencies and organizations with a shared stake in wildfire preparedness and community safety.” He said community wildfire roundtables are meant to support coordination and communication among the organizations responsible for different aspects of wildfire preparedness and risk reduction across B.C. interior communities. …Breckenridge explained that the roundtables were originally established with support from the Fraser Basin Council, and that the Clearwater and Area Roundtable “has been a key part of that effort locally and is now being coordinated directly by the District of Clearwater’s FireSmart program.”
New $21M wildfire equipment depot opens in Prince George ahead of 2026 wildfire season
By Dave Branco
CKPG News Prince George
March 20, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Ravi Parmar
PRINCE GEORGE – British Columbia’s wildfire service is getting a major boost ahead of the 2026 fire season. A new, larger equipment depot in Prince George is now operational, and officials say it could make a critical difference when the next big fire breaks out in the north. The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) has received $21 million in capital funding for this new depot. The facility, located on the Old Cariboo Highway, near the Prince George Airport, gives crews in northern B.C. a much bigger home base to work from. …The depot is stocked with trucks, pumps, hoses, structure-protection units and camp infrastructure, all pre-positioned so crews can move gear faster when fires ignite. It’s not just equipment. This year, the wildfire service hit a record of roughly 24-hundred applications for seasonal firefighter positions. That’s the second straight year for record applications to the BCWS.
Another year, another wildfire season, and some B.C. communities are looking to get a head start before any major blazes. Merritt Mayor Mike Goetz says preparations in his community never really stop. “We are one of the very few communities that have a full-time Emergency Management Coordinator,” he said. “We also have a full-time EOC [Emergency Operations Centre] that is always ready to go, and we have a full-time training session for our ESS [Emergency Support Services] members.” The city communicates regularly with the local fire department, BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), BC Forestry, and the River Forecasting Centre, Goetz says. He says they have been working to streamline operations at their local airport to make sure fire resources are able to make their way to the area.
Wildfire money in Saskatchewan budget isn’t enough: Candle Lake fire chief
By Gillian Massie
News Talk 650 CKOM
March 20, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
SaskLakes_Facebook
A fire chief who helped battle last year’s devastating wildfires says he doesn’t feel the funding in the Saskatchewan budget is enough to prepare communities for the upcoming fire season. Jim Arnold, chief of the Candle Lake fire department, helped defend the resort village from the flames as it was placed under a state of emergency last year. He said he’s expecting more of the same this summer. “I think this year is going to be another year that we’re going to have some forest fires, because we’ve got drought in the northern forest,” he said. The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency will get $140 million in this year’s budget, an increase of $20 million over the year before. Finance Minister Jim Reiter defended the funding, saying the provincial government will respond if the flames becoming overwhelming this year.
Log bundles end up on Parksville Qualicum Beach beaches after rough weather conditions
Parksville Qualicum Beach News
March 20, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Several log bundles ended up on beaches in the Parksville and Nanoose Bay area after rough weather caused a log boom to break open at Mosaic Forest Management’s Northwest Bay waterfront facility last weekend. … “Shifting high winds pushed the logs into shallow water before crews could safely reach them,” Mosaic told the PQB News. “We responded as soon as we were alerted early Sunday morning, recovering 10 of the 19 bundles.” Mosaic says salvage crews are standing by to recover the remaining nine bundles, but the current weather system has hampered access to the shallow beach areas where they came ashore.
Sooke resident urges support from community to protect old growth forests
Victoria News
March 19, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Daria Mykhailovych, a Sooke resident, has been raising awareness across Greater Victoria about a petition calling on the provincial government to strengthen protections for British Columbia’s remaining old-growth forests in hopes of encouraging more people to support it. …Originally from Ukraine, she said landscapes like those on Vancouver Island are rare elsewhere in the world. …The petition was launched in fall 2025 by two B.C. forest ecologists, Dr. Suzanne Simard, a professor at University of British Columbia, and independent ecologist Dr. Rachel Holt. Originally, the petition was started with a goal of getting 10,000 signatures. As of March, 16, the petition has received support from about 4,070 people. …“Our concern is that we’ve been cutting these forests at an unsustainable rate,” Simard said. “We wanted to raise awareness and encourage people to question whether the path we’re on is good for the people of British Columbia and for the forests themselves.”
Leaders representing the 21 First Nations of the Robinson Huron Treaty of 1850 are publicly warning that forestry companies do not have permission to conduct aerial or ground-based herbicide spraying within their treaty territory. Robinson Huron Waawiindamaagewin (RHW) says jurisdiction over the lands and forests remains with the treaty nations. Gimaa Dean Sayers, spokesperson for RHW and member of the RHW Waawiindamaagewin Political Working Group on behalf of the Robinson Huron Treaty Chiefs, stated that jurisdiction over the forests and lands within the Treaty territory remains with the Robinson Huron Treaty Nations. …On March 2, RHW leadership sent a formal letter to Interfor’s CEO reiterating the Nations’ position regarding herbicide use and forestry operations in the Treaty territory. The letter acknowledged Interfor’s recent public statement confirming that the company will not proceed with aerial herbicide spraying this year.
Nova Scotia is heading into wildfire season with improved moisture levels compared to last fall — but officials say the weeks ahead remain a critical period for fire risk. Scott Tingley, manager of Forest Protection with the Department of Natural Resources, says winter snow and rain helped offset dry conditions that developed late last year. “The snow and rain were certainly welcome over the winter — we needed it,” Tingley said. “We went through the fall in a significant rainfall deficit.” However, he says that benefit begins to fade as temperatures rise and snow cover disappears. “As that snow starts to disappear, the risk does start to increase,” he said. “One of our biggest risk periods is this time of year before things green up.” That “spring risk period” typically lasts until late May or early June, when vegetation begins to green up and moisture levels improve.
New Mexico — The Cibola National Forest will begin work on two major projects restricting visitor use and public access to the over 140 acres along the Sandia Crest area through fall of 2027. USFS officials will work to remove hazard fuels and hazard tree removal in conjunction with vegetation thinning treatments around the Sandia Crest and New Mexico Highway 536 to promote forest health and resilience, as well as to limit threats to the vast antenna arrays on top of the Crest which are essential to local television and emergency communications, according to plan details reviewed by the Route 66 Independent. Repeated outbreaks of insects and disease on the Sandia Mountains have contributed to a high number of dead trees on the mountain, officials shared. “High fuel-loading around the Crest presents significant risks to critical infrastructure that could be damaged or destroyed in the event of a high-severity wildfire,” they said in a statement.
A new lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service starts with a straightforward claim: A proposed project to help whitebark pine trees near Yellowstone National Park will actually hurt them. But as the complaint unspools, nearly every major controversy involving the Forest Service comes up… The lawsuit pits the Gallatin Wildlife Association, Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystems Council against Gardiner District Ranger Clint Kolarich and the Custer Gallatin National Forest. On March 4, the plaintiffs sent a 60-day notice of intent to sue unless the Forest Service accepts their objections. The Cooke City Fuels and Forest Health Project would strengthen Cooke City and Silver Gate against wildfire, according to its Finding Of No Significant Impact, or FONSI notice. …Forest Service project manager Abigail Hauch listed multiple justifications in the FONSI for the activity, including… “improving the health and condition of the forest ecosystem, including whitebark pine.”
California announces 300 wildfire projects fast-tracked in 300 days
By Gavin Newsom
Government of California
March 20, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West
SACRAMENTO – Following Governor Newsom’s emergency proclamation on wildfire-prone forests last March, state agencies have coordinated to cut red tape and fast-track critical wildfire safety projects across the state, all while maintaining vital environmental safeguards. Over 300 projects across nearly 57,000 acres have been approved in the state in just 300 days. Through this streamlined process, projects are now being approved in as little as 30 days, saving a year or more of review and red tape for more complicated projects. Following a Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force’s Sierra Nevada Regional meeting on March 19, the Task Force shared an update on California’s progress to streamline permitting for wildfire projects, which has enabled a diversity of agencies, tribes, and organizations to move faster than ever before to deliver real results.
‘Hybrid organ’: how a union of trees and fungi could revolutionise forest management
By Ben Martynoga
The Guardian
March 20, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East
At a commercial tree nursery near Evans, western Louisiana, pine seedlings are sprayed with a liquid extract teeming with hundreds of species of wild soil fungi. Brad Ouseman, the nursery manager, is confident he will see results from this fungal inoculation, which is intended to improve yields and reduce the need for artificial fertilisers. Colin Averill, the founder of Funga, the startup company that supplied the spray, likens the treatment to a faecal microbiome transplant for young pine trees. Funga treats young pine trees with wild microbes derived from the soils of thriving pine forests. “We’re taking the whole soil community,” Averill says. “As a result, we get all the complexity and all the interactions that come with it.” The goal: trees that grow fast, drawing down more carbon dioxide, with less reliance on artificial fertilisers. …“Our next big target is Douglas fir in the Pacific north-west,” says Averill.
When we look at a finished wood panel, an architectural surface, or a designed space, we see only the final result. Behind it lies a story that normally remains invisible: years of responsible forest management, technical expertise accumulated in the field, coordinated work with local communities and territories, and systems that ensure traceability, transparency and accountability. In 2026, that full story became visible. Novopan achieved the first FSC Project Certification in Ecuador, as well as FSC Verified Ecosystem Services Impact for restoration or enhancement of areas of importance for recreation and/or tourism, consolidating a certified chain that runs from the forest to the final product. It is one of the first experiences of its kind in the Andean region, demonstrating that FSC standards can be applied comprehensively — from the forest to the completed project. Since 2023, Novopan has held FSC Forest Management and FSC Chain of Custody certification.
Octopus Energy backs billion‑dollar biomass jet fuel project in Nova Scotia powered by branches and bark
By Glenn MacDonald
The Chronicle Herald
March 24, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada East
A European energy giant Octopus Energy Generation Ltd. will spend as much as $6 billion to build and operate a renewable energy park in Nova Scotia. Octopus plans to use biomass …from forest-based industries to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) it will sell to European customers. The processing for Nova Sustainable Fuels, as the Canadian subsidiary is known, will be done at a to-be-constructed renewable energy park in Goldboro, N.S. The site, estimated to cost between $4 billion and $6 billion, is expected to take about three years to build and have a 50-year lifespan. …With airlines seeking to decarbonize, the World Economic Forum reported in 2025 that the global demand for SAF is projected to grow exponentially, reaching 17 million tonnes annually by 2030. That represents four to five per cent of total jet fuel consumption. Parsons said the foundation of the project is based on supplying SAF to European markets.
THUNDER BAY — It was a low-key visit that escaped media coverage but one that may some day pay off in the form of investments in the bioeconomy sector in the Thunder Bay region. The Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) partnered last fall with the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bioeconomy (CRIBE) to organize a trade mission to three Nordic nations. Representatives were joined by Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre, Thunder Bay Pulp & Paper, Domtar, Dryden Fibre and Lake Nipigon Forest Management Inc… “We had been working on a strategy to attract companies to Thunder Bay in the bioeconomy space,” CEO Jamie Taylor of the CEDC said. “We have an abundance of hardwood fiber, over a million cubic meters, which is a lot. How we came to that was in discussion with our major employers, both Domtar and Thunder Bay Pulp & Paper, about what their needs were.”
Wellsboro, Pennsylvania — Woodland Biomass Innovations has completed the second of a four-stage process to convert low-grade wood products to fuel. Luca Pandolfi, founder and CEO of Woodland BIO, said a third party engineering firm validated the design of the system to convert wood biomass into fuel that is chemically identical to gasoline and that the plan is economically viable. “We’ve been busy. We hit some big milestones here so it’s exciting to have five years of work coming to fruition,” Pandolfi said. Completed in collaboration with TRC Companies, the study confirms the viability of converting 1,000 tons per day of regional wood residues into 42,000 gallons per day of 87-octane road-spec drop-in gasoline.
Malfunctioning belt sander, sawdust causes explosion at Ohio moulding facility
By Dakota Smith
The Woodworking Network
March 20, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: US East
HOLMES COUNTY, Ohio — Six people were injured following a dust explosion and fire at a moulding facility in Holmes County on Tuesday, according to local emergency officials. According to a Facebook post reporting the incident, East Holmes Fire & EMS responded at 12:43 p.m. at Holmes Custom Moulding, where crews reported a structure fire accompanied by an explosion. First units arrived within one minute and requested additional ambulances after identifying multiple burn victims. …Six patients were treated at the scene and transported to area hospitals… Preliminary information indicates the explosion was caused by sparks from a malfunctioning belt sander entering a sawdust collection system. The ignition of wood dust led to an explosion that caused extensive damage to the building, including the dust collection system and sawdust silos.
‘Smokeless’ fuels produce more ultrafine particles that get embedded in lungs, study shows
By Gary Fuller
The Guardian
March 20, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: International
New research has found that burning “smokeless” or low-smoke fuels may be causing new air pollution hazards on streets and in homes. Sold as alternatives to burning coal, wood and peat at home, tests reveal their smoke contains large quantities of tiny ultrafine particles, that can deposit themselves deep in our lungs. The findings were an accidental discovery while researchers were testing fuels in traditional and modern eco design stoves. As expected, burning alternative fuels, both smokeless coal ovoids and briquettes made from olive stones, produced less particle pollution compared with wood or coal. …For each kilogram burned, the low-smoke fuels produced between two and three times more ultrafine particles than wood or coal. …The size of the ultrafine particles means that they are deposited deep in the lungs, multiplying the health impact. In Dublin, the low smoke fuels accounted for more than half of ultrafine particles that can deposit in people’s lungs.
SALEM, Ore. — 21 firefighters from Oregon are in North Carolina helping to battle wildfires. The firefighters from the Oregon Department of Forestry arrived in North Carolina on Sunday and traveled to Asheville this morning. They traveled to the east coast under the a state-to-state mutual aid agreement. “These agreements help bolster Oregon’s complete and coordinated fire protection system and create a cache of reciprocal resources for all of us to call on when needed,” said Ron Graham, Deputy Chief of Operations for ODF’s Protection Division. Firefighters will serve a two-week rotation.
Wildfire south of Colorado Springs grows to 7,300 acres with no containment
By David Krause
The Colorado Sun
March 23, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West
The wildfire burning south of Colorado Springs has grown to more than 7,300 acres and officials said the state highway on the west side of Fort Carson will likely remain closed through Friday. The 24 fire started Wednesday and currently there is no containment, but in an update Monday morning officials said overnight “fire crews were successfully able to tie in all control lines, boxing in the fire. As of this morning, control lines remain strong.” The fire started near mile marker 24 on Colorado 115, which connects Colorado Springs to Penrose. The road will be closed at least through Friday, but will be reevaluated daily, officials said Monday. The cause of the fire remains under investigation but started off the highway, not on the Army base, officials said last week. The fire was mapped at 7,385 acres early Monday morning, up from 4,900 acres Sunday morning.
Forest Service crews respond to two wildfires in western North Carolina
By US Forest Service
US Department of Agriculture
March 24, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US East
Asheville, N.C. – USDA Forest Service firefighters are currently responding to two wildfires in western North Carolina: the Poplar Fire on the Appalachian Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest and the lightning-caused Tarkiln Ridge Fire on the Tusquitee Ranger District of Nantahala National Forest. The nearly 100-acre Poplar Fire is located north of Poplar, North Carolina, along the east side of NC-197 in Mitchell County. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The fire is burning in an area heavily affected by Hurricane Helene, where an extensive number of downed trees are contributing to increased wildfire intensity and risk. …The Tarkiln Ridge Fire is burning in rugged terrain northwest of Hayesville, North Carolina, in Clay County near Fires Creek. Crews first responded to the fire on Monday, March 23, in an area that was previously identified as a future prescribed fire unit for hazardous fuels reduction.
South Carolina Forestry Commission issues statewide Red Flag Fire Alert amid ongoing drought
By Marissa Thompson
WCSC 5 News Leader
March 24, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US East
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The entirety of the State of South Carolina is now under a Red Flag Fire Alert as an intensifying drought continues to create an elevated risk of wildfires. The South Carolina Forestry Commission said they are issuing this alert to “strongly discourage people from burning outdoors” amid continuously dry conditions across the state with no end in sight. With the lack of rain and forecasts predicting both high winds and low humidity levels, the likelihood of an outdoor burn resulting in a wildfire is significantly higher than normal. The alert urges citizens to voluntarily postpone any planned burning until the alert is lifted. “Because current weather conditions are very conducive to fires escaping easily and spreading rapidly, anyone considering outdoor burning should take extra precautions if they still choose to burn under a Red Flag,” the commission said in a statement.
Iconic steam donkey at Campbell River museum receives sled restoration
By Robin Grant
The Campbell River Mirror
March 20, 2026
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: Canada West
Campbell River’s iconic and rare 1916 steam donkey, which has been showcased at the museum since 2004, is set to receive some restoration work. Thanks to the generosity of local volunteers and community partners – including BC Timber Sales, Night Train Contracting, and Discovery Crane – the machine is receiving a brand-new yellow cedar sled to ensure it remains stable and safe for future demonstrations. “Every year during Labour Day, we fire up the steam donkey and bring it to steam to showcase its historic role in the logging industry,” says Sandra Parrish, executive director with the Museum at Campbell River. …There are very few restored steam donkeys left on the coast, and fewer still that can actually be brought up to steam, making it a unique piece of logging history, Parrish noted.
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TORONTO — Canadian businesses hit by targeted U.S. tariffs are struggling to respond as the trade war drags into its second year. …industries like metal production, lumber and automobiles continue to face steep duties more than a year after U.S. President Donald Trump upended the global status quo. Companies have cut staff, pulled back on production and pushed for government action as the heavy duties continue to shake the crucial and long-standing trade relationship with the U.S. …“Because of the way that these tariffs are imposed … five to six key manufacturing subsectors are really, really hurting versus the rest of the economy”, said Claire Fan, senior economist at RBC. …The softwood lumber industry was hit by harsh duties back in 2017, which Trump has since added to, resulting in production down over 25 per cent since the first round, she noted. The result is 22 mills closed since 2022 and another 50 with reduced operations…
Arizona — Efforts to scale up forest thinning across northern Arizona are intensifying, as local officials, industry representatives and environmental groups warn that time is running short to reduce wildfire risk and protect critical watersheds. “Everybody is aware now that there is a biomass issue, but very, very, very few people have any real knowledge of the solution,” Eastern Arizona Counties Organization Executive Director Pascal Berlioux said during a recent Natural Resources Working Group meeting. A broad coalition is advocating for construction of a second biomass-burning power plant, arguing it is essential to prevent the collapse of the region’s wood products industry. Without that industry, leaders say, large-scale thinning efforts could stall, increasing the likelihood of severe wildfires threatening forest communities. 
A 17-storey mass timber-Passive House tower under construction in downtown Vancouver will help push forward clean, tall timber construction techniques, the company building the mixed-use structure at 981 Davie St. says. The builders, 
A cross-sector group of packaging producers, farmers, restaurants and grocers has filed a class action lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction to block enforcement of SB 343, California’s controversial recycling labeling law. The coalition argues the legislation imposes unconstitutional restrictions on free speech, ultimately working against recycling participation programs by making it harder for consumers to understand what can and cannot go in the bin. At the heart of the complaint is SB 343’s prohibition on the use of widely recognized recycling symbols and claims, even when those claims are factually accurate, according to the suit. Under the law, producers cannot label packaging as recyclable unless it meets state-defined, “rigid” criteria that allegedly fails to reflect how recycling actually works. …“SB 343 establishes labeling standards that could discourage innovation and limit the ability to provide accurate recycling information to consumers,” the American Forest and Paper Association stated.
BRIMLEY, MI – The Bay Mills Indian Community will receive $50,000 in state funding to support planning and design of a long-term care facility in Brimley, making it the only Upper Peninsula project selected in the first round of Michigan’s Mass Timber Catalyst Program. The planned facility is among 10 projects statewide sharing $400,000 in grants aimed at expanding the use of mass timber construction in Michigan. The state received six applications from the Upper Peninsula. “We received six applicants for a number of different projects in the Upper Peninsula,” said Patrick Mohney, senior lands program manager with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Public Lands. “This shows that interest in this building technique is growing.” Nine Lower Peninsula projects were also selected, with individual grants ranging from $25,000 to $60,000. Recipients include a woodworking school in Adrian, a municipal building in Grand Rapids, and mixed-use facilities in several locations.
Canada’s insurance industry is urging Ottawa to take direct control of wildfire management, warning that rising disaster costs and what critics describe as a reactive federal response demand a centralized national agency. Blacklock’s Reporter says in submissions to the House of Commons environment committee, the Insurance Bureau of Canada called on Parliament to create a federal emergency management body similar to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, arguing current systems are no longer adequate. “The trend is clear,” the Bureau wrote. “Canada has already entered an era of record-breaking natural disasters with no signs of slowing.” The proposal would mark a major shift from the current model, where provinces and territories lead wildfire response efforts through mutual aid agreements coordinated by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, established in 1982.
A commentary by two forest ecologists who lead Raincoast Conservation Foundation’s Forest Conservation Program, and Raincoast’s executive director, who is a Southern Gulf Islands resident. The Islands Trust recently invited public input to help update its Trust Policy Statement, a document that guides how land-use decisions are made across the Trust Area in the Salish Sea. While the draft includes some overdue updates, it drifts from its mandate of environmental protection and fails to connect words in a policy document to decisions on the ground. To work properly, the Trust Policy Statement must clearly show how the Islands Trust will carry out its environmental protection mandate. The Islands Trust is a unique form of government. When it was established 50 years ago, its role was clear: to prevent unrestrained growth and development in the Trust Area of the Gulf Islands. The legislation recognized that the islands’ natural environment and rural character were fragile and irreplaceable.
A new website and film showcasing wildfire mitigation efforts have been launched by the Logan Lake Community Forest. New branding has been launched alongside the release of a movie that delves into the community forest and its role in wildfire risk reduction and recreation. In a news release, Randy Spyksma, general manager for Logan Lake Community Forest, said the new, refreshed branding “better reflects who we are today and where we are going.” “It is a visual highlight of our commitment to responsible forest stewardship while supporting the long-term sustainability of our community.” …“Our film speaks to the heart of what we do as a community forest and allows us to share this work through storytelling,” Spyksma said.
Several log bundles ended up on beaches in the Parksville and Nanoose Bay area after rough weather caused a log boom to break open at Mosaic Forest Management’s Northwest Bay waterfront facility last weekend. … “Shifting high winds pushed the logs into shallow water before crews could safely reach them,” Mosaic told the PQB News. “We responded as soon as we were alerted early Sunday morning, recovering 10 of the 19 bundles.” Mosaic says salvage crews are standing by to recover the remaining nine bundles, but the current weather system has hampered access to the shallow beach areas where they came ashore.
Daria Mykhailovych, a Sooke resident, has been raising awareness across Greater Victoria about a petition calling on the provincial government to strengthen protections for British Columbia’s remaining old-growth forests in hopes of encouraging more people to support it. …Originally from Ukraine, she said landscapes like those on Vancouver Island are rare elsewhere in the world. …The petition was launched in fall 2025 by two B.C. forest ecologists, Dr. Suzanne Simard, a professor at University of British Columbia, and independent ecologist Dr. Rachel Holt. Originally, the petition was started with a goal of getting 10,000 signatures. As of March, 16, the petition has received support from about 4,070 people. …“Our concern is that we’ve been cutting these forests at an unsustainable rate,” Simard said. “We wanted to raise awareness and encourage people to question whether the path we’re on is good for the people of British Columbia and for the forests themselves.”
At a commercial tree nursery near Evans, western Louisiana, pine seedlings are sprayed with a liquid extract teeming with hundreds of species of wild soil fungi. Brad Ouseman, the nursery manager, is confident he will see results from this fungal inoculation, which is intended to improve yields and reduce the need for artificial fertilisers. Colin Averill, the founder of Funga, the startup company that supplied the spray, likens the treatment to a faecal microbiome transplant for young pine trees. Funga treats young pine trees with wild microbes derived from the soils of thriving pine forests. “We’re taking the whole soil community,” Averill says. “As a result, we get all the complexity and all the interactions that come with it.” The goal: trees that grow fast, drawing down more carbon dioxide, with less reliance on artificial fertilisers. …“Our next big target is Douglas fir in the Pacific north-west,” says Averill.
A European energy giant Octopus Energy Generation Ltd. will spend as much as $6 billion to build and operate a renewable energy park in Nova Scotia. Octopus plans to use biomass …from forest-based industries to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) it will sell to European customers. The processing for Nova Sustainable Fuels, as the Canadian subsidiary is known, will be done at a to-be-constructed renewable energy park in Goldboro, N.S. The site, estimated to cost between $4 billion and $6 billion, is expected to take about three years to build and have a 50-year lifespan. …With airlines seeking to decarbonize, the World Economic Forum reported in 2025 that the global demand for SAF is projected to grow exponentially, reaching 17 million tonnes annually by 2030. That represents four to five per cent of total jet fuel consumption. Parsons said the foundation of the project is based on supplying SAF to European markets.
HOLMES COUNTY, Ohio — Six people were injured following a dust explosion and fire at a moulding facility in Holmes County on Tuesday, according to local emergency officials. According to a Facebook post reporting the incident, East Holmes Fire & EMS responded at 12:43 p.m. at Holmes Custom Moulding, where crews reported a structure fire accompanied by an explosion. First units arrived within one minute and requested additional ambulances after identifying multiple burn victims. …Six patients were treated at the scene and transported to area hospitals… Preliminary information indicates the explosion was caused by sparks from a malfunctioning belt sander entering a sawdust collection system. The ignition of wood dust led to an explosion that caused extensive damage to the building, including the dust collection system and sawdust silos.
New research has found that burning “smokeless” or low-smoke fuels may be causing new air pollution hazards on streets and in homes. Sold as alternatives to burning coal, wood and peat at home, tests reveal their smoke contains large quantities of tiny ultrafine particles, that can deposit themselves deep in our lungs. The findings were an accidental discovery while researchers were testing fuels in traditional and modern eco design stoves. As expected, burning alternative fuels, both smokeless coal ovoids and briquettes made from olive stones, produced less particle pollution compared with wood or coal. …For each kilogram burned, the low-smoke fuels produced between two and three times more ultrafine particles than wood or coal. …The size of the ultrafine particles means that they are deposited deep in the lungs, multiplying the health impact. In Dublin, the low smoke fuels accounted for more than half of ultrafine particles that can deposit in people’s lungs. 
The wildfire burning south of Colorado Springs has grown to more than 7,300 acres and officials said the state highway on the west side of Fort Carson will likely remain closed through Friday. The 24 fire started Wednesday and currently there is no containment, but in an update Monday morning officials said overnight “fire crews were successfully able to tie in all control lines, boxing in the fire. As of this morning, control lines remain strong.” The fire started near mile marker 24 on Colorado 115, which connects Colorado Springs to Penrose. The road will be closed at least through Friday, but will be reevaluated daily, officials said Monday. The cause of the fire remains under investigation but started off the highway, not on the Army base, officials said last week. The fire was mapped at 7,385 acres early Monday morning, up from 4,900 acres Sunday morning.
