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The Tree Frog Forestry News
September 18, 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.
US lumber dealers call for tariff relief and Canada-US trade stability
The Tree Frog Forestry News
September 15, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway
Citing supply chain challenges, US lumber dealers call for tariff relief and trade stability. In related news: Prime Minister Carney heads to Europe seeking deeper ties; while BC forest leaders say domestic costs are behind the sector’s crisis. Meanwhile: the City of Nanaimo takes raw-log export ban to the UBCM; Castlegar Mayor Maria McFaddin is the new head of Forestry Works for BC; and Canada’s inflation rate held steady at 3%.
BOSTON — For decades, Bigfoot believers have chased shaky photos and grainy footage that never closed the case. Today, Hard Mountain Dew is joining the hunt to launch its first-ever Bigfoot Bounty – a $1 million challenge: prove the legendary creature exists. Cryptid hunters, skeptics, and armchair experts 21 and older now through November 30 can submit verified evidence at HardDewBigfootBounty.com for a shot at the prize. Evidence will be judged against rigorous standards co-developed by Bigfoot expert, Bryce Johnson. Known for starring in and producing a hit docuseries that follows a team of Sasquatch specialists venturing into the wilderness to prove Bigfoot is real, he brings a trusted voice and genuine enthusiasm to the hunt. Timed to peak Bigfoot sighting season in the fall, Hard Mountain Dew is turning seasonal fascination into a money-backed hunt for the truth. As temperatures cool, more adventurists head outdoors, while increased wildlife activity and soft, moisture-rich ground create ideal conditions for spotting and preserving tracks of Bigfoot.
Blair Dickerson named next head of Canadian Steel Producers Association of Canada
Northern Ontario Business
September 16, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada
Blair Dickerson
A former Vale Base Metals executive and a skilled industry lobbyist has been chosen to lead the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA). Blair Dickerson, the current vice-president for public and corporate affairs at forest products giant Domtar, replaces Catherine Cobden, who resigned July 31. A CPSA news release said Dickerson assumes the role on Sept. 17. Dickerson handled corporate affairs, communications and government affairs for Vale Base Metals between January 2021 and March 2022. Before that, she was the Ottawa-based general manager of communities and communications for Rio Tinto from 2019 to 2020. She fulfilled various corporate relations roles covering North America and Asia for the international miner from 2015 to 2019. Prior to joining the mining industry, Dickerson worked as vice-president of external relations and communications at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) between 2008 and 2015.
Forest Products Association of Canada Statement – Prime Minister Carney’s Address to the European Parliament
Forest Products Association of Canada
September 16, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada
Derek Nighbor
OTTAWA – As Prime Minister Carney prepares to address the European Parliament and advance a strengthened Canada–European Union security and trade partnership, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is urging Canada and the EU to use this moment to address existing trade barriers, including the European Deforestation-free Product Regulation (EUDR) scheduled to take effect later this year. No one disputes the intent of EUDR and Canada and the EU share a commitment to sustainable trade, climate action, and responsible natural resource development. The current EUDR approach fails to recognize the robust frameworks governing forestry in Canada, including third-party forest certification, Indigenous leadership in Canadian forestry, and the importance of active forest management to address catastrophic wildfire risks. In its current form, the regulation risks imposing tens of millions of dollars of unnecessary costs on Canadian producers, small woodlot owners, and integrated forest product supply chains without delivering any real benefit. …FPAC is calling on EU decision-makers to adopt targeted simplification measures for low-risk trading partners… “Getting this right matters,” said Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of FPAC.
A Chemainus wood products manufacturer is expanding its operations with the help of up to $2 million in provincial funding. Ron Anderson & Sons has broken ground on an expansion of its Chemainus manufacturing facility that will increase production capacity, introduce new prefabricated wood products and create up to 35 new jobs. The project is being supported through the B.C. government’s BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund, which is providing funding for facility expansions and equipment upgrades. The company currently manufactures prefabricated wall systems and plans to expands its product line to include prefabricated floors, roof panels and stairs. The expansion is expected to help the company increase production and improve efficiency by moving more of the construction process off-site. …The project is already having an impact locally, with investments in advanced manufacturing equipment leading to the hiring of 20 new employees to date.
Excel transportation faces major cuts following Canfor contract loss
CKPG Today
September 16, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
PRINCE GEORGE — A long-standing Prince George transportation company is preparing for a major downsizing after losing a key forestry hauling contract in the wake of Canfor’s Northwood Pulp Mill closure. Excel Transportation announced it will no longer serve as a hauling contractor for Canfor, a decision the company says stems from the ongoing downturn in northern B.C.’s forestry sector rather than any concerns about performance or safety. “This is one of the most difficult announcements we’ve had to make in our company’s history,” said CEO Annie Horning in a statement. The closure of the Northwood mill earlier this year eliminated roughly 300 Canfor jobs and significantly reduced the amount of wood being moved throughout the region. With less timber available to haul, Canfor reduced the number of hauling contracts it requires and ultimately chose not to retain Excel.
BPWood Ltd. Names Proven Growth Leader Ben Meachen as Chief Executive Officer
By Lara Damen
BPWood Ltd.
September 16, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
Ben Meachen
PENTICTON, B.C. — BPWood Ltd. today announced that Ben Meachen has been named Chief Executive Officer and will lead the company effective September 28, 2026. Company founder Paul Bouchard will transition from CEO to Chairman… Meachen brings 23 years of experience in wood products, including sales and senior leadership roles in Canada and the United States. His career spans primary producers and major distributors, giving him experience across the specialty wood products value chain… “BPWood has been my life’s work, and for years I’ve been looking for the right person to lead it into its next generation: both a solid leader and a true innovator. Ben has demonstrated those qualities throughout his career, along with the skills and tools BPWood will need for tomorrow. …My role now is to build and lead a strong governance structure around Ben and the BPWood team,” said Paul Bouchard, Founder and Chairman, BPWood Ltd.
Kootenays, B.C. – Forestry Works for BC (FWFBC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Maria McFaddin as Executive Director, effective September 2026. McFaddin will lead the grassroots nonprofit into its next phase of growth, with a focus on building relationships and partnerships across the province, and strengthening public understanding of responsible forestry in British Columbia. McFaddin brings more than a decade of leadership experience in British Columbia, including four years as Mayor of Castlegar and four years on Castlegar City Council. A Kootenay native who grew up surrounded by forests, she has been a visible advocate for responsible forestry and its connection to wildfire resilience, housing, jobs and strong, sustainable communities. …“Maria brings exactly the kind of leadership we need for the next stage of Forestry Works for BC,” said Ken Kalesnikoff, Chair of the Forestry Works for BC Board of Directors. …McFaddin succeeds retiring Steve Kozuki, who led FWFBC since January 2025.
Get It Done B.C. 2026: live from the Vancouver Club
By Angela Wrigley
Resource Works
September 14, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
On the eve of UBCM, GET IT DONE B.C. returns for its second year—one day in Vancouver bringing together mayors, ministers, First Nations leaders, and the CEOs building the province’s energy, mining, and forestry future, around a single question: how do we build the province that works for everyone? …Forestry is a Solution: Fifteen forestry associations, including organized labour, wrote to Premier Eby last week saying: “BC’s forest sector is at a breaking point.” Moderator Cam McAlpine, Principal at Pendulum, opened on how it got there. Kim Haakstad, CEO of BC Council of Forest Industries, said blaming the U.S. trade dispute oversimplifies it. B.C. has gone from the most affordable jurisdiction in the country to do forestry to the highest-cost in North America. Peter Lister, CEO of the Truck Loggers Association, said the cost of obtaining a cutting permit has risen from $4 to $14 a cubic metre, the product of more than 50 changes to legislation and policy.
Some interesting motions brought forward at this year’s Union of B.C. Municipalities conference
By David Carrigg
Victoria Times Colonist
September 13, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
Indigenous land titles, data centres and human-bear conflicts are among the top-of-mind concerns for municipal politicians, as they gather for their annual fall convention and attempt to influence the provincial government’s agenda. The Union of B.C. Municipalities convention this year is being held in Vancouver from Sept. 14 to 18. … The City of Nanaimo is calling for a ban on exporting raw logs and lumber cants. A cant is a raw log with its bark removed. The motion identifies a lack of adequate and affordable wood fibre supply as a key factor in the continued curtailment or permanent closure of B.C. sawmills and pulp mills. Over the past five years, on average, about 3.2 million cubic metres of raw logs have been exported. The ban would be to “ensure that forests harvested in B.C. from Crown land and private managed forest lands are processed in B.C., encouraging value-added manufacturing in B.C. and supporting employment in B.C.’s forest industry,” the motion states.
First barge carrying major Project NextGen components arrives at Irving Pulp & Paper
Tissue Online
September 14, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East
Irving Pulp & Paper has reached a new milestone in Project NextGen, with the first barge carrying major components for the initiative successfully navigating Saint John’s Reversing Falls en route to the company’s westside mill. The shipment marks an important step in the US$1.5 billion project, which includes the construction of a new recovery boiler to replace the mill’s existing unit, installed in the 1970s. The new equipment is expected to increase production by approximately 66 per cent while expanding the mill’s green energy capacity. The barge’s passage through the Reversing Falls required the coordination of marine crews, equipment operators and teams responsible for planning and logistics. The operation was carried out as part of the delivery of the large-scale components required for the project. According to Irving Pulp & Paper, Project NextGen represents the largest investment in the Canadian forest products industry since 1993.
Judge grants temporary pause in US Department of Agriculture relocations in new lawsuit
By Jory Heckman
Government Executive
September 11, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States
U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria is ordering a temporary pause of the Agriculture Department’s imminent plans to relocate employees across the country. Chhabria issued an administrative stay on Sept. 14 putting a hold on deadlines for all “management directed reassignment” letters USDA has issued so far, as part of its sweeping reorganization plans. The administrative stay will last until Oct. 2. The court’s next hearing in this case is currently slated for Sept. 29. Chhabria specified that this administrative stay includes “any deadlines requiring employees to report to new locations or to accept or decline reassignments or relocations.” “Defendants shall not take any action to implement, carry out, effectuate, or enforce those deadlines, including proceeding with any termination, separation, or other disciplinary proceeding against an employee, or placing an employee on Absent Without Leave status, based on the employee’s decision to decline reassignment, not to respond to a notice of reassignment, or not to relocate,” he added.
Regulators in Vermont have issued a waiver to permit biomass plants Ryegate Power and the McNeil Generating Station in Burlington to purchase low-grade wood that had been destined for a Glens Falls mill, Finch Paper, before it suddenly discontinued its pulpwood operation in July. Typically, per a condition in its permitting, Ryegate’s wood comes from harvests that are initially reviewed by Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists. “A temporary waiver of [Ryegate’s] harvesting policy requirements would allow wood that was intended for Finch to be sold to the Ryegate Power Station without otherwise required Department of Fish and Wildlife review and approval,” the Vermont Public Utilities Commission (PUC) order stated. According to testimony provided to the PUC, Finch purchased approximately 2,000 tons per week of softwood and hardwood from Vermont. It was the primary market for about 40% of the state’s pulp and nearly all its hemlock pulpwood.
How will the container shipping market shape your supply chain in 2027?
CelCo Cellulose Consulting
September 17, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
From capacity shifts and trade flow developments to network disruptions and sustainability innovations, the container shipping landscape continues to evolve at pace. Join Patrick Hore, Global Head of Energy, Chemicals & Raw Materials at Maersk, as he delivers an essential market update on the forces currently shaping global supply chains. In his session, “Latest from the Container Shipping Market: What Do You Need to Know for Your Supply Chains?“, Patrick will explore: Volume trends across key global trade routes; Fleet capacity outlook and what it means for shippers; Current network disruptions and future scenarios; and Technical and sustainability developments transforming container shipping. Whether you’re responsible for sourcing, logistics, operations or strategy, this session will provide valuable insights to help you navigate an increasingly complex shipping environment. Join Patrick Hore and an outstanding line-up of industry experts at the CELCO Conference.
Annie Dillard, Pulitzer prize-winning author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, dies aged 81
By Marina Dunbar
The Guardian
September 17, 2026
Category: In Memoriam
Region: United States
Annie Dillard, author of the Pulitzer prize-winning book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, died aged 81 at her home in South Wellfleet, Massachusetts, on Tuesday. Maggie Nelson, Dillard’s literary editor, confirmed her death to the New York Times. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a nonfiction narrative Dillard wrote about the natural world surrounding her mountainous Virginia home, was published in 1974 when the young writer was just 28. The book was an instant critical and financial success, skyrocketing Dillard to becoming one of the most prominent nonfiction writers of her generation. Tinker Creek won the 1975 Pulitzer prize for general nonfiction, and in 1998 it was included in Modern Library’s list of 100 best nonfiction books. …Her work was often compared to Henry David Thoreau, the naturalist about whom she wrote her master’s thesis. [Tree Frog Editor Sandy McKellar adds – Dr. Bart van der Kamp assigned this book as required reading for his UBC Forestry 100 class!]
Building Homes with Canadian Wood: Turning Housing Ambition into Delivery
Forest Products Association of Canada
September 17, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada
Canada’s housing crisis has entered a critical delivery phase. With new federal tools such as Build Canada Homes and growing attention to modern methods of construction, the question is no longer whether Canada needs more housing—it is whether our policy, financing, workforce, codes, and supply chains are aligned to deliver it. This policy webinar will bring together experts from across housing, construction, wood products, workforce, and market development to ground FPAC’s updated housing policy brief in practical delivery realities. The discussion will examine how Canadian wood products and wood-based modern methods of construction can help deliver faster, lower-carbon, and more scalable housing—while strengthening domestic manufacturing, skilled jobs, and rural economic capacity. Speakers will move from housing scenarios and market opportunity to the policy levers needed to unlock delivery: factory-focused financing, standardized procurement and designs, evidence-based code harmonization, workforce capacity, and cross-government coordination. ZOOM Policy Webinar | Thu, Sep 24, 2026 9:30 AM PDT
The Wood Design Manual 2025 is now available in an early release digital format
Canadian Wood Council
September 16, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada
The Wood Design Manual 2025 is now available in an early release digital format. The latest edition of this essential Canadian reference for designing timber structures is now available for engineers, students and self-learners. The Wood Design Manual 2025 has been reorganized into three volumes to make it easier to find and use the information you need:
Volume 1: Wood Design Examples
Learn how to design wood elements and connections through detailed, practical design examples.
Volume 2: CSA O86 Engineering Design in Wood
Access the latest CSA O86 Engineering Design in Wood standard and its Commentary.
Volume 3: Design Values
Quickly look up design values for wood elements and connections using convenient selection tables.
Whether learning the fundamentals, checking code provisions or looking for a quick design reference, the Wood Design Manual 2025 is structured to support different design needs.
Building a Lower-Carbon Future Starts at the Source
By Annie Perkins, Senior Director
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
September 14, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, United States
The building sector is at a pivotal moment. As designers, developers, manufacturers, and policymakers work toward ambitious climate goals, attention is increasingly turning to the materials that make up our buildings and the supply chains behind them. The built environment is responsible for almost 40% of global carbon emissions when both operational and embodied carbon are considered. While the sector has made significant progress in reducing operational carbon through energy efficiency and improved building performance, embodied carbon has emerged as one of the next major frontiers in climate action. The decisions we make about materials today will have lasting impacts for decades to come. That is why the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is pleased to continue strengthening our relationship with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and supporting the evolution of LEED as a leading framework for sustainable building. …The path to lower-carbon buildings starts with better decisions across the entire supply chain.
From B.C. forestry to design: how thermally modified Hem-Fir became the material behind STILL/not still.
Western Forest Products
September 14, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West
STILL/not still
At the Interior Design Show Vancouver, a local design firm reimagines the Central Bar each year. For 2026, Synthesis Design has created STILL/not still, a forest-inspired installation built with Western’s thermally modified Hem-Fir. To inform the concept, the Synthesis Design team joined Western’s Fibre to Future Island Tour, following the material from seedling and forest stewardship through manufacturing, thermal modification, and fabrication. Curtis Krahn, the founder and principal of Synthesis Design, shares the thinking behind the concept, the role of thermally modified wood for architecture, and why this B.C. wood innovation became central to the design.
STILL/not still is designed as an immersive wood installation that invites visitors to move through the space rather than view it from a single fixed point. Its overlapping wood arches create a shifting sense of enclosure, rhythm, and openness, echoing the experience of walking through a coastal B.C. forest. Built with Western’s thermally modified Hem-Fir, the installation uses the material’s warmth, texture, and natural character to connect forestry, manufacturing, and contemporary design.
The Interior Design Show Vancouver is happening at the Vancouver Convention Centre from 24th to 27th September 2026.
Testing what works: Thompson Rivers University burn unit aims to raise the bar on fire-resilient housing
Thompson Rivers University
September 10, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West
As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense in B.C., Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is launching a research project to find out how homes can be built to better withstand fire. Backed by a BC Hydro grant focused on enhancing Sustainable Construction Training for more efficient buildings through summer 2027, the new burn unit will expose real-world exterior materials — such as siding, flashing and sealants — to extreme heat. The results will help TRU integrate clear, practical, research-informed lessons for carpentry and other trades students who will be building homes in the years ahead. Amie Schellenberg, co-chair of the School of Trades and Technology at TRU, said the project makes sense given TRU’s dual-sector research university mandate and a push toward sustainable, climate-ready construction. By turning wildfire risk into real-world, use-inspired research and teaching, TRU hopes to support safer building choices for homeowners and communities across B.C.
Code myths can create unnecessary design constraints. Let’s clear them up.
WoodWorks Alberta
September 14, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West
Join WoodWorks Alberta and GHL Consultants for practical Lunch & Learns exploring some of the most common code myths and design challenges in combustible construction. These sessions will look at how fire-safety objectives translate into code provisions, where common misconceptions can create unnecessary design constraints, and how to identify potential issues before they lead to costly redesigns or approval delays. Whether you’re new to combustible construction or looking to strengthen your code knowledge, you’ll come away with practical insights you can apply to your next project. Attendees will receive a certificate confirming participation in one hour of professional continuing education. Join us in Edmonton or Calgary later this month!
Doors Open: Trinity College’s Lawson Centre for Sustainability Officially Opens to the Community
Trinity College, University of Toronto
September 14, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East
At the Lawson Centre for Sustainability Welcome Celebration, Trinity College marked the official public opening of its state-of-the-art mass timber, zero carbon and targeting LEED platinum residence and academic building. …Creating a new model in which students both ‘live and learn’ sustainability, the Lawson Centre for Sustainability sets a new standard for sustainable design and architecture at the University of Toronto. …What makes the Lawson Centre for Sustainability truly unique is that it features all the major sustainability components in one facility, including hybrid mass timber, a geothermal exchange system, cistern for rainwater collection and reuse, and a rooftop farm. …The Lawson Centre for Sustainability has already received international awards for sustainable design: 2026 World Architecture News Awards–Silver in Future Projects, Education; 2025 Holcim Foundation Award for Sustainable Design North America Regional Winner; and named by ArchDaily as one of the world’s 20 most anticipated projects for 2026.
Surging steel costs and longer lead times are pushing data center developers to consider alternatives, Skanska executives said during a webinar. An expensive materials market is making one of construction’s less conventional alternatives worth another look. Prices for steel have climbed 25% over the past year, said Tom Park, vice president of the strategic supply chain at Skanska, during a Sept. 10 webinar on materials costs. Lead times, on the other hand, have more than doubled to 55 weeks. Blame the price jump on the rush to build data centers and semiconductor plants, Park said. “Very strong demand for steel and other metals because of the AI rollout,” he said. “Currently, both steel mills and steel fabricators are running at full capacity.” The demand, coupled with tariffs, mean contractors are now looking at mass timber as a way around those logistical bottlenecks, said Dean Lewis, director of mass timber and prefabrication for Skanska.
Clemson University dedicates state-of-the-art Forestry and Environmental Conservation building
Ny Shaw Hipsher and Carly Copeland
Clemson University News
September 14, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East
Clemson University is proud to announce the dedication of its newest innovative campus facility, the Forestry and Environmental Conservation (FEC) building. Positioned at Clemson’s southern entrance at the intersection of Cherry Road and Perimeter Road, the four-story, 85,000-square-foot mass timber facility blends cutting-edge science with elegant, sustainable design. First envisioned back in 2018, the culmination of this building project marks a historic milestone for sustainable architecture in the Southeast. …The building utilizes cross-laminated timber (CLT) made from regional Southern Yellow Pine. The wood used in the facility’s 62,000 square feet of CLT components was donated by Norfolk Southern and harvested from their Brosnan Forest in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
University of Kentucky conference to showcase future of building with cross-laminated timber
By Jordan Strickler
University of Kentucky
September 14, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East
Lexington, Ky.— Wood has been used to build homes and other structures for thousands of years. Now, new technology is allowing builders to use it in ways that would have been difficult to imagine just a few decades ago. Chad Niman, forest products Extension specialist in the University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources says cross-laminated timber (CLT) is changing the way that structures are built around the U.S. and world, making it important to keep up with the development of this construction method to improve the health of our forests and buildings. The UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment will bring together experts from across the nation for the 2026 Regional Cross-Laminated Timber Conference, Oct. 12-14 at The Campbell House in Lexington. The three-day conference will focus on CLT and other types of mass timber.
Material Memory: Designing with the Carbon Already Embodied in Existing Buildings
By Mahshid Motamed
Parametric Architecture
September 13, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International
For decades, architectural sustainability was dominated by operational performance. Better insulation, efficient mechanical systems, photovoltaic panels, passive solar strategies, and high-performance envelopes became the principal instruments for reducing environmental impact. Those measures remain important, but they no longer describe the entire carbon problem. A building can perform efficiently in operation while carrying an enormous historical carbon burden embedded in its concrete frame, steel reinforcement, glass, aluminum, masonry, finishes, foundations, and infrastructure. Once these materials have been manufactured, transported, assembled, and incorporated into a structure, their associated emissions cannot simply be erased by installing efficient equipment. This is where the concept of material memory becomes architecturally significant. Existing buildings contain not only physical material but also the emissions already invested in producing that material. Retaining a structural frame therefore represents more than preservation. It can function as a form of carbon avoidance.
Varkaus mill gives recycled fibres up to seven lives
By Markku Björkman
PulpPaperNews.com
September 15, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International
At Stora Enso’s mill in Varkaus, Finland, recovered cardboard packaging is converted into new fibre raw material. The same fibre can be recycled up to 7 times before it becomes too short and weak for further use. The site contains Finland’s largest recycled-fibre processing facility. Covering approximately 3 hectares, it receives used packaging from households, retailers and packaging manufacturers. More than 95 per cent of paperboard and cardboard packaging is recycled in Finland. However, domestic collections do not provide enough material for the mill, which also imports recovered packaging from Sweden and the Baltic countries. Approximately 20 truckloads of recovered material arrive at the site each day. The compressed bales contain products such as milk cartons, pizza boxes and cereal packages.
New guidance to tackle moisture risk in mass timber buildings
Building Design UK
September 13, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International
The United Kingdom Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) has launched an international project to develop practical guidance for managing water and moisture risk throughout the lifecycle of mass timber buildings. Funded by the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and Swedish Wood, the project will bring together existing research and industry expertise to address how moisture risks can be prevented, detected and managed across the design, construction and operation of timber buildings. The guidance will cover the full building lifecycle, from design and manufacture through construction and occupation to maintenance and eventual reuse. It is intended to provide a common framework for architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, insurers, investors and building owners. …The new project builds on the Mass Timber Insurance Playbook, published by ASBP in 2023 to help project teams and insurers address risks associated with mass timber buildings. It was republished in 2024, while a US edition was adapted by WoodWorks with support from the SLB.
In the Third Quarter Edition of News & Views, you’ll find these stories and more:
FSC Canada is pleased to announce that Ryan Garbutt, RPF, has joined the organization as Regional Manager, Ontario. Ryan will serve as FSC Canada’s primary representative in the province, working with forest management organizations, license holders, woodlot owners, Indigenous Forest managers, and supply-chain partners to expand FSC-certified supply, strengthen market demand, and support the effective implementation of FSC standards across Ontario.
All FSC Certificate Holders and Promotional Licence Holders are invited to show their support for responsibly-managed forests during Forest Week 2026. Show us one thing YOU do for forests – on your Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn and be sure to tag FSC Canada.
Join FSC Canada for a new webinar series exploring how forest managers, communities, Indigenous Peoples and partners play a role in advancing forest management and conservation, climate resilience and biodiversity at the landscape scale.
Wildfire risk reduction and fibre procurement research trials
FPInnovations
September 11, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada
Wildfire risk reduction and fibre procurement research trials are ongoing within the Forest Operations Resilience Vertical. The team worked alongside Carrier Lumber Ltd. in Prince George, BC, on a commercial thinning trial assuming different fibre market availabilities, including a baseline sawlog and pulp scenario, a sawlog only scenario, a sawlog, pulp, and biomass scenario, and a sawlog and biolog scenario, where pulp was hauled as biomass to be chipped. A second trial is underway with Vanderwell Contractors in Calling Lake, Alberta, where the scenarios will trial different topping diameters for sawlogs and rat tail recovery, as well as mulching residual material on trails to influence fire behaviour. These trials assist FPInnovations in assessing which alterations to standard commercial thinning practices can influence wildfire behaviour and procure fibre, with cost and productivity data collected alongside wildfire fuel loading metrics.
B.C. expediting forestry reviews in Fort St. John, Fort Nelson after ‘catastrophic’ wildfire losses
By Matt Preprost
CBC News
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
The B.C. government is expediting reviews of wood supplies in the province’s northeast, saying years of “catastrophic wildfires” and new Indigenous land and wildlife protections have caused “significant changes” to the region’s forests. Reviews of the Fort St. John and Fort Nelson areas will determine how much Crown timber is left for companies operating in the Fort St. John and Fort Nelson areas, and how much they’ll be able to cut each year. While the reviews come amid an escalating trade war with the United States and ongoing mill closures and job losses across the province, including the northeast, a local mayor and mill operator are welcoming their timing — even as they brace for potential cuts to existing timber licences. “We’re looking for certainty,” said Northern Rockies Mayor Rob Fraser, who says he has been asking for the province for review for at least four years.
Webinar series to explore big topics in B.C.’s forestry sector
By Josh Fischlin
The Kelowna Capital News
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Anyone with an interest in the forestry sector may be intrigued to learn that a free webinar series is coming up that will take a deep dive into the subject. The FESBC said in a press release that it is teaming up with the BC Rural Centre to launch a new four-part webinar series this fall, running from September to December. The series will be bringing together voices from across the province for practical, community-focused conversations about forestry and its connection to the communities directly experiencing changes in the sector, the FESBC explained. The free series will explore the subject through Indigenous perspectives, community experience, sector knowledge and personal stories. …Jason Fisher, a registered professional forester and executive director with FESBC, said forest management is closely connected to the economic, environmental and social well-being of rural communities across the province. …participants will be able to register for individual webinars or take all four in the series.
Workers take transit and forestry campaigns to the Union of B.C. Municipalities
By Ian Boyko
Unifor Canada
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
VANCOUVER—Unifor members campaigning for stronger public transit and rebuilding the province’s forestry industry are seeking support from the thousands of delegates attending the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting this week in downtown Vancouver. Unifor Locals 111, 114, 333-BC, 592, and 1119 are staffing a table in the exhibitors’ hall with research and proposals aimed at recruiting elected civic leaders into the fight for good jobs and stronger resource communities. “Small- and medium-sized communities are the backbone of B.C.’s natural resources economy. Rural communities in every corner of the province have felt the pain of mill closures and curtailments,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “We want to remind the elected officials in these regions that they have a partner in labour when it comes to revitalizing their local economy.”
College of New Caledonia, Lheidli T’enneh build forestry technology skills through hands-on boot camp
Prince George Daily News
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
The College of New Caledonia (CNC) and Lheidli T’enneh First Nation are building on a growing partnership through hands-on training in emerging technologies used in forestry and natural resource management. CNC’s Natural Resources and Forest Technology team recently delivered the first portion of a remote sensing boot camp for members of the Lheidli T’enneh forestry department. The training introduced participants to tools and techniques including drones, LiDAR, geographic information systems (GIS), satellite and multispectral technology, GPS data collection and forest inventory. The boot camp was developed following a LiDAR workshop held at CNC earlier this year. After participating in that session, the Lheidli T’enneh forestry team approached CNC about an opportunity to explore the technology and its applications in greater depth.
A University of B.C. (UBC) research team has developed a spatial and tree-mapping platform modelling program called CanopyFit that can help cities determine where to plant trees to increased shade and lessen radiant heat. “Creating and sustaining extensive canopy cover, by protecting mature trees and planting trees that can grow to large sizes, is one of the most effective investments cities can make to reduce exposure to extreme heat,” said Dr. Melissa McHale, a professor in UBC’s faculty of forestry and environmental stewardship and the lead in CanopyFit’s development. As cities develop urban forest strategies, the challenge is finding sites where trees will survive and provide cooling. …CanopyFit was first piloted in Kelowna, where nearly 80,000 trees need to be planted by 2050 by residents, developers and businesses to mitigate rising temperatures.
By Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship
University of British Columbia
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Welcome to The Root of It newsletter, where we share the stories, research and ideas shaping the future of forests and environmental stewardship. In this edition you’ll find these stories and more:
Renowned Freshwater Scientist Julian Olden Appointed Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair of Canada
New Tool Helps Cities Plant Trees Where They’re Needed Most
‘The Root of It’ Episode 2: From Chef to Mycologist – Dr. Monika Fischer
Dr. Feng Jiang and Dr. Julian Olden elected to the Royal Society of Canada
As the provincial government advances plans to carve British Columbia’s lands into zones where logging and other industrial activities are permitted or barred, a former longtime public servant says he is struggling to not be cynical about what could lie ahead. In August, The Tyee broke the news that the provincial ministries of Forests and Water, Land and Resource Stewardship were proposing to divide B.C.’s vast and spectacularly diverse lands into “working forest,” “multiple-use” and “conservation and protection” zones. The details were included in a leaked internal government email. The zoning exercise is happening as Premier David Eby tells Forests Minister Ravi Parmar to find more trees for companies to log in order to meet a logging target of 45 million cubic metres per year. Forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon, who worked in the Forests Ministry for 30 years, said he worries that the “Path to 45” initiative will drive the zoning plan.
Adams Lake Indian Band working with Armstrong Spallumcheen Trail Society to oppose Mount Rose Swanson logging project
By Darren Handschuh
Castanet
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Opposition to a proposed logging operation in Spallumcheen’s Mount Rose Swanson continues to grow. BC Timber Sales is proposing to harvest up of 35.7 hectares of forest, spread over 15 smaller patches, ranging in size from one to 4.3-hectare openings. The volume of timber projected to be harvested is approximately 14,500 cubic metres… The Armstrong Spallumcheen Trail Society has been vocal in its opposition to the project and is now working with a local First Nations band to study the impact the project will have. “ASTS has entered into an agreement with the Adams Lake Indian Band (ALIB),” the society said in a press release. According to the ASTS, the north and west sides of Mt. Rose Swanson – including the proposed cut blocks – drain into the watershed of the South Thompson River. The society said the watershed, including the specific area of Mount Rose Swanson, has been mapped by an ALIB Geographic Information System specialist.
Western Forest Products giving students hands-on experience in industry
By Troy Landreville
The Campbell River Mirror
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Darwyn Koch
Western Forest Products is offering a launch pad for forestry students – on Vancouver Island and beyond – to help jumpstart their careers. Since 2020, WFP has hired 85 summer students and of those, 40 have returned for either a second term or a third term or they’re currently full-time staff. For 2027, the company is looking to hire eight forestry students and one student for its Saanich nursery. Darwyn Koch, WFP’s Senior Manager of Operations Planning, said he’s been with the company since 2016 and the summer student program has been in place a lot longer than that. …While the program’s reach extends beyond B.C., Vancouver Island plays a significant role. … Koch said they’re also looking for students from communities such as Port Alberni, Campbell River, Gold River, Woss, and Port McNeill. He added that it’s “awesome” to be helping to launch careers in forestry.
Celebrate National Forest Week, September 20 – 26, 2026
Canadian Institute of Forestry
September 16, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West
National Forest Week (NFW) is celebrated each year across Canada during the third week in September. NFW invites Canadians to learn more about our forest heritage and increase their awareness about this valuable and renewable resource. Forests are fundamental to our economy, culture, traditions, history, and future. Across the country, many communities, families, and individuals depend on forests for their livelihood and way of life. National Tree Day is also observed on the Wednesday during NFW.
BC National Forest Week events come in all shapes and sizes in communities across BC. Community volunteers can organize an event by connecting with a student class or community group to lead a forest hike, give a presentation or demonstration, or participate in a related public event. Learn more about planning a community event. Children love trees and we’re here to help teachers educate their students about forests, the important things they provide us, and the critters that call forests home.
BC Forestry Is Struggling. Industry Veteran Lenny Joe Knows Why
By ForestNet
You Tube
September 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
What does the future of forestry in British Columbia look like, and how did we get to where we are today? Lenny Joe, CEO of the BC First Nations Forestry Council, joins Forestnet Media to challenge conventional thinking on tenure, corporate consolidation, and what happens when short-term decisions catch up with our forests. From lessons hidden in European forestry models to the untold impact of DRIPA and the changing value of the woods, this conversation reveals why the forester of tomorrow will manage far more than timber.
Mosaic Asks Public to Help Shape Better Recreation Communications Tools
Mosaic Forest Management
September 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Mosaic Forest Management is asking recreation users how they find gate and access information for its lands, returning to the public on an issue that surfaced as one of the clearest concerns in last year’s feedback. The survey asks people who camp, cut firewood or spend time on Mosaic’s lands how they plan trips, which apps and maps they already use, and what tools would help most. It is open until September 29, 2026. Mosaic’s lands are private managed forests, working forests where harvesting, road maintenance and hauling continue year-round. Public recreation is offered voluntarily alongside those operations, which means access can change with active work, road conditions and seasonal wildfire risk. Communicating those changes clearly is the challenge the new tools are meant to address. …Recreation users can complete the survey at mosaicforests.com/survey until September 29, 2026. Results will be shared this fall.
First candidate area announced for Working Forest Landscape Model
By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
September 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
The Province, in partnership with Na̲nwak̲olas Council, has identified the first candidate area to explore a proposed three-zone forest management model in B.C. The B.C. government is working closely with First Nations, along with industry, local governments and interested parties to identify other candidate areas. Candidate areas will be used to explore a three-zone model for public forests that supports a more co-ordinated approach to land use, stewardship and economic priorities that integrate with ongoing planning processes. The intended outcome is to demonstrate how this model can improve predictability for industry, workers, First Nations, local communities and conservation interests
BC Community Forest Association 2026 Indicators Report: Measuring the Benefits of Community Forestry
The BC Community Forest Association
September 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
The BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) has released its 2026 Community Forest Indicators Report: Measuring the Benefits of Community Forestry, highlighting the economic, environmental, social, and cultural benefits generated through community forestry. “British Columbia currently has 62 Community Forest Agreements issued by the provincial government, with more than 100 First Nations and rural communities involved,” shared Jennifer Gunter, Executive Director of the BCCFA. “This year’s Indicators Report draws on data from 37 of our member community forests, which represent 77% of our operating members.” The report shows that community forest participants generated more than $129 million in economic activity in the reporting year and made significant cash and in-kind contributions to support local priorities. A total of 1,833 people earned all or part of their income through community forest activities. Relative to the amount of timber harvested, these community forests generated approximately 74% more forestry, logging, and support services than the industry average.
Fuel treatment projects begin on municipal land parcels in Rossland this week
Castanet
September 14, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
As part of the City of Rossland FireSmart program, contractors will complete FireSmart fuel treatment projects on municipal land parcels within the community beginning this week. The objective of the fuel management project is to reduce hazardous forest fuels and to decrease wildfire risk to the adjacent residents and the community, noted a release from the city. “The goal for the project is to reduce hazardous surface fuel accumulations close to homes and the community,” it stated. Expected activities include: Reduction of woody surface fuels from tree mortality and winter storm damage; Removal of dead standing trees; Retention of the healthy, large trees to maintain a cool and moist under storey; Retention and protection of all healthy, deciduous trees and shrubs (leaves have a high moisture content and are low flammability); Retention and protection of high value wildlife trees; and Debris disposal (chipping).
Community forests expanding in McLeod Lake/Mackenzie, north Island
By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
September 14, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Communities in McLeod Lake and Mackenzie, and on northern Vancouver Island, will have greater opportunities to manage local forests, support wildfire resilience and strengthen local forestry economies through expansions of two community forests. “Rural communities understand forestry, both as an economic driver and as a tool to reduce wildfire risk,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “Driven by powerful partnerships, these expansions will mean real benefits for their communities in the form of local logs for local manufacturing, jobs on the land base and healthier, more resilient forests.” These expansion decisions will result in a total of 20,000 cubic metres allocated to the McLeod Lake Mackenzie community forest, and more than 8,100 cubic metres to the North Island Community Forest. The expansions will provide more opportunities for local forest management, including wildfire risk reduction, while helping ensure a sustainable fibre supply for local facilities and users.
Hope remains for owl species despite no known wild population left in B.C., conservationist says
By Amber Moniz
CBC News
September 13, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
…The last recorded sighting of wild northern spotted owls in BC was in 2023… Spuzzum First Nation Chief Janice Kuester says the loss is deeply upsetting. …But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope. …Biologist and ecological consultant Jared Hobbs says re-establishing the species in B.C. is possible, “but we have to stop eroding the recovery options.” …An effort to have an emergency order issued for the owls failed in 2023 …Instead, the government said it was committed to collaborating with B.C. and Indigenous communities, in part through an ongoing federal recovery strategy. That plan identifies logging and species competition as the two main threats facing the owls, and sets a goal of restoring a stable population of 250 of the birds. Part of that goal involves introducing captive-bred spotted owls back into the wild. In B.C., the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program has roughly 40 spotted owls, and is working to breed and release more.
Ontario Investing Over $1.1 Million in Indigenous Forestry Projects
By the Ministry of Natural Resources
The Government of Ontario
September 18, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East
HURKETT — The Ontario government is investing over $1.1 million in five projects that will increase Indigenous participation in forestry and build a stronger, more resilient forest sector. As part its plan to protect Ontario, the government is fighting back against unjustified U.S. tariffs and economic attacks by making strategic investments through the Forest Biomass Program that will support economic development and clean energy projects to help the forestry sector increase productivity and capacity, with the long-term potential to create over 200 good-paying jobs in the sector. …Since launching the Forest Biomass Program in 2023, Ontario has invested close to $5 million in 22 projects under the Indigenous Bioeconomy Partnerships funding stream. The government’s latest investments will build a more resilient forest sector by developing projects with the potential to add annual demand for over 100,000 tonnes of mill by-products and underused wood, known as forest biomass.
The invasive spotted lanternfly has been detected in Canada for the first time – in Windsor
By Heather Kitching
CBC News
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East
An invasive insect known to kill grapevines and impact other crops and trees has been detected for the first time in Canada by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). And that first detection happened in Windsor. Windsor residents have reported previous sightings of the spotted lanternfly, according to a non-profit that works to prevent the spread of invasive species. But this is the first time it’s been detected by an agency survey, the Invasive Species Centre said. “Spotted lanternfly is known to damage and kill grapevines, causing significant impacts for the grape and wine industry,” the centre said in a Thursday news release. “This pest could also have an impact on other crop growers and the horticulture and forestry industries, as well as residential yards and neighbourhood parks. Spotted lanternfly can have widespread economic, ecological and social impacts if allowed to spread uncontrolled.”
Killing endangered wildlife is legal if they aren’t the target, new Trump rule says
By Matthew Brown
Associated Press in the Oskaloosa Herald
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States
BILLINGS, Mont. — Killing endangered animals while logging a forest or building a dam would not be considered illegal unless the animals were specifically targeted, under a new interpretation of the Endangered Species Act by President Donald Trump’s administration that marks a sea change in how the landmark environmental law is enforced. A directive sent to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees this week says imperiled animals or plants must be intentionally targeted for their killing to be considered illegal. That’s a sharp turnaround from past practice at the wildlife service… Experts said the change would allow timber companies to log forests in the Pacific Northwest even if they knew that doing so could kill imperiled birds nesting in the trees…. …Under the new law, only people acting directly against animals, such as hunters, trappers, anglers and perhaps pesticide users would need permits, said Sandi Snodgrass, an attorney with Holland and Hart in Denver…
Firefighters battling enormous wildfires in the United States say the federal government is failing them at a time when supercharged blazes have made their jobs exponentially more dangerous. While the US continues to grapple with a critical shortage of federal firefighters – with especially large gaps in essential management positions – the Trump administration has increased pressure on firefighting forces to rapidly and aggressively contain the flames. Nine firefighters who spoke to the Guardian under the condition of anonymity because they are barred from disclosing the information, as well as several retired firefighters, described how spread-thin crews are being pushed to their limits amid an unrelenting and extreme year of fire. …Brooke Rollins, the US agriculture secretary, and Doug Burgum, the US secretary of the interior, both issued directives this year that prioritize direct attack, a strategy that can be more risky. …Meanwhile, with little rest crews have spent months going from fire to fire.
Over 40 years of wildfire-ignition data across 11 western U.S. states showed that national forest areas classified as “roadless” didn’t burn more than national forest land with roads, further fueling discussion around the Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ intent to repeal the 2001 “Roadless Rule.” Rollins has stated that the nation’s protected forests need to be opened to new road construction, development and logging in order to reduce the risk of wildfires. Rollins has also labeled the rule as an “absurd obstacle to properly managing our forests.” Researchers out of Oregon State University explicitly cited the USDA’s wildfire-based claims for repealing the 2021 Roadless Rule as the reason behind why they analyzed four decades of fire research. …Their study compiled fire severity and extent data to evaluate fire patterns across developed lands, inventoried roadless areas, and wilderness.
What Teddy Roosevelt Knew and Trump Doesn’t Get: Public Lands Need Science
By Julian Reyes, Chief of Staff
Union of Concerned Scientists
September 14, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States
US Forest Service founders Gifford Pinchot and President Teddy Roosevelt would be rolling in their graves knowing what has become of the world’s largest wildland fire research organization. …The Trump administration continues to take a chainsaw to forestry research, federal land management agencies, and the scientific workforce that supports effective decision making. Science is the foundation for responsible public lands management and effective conservation. While people recognize attacks on public lands when they see mining or development, fewer see the attacks on the science and scientific workforce that help manage these lands. The Union of Concerned Scientists (USC) has been documenting the second Trump administration’s attacks on science, which are inextricably linked with its attacks on public lands. [Including] 43 that directly affect the US Department of the Interior, which oversees nearly 250 million acres of public lands … as well as the US Forest Service.
California Board of Forestry adopts emergency “Zone 0” regulations under AB 3074
By Best Best & Krieger LLP
Public CEO – Government of California
September 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West
On August 19, 2026, the California State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (“Board”) adopted emergency regulations establishing an ember-resistant defensible space zone within five feet of qualifying structures, commonly called “Zone 0.” The Board submitted the regulations to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) on August 28, 2026, and OAL’s five-calendar-day public comment period closed on September 2, 2026. OAL approval and filing are required before the regulations become effective. The regulations add ember-ignition controls to California’s existing defensible space framework. They establish standards for Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones in Local Responsibility Areas (LRAs) and revise the rules for State Responsibility Areas. Cities and districts may be affected both as owners or operators of facilities in covered areas and as agencies responsible for notice, inspection or enforcement. …Cities and districts should focus now on identifying potentially covered properties, monitoring the final effective dates and guidance, preparing consistent implementation procedures and deciding whether local alternatives are warranted.
Wildfire strategy doesn’t need a winner – with 3 camps fighting for dominance, the system can’t keep up with the risk
By Tony Cheng and Matt Thompson, Colorado State University
The Conversation
September 14, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West
One of the problems with how America deals with wildfires is thinking there is one primary strategy that can end the nation’s wildfire crisis. Whether that’s detecting and putting out every fire fast, increasing logging and forest thinning, or allowing fires to burn under safe conditions, the default choice today is to pour more money and effort into the star approach of the moment. But effective wildfire strategy in the face of worsening fire seasons demands a system of actions – interconnected pieces that reinforce one another. Right now, those pieces mostly are not connected. Research groups, governments and organizations tend to separate into distinct camps, each promoting its own specific strategy. The result is a system that can’t keep up with the rising fire risk. …We have seen the pitfalls of current fire management approaches and also examples of what actually works.
U.S. Endowment Awards $5.5 Million to Accelerate Wood Fiber Markets Nationwide
US Endowment for Forestry and Communities
September 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) today announced five awards totaling $5.5 million through its Accelerating Wood Fiber Markets initiative. The five-year effort will help connect underutilized wood fiber with new buyers and support the long-term economic viability of working forests and the communities that rely on them. The Endowment committed $5 million to the initiative, with an additional $500,000 provided by the Northern Border Regional Commission through its Forest Economy Initiative to support work in Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. The funding opportunity drew significant interest from across the country. The Endowment received 76 proposals requesting approximately $86 million, underscoring both the scale of the market challenges facing forest-reliant communities and the demand for practical, locally driven solutions. “These organizations bring deep regional knowledge and practical strategies for creating durable markets,” said Matt Krumenauer, Vice President of Markets at the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.
Governor Reeves Signs Shared Stewardship Agreement To Strengthen Mississippi Forests
By Tate Reeves, Governor
State of Mississippi
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East
JACKSON, Miss. – Governor Tate Reeves signed an updated Shared Stewardship Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), bringing together the State of Mississippi with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) served as the lead state agency in developing the agreement. The MOU establishes a framework for state and federal agencies to coordinate forest management, align resources, and support locally driven priorities across Mississippi. By working across ownership boundaries, the partnership will help improve forest resilience, strengthen rural economies, and ensure the long-term sustainability of Mississippi’s forest resources. …Under the MOU, the USDA Forest Service will work with Mississippi to expand active forest management through prescribed fire, invasive species control, wildlife habitat improvement, forest product market development, Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) projects, wildfire risk reduction, and coordinated planning for natural disasters, research, and cultural resource protection.
Ivan Fernandez receives lifetime achievement honor from Maine Science Awards
The University of Maine
September 16, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East
Ivan Fernandez
Ivan Fernandez, University of Maine professor emeritus of soil science and climate research scientist, has been named the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the inaugural Maine Science Awards. Fernandez was selected for more than four decades of research on the biogeochemistry of Maine’s forests and his contributions to climate science and policy in the state. His research has focused on how forests and forested watersheds respond to climate change, air pollution and forest management. Fernandez is a member of UMaine’s Climate Change Institute and serves as director and principal investigator of the Maine Climate Science Information Exchange. He was appointed to the Maine Climate Council in 2019 and serves as co-chair of its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee. He also has served on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board committees.
Chuck Leavell Brings Music, Film and Stories to The Piedmont Grand Opera House This Saturday
Middle Georgia CEO
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East
For more than four decades, Chuck Leavell has occupied a rare place in American music, performing alongside some of the biggest names in rock and roll while building a life devoted to the land he calls home. Leavell will bring both sides of that story to The Piedmont Grand Opera House on Sept. 19 at 8 p.m. for An Evening of Film, Songs and Stories with Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man. The evening will combine live music and storytelling from Leavell with a screening of the acclaimed documentary Chuck Leavell: The Tree Man, which chronicles his remarkable journey through music, forests and family. …Away from the stage, Leavell has devoted much of his life to forestry and conservation. Along with his wife, Rose Lane, he operates Charlane Plantation, a celebrated tree farm …and example of sustainable forestry. That connection between music and the natural world is at the heart of The Tree Man.
You’ll not find many Southern writers praising fire except those who understand fire as an ecological tool. Janisse Ray does. Her passionate work on the longleaf pine ecosystem documents how fire clears underbrush, sets seeds free and opens up healthy habitat. Several years back Chuck Leavell of Allman Brothers Band and Rolling Stones fame drove me into tall pines free of underbrush at his Georgia woodland preserve. “This landscape sure looks familiar,” I thought. Then I recalled an afternoon at Little Hobcaw Barony in Nesmith, South Carolina, where financier and presidential adviser Bernard Baruch established a quail hunting property in the early 1900s. Decades of controlled burns have given the land a park-like appearance. Chuck’s Charlane Woodland and Preserve looks much the same. His forestry expertise earned him national recognition for forestry management, and his PBS TV series, “America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell,” reveals how vital forest habitats are to the well-being and economic health of communities.
U.S. Endowment Awards $5.5 Million to Accelerate Wood Fiber Markets Nationwide
US Endowment for Forestry and Communities
September 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) today announced five awards totaling $5.5 million through its Accelerating Wood Fiber Markets initiative. The five-year effort will help connect underutilized wood fiber with new buyers and support the long-term economic viability of working forests and the communities that rely on them. The Endowment committed $5 million to the initiative, with an additional $500,000 provided by the Northern Border Regional Commission through its Forest Economy Initiative to support work in Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. The funding opportunity drew significant interest from across the country. The Endowment received 76 proposals requesting approximately $86 million, underscoring both the scale of the market challenges facing forest-reliant communities and the demand for practical, locally driven solutions. “These organizations bring deep regional knowledge and practical strategies for creating durable markets,” said Matt Krumenauer, Vice President of Markets at the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.
University of Buffalo to lead $2 million National Science Foundation project on wildfire resilience
By Keith Page
The University of Buffalo
September 16, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East
University of Buffalo is leading a new $2 million research project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop tools that help communities better understand and prepare for the cascading disasters that wildfires can unleash on people and critical infrastructure. The project brings together multidisciplinary researchers from three partner institutions: the University of California, Berkeley, Northeastern University and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The award is part of NSF’s Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education (FIRE) program and runs from September 2026 through August 2029. Over the next three years, the team will examine communities in the wildland‑urban interface (WUI), where human development such as housing and power lines meets or mixes with forests, grasslands and other natural vegetation. The study is titled “Collaborative Research: FIRE‑WUI: REKINDLE: Resilient Engineering through Knowledge Integration for NetworkeD Lifelines and Ecosystem.”
‘Looking at the forest as a crop’: Trump admin’s logging rule would expose Shawnee Forest
By Kate McCann
Capitol News Illinois
September 14, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East
GOLCONDA — In a remote corner of the Shawnee National Forest, along the Ohio River’s northeastern banks, 73-year-old Mark Donham peered up at the handful of remaining trees in the newly sun-filled forest canopy. Two enormous piles of freshly cut timber — a mix of hardwood species but mostly pine — lay on the ground below. …The logging project highlights the newest threat emerging to the future of the forest, Donham said. This time, a pending Trump administration proposal would roll back the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which prevents road construction and timber harvesting on millions of acres of federal forest land, including approximately 11,000 acres in the Shawnee. The proposal to rescind the wildly popular rule also triggered a harsh rebuke from environmental activists and nearly 170 members of Congress, the latter of whom signed a letter last week urging the Trump administration to abandon the plan.
Francis Marion University launches new forestry program
By Eric Cooper
WBTW 13 News
September 15, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East
FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. — Francis Marion University launched its new School of Forestry this semester, expanding the university’s academic offerings. The university is one of only three schools in South Carolina—and the only institution in the Pee Dee region—to offer a degree in forestry. The new program was created to address a growing demand for professional foresters throughout the state. To provide practical instruction alongside classroom learning, the university will utilize nearly 10,000 acres for field study. Anna Todd, the vice president of communication at Francis Marion University, explained that the institution evaluated adding the program over several years to meet workforce needs in South Carolina.
A newly discovered frog hiding in the Amazon’s flooded forests reveals just how much biodiversity scientists may still be missing.
Science Daily
September 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: International
Scientists have identified a previously unknown frog species living in the seasonally flooded forests of the western Amazon. Named Adenomera varcena, the species adds to growing evidence that Amazonian biodiversity is even richer than it appears. The discovery also highlights the importance of cryptic diversity, in which animals that look nearly identical can actually belong to separate species. Researchers distinguished the new frog by combining several lines of evidence, including its DNA and distinctive call. The discovery grew out of field expeditions in the Upper Juruá River region of western Acre. Scientists surveyed forest fragments near the Moa and Crôa rivers, close to Cruzeiro do Sul. Confirming that the frog represented a new species required far more than simply examining its appearance. The team compared DNA data, recordings of its calls, body shape (morphology), habitat information, and specimens preserved in scientific collections.
Seniors’ caravan rolls through Revelstoke in call for Canada to tackle climate change
By Evert Lindquist
The Aldergrove Star
September 14, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada West
A cohort of climate-conscious senior citizens caravanning across Canada to converge on the country’s capital, in a call for commitments to countering the consequences of extreme weather, stopped in Revelstoke last Thursday. The golden-agers travelling from Victoria launched Sept. 9, meeting with scientist and environmentalist David Suzuki in Vancouver and aiming to reach Ottawa by end of this week. An East Coast caravan departing from Nova Scotia is also bound for Parliament Hill. Seniors’ Climate Witness’s (SCW) members include Amalia Schelhorn, Bill Darnell, Brian Short, Dawn Moorhead, Michael Polanyi and Yves Parizeau from Victoria, Brooke Lydbrooke and Sharon Bider from Toronto, and Etienne Eason from Ottawa. …In an open letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney in August, they said they’re visiting communities that’ve experienced the impacts of this summer’s wildfire season. This includes evacuations, choking smoke, forestry loss and declines in tourism.
Belledune Joint Venture Secures Long-Term Biomass Supply Agreement with NB Power, Marking Major Project Milestone
By Belledune Joint Venture
PR Newswire
September 17, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada East
BELLEDUNE, NB — The partners of the Belledune Joint Venture (temporary name) today welcomed NB Power’s decision to proceed with the conversion of the Belledune Generating Station to sustainably sourced advanced pellets and to enter into a long-term biomass supply agreement with the Joint Venture. The partners appreciate the confidence shown by NB Power. The partners welcome this vote of confidence from NB Power. The decision paves the way for the continued development of the Belledune Joint Venture project, a partnership bringing together Pabineau First Nation, Eel River Bar First Nation, Arbec Forest Products and Airex Energy. Located at the Port of Belledune within its Green Energy Hub, the facility will transform sustainably sourced forestry residues into torrefied pellets to support the conversion of the Belledune Generating Station, helping preserve an important source of generation capacity for New Brunswick.
NB Power to announce conversion of major power plant
By Adam Huras
The Telegraph-Journal
September 16, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada East
NB Power is pushing ahead with the conversion of its Belledune Generating Station from coal to biomass. A Thursday announcement is expected to reveal the proponents that will supply the repurposed power plant – one of New Brunswick’s largest – with 300,000 tonnes of wood pellets annually. Among them is expected to be a partnership proposing to build a torrefied wood pellet production facility at the Port of Belledune. “Once it’s officially confirmed, we are going to have a plant right at the port,” said Pabineau First Nation Chief Terry Richardson in an interview. “What’s great about this project is it’s Canadian technology, Canadian companies, and First Nations all partnering together.” Brunswick News reported in May on a partnership between Pabineau First Nation, Eel River Bar First Nation, Arbec Forest Products, and Airex Energy, a Quebec company proposing to build a torrefied wood pellet production facility at the Port of Belledune. [A Telegraph-Journal subscription is required for full access]
Deadly silence: The world can’t afford to ignore climate change much longer
By William Becker
The Hill
September 14, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States
Our government could do something about climate change, but it refuses. In fact, most elected leaders and political candidates don’t even talk about it. As the fossil-fuel industry increasingly allied itself with Republicans to block climate action over the decades, Democrats became the party more willing to address it. But now, even many Democrats have gone quiet. As the November midterms approach, think tanks and consultants are advising them to avoid the topic global warming because “it is not a priority for voters.” The silence is called “climate hushing,” the strategic choice to avoid talking about global warming to avoid political backlash, polarization or economic anxiety. In other words, our elected leaders should avoid mentioning the huge elephant in the room, even as it gets more dangerous. Hardly an evening newscast goes by today without reports of major weather disasters and millions of Americans under threat of fire, flood, killer heat or other calamity.
Chemical Conversations Between Forests and the Sky Affect Air Quality, Clouds, and More
By Dennis Clark
Advancing Earth and Space Sciences – EOS
September 18, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International
Do forests cool the planet or warm it? It’s a deceptively simple question with no clear answer. The catch is that the same forest can push climate in opposite directions at once. Forests are widely viewed as climate change mitigators—and planting trees as a partial climate solution—because they absorb carbon dioxide. Yet that framing is incomplete. Trees also release reactive gases called biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) that can influence cloud formation, contribute to air pollution, and extend the atmospheric lifetime of methane, a greenhouse gas that can trap about 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide. …Whether forests cool or warm the planet depends on how BVOCs behave once they leave the foliage. From there, the normal steps of plant metabolism synthesize and release BVOCs. …The Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature estimates BVOC emissions by combining information about terrestrial vegetation with data on environmental conditions that influence emissions.
Ontario minister pledges better communication during wildfire season
The Canadian Press in CTV News
September 14, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada East
Mike Harris
Ontario’s Natural Resources Minister Mike Harris pledged Monday better communication on wildfires after many First Nations communities said they received little to no warning about approaching flames this summer. The government has been criticized for its approach to the wildfire season in northwestern Ontario. First Nations said warnings from the province to evacuate due to fast-moving fires either came too late or not at all. … Residents of 12+ northern communities were forced to leave their homes as about 200 fires raged in July. …“One of the things just looking back that we can already learn is we’ve got to do a little bit better job on communication,” Harris said in Sault Ste. Marie, where he announced a $20-million investment to upgrade two major wildfire attack bases in northwestern Ontario. First Nations leaders have called for a public inquiry into the province’s response to the wildfires, a request that Harris has not committed to fulfilling.
EPA to provide update on cleanup at Cosmo Specialty Fibers along Chehalis River
The Chronicle
September 14, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: US West
Centralia, WA — On Wednesday, Sept. 16, the EPA will hold an information session about the ongoing time-critical removal action at the Cosmo Specialty Fibers facility in Cosmopolis. The session will take place from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Cosmopolis City Hall located at 1300 First St. During the session, EPA personnel will provide an update on the chemical removal process and be available to answer questions related to EPA activities. In August, the EPA, in coordination with the Washington State Department of Ecology, began a time-critical chemical removal action at the dormant Cosmo Specialty Fibers pulp mill. According to the EPA, for the past two years, the EPA and Department of Ecology have worked closely to assess conditions at the non-operational facility and identify actions needed to reduce potential risks to the community and the environment.
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.
PRINCE GEORGE — A long-standing Prince George transportation company is preparing for a major downsizing after losing a key forestry hauling contract in the wake of Canfor’s Northwood Pulp Mill closure. Excel Transportation announced it will no longer serve as a hauling contractor for Canfor, a decision the company says stems from the ongoing downturn in northern B.C.’s forestry sector rather than any concerns about performance or safety. “This is one of the most difficult announcements we’ve had to make in our company’s history,” said CEO Annie Horning in a statement. The closure of the Northwood mill earlier this year eliminated roughly 300 Canfor jobs and significantly reduced the amount of wood being moved throughout the region. With less timber available to haul, Canfor reduced the number of hauling contracts it requires and ultimately chose not to retain Excel.
Indigenous land titles, data centres and human-bear conflicts are among the top-of-mind concerns for municipal politicians, as they gather for their annual fall convention and attempt to influence the provincial government’s agenda. The Union of B.C. Municipalities convention this year is being held in Vancouver from Sept. 14 to 18. … The City of Nanaimo is calling for a ban on exporting raw logs and lumber cants. A cant is a raw log with its bark removed. The motion identifies a lack of adequate and affordable wood fibre supply as a key factor in the continued curtailment or permanent closure of B.C. sawmills and pulp mills. Over the past five years, on average, about 3.2 million cubic metres of raw logs have been exported. The ban would be to “ensure that forests harvested in B.C. from Crown land and private managed forest lands are processed in B.C., encouraging value-added manufacturing in B.C. and supporting employment in B.C.’s forest industry,” the motion states.
U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria is ordering a temporary pause of the Agriculture Department’s imminent plans to relocate employees across the country. Chhabria 
Regulators in Vermont have issued a waiver to permit biomass plants Ryegate Power and the McNeil Generating Station in Burlington to purchase low-grade wood that had been destined for a Glens Falls mill, Finch Paper, before it suddenly discontinued its pulpwood operation in July. Typically, per a condition in its permitting, Ryegate’s wood comes from harvests that are initially reviewed by Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists. “A temporary waiver of [Ryegate’s] harvesting policy requirements would allow wood that was intended for Finch to be sold to the Ryegate Power Station without otherwise required Department of Fish and Wildlife review and approval,” the Vermont Public Utilities Commission (PUC) order stated. According to testimony provided to the PUC, Finch purchased approximately 2,000 tons per week of softwood and hardwood from Vermont. It was the primary market for about 40% of the state’s pulp and nearly all its hemlock pulpwood.
From capacity shifts and trade flow developments to network disruptions and sustainability innovations, the container shipping landscape continues to evolve at pace. Join Patrick Hore, Global Head of Energy, Chemicals & Raw Materials at Maersk, as he delivers an essential market update on the forces currently shaping global supply chains. In his session, “Latest from the Container Shipping Market: What Do You Need to Know for Your Supply Chains?“, Patrick will explore: Volume trends across key global trade routes; Fleet capacity outlook and what it means for shippers; Current network disruptions and future scenarios; and Technical and sustainability developments transforming container shipping. Whether you’re responsible for sourcing, logistics, operations or strategy, this session will provide valuable insights to help you navigate an increasingly complex shipping environment. Join Patrick Hore and an outstanding line-up of industry experts at the CELCO Conference. 
Annie Dillard, author of the Pulitzer prize-winning book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, died aged 81 at her home in South Wellfleet, Massachusetts, on Tuesday. Maggie Nelson, Dillard’s literary editor, confirmed her death to the New York Times. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a nonfiction narrative Dillard wrote about the natural world surrounding her mountainous Virginia home, was published in 1974 when the young writer was just 28. The book was an instant critical and financial success, skyrocketing Dillard to becoming one of the most prominent nonfiction writers of her generation. Tinker Creek won the 1975 Pulitzer prize for general nonfiction, and in 1998 it was included in Modern Library’s list of 100 best nonfiction books. …Her work was often compared to Henry David Thoreau, the naturalist about whom she wrote her master’s thesis. [Tree Frog Editor Sandy McKellar adds – Dr. Bart van der Kamp assigned this book as required reading for his UBC Forestry 100 class!]
The Wood Design Manual 2025 is now available in an early release digital format. The latest edition of this essential Canadian reference for designing timber structures is now available for engineers, students and self-learners. The Wood Design Manual 2025 has been reorganized into three volumes to make it easier to find and use the information you need:
Lexington, Ky.— Wood has been used to build homes and other structures for thousands of years. Now, new technology is allowing builders to use it in ways that would have been difficult to imagine just a few decades ago. Chad Niman, forest products Extension specialist in the University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources says cross-laminated timber (CLT) is changing the way that structures are built around the U.S. and world, making it important to keep up with the development of this construction method to improve the health of our forests and buildings. The UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment will bring together experts from across the nation for the 2026 Regional Cross-Laminated Timber Conference, Oct. 12-14 at The Campbell House in Lexington. The three-day conference will focus on CLT and other types of mass timber. 
For decades, architectural sustainability was dominated by operational performance. Better insulation, efficient mechanical systems, photovoltaic panels, passive solar strategies, and high-performance envelopes became the principal instruments for reducing environmental impact. Those measures remain important, but they no longer describe the entire carbon problem. A building can perform efficiently in operation while carrying an enormous historical carbon burden embedded in its concrete frame, steel reinforcement, glass, aluminum, masonry, finishes, foundations, and infrastructure. Once these materials have been manufactured, transported, assembled, and incorporated into a structure, their associated emissions cannot simply be erased by installing efficient equipment. This is where the concept of material memory becomes architecturally significant. Existing buildings contain not only physical material but also the emissions already invested in producing that material. Retaining a structural frame therefore represents more than preservation. It can function as a form of carbon avoidance.
At Stora Enso’s mill in Varkaus, Finland, recovered cardboard packaging is converted into new fibre raw material. The same fibre can be recycled up to 7 times before it becomes too short and weak for further use. The site contains Finland’s largest recycled-fibre processing facility. Covering approximately 3 hectares, it receives used packaging from households, retailers and packaging manufacturers. More than 95 per cent of paperboard and cardboard packaging is recycled in Finland. However, domestic collections do not provide enough material for the mill, which also imports recovered packaging from Sweden and the Baltic countries. Approximately 20 truckloads of recovered material arrive at the site each day. The compressed bales contain products such as milk cartons, pizza boxes and cereal packages.
Wildfire risk reduction and fibre procurement research trials are ongoing within the Forest Operations Resilience Vertical. The team worked alongside Carrier Lumber Ltd. in Prince George, BC, on a commercial thinning trial assuming different fibre market availabilities, including a baseline sawlog and pulp scenario, a sawlog only scenario, a sawlog, pulp, and biomass scenario, and a sawlog and biolog scenario, where pulp was hauled as biomass to be chipped. A second trial is underway with Vanderwell Contractors in Calling Lake, Alberta, where the scenarios will trial different topping diameters for sawlogs and rat tail recovery, as well as mulching residual material on trails to influence fire behaviour. These trials assist FPInnovations in assessing which alterations to standard commercial thinning practices can influence wildfire behaviour and procure fibre, with cost and productivity data collected alongside wildfire fuel loading metrics. 
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As the provincial government advances plans to carve British Columbia’s lands into zones where logging and other industrial activities are permitted or barred, a former longtime public servant says he is struggling to not be cynical about what could lie ahead. In August, The Tyee broke the news that the provincial ministries of Forests and Water, Land and Resource Stewardship were proposing to divide B.C.’s vast and spectacularly diverse lands into “working forest,” “multiple-use” and “conservation and protection” zones. The details were included in a leaked internal government email. The zoning exercise is happening as Premier David Eby tells Forests Minister Ravi Parmar to find more trees for companies to log in order to meet a logging target of 45 million cubic metres per year. Forest ecologist Andy MacKinnon, who worked in the Forests Ministry for 30 years, said he worries that the “Path to 45” initiative will drive the zoning plan. 
Mosaic Forest Management is asking recreation users how they find gate and access information for its lands, returning to the public on an issue that surfaced as one of the clearest concerns in last year’s feedback. The survey asks people who camp, cut firewood or spend time on Mosaic’s lands how they plan trips, which apps and maps they already use, and what tools would help most. It is open until September 29, 2026. Mosaic’s lands are private managed forests, working forests where harvesting, road maintenance and hauling continue year-round. Public recreation is offered voluntarily alongside those operations, which means access can change with active work, road conditions and seasonal wildfire risk. Communicating those changes clearly is the challenge the new tools are meant to address. …Recreation users can complete the survey at 
The Province, in partnership with Na̲nwak̲olas Council, has identified the first candidate area to explore a proposed three-zone forest management model in B.C. The B.C. government is working closely with First Nations, along with industry, local governments and interested parties to identify other candidate areas. Candidate areas will be used to explore a three-zone model for public forests that supports a more co-ordinated approach to land use, stewardship and economic priorities that integrate with ongoing planning processes. The intended outcome is to demonstrate how this model can improve predictability for industry, workers, First Nations, local communities and conservation interests
As part of the City of Rossland FireSmart program, contractors will complete FireSmart fuel treatment projects on municipal land parcels within the community beginning this week. The objective of the fuel management project is to reduce hazardous forest fuels and to decrease wildfire risk to the adjacent residents and the community, noted a release from the city. “The goal for the project is to reduce hazardous surface fuel accumulations close to homes and the community,” it stated. Expected activities include: Reduction of woody surface fuels from tree mortality and winter storm damage; Removal of dead standing trees; Retention of the healthy, large trees to maintain a cool and moist under storey; Retention and protection of all healthy, deciduous trees and shrubs (leaves have a high moisture content and are low flammability); Retention and protection of high value wildlife trees; and Debris disposal (chipping).
…The last recorded sighting of wild northern spotted owls in BC was in 2023… Spuzzum First Nation Chief Janice Kuester says the loss is deeply upsetting. …But that doesn’t mean there’s no hope. …Biologist and ecological consultant Jared Hobbs says re-establishing the species in B.C. is possible, “but we have to stop eroding the recovery options.” …An effort to have an emergency order issued for the owls failed in 2023 …Instead, the government said it was committed to collaborating with B.C. and Indigenous communities, in part through an ongoing federal recovery strategy. That plan identifies logging and species competition as the two main threats facing the owls, and sets a goal of restoring a stable population of 250 of the birds. Part of that goal involves introducing captive-bred spotted owls back into the wild. In B.C., the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program has roughly 40 spotted owls, and is working to breed and release more.
HURKETT — The Ontario government is investing over $1.1 million in five projects that will increase Indigenous participation in forestry and build a stronger, more resilient forest sector. As part its plan to protect Ontario, the government is fighting back against unjustified U.S. tariffs and economic attacks by making strategic investments through the Forest Biomass Program that will support economic development and clean energy projects to help the forestry sector increase productivity and capacity, with the long-term potential to create over 200 good-paying jobs in the sector. …Since launching the Forest Biomass Program in 2023, Ontario has invested close to $5 million in 22 projects under the Indigenous Bioeconomy Partnerships funding stream. The government’s latest investments will build a more resilient forest sector by developing projects with the potential to add annual demand for over 100,000 tonnes of mill by-products and underused wood, known as forest biomass.
BILLINGS, Mont. — Killing endangered animals while logging a forest or building a dam would not be considered illegal unless the animals were specifically targeted, under a new interpretation of the Endangered Species Act by President Donald Trump’s administration that marks a sea change in how the landmark environmental law is enforced. A directive sent to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees this week says imperiled animals or plants must be intentionally targeted for their killing to be considered illegal. That’s a sharp turnaround from past practice at the wildlife service… Experts said the change would allow timber companies to log forests in the Pacific Northwest even if they knew that doing so could kill imperiled birds nesting in the trees…. …Under the new law, only people acting directly against animals, such as hunters, trappers, anglers and perhaps pesticide users would need permits, said Sandi Snodgrass, an attorney with Holland and Hart in Denver…
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) today announced five awards totaling $5.5 million through its Accelerating Wood Fiber Markets initiative. The five-year effort will help connect underutilized wood fiber with new buyers and support the long-term economic viability of working forests and the communities that rely on them. The Endowment committed $5 million to the initiative, with an additional $500,000 provided by the Northern Border Regional Commission through its Forest Economy Initiative to support work in Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. The funding opportunity drew significant interest from across the country. The Endowment received 76 proposals requesting approximately $86 million, underscoring both the scale of the market challenges facing forest-reliant communities and the demand for practical, locally driven solutions. “These organizations bring deep regional knowledge and practical strategies for creating durable markets,” said Matt Krumenauer, Vice President of Markets at the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities.
Scientists have identified a previously unknown frog species living in the seasonally flooded forests of the western Amazon. Named Adenomera varcena, the species adds to growing evidence that Amazonian biodiversity is even richer than it appears. The discovery also highlights the importance of cryptic diversity, in which animals that look nearly identical can actually belong to separate species. Researchers distinguished the new frog by combining several lines of evidence, including its DNA and distinctive call. The discovery grew out of field expeditions in the Upper Juruá River region of western Acre. Scientists surveyed forest fragments near the Moa and Crôa rivers, close to Cruzeiro do Sul. Confirming that the frog represented a new species required far more than simply examining its appearance. The team compared DNA data, recordings of its calls, body shape (morphology), habitat information, and specimens preserved in scientific collections.
NB Power is pushing ahead with the conversion of its Belledune Generating Station from coal to biomass. A Thursday announcement is expected to reveal the proponents that will supply the repurposed power plant – one of New Brunswick’s largest – with 300,000 tonnes of wood pellets annually. Among them is expected to be a partnership proposing to build a torrefied wood pellet production facility at the Port of Belledune. “Once it’s officially confirmed, we are going to have a plant right at the port,” said Pabineau First Nation Chief Terry Richardson in an interview. “What’s great about this project is it’s Canadian technology, Canadian companies, and First Nations all partnering together.” Brunswick News reported in May on a partnership between Pabineau First Nation, Eel River Bar First Nation, Arbec Forest Products, and Airex Energy, a Quebec company proposing to build a torrefied wood pellet production facility at the Port of Belledune. [A Telegraph-Journal subscription is required for full access]
Our government could do something about climate change, but it refuses. In fact, most elected leaders and political candidates don’t even talk about it. As the fossil-fuel industry increasingly allied itself with Republicans to block climate action over the decades, Democrats became the party more willing to address it. But now, even many Democrats have gone quiet. As the November midterms approach, think tanks and consultants are advising them to avoid the topic global warming because “it is not a priority for voters.” The silence is called “climate hushing,” the strategic choice to avoid talking about global warming to avoid political backlash, polarization or economic anxiety. In other words, our elected leaders should avoid mentioning the huge elephant in the room, even as it gets more dangerous. Hardly an evening newscast goes by today without reports of major weather disasters and millions of Americans under threat of fire, flood, killer heat or other calamity. 
Do forests cool the planet or warm it? It’s a deceptively simple question with no clear answer. The catch is that the same forest can push climate in opposite directions at once. Forests are widely viewed as climate change mitigators—and planting trees as a partial climate solution—because they absorb carbon dioxide. Yet that framing is incomplete. Trees also release reactive gases called biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) that can influence cloud formation, contribute to air pollution, and extend the atmospheric lifetime of methane, a greenhouse gas that can trap about 80 times as much heat as carbon dioxide. …Whether forests cool or warm the planet depends on how BVOCs behave once they leave the foliage. From there, the normal steps of plant metabolism synthesize and release BVOCs. …The Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature estimates BVOC emissions by combining information about terrestrial vegetation with data on environmental conditions that influence emissions. 
