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Tree Frog Forestry News
December 8, 2025
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 8:30 am (PST) for the full line up of articles.
West Fraser, Brink Forest Products closures mark another hit to Canada’s forest industry
The Tree Frog Forestry News
December 5, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway
In another hit to Canada’s forest industry, West Fraser Timber is indefinitely curtailing its High Level, Alberta, OSB mill; and Brink Forest Products is temporarily closing its value-added mills in northern BC. In related news: BC leaders are hopeful new buyers will continue operating the Crofton pulp mill; and Tolko’s Williams Lake mill remains down after fire. Meanwhile, Boise Cascade’s Jeff Strom succeeds Nate Jorgensen as CEO; and West Fraser’s Sean McLaren is elected American Wood Council Board Chair.
Minister Ali announces new measures to protect and transform Canada’s steel and lumber industries
By Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Government of Canada
December 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada
Today, the Honourable Shafqat Ali, President of the Treasury Board of Canada, visited Brannon Steel in Brampton, Ontario, to reiterate new measures announced by the Government of Canada to protect and transform Canada’s steel and lumber industries. …Building on previously announced measures to help transform the Canadian steel and softwood lumber industries, the government will make it easier to build with Canadian lumber.
Canada will work with railway companies to cut freight rates for transporting Canadian steel and lumber interprovincially by 50%, beginning in Spring 2026.
Build Canada Homes will prioritise shovel-ready, multi-year projects that can begin within 12 months and that use Canadian wood products.
With $700 million next year, Build Canada Homes – our new federal homebuilding agency – alone will create $70 to $140 million of new demand for Canadian wood products – and attract private and provincial capital to multiply its impact.
Using Canadian steel and Canadian lumber, we will build Canada strong.
Over 400 Natural Resources Canada jobs at risk, union says
By Jayden Dill
CBC News
December 6, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada
Over 600 public servants were notified this week that their jobs are on the line, with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) feeling the brunt of the potential cuts. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) said in a news release that 219 workers at NRCan received warning that their position could be cut. In addition, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) told Radio-Canada that 200 of its members at NRCan were also given notices of a potential layoff. …Jean Bérubé, a forest pathologist at NRCan who is also a union rep for 3,000 federal research scientists, said he was informed his position is being eliminated.The federal government’s cuts to the public service feel similar to those occurring south of the border under the second administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, he said. …Bérubé pointed to the emergence of the invasive Emerald ash borer that has killed millions of ash trees in Canada’s urban areas.
Canada Revenue Agency strengthens compliance in trucking sector by lifting the moratorium on T4A penalties
By Canada Revenue Agency
Cision Newswire
December 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada
OTTAWA, ON – Tax non-compliance in the trucking sector has allowed some companies to avoid tax obligations, undercutting compliant competitors and denying workers the benefits and pensions they have earned. To restore fairness, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is making changes to improve compliance in the trucking industry. The CRA has lifted the moratorium on penalties for failing to report fees for services for the 2025 tax year and subsequent tax years. Businesses in this sector will now be assessed penalties if they fail to report payments for services exceeding $500 in a calendar year that are made to a Canadian-controlled private corporation in the trucking industry. These payments must be reported to the CRA by February 28, 2026. A business is considered to be operating in the trucking industry if more than 50% of its primary source of income is from trucking activities.
Domtar Wood Products announces temporary curtailment of lumber production
Domtar Corporation
December 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States
Montréal, Quebec – Domtar Wood Products announced today a curtailment in its lumber production. Due to challenging market conditions and ongoing economic uncertainty, Domtar will temporarily reduce its lumber production by 100 million board feet for the fourth quarter of 2025, including additional curtailments for the holiday season, at its facilities in Quebec, Ontario, and the United States. “Demand for lumber continues to stagnate in North America, exacerbating an already difficult market,” said Luc Thériault, President of Domtar Wood Products. Domtar will continue to monitor market conditions and adjust its production plans accordingly. [END]
Mayor encouraged by meeting with premier over Crofton mill closure
By Robert Barron
Victoria News
December 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
Rob Douglas
Providing supports for workers at the Crofton pulp mill, which is permanently closing, was the major topic at a meeting of government officials and union leaders in Victoria on Dec. 3. North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas said he … was encouraged when Premier David Eby said providing supports for approximately 350 mill workers … will be a top priority for his government. Douglas said the Public and Private Workers of Canada … asked for flexibility on extensions to the workers’ Employment Insurance benefits. …Douglas said the fact that the Crofton mill is the single biggest taxpayer in North Cowichan, contributing approximately $5 million a year to the municipality to help pay for services and programs, was also raised. …Douglas said he’s also pleased that the government said it is actively looking for buyers to take over the mill and continue its operations. “The Harmac model … was also discussed at the meeting.”
Williams Lake sawmill down after fire, rest of operations continue
By Ruth Lloyd
The Williams Lake Tribune
December 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
Tolko’s Lakeview mill in Williams Lake remains down as the company works to find the cause of a fire overnight on Sunday. Chris Dancocks, senior communications advisor for Tolko Industries Ltd. confirmed crews discovered the fire the night of Nov. 29 and early morning Dec. 1, contacting emergency crews immediately. Dancocks said no injuries were reported in relation to the fire and the sawmill remains down until repairs are completed. He said the company is currently planning repairs and the planer mill, log yard, chip plant, and shipping areas remain in full operation. [END]
VANCOUVER, BC – West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. announced that it will indefinitely curtail its oriented strand board (OSB) mill in High Level, Alberta in the spring of 2026 following an orderly wind-down and consumption of the mill’s existing log supply. The decision is the result of a significant weakening of OSB demand and is expected to reduce West Fraser’s capacity by 860 million square feet (3/8-inch). West Fraser expects to mitigate the impact on the approximate 190 affected employees at the site by providing work opportunities at other company operations, where available. West Fraser also confirmed that the idling of one of its production lines at its Cordele, Georgia OSB facility since late 2023 will continue indefinitely. The idled production line at Cordele has a capacity of 440 million square feet (3/8-inch). …West Fraser expects to record an approximately $200 million asset impairment loss in the fourth quarter of 2025 in connection with the indefinite curtailment of the High Level OSB mill.
Kruger says business in Kamloops is good as fibre shortage forces mill closure on Vancouver Island
By Michael Potestio
Castanet
December 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
Things are “running smoothly” at the Kamloops pulp mill on Mission Flats, even amid dire news in the industry with the looming closure of a long-running mill on Vancouver Island. Domtar announced Tuesday that it’s closing the Crofton pulp mill on Vancouver Island, leaving about 350 employees out of work. Poor pricing for pulp and a lack of access to affordable fibre in B.C. were blamed. Kruger, which purchased the Kamloops pulp mill from Domtar in 2022, told Castanet business is good in the Tournament Capital. “The Kruger Kamloops Pulp Mill is running smoothly and continues to deliver quality products to its global customers,” Kruger spokeswoman Marie-Claude Tremblay told Castanet Kamloops on Wednesday. …B.C. Conservative forestry critic Ward Stamer blasted the NDP government in the wake of the Crofton closure. Stamer said there are clear solutions to aid the forestry sector — like streamlining wood fibre access, faster permits and approvals and reducing operating and administration costs…
North Island forestry strike enters 6th month keeping needed fibre behind pickets
By Kendall Hanson
Chek News
December 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
More than 100 unionized North Island forestry workers on strike rallied in Campbell River on Wednesday. They’ve been without a contract for more than six months. They warned their employer that they are united and will succeed in their demands… The United Steelworkers marched to the Campbell River offices of Western Forest Products… The company owns a controlling 55 per cent share of La-kwa sa muqw Forestry (LKSM). On Oct. 20, the union filed a common-employer application with the Labour Relations Board. “…we’re challenging the fact that LKSM is actually a separate company. …We believe our members deserve the same collective agreement that all WFP members have,” said Brian Butler, president of United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 …“What this issue is really about is the union’s demand that it wants all contractors, new contractors, working for us, including First Nation contractors, to be mandatorily certified with the union,” said Greg DeMille, Operations Manager of La-kwa sa muqw Forestry.
Crofton mill closure shows B.C.’s forestry problems start with Victoria, not Trump
By Rob Shaw
Business in Vancouver
December 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West
The B.C. government’s attempts to blame U.S. President Donald Trump for everything wrong with the province’s forestry sector ran headlong into a reality check with the closure of Domtar’s long-running Crofton pulp mill on Vancouver Island. … Crofton doesn’t sell its goods … to the Americans, and so its decline isn’t being driven by the ongoing softwood lumber tariffs. The culprit, according to the company, is provincial forestry policies. …“We’re the most expensive jurisdiction in North America to do forestry,” echoed Council of Forest Industries CEO Kim Haakstad. …Forest Minister Parmar insists there’s wood permitted and available. The sector argues the cost is so high, it’s not worth harvesting. Politics is another layer in the Crofton closure. …The premier keeps demanding urgency from Ottawa on forestry. Too bad his government can’t muster any of it to fix its own policy failures here at home. Maybe then, mills like Crofton wouldn’t be closing.
Truck Loggers Association’s Statement on Domtar’s Closure of Crofton Pulp Mill
BC Truck Loggers Association
December 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West
Domtar’s announcement of its Crofton pulp and paper mill closure was a major and far-reaching loss for its workers, the North Cowichan community, and the broader forest-industry supply chain across the BC Coast. It is especially difficult knowing that this closure was preventable. Industry, labour and municipal governments have been warning the BC government about the risk of mill closures for many months. The government was given numerous recommendations, solutions, and opportunities that could have helped avoid this outcome, but has largely failed to act with the urgency that was required. …This closure underscores the many challenges facing BC’s coastal forest sector: ongoing constraints on access to economically viable fibre, an uncompetitive business cost structure, and regulatory uncertainty. For TLA members, these pressures threaten the stability of their operations and the forestry-dependent communities they support. The TLA remains committed to working with government and industry partners to stabilize the sector…
Crofton Closure Underscores Urgency of Coastal Forest Crisis
Coast Forest Policy Coalition
December 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
The Coast Forest Policy Coalition expresses deep concern over Domtar’s announcement of the permanent closure of its Crofton pulp and paper mill and calls for immediate collaborative action to address BC’s coastal fibre supply challenges. The Crofton closure affects hundreds of families and businesses in the Cowichan Valley and represents the tenth coastal mill to permanently close since 2018. The coast has lost 5,400 jobs since 2022 alone, with over 700 companies across the supply chain facing uncertainty. “Pulp mills are critical infrastructure on the coast—they’re essential to our integrated forest economy, utilizing sawmill and harvest residuals that are a necessary part of coastal forestry operations,” says Peter Lister, Chair of the Coast Forest Policy Coalition and Executive Director of the Truck Loggers Association. …The Coalition has outlined solutions that emphasize collaborative action: streamlining permit preparation processes to reduce current timelines, providing regulatory certainty by pausing new policy initiatives until existing processes work efficiently, and developing coast-specific solutions that recognize coastal operations’ unique requirements.
Roseburg Consolidates Veneer Production to Strengthen Long-Term Competitiveness
Roseburg Forest Products
December 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US West
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — Roseburg Forest Products announced today that it has ceased operations at its Weed, Calif., veneer plant as of Dec. 3, 2025. The company is consolidating veneer production at its Oregon mills, where it has installed new, highly efficient veneer equipment. The move strengthens Roseburg’s long-term competitiveness in engineered wood and softwood plywood markets. This closure, along with the company’s decision in September 2025 to exit the hardwood plywood market, enables Roseburg to concentrate resources on a more focused product portfolio and optimize its position in increasingly competitive wood products markets. “With the investments we have made in our Riddle and Coquille, Ore., veneer and softwood plywood mills, we have repositioned these operations as well as our Riddle Engineered Wood mill to be among the most cost-competitive mills in the industry,” said Stuart Gray, Roseburg’s president and CEO.
Vancouver, BC – Canfor Corporation and Canfor Pulp Products Inc. announced today that they have entered into an arrangement agreement pursuant to which Canfor Corp will acquire all of Canfor Pulp’s issued and outstanding common shares not already owned by Canfor Corp and its affiliates pursuant to a court-approved plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act. Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, the shareholders of Canfor Pulp, other than Canfor Corp and its affiliates, will have the option to receive, for each Canfor Pulp Share held: 0.0425 of a common share of Canfor Corp, or $0.50 in cash. ….Canfor Corp currently owns approximately 54.8% of the issued and outstanding Canfor Pulp Shares. The $0.50 per Canfor Pulp Share represents a premium of 25% to Canfor Pulp’s closing share price on December 2, 2025, on the Toronto Stock Exchange and a premium of 38% based on the 10-day volume-weighted average share price of Canfor Pulp as of December 2, 2025, on the TSX.
Tariffs have created a challenging operating environment for home builders and their suppliers
By Daniel Kline
The Street
December 5, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: US East
“President Donald Trump’s tariffs could increase builder costs anywhere from $7,500 to $10,000 per home,” said Rob Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders… Last year, the NAHB estimated that every $1,000 increase in the median price of a new home prices out roughly 106,000 potential buyers. The biggest impact has been felt in lumber prices, which are expected to total about $4,900 per home on average. …about a third of the wood purchased for homebuilding comes from Canada. Domestic lumber producers generally raise their prices to match import prices. …major players like Home Depot are better able to mitigate and predict rising and volatile prices than smaller retailers. North American Builder’s Supply, based in Illinois, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. …“Over 50% of our inventory is not part of tariffs and is obviously sourced domestically,” Home Depot Executive Vice President William Bastek shared.
Economic uncertainty casts shadow on an otherwise successful Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference and Expo 2025
By Rich Christianson
Woodworking Network
December 5, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada
TORONTO — Against the headwinds of a weakening Canadian economy, the 2025 Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference and Expo still managed to conclude a successful three-day run November 12-14 at the Toronto Congress Centre. While attendance lagged by about 15 percent below projections, exhibitors who account for 60 percent of the show’s floor plan affirmed their support for Canada’s national woodworking event by reserving booth space for WMS 2027. “Even though we were disappointed in the three-day attendance turnout, we were extremely pleased with the quality of this year’s attendees,” said Tim Fixmer, president of CCI Media, owner of the event. “There was a good deal of buying taking place on the show floor. …Plus, back by popular demand following their successful debuts at WMS 2023, were the WMS Live Auction presented by Boss Auctions and Student Day organized by the Wood Manufacturing Council and WMS in cooperation with the Canadian Kitchen Cabinet Association.
Canada needs 22 million homes fast. University of BC and partners are delivering solutions
By Lou Bosshart
The University of British Columbia
December 4, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West
Dr. Tony Yang
Canada needs 22 million new homes by 2030. The University of British Columbia is working with governments, industry and communities to make that goal more achievable—by mapping buildable land, testing faster and greener construction, and designing homes built for climate extremes. Together, these projects could help unlock land for up to 50,000 new housing units, cut construction costs by as much as 60 per cent, and create jobs while reducing emissions. It starts with knowing where to build. UBC’s Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) team is creating the BC Public Lands Map, the first province-wide inventory of public land. …Dr. Tony Yang and industry partners are leading an $8.3 million national project to make modular construction faster, cheaper and cleaner. The team is developing factory-built modules made from engineered wood and carbon-neutral materials that can be assembled in days —cutting build times by half and costs by about 30 per cent.
Ontario Launches Advanced Wood Construction Working Group
By Ministry of Natural Resources
The Government of Ontario
December 3, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East
TORONTO — The Ontario government has launched a new working group to guide the implementation of the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan: Ontario’s blueprint for education, research and investment in the fast-growing sector of prefabricated and modular wood-based building materials, known as advanced wood construction. The action plan was launched earlier this year to support the government’s plan to protect Ontario by promoting the use of more wood-based building materials that can help build more homes and buildings faster and create a more resilient forestry sector in response to U.S. tariffs. …”The Province’s Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan shows real leadership at a pivotal time for Ontario’s construction sector. By aligning policy, investment, and industry capacity, the Ministry is helping modernize how we build and supporting the continued growth of advanced wood construction across the province,” said Robert Jonkman, P.Eng., Vice-President, Codes and Engineering, Canadian Wood Council.
Call for Nominations: WoodWorks’ 2026 Wood in Architecture Awards
By Roxane Ward, WoodWorks – Wood Products Council
The Rock Hill Herald
December 3, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States
WASHINGTON, D.C. — WoodWorks invites architects and engineers to nominate their projects for the 2026 Wood in Architecture Awards. The annual awards program recognizes achievements in mass timber, light-frame wood, and hybrid buildings in the U.S. The deadline for nominations is January 26, 2026. Winners will be announced alongside the AIA Conference on Architecture and Design in San Diego, CA, in June 2026. “The Wood in Architecture Awards celebrate the design teams shaping the future of commercial and multi-family wood construction. Every day, our team is inspired by the design and construction professionals we support who are working to incorporate wood in ways that better communities, local economies, and the tenant experience,” said Jennifer Cover, PE, WoodWorks President and CEO.
Research concludes Wildland-Urban Interface building codes save lives – and money
By Peter Aleshire
The Payson Roundup
December 4, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US West
Payson sits in one of the most fire-prone regions in the country, yet the town council has repeatedly declined to adopt fire-hardening requirements for new homes. The town several years ago approved a Firewise landscaping code aimed at thinning overgrown properties and removing vegetation touching buildings. However, the council has twice rejected a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) building code, most recently after firefighters urged the council to adopt standards for new construction. Builders raised concerns about cost, and the council again declined to move forward. A collection of studies suggests those concerns may not align with the data. Research from federal agencies, economists and wildfire specialists shows WUI codes add little to the cost of new construction, save money over time and significantly reduce the likelihood of homes burning in a wildfire. The research also points to major long-term savings for taxpayers, who shoulder growing federal firefighting costs in high-risk areas.
Georgia Mass Timber Accelerator Funds Projects and Drives Sustainable Growth
By Georgia Forestry Foundation
PR Newswire
December 5, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East
FORSYTH, Ga., — The Georgia Forestry Foundation, in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) recently awarded the first cohort of the Georgia Mass Timber Accelerator projects $75,000 in funding. The selected projects include a diverse range of residential, educational and community-focused buildings, showcasing the versatility and low carbon footprint of mass timber construction. As an additional benefit of the Accelerator program, the three selected projects also received technical assistance from Woodworks – Wood Products Council that supported the integration of mass timber in their designs. At the finale event, held at SouthFace Institute in Atlanta, each team presented on the status of their project and their next phase of development, including the selection of a regional mass timber provider, the final permitting process, and breaking ground.
Tree branches to fleece jackets: Chemicals plant in Germany bets on biomass
Associated Free Press in France 24
December 4, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International
Leuna, Germany — Staring at a pile of freshly cut beechwood, forestry manager Johannes Brodowski wonders if he is looking at the future of Germany’s chemicals industry. A local factory will use Brodowski’s trees and other organic material — instead of climate-harming fossil fuels — to make chemical products used to manufacture items ranging from packaging to car tyres and fleece jackets. “The innovative part of the whole thing is that a new product is getting made,” he told AFP: “Namely, chemical materials that were originally made from fossil fuels and now can be made from renewable sources.” Finnish group UPM Biochemicals unveiled its 1.3-billion-euro ($1.5-billion) biorefinery in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt this year, taking a big risk at a difficult time for the sector.
Wooden skyscrapers point the way to more sustainable cities
By Sedeer el-Showk
Nature
December 3, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International
Michael Green
When the first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885 … people were afraid … it would collapse. Today, as towers made of wood go up around the world, the response is a similar mixture of wonder and fear. …but the truth is that wooden construction is healthier, both for people and for the planet. Buildings and construction are the largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases… A building’s structural elements, typically steel and concrete, are “a huge component of that carbon footprint”, says architect Michael Green. …Green was an early advocate of wooden construction and continues to think about improving the construction industry’s climate impact. His question now is what new structural material could replace the big four widely used in construction: wood, steel, concrete and masonry. One possibility, which he favours, would be creating a material from plant fibres that can be formed into organic, efficient shapes, minimizing waste and capturing carbon at the same time.
Climate Smart Forestry Initiative Advisory Committees Announced
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
December 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States
Washington, D.C.— The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announces the establishment of two SFI Climate Smart Forestry Initiative Advisory Committees, one in the United States and one in Canada, to shape the activities and outputs of the SFI Climate Smart Forestry (SFI CSF) Initiative on climate-informed forest management practices, science syntheses, and knowledge sharing across North America. In 2024, SFI launched the Climate Smart Forestry Initiative to advance Objective 9 (Climate Smart Forestry) of the SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard. Objective 9 requires organizations certified to the SFI Forest Management Standard to consider and implement actions to reduce the negative effects of climate change and adapt to changing conditions. The SFI CSF Initiative is a collaborative effort to identify and implement climate-informed, data-driven forestry practices that address climate change through adaptive management, enhanced carbon storage, and increased forest resilience.
National Peatland Strategy proposed to protect climate-critical ecosystems amid extraction and industrial development rush
By Wildlife Conservation Society Canada
Cision Newswire
December 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada
TORONTO – Wildlife Conservation Society Canada Canada has today unveiled a proposed National Peatland Strategy, calling on federal, provincial, and territorial governments to adopt urgent measures to safeguard Canada’s most carbon-rich ecosystems. Peatlands – critical natural stores of carbon that also support biodiversity, water quality and Indigenous ways of life – are increasingly threatened by industrial development, resource extraction, and policy gaps that leave them unprotected. Canada is home to roughly 25% of the world’s peatlands, storing 150 billion tonnes of carbon – more than five times the carbon in all the country’s forests combined. Yet these ecosystems face mounting pressures from industrial development, especially mining, oil and gas, agriculture and forestry. Experts warn that without immediate, coordinated action, degradation of Canada’s peatlands could release massive amounts of irrecoverable greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, undermining national and global climate targets.
Document reveals approval to harvest remnant old-growth in B.C.’s northwest
By Brenna Owen
Canadian Press in Chek News
December 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
British Columbia’s logging agency has changed a policy that conserved remnant old-growth forest in the province’s northwest, with a government briefing note showing a plan to open those areas for harvesting has been approved. The note, obtained by The Canadian Press and written by a BC Timber Sales manager in the Babine region, acknowledged the shift “may invoke scrutiny” from conservationist environmental groups. It says First Nations in the Bulkley, Morice and Lakes timber supply areas do not support old-growth logging deferrals recommended by a provincially appointed panel in 2021,and continuing to conserve remnant stands “does not demonstrate respect of the First Nations’ responses” to that process. …Independent ecologist Rachel Holt says the briefing note demonstrates a lack of understanding within BC Timber Sales about “the importance of … these irrecoverable ecological values.” But the crisis in B.C.’s forests is not just ecological.
Why was ‘incredible’ giant cedar cut down, despite B.C.’s big-tree protection law?
By Brenna Owen
The Canadian Press in Global News
December 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Joshua Wright says a yellow cedar tree he photographedlast year was the largest he’d ever seen in a decade of hiking around Vancouver Island. …Wright measured the cedar’s diameter at 2.79 metres, a size that should have ensured protection for the tree, along with a one-hectare buffer under provincial law. But when he returned to the area south of Gold River in June, Wright says the tree had been felled as part of a logging operation approved by the province. …the area where Wright documented the yellow cedar overlaps significantly with a category of old-growth representing the largest trees left standing. …Yet the deferrals required support from First Nations to go ahead, and at the time, there was no significant funding to help communities offset foregone revenues. …the yellow cedar was felled in an area where Matchlee Ltd. Partnership, majority owned by Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, holds a non-renewable forest licence.
‘Important investment’: B.C. forestry ministry praises $257.6 million federal boost to wildfire fighting
By Ruth Prarthana and Stephen Albert
Energetic City
December 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The B.C. Ministry of Forests is encouraged that the Government of Canada has taken a huge step to amp up aerial firefighting capacity. Anthony Housefather, parliamentary secretary to Eleanor Olszewski, federal minister of emergency management and community resilience and minister responsible for Prairies economic development, recently highlighted a new multi-million-dollar investment of over $257.6 million for four years to Natural Resources Canada. The funds will be used to lease firefighting aircrafts, which can include waterbombers or other aircrafts to deliver water or fire retardant drops in hard-to-reach areas. …The Ministry of Forests will be hosting a national wildfire symposium in Vancouver on December 5th. This event will bring the government, wildfire experts, key industry and Indigenous partners to discuss the 2025 wildfire season. However, this event is by invite only.
Nk’Mip Forestry and Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd. (CCR) are strengthening ties as they advance Indigenous-led forestry and land stewardship. According to a press release, the two organizations recently held field tours in their respective First Nations territories, deepening collaboration and sharing knowledge across Indigenous-led forestry initiatives. The CCR is a joint venture of Tŝideldel First Nation, Tl’etinqox Government, and Yunesit’in Government, which was originally formed to address 100,000 hectares of dead pine left in the Chilcotin region and to rehabilitate those stands into productive forests. …Dan Macmaster, registered professional forester and head of forestry with Nk’Mip, said the tours create a space for Indigenous-led organizations to learn from one another on the land. …Both organizations said the forestry field tours represent the beginning of continued collaboration…
Logging roads: The overlooked infrastructure powering northern Ontario
By Bill Steer
The Soo Today
December 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East
We tend to take logging roads for granted as an inherent right of access to Crown land. Their importance was recently reinforced when, just before the first snowfall, we travelled on one of the longest continuous and scenic forestry roads in the province. Ontario’s forest industry is critical to the provincial economy and many northern and rural communities. In 2023, the forest industry contributed $5.4 billion to Ontario’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generated $21.6 billion in total revenue. The sector supported approximately 128,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs in 2024, many of which are in Indigenous, rural, and northern communities. …The Ontario Forest Industries Association’s policy advisor, Adrian Smith said, “Forest access roads serve far more than the forestry sector. Built and maintained by our sector, they provide vital infrastructure. Forestry companies invest millions of dollars in grading, resurfacing, bridge and culvert upkeep, and winter snow clearing to keep this extensive network safe and reliable.
SPRUCEDALE, ON — A man who’s worked for over three decades on the rehabilitation of orphaned and injured black bears, including many from Northwestern Ontario, has been recognized for his contributions to animal welfare. Mike McIntosh of the Bear With Us Sanctuary and Rehabilitation Centre for Bears received the Wildlife Rehabber of the Year award from Ontario Wildlife Rescue. McIntosh and his wife, Ella, look after as many as 100 bears at a time at their facility in Sprucedale, east of Parry Sound. He works closely with the Ministry of Natural Resources Bear Wise program, and is a partner in a coyote/wolf/bear education initiative. Ontario Wildlife Rescue works with over 50 wildlife rehabilitation centres in the province.
Ikea’s Hawke’s Bay pine tree expansion sparks fears residents will be left to pay
By Alexa Cook
Radio New Zealand (RNZ)
December 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International
The opening of IKEA in New Zealand comes as a rural community worries about the fire risk from pine plantations. Since 2020 IKEA has converted six Central Hawke’s Bay farms into pine forestry…This move, combined with the sale of [local] farms to overseas forestry companies, is sparking concerns from locals about the loss of farmland and the risks associated with converting large areas into pines. …Porangahau farmer James Hunter wants New Zealanders to witness the extent of farmland being planted in forestry. Most of IKEA’s 4300 hectares of forestry in Central Hawke’s Bay is near the village of Porangahau, where about 200 hectares of its pine trees went up in flames in October and took days to extinguish because of the high winds grounding helicopters. It’s fires like this that have rural communities on edge, because they say even if the blaze starts on nearby farmland, the forests contain the fuel that feeds them.
BEIJING — Thuja sutchuenensis is an endangered gymnosperm plant unique to China. Originating from the age of dinosaurs over 100 million years ago, it flourished during the Cretaceous period. Harboring irreplaceable genetic resources, it is known as the “plant giant panda.” Thuja sutchuenensis was first discovered in 1892. Today, the peaks in Chongqing’s Kaizhou district, Chengkou county, Wuxi county and Sichuan Province’s Xuanhan county are the remaining habitats for this relic plant. …In 1998 it was declared extinct. Later, local Chongqing researchers rediscovered wild Thuja sutchuenensis trees on remote cliffs. …To date, the reserve has discovered over 7,800 wild Thuja sutchuenensis trees, establishing China’s first regional resource database that maintains a standard of “one file per tree.” Neighboring Chengkou county also recently discovered an area of over 5,000 trees.
The top five countries with the largest forests in 2025
By Amber Bryan
Geographical
December 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International
The total forest area in the world is 4.1 billion hectares, or 32 per cent of Earth’s total surface area. The tropics are home to the majority of the world’s forests – 45 per cent – while the rest is mainly found in boreal, temperate and subtropical zones. Since 1990, 489 million hectares of forest have been lost to deforestation… While the rate of deforestation is actually slowing, so is the rate of forest expansion, dropping from 9.88 million hectares per year from 2000-2015 to 6.78 million hectares per year in the decade to 2025. Below are the top five countries with the biggest forests as of 2025, according to forest area:
Climate Change Accountability Report shows lower emissions, more work to do
By Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions
Government of British Columbia
December 3, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada West
The Province has released the 2025 Climate Change Accountability Report, reaffirming its commitment to climate action and affordability while highlighting progress in cutting emissions and advancing clean energy throughout B.C. The report shows that CleanBC is working. British Columbia is making progress in many areas… In spring 2025, the 2024 Climate Change Accountability Report indicated that B.C. was not on track to meet its 2030 emissions targets. The recently released CleanBC review provides independent advice to strengthen the climate plan and keep delivering results. Government is reviewing the recommendations to guide the next phase of action, with a focus on expanding clean energy, supporting cleaner industry and making low-carbon choices more accessible for people and communities.
UK using more wood to make electricity than ever, Drax figures show
By Jillian Ambrose
The Guardian
December 3, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International
Britain’s reliance on burning wood to generate electricity has reached record highs, even as the government moves to curb the controversial use of biomass power. The latest figures supplied by the owner of the giant Drax biomass plant in North Yorkshire have revealed that power generated from burning biomass wood pellets provided 9% of the UK’s electricity in July, its largest ever monthly share. Weeks later, biomass provided almost a fifth (17%) of the UK’s electricity for the first time during one morning in September when renewable energy resources were particularly low. Britain’s record reliance on biomass generation has reached new heights as the government set out its plans to dramatically reduce the controversial energy source under a new subsidy agreement with the FTSE 250 owner of the Drax power plant.
Three wildfires remain active in Calgary Forest Area
By Noel Edey
Cochrane Now
December 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West
With wildfire activity winding down for 2025, the Calgary Forest Area continues to have three active wildfires, all classified as under control, with firefighters working toward full extinguishment. These are among 26 wildfires still active in Alberta, 25 of which are under control, with one being held. Fire crews have extinguished 1,248 fires in forest protection areas this year, mirroring numbers from 2024 yet exceeding the five-year average by more than 100. One of the remaining fires in the Calgary Region is located 25 kilometres west of Water Valley in the Harold Creek area. The fire was first spotted on Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. and has been aggressively managed by wildfire crews, remaining contained to 27 hectares. Since Jan. 1, 2025, the Calgary Forest Area has experienced 73 wildfires, burning more than 67 hectares. Although Oct. 31 marked the official end of Alberta’s wildfire season, ongoing dry conditions mean the risk of wildfire remains in several areas.
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Over 600 public servants were notified this week that their jobs are on the line, with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) feeling the brunt of the potential cuts. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) said in a news release that 219 workers at NRCan received warning that their position could be cut. In addition, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) told Radio-Canada that 200 of its members at NRCan were also given notices of a potential layoff. …Jean Bérubé, a forest pathologist at NRCan who is also a union rep for 3,000 federal research scientists, said he was informed his position is being eliminated.The federal government’s cuts to the public service feel similar to those occurring south of the border under the second administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, he said. …Bérubé pointed to the emergence of the invasive Emerald ash borer that has killed millions of ash trees in Canada’s urban areas.
OTTAWA, ON
Montréal, Quebec – Domtar Wood Products announced today a curtailment in its lumber production. Due to challenging market conditions and ongoing economic uncertainty, Domtar will temporarily reduce its lumber production by 100 million board feet for the fourth quarter of 2025, including additional curtailments for the holiday season, at its facilities in Quebec, Ontario, and the United States. “Demand for lumber continues to stagnate in North America, exacerbating an already difficult market,” said Luc Thériault, President of Domtar Wood Products. Domtar will continue to monitor market conditions and adjust its production plans accordingly. [END]
VANCOUVER, BC
More than 100 unionized North Island forestry workers on strike rallied in Campbell River on Wednesday. They’ve been without a contract for more than six months. They warned their employer that they are united and will succeed in their demands… The United Steelworkers marched to the Campbell River offices of Western Forest Products… The company owns a controlling 55 per cent share of La-kwa sa muqw Forestry (LKSM). On Oct. 20, the union filed a common-employer application with the Labour Relations Board. “…we’re challenging the fact that LKSM is actually a separate company. …We believe our members deserve the same collective agreement that all WFP members have,” said Brian Butler, president of United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 …“What this issue is really about is the union’s demand that it wants all contractors, new contractors, working for us, including First Nation contractors, to be mandatorily certified with the union,” said Greg DeMille, Operations Manager of La-kwa sa muqw Forestry.
Domtar’s announcement of its Crofton pulp and paper mill closure was a major and far-reaching loss for its workers, the North Cowichan community, and the broader forest-industry supply chain across the BC Coast. It is especially difficult knowing that this closure was preventable. Industry, labour and municipal governments have been warning the BC government about the risk of mill closures for many months. The government was given numerous recommendations, solutions, and opportunities that could have helped avoid this outcome, but has largely failed to act with the urgency that was required. …This closure underscores the many challenges facing BC’s coastal forest sector: ongoing constraints on access to economically viable fibre, an uncompetitive business cost structure, and regulatory uncertainty. For TLA members, these pressures threaten the stability of their operations and the forestry-dependent communities they support. The TLA remains committed to working with government and industry partners to stabilize the sector…
Vancouver, BC – Canfor Corporation and Canfor Pulp Products Inc. announced today that they have entered into an arrangement agreement pursuant to which Canfor Corp will acquire all of Canfor Pulp’s issued and outstanding common shares not already owned by Canfor Corp and its affiliates pursuant to a court-approved plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act. Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, the shareholders of Canfor Pulp, other than Canfor Corp and its affiliates, will have the option to receive, for each Canfor Pulp Share held: 0.0425 of a common share of Canfor Corp, or $0.50 in cash. ….Canfor Corp currently owns approximately 54.8% of the issued and outstanding Canfor Pulp Shares. The $0.50 per Canfor Pulp Share represents a premium of 25% to Canfor Pulp’s closing share price on December 2, 2025, on the Toronto Stock Exchange and a premium of 38% based on the 10-day volume-weighted average share price of Canfor Pulp as of December 2, 2025, on the TSX.
“President Donald Trump’s tariffs could increase builder costs anywhere from $7,500 to $10,000 per home,” said Rob Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders… Last year, the NAHB estimated that every $1,000 increase in the median price of a new home prices out roughly 106,000 potential buyers. The biggest impact has been felt in lumber prices, which are expected to total about $4,900 per home on average. …about a third of the wood purchased for homebuilding comes from Canada. Domestic lumber producers generally raise their prices to match import prices. …major players like Home Depot are better able to mitigate and predict rising and volatile prices than smaller retailers. North American Builder’s Supply, based in Illinois, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. …“Over 50% of our inventory is not part of tariffs and is obviously sourced domestically,” Home Depot Executive Vice President William Bastek shared.
TORONTO — The Ontario government has launched a new working group to guide the implementation of the 
Payson sits in one of the most fire-prone regions in the country, yet the town council has repeatedly declined to adopt fire-hardening requirements for new homes. The town several years ago approved a Firewise landscaping code aimed at thinning overgrown properties and removing vegetation touching buildings. However, the council has twice rejected a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) building code, most recently after firefighters urged the council to adopt standards for new construction. Builders raised concerns about cost, and the council again declined to move forward. A collection of studies suggests those concerns may not align with the data. Research from federal agencies, economists and wildfire specialists shows WUI codes add little to the cost of new construction, save money over time and significantly reduce the likelihood of homes burning in a wildfire. The research also points to major long-term savings for taxpayers, who shoulder growing federal firefighting costs in high-risk areas.
British Columbia’s logging agency has changed a policy that conserved remnant old-growth forest in the province’s northwest, with a government briefing note showing a plan to open those areas for harvesting has been approved. The note, obtained by The Canadian Press and written by a BC Timber Sales manager in the Babine region, acknowledged the shift “may invoke scrutiny” from conservationist environmental groups. It says First Nations in the Bulkley, Morice and Lakes timber supply areas do not support old-growth logging deferrals recommended by a provincially appointed panel in 2021,and continuing to conserve remnant stands “does not demonstrate respect of the First Nations’ responses” to that process. …Independent ecologist Rachel Holt says the briefing note demonstrates a lack of understanding within BC Timber Sales about “the importance of … these irrecoverable ecological values.” But the crisis in B.C.’s forests is not just ecological.
Joshua Wright says a yellow cedar tree he photographed last year was the largest he’d ever seen in a decade of hiking around Vancouver Island. …Wright measured the cedar’s diameter at 2.79 metres, a size that should have ensured protection for the tree, along with a one-hectare buffer under provincial law. But when he returned to the area south of Gold River in June, Wright says the tree had been felled as part of a logging operation approved by the province. …the area where Wright documented the yellow cedar overlaps significantly with a category of old-growth representing the largest trees left standing. …Yet the deferrals required support from First Nations to go ahead, and at the time, there was no significant funding to help communities offset foregone revenues. …the yellow cedar was felled in an area where Matchlee Ltd. Partnership, majority owned by Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation, holds a non-renewable forest licence.
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The B.C. Ministry of Forests is encouraged that the Government of Canada has taken a huge step to amp up aerial firefighting capacity. Anthony Housefather, parliamentary secretary to Eleanor Olszewski, federal minister of emergency management and community resilience and minister responsible for Prairies economic development, recently highlighted a new multi-million-dollar investment of over $257.6 million for four years to Natural Resources Canada. The funds will be used to lease firefighting aircrafts, which can include waterbombers or other aircrafts to deliver water or fire retardant drops in hard-to-reach areas. …The Ministry of Forests will be hosting a 
We tend to take logging roads for granted as an inherent right of access to Crown land. Their importance was recently reinforced when, just before the first snowfall, we travelled on one of the longest continuous and scenic forestry roads in the province. Ontario’s forest industry is critical to the provincial economy and many northern and rural communities. In 2023, the forest industry contributed $5.4 billion to Ontario’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generated $21.6 billion in total revenue. The sector supported approximately 128,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs in 2024, many of which are in Indigenous, rural, and northern communities. …The Ontario Forest Industries Association’s policy advisor, Adrian Smith said, “Forest access roads serve far more than the forestry sector. Built and maintained by our sector, they provide vital infrastructure. Forestry companies invest millions of dollars in grading, resurfacing, bridge and culvert upkeep, and winter snow clearing to keep this extensive network safe and reliable.
The opening of IKEA in New Zealand comes as a rural community worries about the fire risk from pine plantations. Since 2020 IKEA has converted six Central Hawke’s Bay farms into pine forestry…This move, combined with the sale of [local] farms to overseas forestry companies, is sparking concerns from locals about the loss of farmland and the risks associated with converting large areas into pines. …Porangahau farmer James Hunter wants New Zealanders to witness the extent of farmland being planted in forestry. Most of IKEA’s 4300 hectares of forestry in Central Hawke’s Bay is near the village of Porangahau, where about 200 hectares of its pine trees went up in flames in October and took days to extinguish because of the high winds grounding helicopters. It’s fires like this that have rural communities on edge, because they say even if the blaze starts on nearby farmland, the forests contain the fuel that feeds them.
The total forest area in the world is 4.1 billion hectares, or 32 per cent of Earth’s total surface area. The tropics are home to the majority of the world’s forests – 45 per cent – while the rest is mainly found in boreal, temperate and subtropical zones. Since 1990, 489 million hectares of forest have been lost to deforestation… While the rate of deforestation is actually slowing, so is the rate of forest expansion, dropping from 9.88 million hectares per year from 2000-2015 to 6.78 million hectares per year in the decade to 2025. Below are the top five countries with the biggest forests as of 2025, according to forest area:
The Province has released the 2025 Climate Change Accountability Report, reaffirming its commitment to climate action and affordability while highlighting progress in cutting emissions and advancing clean energy throughout B.C. The report shows that CleanBC is working. British Columbia is making progress in many areas… In spring 2025, the 2024 Climate Change Accountability Report indicated that B.C. was not on track to meet its 2030 emissions targets. The recently released CleanBC review provides independent advice to strengthen the climate plan and keep delivering results. Government is reviewing the recommendations to guide the next phase of action, with a focus on expanding clean energy, supporting cleaner industry and making low-carbon choices more accessible for people and communities.
Britain’s reliance on burning wood to generate electricity has reached record highs, even as the government moves to curb the controversial use of biomass power. The latest figures supplied by the owner of the giant Drax biomass plant in North Yorkshire have revealed that power generated from burning biomass wood pellets provided 9% of the UK’s electricity in July, its largest ever monthly share. Weeks later, biomass provided almost a fifth (17%) of the UK’s electricity for the first time during one morning in September when renewable energy resources were particularly low. Britain’s record reliance on biomass generation has reached new heights as the government set out its plans to dramatically reduce the controversial energy source under a new subsidy agreement with the FTSE 250 owner of the Drax power plant.