Blog Archives

Today’s Takeaway

Thank you for visiting the Tree Frog Forestry News

The Tree Frog Forestry News
November 21, 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.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

Read More

BC trade mission expected to boost lumber demand in Asia

The Tree Frog Forestry News
November 20, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway

BC’s trade mission to Japan and South Korea is expected to boost demand for BC lumber. In related news: the US Lumber Coalition pans Massachusetts Governor Healey’s call to lift Canadian tariffs; while Dovetail Partners says tariffs are short-sighted and bad for trade. In Company news: Arbec suspends OSB operations at Quebec mill; the USDA funds sawmill expansion at Wisconsin’s Timber Professionals; PotlatchDeltic loses its FSC certification in Minnesota; Domtar reports waste leak at Kingsport mill; and ThirdGen Timber acquires majority share of BC’s True North Log & Timber

In Forestry/Climate news: the US plans to roll back protections for endangered species; the US EPA unveils changes to the Clean Water Act; and the Council of European Union pushes for delay of EU deforestation regulation. Meanwhile: Forest minister Parmar defends BC’s harvesting practices; David Suzuki headlines BC-wide forestry protests; and newsletter updates from BC Wood and WorkSafeBC.

Finally, the use of this rare wood pits violinists against environmentalists in Brazil. 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

Read More

US Lumber Coalition and Loggers Council Call on Trump to Increase Tariffs

The Tree Frog Forestry News
November 19, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway

The US Lumber Coalition and American Loggers Council pan Canadian subsidies, call on Trump to increase tariff measures. In related news: Prime Minister Carney’s budget includes carbon targets; Maine’s Woodland Pulp curtails operations, stops using New Brunswick softwoods; West Fraser workers are heartbroken over BC mill closure; Hampton Lumber breaks ground on its South Carolina mill; and EU and UK timber industry groups unite over illegal imports from Russia.

In Forestry/Climate news: a leaked report claims BC’s timber harvest is overstated; BC forestry protests urge reduced AACs, forestry reforms; Brazil pushes for climate progress at COP30; CO280 completes carbon capture pilot as US pulp mill; California researchers say prescribed burning helps store forest carbon; and Virginia Tech to advance remote sensing technologies.

Finally, the Softwood Lumber Board expands its mass timber Accelerator Cities Program.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

Read More

Special Feature

Invest in Visibility and Connection: The Value of Sponsoring or Exhibiting at the TLA Convention

By Sarah O’Dea, director of events
BC Truck Loggers Association
November 21, 2025
Category: Special Feature
Region: Canada, Canada West

For more than 80 years, the annual TLA Convention + Trade Show has been the premier gathering place for forestry’s top decision-makers. Whether you choose to sponsor the convention or exhibit at the trade show, your participation offers unmatched opportunities to connect, showcase, and grow your business. Unparalleled Networking: The TLA Convention + Trade Show brings together the leaders who shape the future of BC’s forest industry. As a sponsor or exhibitor, you’ll gain direct access to influential professionals—contractors, suppliers, government representatives, and business owners—all in one place. …Premium Brand Exposure: Visibility at the TLA Convention & Trade Show extends well beyond the event.Sponsors enjoy high-profile recognition before, during, and after the convention, ensuring your brand stays top of mind among key industry players. Tracey Russell, Vice President-Equipment, Inland Truck & Equipment Ltd. is a regular at the Convention, “We sponsor the TLA Convention + Trade Show every year because it’s one of the best opportunities for exposure and relationship building – connections that have made a lasting impact on our business and our brand.”

Read More

Business & Politics

Carney defends green pledge to get Budget 2025 passed in narrow vote

Canadian Press in Victoria Times Colonist
November 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday defended making a commitment to carbon emission targets to get the government’s spending plan over the finish line. Carney told reporters before the weekly cabinet meeting in Ottawa that he was “very pleased” his government narrowly won the crucial budget vote on Monday night. …”I can confirm to this House that we will respect our Paris commitments for climate change, and we are determined to achieve them,” Carney said. He also said a nature strategy will be released soon, keeping Canada on target for its commitments on biodiversity as well. That was enough to sway May to vote with the Liberals, a vote that earned her grateful applause from the Liberal caucus. …”Canada is blessed with immense natural resources, everything from hydroelectricity through to conventional oil and gas. We’re part of an energy transition, we’re going to help to lead it.”

Read More

Programs to help advance your career in the lumber and sawmill sector

By Linh Tran
BC Institute of Technology
November 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

“The BCIT School of Construction and the Environment offers two Associate Certificate programs designed to support workforce development in the North American lumber and sawmill sector: Industrial Wood Processing (IWP) and Business of Sawmilling (BOS). The programs were developed in collaboration with industry experts to equip professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to advance their careers while meeting the evolving demands of the sector. Both programs are delivered online, on a part-time basis, and over 12 months. The programs are designed to allow working professionals to gain practical, job-relevant skills through formal education while balancing their workplace responsibilities. Registration is now open for IWP January 2026 intake.”

Read More

Building momentum through forestry trade mission

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
November 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Delegates from B.C.’s largest forestry trade mission to Asia have returned home, bringing back business deals, signed agreements and deeper ties with key trading partners in Japan and South Korea, driving growth and investment for B.C.

Summary:

  • More than 60 delegates travelled throughout Japan and South Korea as part of the largest forestry trade mission
  • Three memoranda of understanding signed
  • Twenty site visits, tours and meetings

The trade mission strengthened B.C.’s forestry relationships with existing trade partners and opened new doors to growing markets in both Japan and South Korea. It also highlighted how B.C. plays a pivotal role in expanding wood construction markets in other countries through sharing research and development in wood construction, building designs and safety codes to help inform policy, and accelerating the adoption of wood construction in homes, offices and public spaces.

Read More

Delivering prosperity, good jobs for B.C., Canada

Government of British Columbia
November 17, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Government has launched Look West, a strategic plan to deliver major projects faster, expand skills training and grow key sectors to strengthen B.C.’s economy, creating good jobs and opportunities for people and businesses, and benefiting all of Canada. “British Columbia can get big things done – which is why our province is vastly overrepresented in the list of major projects Ottawa is fast-tracking,” said Premier David Eby. “This plan sets big goals as we make B.C. the economic powerhouse of Canada to create great jobs and drive prosperity in every corner of the province.” Look West rises to the challenges brought on by U.S. tariffs. The strategy sets a 10-year vision to strengthen B.C.’s economy, including continuing work to speed up permitting and diversify key sectors, so B.C.’s economy is less reliant on the United States.

From My Cowichan Now: “To support the forestry sector, the provincial strategy aims to triple the amount of B.C. wood used in construction by 2035.”

Read More

President Trump’s Executive Orders Concerning the United States Forest Sector

By Ed Pepke et al.
Dovetail Partners Inc.
November 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

In March 2025 US President Donald Trump issued two executive orders (EOs) affecting the forest sector worldwide. EO 14225,“Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production,” aims broadly to increase harvests on national forests. EO 14223, “Addressing the threat to national security from imports of timber, lumber and their derivative products” aims at reducing imports of wood and paper products. These two EOs have proponents and opponents within and outside the forest sector, depending on impacts on diverse constituencies. The EOs cover various issues and make claims and directives for timely action by secretaries of four government agencies. In this opinion piece, Dovetail Partners considers the impacts on the US forest sector and its trading partners. We analyze some of the EOs’ salient features and in considering the divergent viewpoints of those parties impacted, we offer our opinions. Overall the EOs and tariffs on wood and paper trade have created tremendous uncertainty in the global forest sector.

Read More

Governor Healey Calls on President Trump to Lift Canadian Tariffs on Housing and Energy

By Governor Maura Healey
Government of Massachusetts
November 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Boston — Speaking at the New England Canada Business Council Executive Energy Conference, Governor Maura Healey called on President Donald Trump to lift his tariffs on Canadian products that are increasing the cost of housing and energy in the United States. These include tariffs on lumber, steel, aluminum, copper, transformers, grid components, solar and wind components, and more. “This week, President Trump finally admitted what we all know – that his tariffs are raising costs,” said Governor Healey. “Now, he needs to focus on energy and housing. By ending his Canadian tariffs on lumber, steel and aluminum, he can undo some of the damage he has done. He should immediately lift these tariffs to lower the costs of housing and energy – the American people can’t afford for him to wait.” …Massachusetts and Canada exchange more than $16 billion in goods and services every year. 

Read More

Bemidji lumber mill loses major certification amid sex harassment claims

By Larissa Donovan
KAXE – KBXE Headwaters News
November 19, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

BEMIDJI, Minnesota — A workplace culture allegedly permitting sexual harassment may have cost PotlatchDeltic Land and Lumber, a major employer in the Bemidji region, its third-party responsible forestry certification for all its mills. Two lawsuits from current and former Bemidji PotlatchDeltic employees claim operator Calvin Kurtz sexually harassed them and other female employees, both while at work and outside the workplace. Filed Nov. 14, the complaints allege Kurtz commenced a pattern of sexually harassing conduct toward women employees under his supervision. In answers to the complaints, Kurtz denies any and all allegations of wrongdoing. …Two women are individually suing PotlatchDeltic and Kurtz, seeking damages in excess of $50,000, plus legal fees. …PotlatchDeltic’s Bemidji plant creates precision studs with spruce, pine and fir. PotlatchDeltic Land and Lumber’s Forest Stewardship Council certification was terminated as of Nov. 1, in response to claims of workplace harassment at the Bemidji mill and elsewhere.

Read More

One of Maine’s largest mills stops using N.B. lumber, citing tariffs

By Adam Huras
The Telegraph-Journal
November 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US East

One of Maine’s largest mills, Woodland Pulp, says it’s been forced to stop accepting Canadian softwood lumber from New Brunswick, citing the cost of American tariffs. And it doesn’t know when it will start using New Brunswick wood again. The mill – situated a short drive across the border from St. Stephen – has decided to shut down operations until the end of December citing a challenging global pulp market. It’s a situation that’s now being highlighted by politicians on both sides of the border as the real life consequence of U.S. tariffs on jobs in Canada and the United States. …“We typically receive in the range of 120 to 130 truck loads of fiber per day to supply Woodland Pulp,” company spokesperson Scott Beal told said. That’s now stopped, with no timeline to resume. … 144 workers from both Woodland Pulp and its subsidiary St. Croix Chipping will be temporarily laid off. [A subscription to the Telegraph-Journal may be required for full story access]

Additional coverage in News Center Maine, by Drew Peters: Woodland Pulp to temporarily close and lay off roughly 150 workers

Read More

Wood, Paper & Green Building

Forestry Innovation Investment 2026-27 Call for Proposals

BC Forestry Innovation Investment
November 20, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

The 2026-27 Calls for Proposals for the Market Initiatives and Wood First programs are now open. Between these programs, delivered in partnership with the forest industry and other funders, a total of $7.5 million in funding from FII is available. This support helps advance market development initiatives that diversify and strengthen the B.C. forest sector and provincial economy. The Market Initiatives program is primarily focused on advancing opportunities in existing markets such as China, Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam and the UK, where the greatest short- and medium-term opportunities exist for the sector. Planning and delivery of the Wood First program is a collaborative effort involving the building construction industry, government and the forest sector. FII develops an investment plan that allocates funding on an annual basis. All funding proposals must be complete and submitted through the FMS by 17:00 PST on January 15, 2026.

Read More

UBC Certificate Program in Industrial Wood Finishing

By Jason Chiu
UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing
November 19, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

The UBC Centre for Advanced Wood Processing (CAWP) is please to announce the schedule for the 2026 Industrial Wood Finishing Certificate Program.  This part-time online training program with a one-week hands-on practical session is North America’s most comprehensive wood finishing certificate program. The certificate program provides participants with a broad understanding of the field of wood finishing.  It’s designed for individuals who have some general experience in wood finishing and would like to expand their knowledge. Once completed, learners will have knowledge and experience to do the following: Understand why finish is applied to wood and how wood properties affect finishing; To be able to identify the best finishing system based on the end use; Trouble-shoot wood finishing problems; and Design a safe and efficient finishing facility. This course will provide you with the knowledge and tools to start a finishing business or to improve an existing one.

Read More

Wood Connections November Newsletter

BC Wood Specialties Group
November 19, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

In this newsletter you’ll find these headlines and more:

  • Minister Parmar Kicks Off BC Wood’s B2B Speed-dating Lumber Mission in Japan — BC Wood organized a formal industry mission to Japan. This was based on requests from members to have targeted and more intimate B2B networking sessions as a supplement to our major trade show events.
  • Save the Date: 2026 RAIC Conference on Architecture — May 5-8 in Vancouver. Canada’s largest annual gathering of architecture professionals
  • BC Wood to Exhibit at The Buildings Show and IDS Toronto This Winter — two great opportunities to connect with builders and designers in Ontario
  • Exhibit in the BC Wood Pavilion at BUILDEX VANCOUVER — February 11-12 in Vancouver. Western Canada’s largest forum to provide Architecture & Engineering, Construction, Interior Design and Property Management professionals a meaningful platform to build community and gain industry advancement 
  • Join the BC Wood Pavilion at the Spring Cottage Life Show — March 26-29 in Toronto. Over 28,000 people attended in 2025!

Read More

MycoToilet: Behind UBC’s Mushroom-Powered, Waterless Toilet

By James Darley
Sustainability Magazine
November 17, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

A group of researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) have launched a new prototype for a waterless toilet, which uses mushroom root networks to decompose human waste into compost. The MycoToilet, which opened for use on 26 September in the university’s Botanical Gardens, is the result of several years of development by lead researcher Joseph Dahmen and his team. …The system uses mycelia, the underground networks of fungi, to break down solid waste in lined compartments while separating liquid waste for use as fertiliser. “Fungi are very good at breaking down biomass, including human and animal waste,” says Dr Steven Hallam, a Professor in UBC’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology. “No added water, electricity or chemicals are required.” …”If successful, the MycoToilet could provide a self-contained, cost-effective solution for managing waste in parks, municipalities, remote communities and developing regions,” Joseph says.

Read More

The SLB and USDA Forest Service Expand Accelerator Cities Program to Advance Affordable, Sustainable Building Solutions

The Softwood Lumber Board
November 19, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB), in partnership with the USDA Forest Service (Forest Service), is expanding its Accelerator Cities Program to advance affordable, sustainable building solutions through wood construction. Building on successful collaborations in Boston, Georgia, and New York City, the next phase of the initiative introduces new city-led programs in Portland, Oregon, and Santa Monica, California. Launched to help cities pilot and scale low-carbon building approaches, the Accelerator Cities Program provides funding, technical support, and peer learning to drive innovation in wood design and construction. Each city’s program focuses on improving housing access, reducing embodied carbon, and strengthening local economies through wood-based development. “Each city we partner with brings new insights into how mass timber can help meet housing, sustainability, and economic goals,” said Cees de Jager, President and CEO of the Softwood Lumber Board. 

Read More

Utah law to impose fee on wildfire-prone homes

By Isabella Sosa
KSL News Radio
November 19, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US West

SALT LAKE CITY — Homeowners in high wildfire risk areas should soon expect home assessments and a new fee. HB48 Wildland Urban Interface Modifications requires the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands to draw a high wildfire risk boundary across the state. The division will inspect homes within the boundary for fire risk, and property owners will pay a fee based on their risk and square footage, which will cover the cost of the program and lot assessments. State Wildfire Risk Reductions Programs Manager Joseph Anderson said the assessments will focus on the vegetation surrounding the home and the materials used in the structure. “The goal is to remove any vegetation or anything that could catch an ember and allow that ember to burn and catch the structure on fire,” Anderson said. The bill comes after catastrophic wildfires across the West, like the California Eaton Fire from January 2025. 

Read More

We can’t decarbonise construction if we demonise timber

By Tony Arnel, Forest and Wood Products Australia
The Fifth Estate Australia
November 20, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Tony Arnel

When Lendlease built Forté in Melbourne in 2012 – then the world’s tallest timber apartment building – its cross-laminated panels came from Austria. People thought that was a spelling mistake. Surely, we can grow our own timber in Australia? After nine years on the board of Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA), I’ve watched the carbon conversation mature. What was once a moral argument is now a market reality. Yet the material best placed to cut construction carbon emissions – timber – still battles perception problems, supply chain hurdles and short-term thinking. FWPA’s 2025 consumer research shows Australians prefer wood above all other materials. 60 per cent say it’s their first choice when building or renovating, and three-quarters say material choice matters. …Australians love timber, but they don’t want to cut down trees, especially if those trees are koala habitat. At the heart of this social-licence issue is confusion between plantations and native forests.

Read More

Forestry

North Cowichan backs off harvesting of municipal forests

By Robert Barron
Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle
November 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

North Cowichan council reaffirmed its commitment to the development of a co-management plan for the 5,000-hectare municipal forest reserve with the Quw’utsun Nation at its meeting on Nov. 19, and to prioritize ecological and conservation principles in response to public feedback. In August, council adopted a direction to pursue five new strategic priorities … which included resuming forestry harvesting in the MFR, were endorsed in a 4-3 vote… In May, a consultant was selected to lead the North Cowichan/Quw’utsun Nation co-management framework process, but Quw’utsun Nation members signalled a pause in this process following the August announcement regarding the resumption of forest harvesting in the MFR. The decision to make harvesting one of the strategic priorities without consulting the Quw’utsun Nation … raised concerns. …Following a discussion, council voted to complete the co-management framework and plan in partnership with Quw’utsun Nation prior to reconsidering forest harvesting as a strategic priority.

Additional coverage, letter by Bryan Senft, Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle: Logging to offset taxes will not work

Read More

Woodlot Tools Readily Available

Woodlots BC
November 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Woodlotters, foresters, contractors and consultants alike can now easily access all Woodlots BC Guides and Tools. These valuable resources used to be located in the Members area of the website. With organizational changes over the past two years and continual website upgrades, it became evident that there was no need for the guides and tools to be kept in the members area. If you are looking for items like the cut control guide, CP reminders list or the woodlot licence plan template, you can go to the Resources menu on the Woodlots BC website and choose “Woodlot Licensee Guides and Tools”. From there you find dropdown menus for a variety of topics. Please note the disclaimer that all the reference materials contain information to assist with the management and administration of Woodlot Licences. It is not legal advice or professional guidance.

Read More

Forests minister defends B.C. logging. Experts say clearcuts are still a problem

By Shannon Waters
The Narwhal
November 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Younes Alila

In early September 2025 … Forests Minister Ravi Parmar was asked about a study from the University of British Columbia which found clear-cut logging can make catastrophic floods larger and much more likely. “The clear-cut logging that I think people would assume is leading to that is 1950s-style harvesting,” Parmar said. “I don’t think that’s happening in British Columbia anymore. We lead with world-class silviculture practices.” That statement might come as a surprise to some who have seen recent photos of logged areas of Vancouver Island’s Walbran Valley, which show once-dense forests cut down to nothing. The minister’s comments came as a shock to Younes Alila, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Forest Resources Management and the lead author of the study Parmar was asked about. …B.C.’s current forestry practices balance environmental considerations and the needs of the provincial forestry industry, according to Parmar. Alila disagrees.

Read More

David Suzuki headlines B.C.’s Broken Promises rally for old growth, watersheds

By Bill Metcalfe
Vernon Morning Star
November 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The crowd stretched from the doors of City Hall to the Ward Street sidewalk in Nelson to hear guest speaker David Suzuki and other forest ecology advocates at a rally held Nov. 18 in Nelson. …The Broken Promises rally was held simultaneously in Nelson, Victoria, Vernon, Revelstoke, Smithers, Courtenay, Parksville, and Powell River to protest what is seen as provincial government backtracking on the protection of old growth forests, biodiversity and watersheds, and continuing with timber volume as the only priority. …Speaker Suzanne Simard said failure to use that foresight, to respect all life and give back more than we receive, has resulted in climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation. …She said the province should stop clearcutting and creating tree plantations that are flammable and subject to erosion. …Slocan Valley ecologist and forester Herb Hammond spoke about secondary forests… That’s where we should get our wood and our employment…

Read More

Leaked report claims B.C. timber harvest is vastly overestimated

By Stefan Labbé
Business in Vancouver
November 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

A leaked technical review prepared for a group of First Nations claims British Columbia is greatly overestimating how much timber it can sustainably harvest in a push for short-term economic gains. The previously unreleased report charges that the methods the province uses to calculate how many trees are on the landscape—and therefore how much can be logged—is fundamentally flawed and based on “wildly extreme assumptions” that hurt the long-term health of B.C.’s forests. The report’s authors … only agreed to speak with BIV after it independently obtained a 572-page draft of the report originally dated September 2024. “There’s a strong likelihood that throughout the province we’re cutting almost at twice the rate of what is considered sustainable,” said co-author Dave Radies. The report focuses on the Mackenzie timber supply area… The analysis challenges the methods B.C. uses to determine the annual allowable cut …concluding their numbers are likely double what can be harvested without causing significant long-term damage.

Read More

BC Wildland Firefighter Awards: Nominations Now Open!

FireSmart BC
November 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

We are thrilled to announce that nominations are now open for the 2026 BC Wildland Firefighter Awards! In recognition of the critical role that wildland firefighters play in keeping the province safe, FireSmart BC, the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society, and BC Wildfire Service have partnered to create the BC Wildland Firefighter Awards. These awards will recognize four outstanding firefighters, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, during the Wildfire Resiliency & Training Summit (WRTS) taking place from April 8-12, 2026, in Victoria, BC. Each recipient will receive a personalized award plus a $1000 grant towards furthering wildfire resiliency efforts. Individuals will be notified of their nomination in advance and encouraged to attend the WRTS. Event registration and travel expenses will be covered for the four award recipients plus one guest each. Four awards will recognize both long-standing and early-career firefighters: Vanguard Award (early career firefighter: less than 10 years), and Guardian Award (long-standing firefighter: over 10 years).

Read More

Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation calls for better funding of smart forestry practices

By Andie Mollins
The Quesnel Cariboo Observer
November 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation (CCR) is calling on provincial and federal governments to dedicate more funding to smart forest management. “(There is a) very important window when trees are between 15 to 25 years old when you want to go in and do treatment, otherwise they’ll respond a lot slower,” said Daniel Persson, a registered professional forester and the forestry superintendent of CCR. A joint venture between three Tsilhqot’in communities in B.C.’s Chilcotin, CCR coordinates and implements forest rehabilitation and management within the nation’s territory. By supporting the growth of healthy, resilient forests when they need it most, Persson said CCR helps ensure local communities as well as the country will continue to have a forest economy into the future. …A strong, long-lasting forest economy requires healthy forests, and CCR’s job is to step in when a forest needs help to flourish.

Read More

Smithers embraces cleaner air and safer forests with innovative waste-burning technology

By Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation
The Interior News
November 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

In the heart of Wet’suwet’en territory just outside Smithers, the Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation (WCFC) is reshaping how communities think about forest stewardship.  Managing more than 30,000 hectares of mixed forest and alpine terrain, WCFC works to balance environmental health, local economic opportunity and cultural responsibility – a model of sustainable forest management rooted in collaboration and respect.  “Our main goal is to reduce waste as much as we can,” says General Manager Sam Coggins. “We wanted a method that was safe, efficient and respected both the land and the people who live here.”  For decades, the standard practice for disposing of forestry waste was open pile burning. – While effective, locals expressed concerns about air quality impacts. …Determined to find a cleaner solution, WCFC introduced an innovative new technology to the Bulkley Valley: the Air Curtain Burner – a pollution-control system that transforms how forest waste is managed.

Read More

How crises spark renewal at this sixth-generation family lumber firm

By Emily Latimer
The Globe and Mail
November 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Crisis is sometimes the catalyst for succession in a family business. For hardwood and softwood manufacturer Chisholm Lumber, unexpected adversity sparked leadership changes from one generation to the next not once, but twice. Both times, the descendants rose to the challenge and kept the 168-year-old enterprise running. The first emergency-driven transition happened in 1980, when a fire destroyed Chisholm’s major manufacturing facility in Roslin, Ont., between Toronto and Ottawa. …Doug Chisholm of the fifth generation was 33 at the time, in Toronto working in consulting, but he didn’t want the family business to dissolve. …He and two cousins wanted to keep the enterprise running. “I said, ‘Let’s see what happens in five years,’” says Doug, now 77. “Well, we never left.” …Doug’s son, Peter, 46, returned to Roslin in 2007 to join Chisholm, backed by a McGill University economics degree and a stint in sales at a foreign company in Ottawa. Two of his cousins joined him. [A Globe and Mail subscription is required for full access to this story]

Read More

Carney used to champion the environment. So why did his budget axe this critical tree-planting program?

By Dick Snyder
Toronto Star
November 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

The best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago. Or 20. That’s what I was told by the two retired foresters who put 2,000 one-year-old seedlings in the ground on my farm back in 2017. I had signed on with what was then called the 50 Million Tree program run by Forests Ontario, which subsidized plantings for private landowners. …the Forests Ontario program made tree planting easy. At 40 cents a stem, those trees cost me $800. While 2,000 trees seems like a lot, they cover just under one hectare. We got the seedlings in the ground a couple years before Doug Ford nixed the initiative in 2019. But then, Justin Trudeau created the 2 Billion Trees program, pledging $3.2 billion over 10 years. That was an ambitious target, and Canada has fallen short in part because it takes time to ramp up infrastructure, collect seeds, set up nurseries, prepare sites and get expertise on the ground. This is why a long-term commitment and consistent funding is imperative. [May require a subscription to the Toronto Star for full access]

Read More

$3.4 million in federal funds headed to La Pine for wildfire mitigation

By Michael Kohn
The Bend Bulletin
November 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Oregon — Deschutes County is preparing to deploy $3.4 million for wildfire mitigation projects to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic wildfire in La Pine. The money comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is part of a $200 million funding package to assist fire-prone areas across the country. Work is expected to begin in the spring on a variety of projects ranging from fuels reduction to community education, according to Lauren Street, a natural resources specialist with Deschutes County. The project is expected to continue for five years. La Pine was one of 58 recipients nationwide to benefit from community wildfire defense grants. The grants are funded by the Biden-era bipartisan infrastructure law of 2021. Elsewhere in Oregon, the Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District is set to receive $8.7 million, the largest grant for any project in the state.

Read More

Prescribed burning helps store forest carbon in big, fire-resistant trees

By Scott Stephens
University of California Berkeley
November 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

After more than a century of fire suppression in California’s forests, mounting evidence shows that frequent fire — through practices like prescribed fire or Indigenous cultural burning — can improve forest health, increase biodiversity and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. But controlled fires can have downsides. In addition to being labor intensive and producing smoke that may harm neighboring communities, burning trees and vegetation releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. A new long-term study shows that, while prescribed burning may release carbon dioxide in the short term, the repeated use of controlled fire may boost a forest’s productivity, or carbon sequestration capacity, in the long term. …The findings provide useful insights for California policymakers and land managers seeking to reduce wildfire hazard while helping the state achieve its goal of net zero carbon pollution by 2045.

Read More

Researchers Awarded Forest Service Grant

Virginia Tech News
November 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Blacksburg, Virginia — Researchers from the Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment have received a new grant from the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station to advance forest monitoring science through innovative uses of remote sensing technologies. The project aims to improve how scientists measure forest recovery and growth across the Southeast. The research is led by Professor Val Thomas, with co-principal investigator Professor Randolph Wynne … in collaboration with Todd Schroeder of the U.S. Forest Service. The joint venture agreement supports a two-year project titled Exploring Forest Growth with Multi-date LiDAR, 3D NAIP Point Clouds, and Spectral Trajectories. “Remotely-sensed changes in canopy vertical structure, coupled with higher temporal resolution changes in canopy spectral reflectance, have strong potential to improve forest science and management at a range of scales,” Wynn said. …The $142,000 award provides funding to Virginia Tech, with additional Forest Service contributions of staff expertise and data resources. 

Read More

Addison Oaks and Independence Oaks Gain Old-Growth Forest Recognition

Oakland County Times
November 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Leonard and Independence Twp, MI – Parts of the forest at Independence Oaks and Addison Oaks county parks have received an Old-Growth Forest Recognition from The Old-Growth Forest Network. Independence Oaks is the 24th forest recognized in the state of Michigan and joins more than 315 forests recognized nationwide. Addison Oaks also was inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network as a community forest, recognizing the role it plays in connecting people with nature. The forests in the Old-Growth Forest Network are chosen because they are among the oldest known forests in their county and receive formal protections to ensure their trees and ecosystems are protected from commercial logging.

Read More

Researchers say real impact of deforestation being hidden in Australia’s official figures by ‘sleight of hand’

By Donna Lu
The Guardian
November 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

At face value, the amount of forest in Australia is officially increasing, and has been since 2008. But if an old-growth tree is felled in a forest and seedlings grow elsewhere, is the official account ecologically sound? Not according to new analysis, which suggests that the way Australia calculates forest cover obfuscates the impacts of ongoing deforestation. Australia calculates forest cover as a net figure, in which forest losses are “netted off” against forest gains. That is problematic, according to a report led by Griffith University’s Climate Action Beacon, because new forests do not store as much carbon or have the same wildlife benefits as established forests that are being destroyed. Prof Brendan Mackey of Griffith University, one of the study’s co-authors, described measuring forest losses and gains in net terms as “an accounting sleight of hand”.

Read More

Clear-cutting and rotation forest management may pose a risk to soil carbon reservoirs

University of Helsinki
November 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

…the effects of forest management on soil carbon in the northern boreal zone are yet to be fully understood. In Finland, forests are usually managed in rotation. This means clear-cutting at the end of a rotation period that varies by tree species and growth zone. Interest in continuous-cover cultivation has increased in recent years, where forests are harvested and regenerated without clear-cutting. Continuous-cover forestry and rotation forest management have different effects on the accumulation and storage of carbon in the soil. Clear-cutting reduced the amount of labile soil organic carbon, which decomposes easily. Continuous-cover management contained more of this carbon type, and the amount was closer to the level of uncut forests. However, the management effects on the carbon stability observed in the relatively short term were less pronounced than expected, and there was no difference in the total soil carbon quantity between the management alternatives.

Read More

Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

CO280 successfully completes carbon capture field pilot at a U.S. pulp and paper mill

CO280 Solutions
November 19, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, United States

Vancouver, B.C. — CO280 Solutions Inc., a leading developer of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects, and a pulp and paper manufacturer have successfully completed a field pilot to validate the performance of liquid amine technology to capture biogenic CO2 from recovery boiler stack emissions at a pulp mill in the U.S. Gulf Coast.  The liquid amine technology was provided by SLB Capturi, a leading supplier of carbon capture technology for industrial sectors. SLB Capturi’s Mobile Test Unit (MTU) was installed at the mill site in Q3 2024 where it operated for more than 4,000 hours, achieving a consistent capture rate efficiency of 95%. During the test program, the MTU met all key performance indicators including capture rate efficiency, energy consumption, solvent durability, and absorber emissions. The MTU has a rated design capacity of 3 tonnes per day (tpd).  

Read More

Nanaimo city council interested in limiting ‘emissions-intense’ industry

By Chris Bush
Nanaimo Bulletin
November 19, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada West

Nanaimo city council Coun. Paul Manly tabled a motion that asked staff to prepare a report with options for a zoning amendment for industrial lands that would exclude emissions-intense heavy industry such as “waste energy, incinerators, chemical plants, thermal electrical generators, petroleum refineries and [liquefied] natural gas export facilities” from existing industrial zones in order to require site-specific zoning. …Ryan Prontack, a manager for Harmac Pacific, Nanaimo Forest Products, also appeared as a delegation. He said Harmac is looking to diversify its operations and has about 61 hectares of industrial-zoned land ready to develop. “While this motion represents many different activities we currently do, it also represent many that we have plans to diversify in the future,” Protack said. Manly said the motion does not affect Harmac’s current operations and is not about “blocking industry uses in perpetuity” but is about ensuring the city has a democratic process to evaluate project proposals.

Read More

Study shows waste cardboard is effective for power generation

University of Nottingham
November 20, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

A new study has shown for the first time that waste cardboard can be used as an effective source of biomass fuel for large scale power generation. Engineers from the University of Nottingham have provided the first comprehensive characterisation of cardboard as a potential fuel source and created a new method to assess the composition of the material providing a practical tool for fuel assessment for cardboards. The study has been published in the journal Biomass and Bioenergy. This research demonstrates that cardboard shows differences in physical and chemical properties, including lower carbon content, reduced heating value, and a high prevalence of calcium carbonate fillers, particularly in printed grades. The researchers have also developed a new technique to analyse the calcium carbonate content of cardboard. Calcium carbonate is added to cardboard to improve its optical properties and stiffness, but forms ash during combustion which can reduce a boilers performance.

Read More

Health & Safety

WorkSafeBC November Health & Safety Updates

WorkSafeBC
November 19, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada West

In this newsletter you find these stories and more:

  • Multiculturalism Week in BC supporting new workers: We’re proud to honour the diverse cultures and communities that make up workplaces across the province. WorkSafeBC research shows that workers who have been in Canada for five years or less are significantly less likely to speak up about workplace health and safety and are less aware of their right to file a claim if they’re injured on the job.
  • New videos: Return-to-work information for workers and employers: Do you and your workers know what to do after a workplace injury? Our videos highlight what to expect after an injury and the responsibility of employers and workers to collaborate for a safe return to work. 
  • WorkSafeBC inspections: Helping you create a healthier and safer workplace: Learn how inspections support your health and safety program and what to expect when a prevention officer visits.

Read More

Forest Fires

Firefighters responding to wildfire in Mark Twain National Forest

By Drew Tasset
Ozarks First
November 17, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US East

ROLLA, Mo. — Firefighters with the Mark Twain National Forest Service are battling a wildfire in the Mark Twain National Forest south of Cassville, according to the Forest Service. The wildfire is estimated to be at 50 acres and growing, the Forest Service says. The fire is located twelve miles south of Cassville and six miles south of Seligman. Fire crews are utilizing three Forest Service engines, two dozers and the Mark Twain Veteran Crew to fight the fire, as well as a drone to help coordinate the response.

Read More