China retaliates with 84% tariffs on US as trade tensions intensify, stock markets plunge, supply chains are strained, and more tariff announcements are coming. In related news: US homebuilders says lumber should be tariff-exempt for national security; the United Steelworkers and Unifor say US countervailing duties are unwarranted; and upping timber supply in the US West will be challenging. In other Business news: Pacific Woodtech and Domtar have a new agreement, Drax fails to secure Mississippi emission permit; and Norway will host the 2025 International Softwood Conference.
In Forestry/Wildfire news: Trump fast-tracks reviews to ramp-up logging; ENGOs pan Minister Parmar’s suggestion of wildfire treatments in BC parks; US exits carbon talks on shipping; Colorado faces new mountain pine bark beetle surge; and more firings at Oklahoma Forestry Services.
Finally, on Day 3 of Wildfire Resilience and Awareness Week—stories by Strategic Natural Resource Consultants, and Líl̓wat Forestry Ventures.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
Last year’s wildfire season in BC was the most destructive on record, with 2.8 million hectares burned—more than double any previous year. The fires caused significant disruption to the work and lives of many people in BC, and the impact was felt strongly by those in the forest industry. Evacuations and alerts, oppressive smoke, high heat, area closures, and lack of access to industry critical resources, including helicopters, were among the many challenges faced by the industry. …The forestry sector is vital to BC’s economy, and its workforce is the backbone of the industry. It’s crucial for forestry workers to understand wildfire risks and management to ensure their safety and the safety of forestry operations. Equipping forestry workers with the necessary skills they need to prepare themselves for the prevention, and/or mitigation wildfires is essential.
At MacLeod Forest Services, our primary business focus is providing training and response services to a variety of customers. This includes our S100 Wildfire for Industry Program. Our aim is to provide timely, achievable, effective, up to date and cost-efficient wildfire instruction to all stakeholders that have the potential to be affected by a wildfire. By staying involved in response we can continually improve our products and services as changing conditions require. We have provided training to stakeholders from First Nations crews, the Forest, Agriculture, Outdoor Recreational and Construction Industries, Type 2 and 3 Wildfire Contractors, BC Wildfire Service crews as well as rural residents. The MacLeod S100 for Industry is a two-day BCWS S100 course enhanced to better prepare participants to be on their own until organized help arrives. Upon completion participants will be able to: assess wildfires accurately; develop an appropriate plan; and respond safely and effectively. Course runs April 29-30, 2025.
American consumers could be paying more to build new homes after the U.S. announced it will more than double existing duties on Canadian softwood lumber. “In the end, the U.S. consumer ends up paying additional money,” Supply-Build Canada president said on Tuesday. “It is an extra cost that is being passed on to the U.S. consumer and that’s not an ideal situation when you are looking for housing affordability.” Claiming that the Canadian lumber industry is unfairly subsidized, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Friday that it planned to hike duties on Canadian softwood lumber from 
The federal government is pitching in more than $180,000 for a Kamloops-area study to determine whether rehabilitating wildfire-damaged landscapes can provide an economic opportunity through carbon credits. It’s part of a total $20 million the federal government will be injecting into B.C.’s forestry sector. Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of energy and natural resources, said 67 projects in the province will receive funding, including a number of Kamloops and Shuswap-area initiatives. The Secwepemcul’ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society will receive $184,355. …Tolko Industries will be getting $400,000 in federal funding to conduct further research into a finger jointing process for parallel laminated veneer products produced at its Heffley Creek facility. Local Indigenous groups are also set to receive funding as part of the Indigenous Forestry Initiative program. …And as part of the Global Forest Leadership program the Wood Pellet Association of Canada based in Revelstoke is set to receive $180,000 to help advance international standards for wood pellets.
B.C.’s wildfire season is fast approaching, and experts are warning that urban areas of the province – including Metro Vancouver – may be at risk as fires grow more frequent and intense. A panel of experts – including bestselling author of Fire Weather John Vaillant and UBC Centre for Wildfire Coexistence co-director Dr. Lori Daniels – spoke about urban wildfire risks at the university’s Vancouver campus Thursday night. Daniels told CTV News a combination of climate change, forest management practices and urban expansion into fire-prone areas has contributed to a rise in the amount of land and structures burned in recent years. While in some parts of the province – such as the Okanagan Valley – there is a sense that it’s “not if, but when” a destructive wildfire will hit, Daniels said Metro Vancouver is also vulnerable.
The Province is taking action to adapt B.C.’s forests to ensure long-term sustainability and good-paying jobs by enlisting BC Timber Sales (BCTS) to play a larger role in reducing wildfire risk and enhancing forest and community resilience through its operations. This work is increasingly urgent given the threat of sector-specific tariff threats coming from the United States. … BCTS manages forest harvesting on more than 20% of B.C.’s public land. In January 2025, the Ministry of Forests initiated a review of BCTS, undertaken by an expert task force, to create pathways for a stronger, more resilient forestry sector. A progress update was announced at the Council of Forest Industries convention on Friday, April 4, 2025. “We have all witnessed the impacts of wildfire on B.C.’s communities, and we are uniting all parts of my ministry to tackle this challenge head on,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests.
The BC Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit from Teal Cedar Products, a forestry company, which claimed it lost millions of dollars due to new timber rules in Haida Gwaii. The company argued that the new regulations unfairly devalued their forest tenures. The rule changes included reducing the amount of timber that could be harvested and implementing conservation measures. Teal, which owned forest licenses affected by the regulations, claimed these changes amounted to “constructive expropriation,” meaning the government’s actions took away the value of their property rights, without formally seizing the property. Chris Tollefson, a University of Victoria law professor and public interest lawyer who represented the Haida Gwaii Management Council, said private operators need to know rules evolve based on changing values and science, and companies aren’t owed compensation “where the change is bona fide, is not being used to discriminate or target them.” 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday announced will allow logging in national forests, which will help spur timber production amid reciprocal tariffs on other nations. A memo by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins follows an executive order by President Donald Trump last month to expand timber production. There are 154 national forests covering approximately 188.3 million acres. … “Healthy forests require work, and right now, we’re facing a national forest emergency,” Rollins said in a statement. “We have an abundance of timber at high risk of wildfires in our National Forest. “I am proud to follow the bold leadership of President Trump by empowering forest managers to reduce constraints and minimize the risks of fire, insects, and disease so that we can strengthen American timber industry and further enrich our forests with the resources they need to thrive.” …The Sierra Club said the order was a giveaway to the logging industry.
WorkSafeBC is releasing a discussion paper concerning changes made to policy on duration of benefits (retirement age). To reflect legislative amendments to the Workers Compensation Act, policy changes related to retirement age determinations were effective on January 1, 2021. After reviewing the implementation of the initial changes, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved further policy changes, effective January 1, 2024, on WorkSafeBC’s determination of whether a worker “would retire” after the retirement dates set out in the Workers Compensation Act. The Board of Directors approved these policy changes in advance of public consultation. Our Policy, Regulation and Research Department is now consulting on the 2024 changes to determine whether further changes are necessary. The discussion paper and information on how to provide feedback can be found here: 
The Workers Compensation Amendment Act, 2019 (Bill 18) expanded the definition of “firefighter” and changed the definition of “worker” in the Workers Compensation Act, resulting in implications for society fire brigades that engage volunteer firefighters. Our Policy, Regulation and Research Department is releasing a discussion paper with proposed amendments to policy in the Assessment Manual to provide guidance on how WorkSafeBC determines the employer of a volunteer firefighter, and to remove outdated language. The discussion paper and information on how to provide feedback can be found here: