The US Department of Commerce set preliminary duties on hardwood and decorative plywood imports from China, Vietnam and Indonesia. In related news: a Dovetail study says US hardwoods are legally sourced and responsibly managed. In other Business news: Thunder Bay Pulp & Paper will cease newsprint production; Ontario invests $1M in Kirkland Lake Forest Products; Hinton Lumber Products expands pallet production in South Carolina; and BC Premier Eby says market reforms will help forestry but results will take time.
In other news: Michael Boren is sworn in as Undersecretary overseeing the US Forest Service; the University of Oregon has another podcast on the future of mass timber; and FSC is approved for use in Hungary. Meanwhile: the Winter issue of WorkSafeBC Magazine; a big turnout at the BC Natural Resources Forum; the Southern Forest Products Association released its 2025 value report; CMHC reveals which cities are leading Canada housing starts; and RISI releases outlook for European lumber prices.
Finally, South Florida looks to invest in biochar production from wood waste.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
It appears that some investors have been kicking the tires at the soon to be closed Crofton pulp mill. A statement from the Municipality of North Cowichan said Mayor Rob Douglas and senior staff have recently met with several investors interested in potentially acquiring the Crofton mill site for continued forestry-related operations, or alternative industrial uses. “The municipality is facilitating connections between interested parties, Domtar (the mill’s owner), and the provincial government where appropriate, and remains hopeful that any future use of the site will generate employment opportunities and a stable tax base for the community,” the statement said. …North Cowichan provided no further information on who is interested in taking over the mill site.
Facing growing backlash over the unintended consequences of its reconciliation policies, the B.C. NDP government has hit pause on controversial changes to the Heritage Conservation Act…Forests Minister Ravi Parmar announced the move Monday, saying he’d “heard loud and clear” that municipalities, business groups, the real estate sector and …the public needed more time to understand the changes. “It was very clear to me that I was not in a position to bring forward amendments this spring,” he said. …It’s the opposite approach to where the NDP started on the file just four months ago, charging forward with the changes so aggressively that their passage—following secret negotiations with First Nations and non-disclosure agreements slapped on everyone else—seemed like a fait accompli. …The NDP say they are in listening mode now, on the Heritage Conservation Act. The question is whether the government truly understands that changes built without public trust are simply no longer viable.
Interim opposition leader Trevor Halford told logging contractors Friday that the province’s forestry downturn is being driven by a system that is “not functioning at the pace this sector requires.” Halford, the interim leader of the B.C. Conservatives spoke at the Truck Loggers Association’s convention in Vancouver. “This crisis is not about forests disappearing. It is not about fibre not existing. It is about permits not moving, decisions not being made, and systems that do not function at the pace this sector requires,” Halford said. Halford opened by citing a Vancouver Sun story that described the B.C. forest industry as “on the edge of collapse,” and quoting TLA executive director Peter Lister, who told the convention he had “never seen it as bad” in more than 35 years in the sector. …Halford said the industry has heard “explanations” from the government, but needs measurable results. “Accountability matters. Transparency matters. Results matter,” he said.
ATLANTA — A proposed amendment to the Georgia Constitution would end sales taxes on timber, a major industry battered by mill closings and storms. House Majority Leader Chuck Efstration said a bipartisan group of legislators want to help protect “a cornerstone of the state’s rural economy.” “The timber tax cut is necessary because Georgia timber farmers are facing severe economic hardship following the closure of multiple sawmills in Georgia and significant losses in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene,” said Efstration, R-Mulberry, the sponsor of House Resolution 1000. “Georgia is a national leader in forestry, and I want to help this state’s rural economy and the livelihood of many Georgians.” Georgia’s forestry industry was the largest in the nation in 2021 based on harvest volume and product export values of nearly $4 billion, according to a report by the Georgia Forestry Association. But timber producers have suffered in recent years. 
The federal government is looking for a hub to build modular homes for the Arctic. Prince George, with its forestry infrastructure, industrial base and transportation networks, is being considered as a possible site for that industry. Mayor Simon Yu [said] the city has everything it needs to create a new industry for the region. “We have to seize the moment,” said Yu. “For housing developments up in the Arctic, Prince George will be the centre of action. …This is a key to solve our lumber problem. We’ve got the wood, we’ve got the technology, we have a university here, we have a research program, we have CNC here, we have the workers and we will get this modular home factory going. We need to add value to wood products to create jobs right here and build houses for our overseas markets as well as for Canada.”
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TIANJIN, CHINA — The global movement against single-use plastics has triggered a significant transformation in the disposable tableware industry, with wood cutlery emerging as a leading alternative. As regulations tighten and consumer preferences shift toward eco-friendly options, manufacturers of disposable wooden utensils are experiencing unprecedented growth and facing new challenges in scaling production, ensuring sustainability, and meeting diverse international standards. Market analysts observe that regulatory pressure represents the primary driver for this sector’s expansion. The European Union’s Single-Use Plastics Directive, along with similar legislation in Canada, Australia, and numerous U.S. states, has created a substantial and sustained demand for compliant alternatives. Within this regulatory framework, wood, particularly from fast-growing, sustainably managed sources like birch and bamboo, has gained favor for its natural composition, biodegradability, and perceived premium feel compared to other alternatives.
STRATHCONA COUNTY, AB – Project Forest has partnered with Keyera and Strathcona County to establish the Keyera Legacy Forest. This forest restoration initiative is focused on restoring wildfire-impacted land and supporting community biodiversity in Alberta’s industrial Heartland. Located in Strathcona County, northeast of Fort Saskatchewan, the project will restore over 95 acres of ecologically degraded land. Strathcona County will use a Conservation Easement to ensure permanence and create a “green island” within Alberta’s Industrial Heartland. …The Keyera Legacy Forest is a unique example demonstrating how restoration and industry can coexist, delivering long-term community and ecological benefits. This is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to responsibly restore designated industrial land. This project represents a voluntary commitment by Keyera to invest in long-term environmental stewardship, guided by values rather than obligation.
A broad coalition of forestry workers, community leaders and industry representatives has organized a petition asking the public to support their push for the provincial government to take immediate action to address the current challenges faced by an ailing forest industry. The group has launched a new province-wide platform called Forestry Is a Solution to ask British Columbians to show their support for forestry workers and their families. …The campaign has identified as its top priority that the provincial government expedite permits and project approvals to speed up access to economic fibre. It also seeks to improve the competitiveness of BC’s forest industry by reducing administrative barriers and regulatory burdens. The coalition says it’s time to fix BC Timber Sales and its policies to ensure a reliable and competitive supply of logs for mills and secondary manufacturing.
Federal forest managers left vast stretches of beetle-killed pine standing in Jasper National Park, a failure that became a key driver of the catastrophic 2024 wildfire that destroyed roughly a third of the town, according to a Canadian Forest Service report that contradicts cabinet’s climate-change narrative. The analysis says a severe Mountain Pine Beetle infestation peaked about seven years before the fire, leaving behind extensive dead lodgepole pine that dramatically worsened fire behavior. …Blacklock’s Reporter says the Forest Service document, Jasper wildfire complex 2024 fire behaviour documentation, reconstruction and analysis, concludes that dead pine from beetle mortality formed a major part of the fuel load. Tree death altered forest structure, accelerated the drying of surface fuels, and created an abundance of dry, woody material that sharply increased fuel consumption and fire intensity. Internal reports and Access to Information records show Parks Canada was slow for years to remove dead pine through cutting or prescribed burns.
“British Columbia has the forests, the workers, and the expertise to lead the world, yet the sector currently faces significant headwinds from global competition, challenging operating conditions, and damaging U.S. trade actions,” the coalition stated. “This campaign is about homegrown solutions that use our resources to solve our most urgent challenges—from building affordable housing to reducing wildfire risks in our backyard”. The initiative centers on a new digital hub, 
U.S. forests have stored more carbon in the past two decades than at any time in the last century, an increase attributable to a mix of natural factors and human activity. To unravel the cause behind this spike, researchers used nationwide forest data to examine how six environmental factors may have contributed to the increase in carbon sequestered by forests. They found that natural forces such as increasing temperatures, shifting precipitation, and carbon fertilization are among the largest contributors to carbon gains, but human drivers, like letting forests get older and planting trees, are also becoming bigger factors. …this new analysis aims to help researchers better separate what portion of carbon held by forests is related to human action and which portion isn’t. …This work highlights the vast difference in the amount of carbon forests can absorb naturally versus when they are actively managed. 
One of the least visible workforce developments of 2025 — the departure of more than 20,000 employees from the U.S. Department of Agriculture — became public just before the week between Christmas and New Year’s, a period that typically draws limited public attention. According to payroll data reviewed by USDA’s Office of Inspector General, 20,300 employees left the department between mid-January and mid-June, reducing total staffing from roughly 110,300 employees. The departures occurred as USDA prepares to administer an estimated $234 billion in farm, food, nutrition, conservation, and rural development programs in fiscal year 2026. …Two agencies recorded the largest number of departures in absolute terms. The U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources and Conservation Service experienced the highest staffing losses across USDA agencies. The Forest Service, “which oversees millions of acres of federal land,” reported Politico, “lost 5,860 workers,” while NRCS lost 2,673 employees.
New Mexico’s Forestry Division is concerned after thousands of trees died last year due to warm temperatures, drought conditions, and native insects. Victor Lucero, the forest health program coordinator, said in 2024, about 67,000 acres of trees died. Last year, that jumped to about 209,000 acres. Most of the damage is south of I-40, including parts of the Lincoln National Forest near Ruidoso and areas west of Socorro in the Gila National Forest. The main culprit is native bark beetles. Lucero explained that when it’s warm and dry, trees get stressed and weakened, giving off chemicals that attract the beetles. Once the beetles get under the bark, they tunnel in, cut off the tree’s ability to move water and nutrients, and bring in fungi, leading to the tree’s death over time.
OTTAWA, ON 
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, offering a potential new domestic resource to support the UK’s renewable energy sector. Engineers from the University of Nottingham have carried out the first comprehensive characterisation of cardboard as a fuel source and developed a new method to assess its composition. The research … provides a practical tool for evaluating different grades of cardboard for use in energy production. The study found that cardboard displays distinct physical and chemical properties compared with traditional biomass fuels. These include lower carbon content, a reduced heating value and a high level of calcium carbonate fillers, particularly in printed grades. Calcium carbonate is commonly added to cardboard to improve stiffness and optical qualities, but during combustion it forms ash that can reduce boiler performance.
The Winter 2025 issue of WorkSafe Magazine is now available, featuring practical guidance and real-world examples to help employers and workers build safer, healthier workplaces. Learn how retailers are preventing common musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) through smarter layouts, ergonomic tools, and proactive training. Go behind the scenes of WorkSafeBC’s Student Safety Video Contest and discover what makes a safety message resonate. Get expert tips on assessing and supporting crane operators to improve safety, skills. See how early communication and collaborative return-to-work planning help injured workers recover while staying connected to the workplace. And don’t miss the Western Conference on Safety 2025 — Vancouver, April 20 & 21