Category Archives: Forestry

Forestry

Building to the forest’s edge fuels fire danger

By Cloe Logan Rory White
National Observer
September 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

… Fires in Canada’s Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) are becoming more common as cities continue to sprawl, increasing the risk to structures. Regions across the country are grappling with the competing pressures of building housing and expanding industry, while climate change… continues to create hot, dry conditions that make wildfires more intense and frequent. A paper released in 2024 states that the “unprecedented expansion of global urbanization” has led to huge expansion of the WUI globally — by nearly 36 per cent since 2000, with 85 per cent of that growth occurring between 2010 and 2020. The study findings highlight the urgency of implementing tailored fire management strategies in WUI areas. However, there are no up-to-date figures on WUI in Canada, though Natural Resources Canada notes, “the risk of WUI fire is expected to increase both in regions of Canada with a long history of wildfires and in those with no such history.” 

Read More

Recognizing Canada’s Emerging Forestry Professionals

Forest Products Association of Canada
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

This summer, five exceptional students from across Canada were selected for the Forest Products Association of Canada’s (FPAC) 2025 Green Dream Internship Program, an initiative that continues to spotlight the next generation of forestry professionals. Now in its twelfth year, the Green Dream Internship offers students a unique opportunity to explore the forest sector from the inside out. Over six weeks, interns shared their experiences through creative storytelling—capturing everyday moments in forest operations, conducting interviews, and reflecting on their career journeys. Each intern received a $1,000 scholarship to support their studies. “As these students return to their studies and continue building their expertise, they now carry with them an even deeper understanding of the sector’s challenges, innovations, and opportunities,” said Derek Nighbor, FPAC’s President and CEO. 

Read More

This red retardant is crucial in the fight against wildfires. But is it also harming the environment?

By Chloé Dioré de Périgny
CBC News
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Dropping fire retardant solutions from planes is a crucial strategy in wildfire fighting, but some experts are concerned about their impact on the environment, including aquatic ecosystems. Once dropped, these retardants leave a rust-coloured or pinkish liquid coating on roads, roofs, and vegetation. This technique, commonly used since the mid 20th century, helps fire crews contain blazes by depriving flames of oxygen, explains Jen Baron, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia’s Centre for Wildfire Coexistence. Since 2009, the B.C. Wildfire Service has relied on Phos-Chek LC-95A, a widely used retardant from Perimeter Solutions… Its main ingredient, ammonium polyphosphate, is a common fertilizer. Additives, like iron oxide, give the retardant its signature red colour, helping crews to see where it has been dropped. …Uldis Silins, a professor of forest hydrology at the University of Alberta says studying retardants like Phos-Chek remains crucial, especially because their specific chemical composition is proprietary and therefore unknown. 

Read More

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Announces Funded Support for Indigenous-Led Climate Smart Forestry in Canada

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Ottawa, ON—The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is proud to announce funding for eight Indigenous organizations and their projects to advance Climate Smart Forestry (CSF) in Canada. SFI is supporting Indigenous-led projects to implement strategies that improve forest resiliency to a changing climate, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support Indigenous values. “The SFI Climate Smart Forestry Initiative is fostering new models of learning and collaboration, and we are committed to elevating Indigenous-led projects that can help us scale forest-based climate solutions across broader landscapes,” said Kathy Abusow, CEO and President of SFI. In 2024, SFI received a grant from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) which includes support for implementation of nature-based climate solutions. …In March of 2025, SFI issued a call for Expressions of Interest to support Indigenous-led CSF projects, awarding funds to eight Indigenous communities and Indigenous-owned entities. …The project is part of the SFI Climate Smart Forestry Initiative…

Read More

Fire ban to lift Wednesday for northern part of Vancouver Island

By Marc Kitteringham
Victoria News
September 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Coastal Fire Centre is lifting the campfire ban for the Campbell River, North Island and Sunshine Coast forest districts as of Sept. 17 at noon. Due to declining fire danger ratings on the northern part of Vancouver Island, the Province has chosen to re-allow campfires and other small fires in the area. Campfires will remain prohibited for the rest of the Coastal Fire Centre, with the exception of the Haida Gwaii Forest District. The activities that will be allowed also include the use of sky lanterns, wood-fired hot tubs, pizza ovens and other devices that are not vented through a flue or are incorporated into buildings. Category 2 and 3 open fires remain prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre, which includes backyard burning, industrial burning, fireworks, burn barrels and burn cages. These restrictions will remain in place until 12:00 (noon), PDT, on Friday October 31, 2025, or until the order is rescinded.

Read More

Public feedback key as Revelstoke corp eyes 253 ha of logging near Downie Arm

By Evert Lindquist
Revelstoke Review
September 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

This summer, the Revelstoke Community Forest Corporation (RCFC) published a Forest Operations Map for public review of a series of cutblock and logging road proposals… The map remained available Aug. 15 until Saturday, Sept. 13, with RCFC pursuing three years of cutting and road-building 70 kilometres north of Revelstoke near Downie Arm. …But community members having the chance to submit comments and concerns directly to a licensee … was part of a “relatively new process” implemented last year by the B.C. government, Wildsight conservation specialist Eddie Petryshen explained. Effective since April 2024, the province has amended its Forest and Range Practices Act to require that licensees provide a Forest Operations Map for public comment as part of the review and approval process. Petryshen said B.C.’s forestry management has spun in cycles, rather than evolve, and “who knows what cycle we’re in now.” But looking ahead, he’s hopeful RCFC will take the feedback it gathered to heart.

Read More

Vancouver Island municipality’s move to consider logging upsets collaboration efforts, says First Nation

By Edzi’u Loverin
CBC News
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

First Nations in the North Cowichan region on Vancouver Island say a motion by the municipality is undermining collaborative efforts on the future of logging in the region’s forest reserve. …Cindy Daniels, chief of Cowichan Tribes, said the move by the council “undermines the collaborative nature” of work to date on a joint plan for the forest. …The North Cowichan council has been in discussions for a collaborative framework with Quw’utsun Nation since 2021 and announced a commitment to establish a co-management strategy for the forest reserve in April 2024. …Gary Merkel, director of the Centre for Indigenous Land Stewardship at UBC…. “It’s a little bit ahead of itself that motion, but not too far. I mean, they haven’t said ‘we’re just going to go and log,’ they’ve allowed the possibility”. …”We are going to get a staff report outlining some of the implications and next steps,” North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas said.

Read More

Forest Practices Board to audit stand-level biodiversity practices in Mackenzie District

BC Forest Practices Board
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

MACKENZIE – The Forest Practices Board is launching a limited-scope audit in the Mackenzie Natural Resource District to assess how licensees manage biodiversity in forest stands through the use of block reserves. Fieldwork for the audit will begin Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, and will examine forestry activities of three licensees from Sept. 1, 2023, to Sept. 26, 2025, to evaluate compliance with the Forest and Range Practices Act. The three licensees selected for the audit are BC Timber Sales Prince George area, the McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest and Conifex Timber Inc. The Mackenzie district spans about 6.41 million hectares within B.C.’s Omineca region. …Sixteen First Nations have overlapping territories in the area, including the Kwadacha and Tsay Keh Dene Nations and the McLeod Lake Indian Band. First Nations rely on the area for cultural practices, sustenance and spiritual well-being. Recent years have seen an increase in woodland licences and forest-industry partnerships with local Nations.

Read More

Fire-damaged road to Bamfield set to reopen at end of October

By Cindy Harnett
Victoria Times Colonist
September 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The fire-ravaged Bamfield Main Road, which connects Bamfield and several First Nation communities to Port Alberni, will reopen by the end of October, the Transportation Ministry announced. The ministry said temporary closures could still occur, however, during periods of heavy rain and strong winds. It said a geotechnical assessment to identify hazards, and assessments of the stability of trees are ongoing. Based on those findings, thresholds are being established for wind and rain events that will trigger increased patrols of Bamfield Main and potentially closures. A weather station and closure gates will be installed in the coming weeks, according to the ministry, which is leading efforts to reopen the road with Mosaic Forest Management, the company that oversees the affected stretch. …Ditidaht Nation Chief Judi Thomas said she suspects the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, Huu-ay-aht First Nation and Mosaic and Bamfield would be more than happy to support a provincial paved alternate route.

Read More

Minister of Forests visits Malcolm Knapp Research Forest

By the Faculty of Forestry
The University of British Columbia
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

On September 11, 2025, UBC’s Faculty of Forestry welcomed British Columbia’s Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar, to the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest (MKRF) to witness the critical work being done to advance sustainable forest management and educate the next generation of foresters. The tour, led by Dr. Dominik Roeser, Associate Dean of Research Forests and Community Outreach, and joined by Dr. Robert Kozak, Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Forestry and Hélène Marcoux, Malcolm Knapp Research Forest Manager, provided an important opportunity to showcase MKRF’s role in bridging scientific research, education and practical forest management. Minister Parmar’s visit included important conversations focused on forest stewardship and the role research plays, not just in understanding forests, but also in driving innovation, education, and creating future opportunities. Minister Parmar was able to see firsthand the vital research taking place to support both industry and government, and the advancement of sustainable forest management practices in British Columbia.

Read More

Old-growth protesters in Walbran Valley stay put as BC Supreme Court approves injunction

By Robyn Bell
The Capital Daily
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The ancient forests near Fairy Creek, where the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history took place in 2021, have been fairly silent for nearly four years. But as logging in Vancouver Island’s old-growth forests picks up, protesters have returned to protect these ancient trees. On Friday, BC Supreme Court judge Amy Francis approved an injunction requested by Tsawak-qin Forestry Inc.—co-owned by Western Forest Products and the Huu-ay-aht First Nations—after two days of hearings. Those named in the injunction—including Elder Bill Jones…are banned from blocking the logging company’s access to old-growth forests in the Tree Farm License 44 area. …The removal of the sculpture and the people protesting could happen at any time. Today, blockaders at Cougar Camp—named for the sculpture blocking the logging road—said they were ready and waiting to be arrested while protecting Upper Walbran. 

Read More

Larry Pedersen: Reflections from BC’s 14th Chief Forester

BC Forest History Association
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Zoom Presentation TODAY, 7:00 pm. The BC Forest History Association Speaker Series presents Larry Pedersen! Larry was BC Provincial Chief Forester from 1994 to 2004. A graduate from UBC with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry in 1975, he became a registered Professional Forester in 1977. During his career, he advanced through a number of positions in the Forest Service and he also worked in the private sector. Larry will discuss some important historical events that helped shape forestry in the province, explain how he ended up in the job, discuss some of the challenges that he faced, and will tell some stories about things that were said and done during his tenure. The presentation is intended to highlight just a few of the many important events that have shaped forestry in the province. To register for this free Zoom presentation use this Zoom Registration Link

Read More

Indigenous firefighter group seek same pay for same work as Government of the Northwest Territories crews

By Lisa Iesse
My True North Now
September 13, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A group of Indigenous wildland firefighters have been battling blazes alongside Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) firefighters, but said they are being denied the same wages for the same work. Josée-Anne Spirito, who is a vice president at the Public Service Alliance of Canada, told True North FM that mediation efforts have failed and arbitration has been delayed as the group waits for a response from the employer, Evergreen Forestry. Spirito said the group of 32 Indigenous Wildland firefighters have been without a collective agreement since Dec. 2023. …During that same period of time, the GNWT’s Wildland firefighters have had a 2.5 per cent increase per year for both years. The group said their dispute is with the employer, Evergreen Forestry. The company is overseen by the Deh Gáh Got’ı̨ę First Nation and the Kátł’odeeche First Nation under contract with the GNWT.

Read More

Logging firm wins injunction to halt Walbran Valley blockade on Vancouver Island

By Daryll Greer
Canadian Press in CTV News
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER — The BC Supreme Court has granted an injunction to a forestry company to halt a blockade against old-growth logging in the Walbran Valley on Vancouver Island, in a ruling that has been hailed by a group of First Nations that want the “unlawful occupation” ended. The protesters are mostly anonymous although BC Supreme Court Justice Amy Francis said that they include some of the same group involved in the blockade at nearby Fairy Creek. Francis said protests “are part of a healthy democracy. Criminal conduct is not.” …Michelle Corfield, a spokeswoman for a group of First Nations, said the territory belongs to the Pacheedaht First Nation. “I just really want everybody to understand how deeply hurt the Pacheedaht people are about this unlawful occupation,” she said. …Francis said the law around granting injunctions is well established, and “it appears clear that the defendants’ actions are criminal in nature.”

Related news, Press Release by the Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership: Statement from C̕awak ʔqin Forestry regarding the court’s decision to grant an injunction application in the Walbran

Read More

Conservationists decry lack of progress 5 years after B.C.’s old-growth logging review

By Chad Pawson
CBC News
September 13, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

It’s been five years since the B.C. government promised to overhaul how old-growth trees are logged in the province — a process that was supposed to take three years — and conservationists say the province’s heel-dragging is resulting in preventable biodiversity loss. …”This isn’t just about trees. It’s about climate, community safety, Indigenous rights and the future of forests in B.C.,” said Tobyn Neame, a campaigner with the Wilderness Committee, in one of several releases from similar groups marking the anniversary of the report. …Conservationists argue the province has not moved deliberately to accomplish the 14 recommendations in the report, the culmination of B.C.’s Old Growth Strategic Review process. …In early September, the Provincial Forest Advisory Council, an independent group of forestry experts, announced a new public-facing website seeking input over the issue.

Additional coverage in the Vancouver Sun, by Tiffany Crawford: Languishing ‘in the doldrums’: Conservation groups demand action on B.C.’s old-growth logging review

Read More

Celebrating the role of First Nations in the forestry economy

By Robin Grant
Campbell River Mirror
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

First Nations have a long and rich history in the forestry economy, having harvested trees for building, canoe-making and for cultural or ceremonial practices for thousands of years. …To celebrate this long history, members of the Na̲nwak̲olas Council, along with guests and community members, gathered in the H’kusam Forest on Aug. 27. The event was an opportunity to reflect on the First Nations’ past and share their vision for the future of forestry in their territories. The H’kusam Forest, near Sayward, is a prime example of the First Nations’ sustainable forestry management and cultural practices.  …Collaborating with the Nations through the La-kwa sa muqk Forestry Partnership is a point of pride for Steven Hofer, president and CEO of Western Forest Products. “Predictable, sustainable timber from La-kwa sa muqk is key to the success of our sawmills on Vancouver Island and to the broader regional economy,” Hofer said.

Media Release by The Na̲nwak̲olas Council: Honouring First Nations in the Forest Economy

Read More

4 years after Fairy Creek, a new battle over B.C.’s old-growth forests looms in the Walbran Valley

By Shannon Waters
The Narwhal
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

A B.C. Supreme Court justice has ordered a group of people blocking a logging road in the Walbran Valley on southern Vancouver Island to stop. The decision to grant an injunction to Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership, a joint partnership between the Huu-ay-aht First Nations and Western Forest Products, alongside an enforcement order is expected to set the stage for the RCMP to remove people from the area. This fight over British Columbia’s old-growth forests comes four years after the start of the historic Fairy Creek protests, where more than 1,100 people were arrested. The Walbran Valley blockade began in late August and has prevented a logging company from working and accessing tools, equipment and vehicles on the other side of the blockade. Pacheedaht Elder Bill Jones, who was at the forefront of the Fairy Creek protests, is one of the parties named in the court filing, and the only person to respond to the application. 

Read More

Okanagan-Similkameen flood concerns focus of anti-logging film screening

By Barry Gerding
The Similkameen Spotlight
September 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Any forest industry supporters probably felt a little uncomfortable sitting in the audience for the screening and panel discussion about how clear-cut logging is impacting community watersheds in B.C. Along with the showing of the documentary Trouble In The Headwaters, speakers joined the Interior Watershed Task Force to discuss the need for drastic changes to B.C.’s logging of primary forests and community watersheds. Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs spoke about the need to resuscitate the environment and place a higher priority on the preservation of the water supply. …Other speakers included former B.C. Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau, former MLA from Prince George Mike Morris, Westbank First Nation professional forester David Gill and Dr. Younes Alila, professor of hydrology at UBC. …”We have already lost most of our forest cover, the most powerful natural protection against flood and drought risk,” said Alila. 

Read More

Kaslo, B.C., woman brings home timbersports championship title for 2nd year in a row

By Courtney Dickson
CBC News
September 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Andrea Hand

As Andrea Hand’s axe slid all the way through the cottonwood block during the underhand chop competition at the Stihl Timbersports Canadian Championships on Sept. 5, host Ryan McIntyre’s voice rose with anticipation. McIntyre, a logger sport athlete himself, wondered whether Hand had just set a new world record for women’s underhand chop at the competition held in London, Ont. She finished the chop in 21.65 seconds. For those just learning about the sport — that’s good. “I knew that I had never seen that time before,” said Hand. Judges looked over the cut as spectators waited with bated breath. “We have a new world record. It’s a good cut,” the judge announced. Hand’s world record in the women’s championships beat a record set earlier this year by American athlete Erin Lavoie. Hand also took home the Pro Women’s Championship title for the second year in a row. 

Read More

Eye on BC’s Forests

BC Forest Practices Board
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

As summer winds down, I’m pleased to welcome you to this special edition of the Forest Practices Board’s newsletter. This season marks a significant milestone for us—our 30th anniversary. For three decades, the Board has worked diligently to provide independent oversight of forest and range practices in British Columbia, helping to ensure that our natural resources are managed sustainably and in the public interest. …This issue highlights some of the conversations, initiatives, audits, investigations and special reports the Board is involved in as we embark on this anniversary year.

Issue #29 – Summer 2025

  • The Board
  • Audit Program Update
  • Complaint Investigation Program Update
  • Special Projects Update
  • Appeals Program Update
  • Out in the Community
  • People
  • Farewells

Read More

What fish in northwestern Ontario reveal about the impact of climate change, forestry

By Rajpreet Sahota
CBC News
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Researchers from Trent University are immersing themselves in forests and streams in northwestern Ontario to understand how forestry practices and climate change affect brook trout populations and freshwater ecosystems. The team is working in the Walkinshaw and Wolf watersheds, northeast of Thunder Bay. They are focusing on headwater streams, which are small rivers that feed larger waterways across the Great Lakes. “Northern freshwater ecosystems are currently experiencing major disturbances, two of which are forest harvest and climate change. One of the effects of climate change is an increase in water temperatures. And the consequences of these predicted increased temperatures on the stream ecosystem are still unclear,” said PhD student Celeste Milli, who is leading the fieldwork. …Milli said the research could help inform science-based policy decisions in Canada’s northern forests, ensuring that both forest ecosystems and freshwater resources remain resilient in a changing climate.

Read More

Port Hawkesbury Paper suspends logging in Cape Breton Highlands amid Mi’kmaw blockade

By Sis’moqon
CBC News
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

NOVA SCOTIA — A company responsible for logging in an area on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia has temporarily suspended its operations after a group of Mi’kmaq blocked the road into the forest. …Now discussions between the province and Mi’kmaw organizations are taking place over how to address concerns over forestry management of the Cape Breton Highlands. The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs said in a statement Friday that it met with Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, provincial ministers and Port Hawkesbury Paper to discuss the concerns. ….Despite the ongoing talks, organizers say that they don’t plan on stopping the blockade. …Port Hawkesbury Paper mill co-manager Bevan Lock said “We are proud of the ongoing dialogue we’ve had with Mi’kmaw organizations and the assembly over the years, and we want to help the broader community better understand what we do and how important the forests are to us, too.” 

Read More

‘It is a clear-cut operation’: Trees cleared out for lumber at provincial park hit by summer storm

By Jonathan Migneault
CBC News
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Northeastern Ontario’s Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park has transformed into a temporary logging operation due to a storm that knocked down thousands of trees in June. “It is a clear-cut operation,” said Bill Steer, general manager of the Canadian Ecology Centre, which is located inside the park that is just west of Mattawa. On June 21, powerful winds from a downburst hit the park. It downed thousands of trees, which destroyed some trailers and vehicles in the park. Gary Wheeler, a spokesperson with Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, said the ministry has been working with the Algonquin Forestry Authority on cleanup and salvage operations in the park. The forestry authority has hired local contractors to process the fallen trees. Wheeler said some have been turned into hydro poles and others will be assessed for lumber.

Read More

Province Supports Work to Save Hemlock Trees From Invasive Species

By Environment and Climate Change
The Government of Nova Scotia
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The government is supporting two projects to help save Nova Scotia’s hemlock trees from the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that attacks and kills the trees. Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced funding for: Acadia University’s hemlock woolly adelgid biocontrol facility; $356,214, including $156,214 from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund and $200,000 from the federal Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund; and the Town of Bridgewater’s hemlock preservation project; $255,500 from the Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund. “The hemlock is one of Nova Scotia’s most special and beautiful trees,” said Minister Halman. “Across the province, Nova Scotians, community groups, the Mi’kmaq and all three levels of government are working together with fierce determination to save hemlock trees and forests. This funding will support that vital work.” Hemlock trees are one of Nova Scotia’s largest and longest-living tree species and are an important part of old-growth forests. 

Read More

Trump administration announces creation of U.S. Wildland Fire Service: What to know

By Zach Urness
Statesman Journal
September 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

@USForestService

The Trump administration announced the creation of the U.S. Wildland Fire Service in an effort officials said aims to “modernize wildfire management nationwide.” The move, announced Sept. 15 by the Department of Interior, would unify all wildland fire programs under one banner by January 2026. The two agencies said they’d work in “lockstep” to create the new service to “eliminate fragmentation, and deliver a forward-looking, mission-ready system that prioritizes common sense, efficiency, and results,” a news release said. A fire chief would be appointed to lead the U.S. Wildland Fire Service, who would “possess appropriate wildland fire management experience” and a full consolidation of firefighting operations would come together by Jan. 12, 2026, under Secretary’s Order 3443. …The new service would focus on five different priorities including inefficiencies in aviation systems, interagency coordination and response, federal partnerships, wildfire research, and integrating pre- and post-fire activities into a complete wildfire strategy.

 

Read More

USDA and DOI Announce Bold Federal Reforms to Improve Nation’s Wildfire Response System

The US Department of Agriculture
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

US Secretary of Agriculture Rollins issued a new memorandum to modernize and strengthen America’s wildfire prevention and response system. Concurrently, US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum issued his own memorandum to streamline capabilities and strengthen federal, state, and local partnerships. ….“We started this work in the spring and have continually updated our policies and programs to properly manage our forests through common-sense timber production and management, protecting our national forests and grasslands for generations to come,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. …“We are cutting through the bureaucracy and building a unified, modern wildfire response system that works as fast and as fearlessly as the men and women on the front lines,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. …The USDA will unify operations, strengthen partnerships with state, Tribal, and local governments, and modernize tools and training to better protect American communities from the escalating threat of wildfire.

Read More

Forest Service chief explains the need for active land management

By Kevin Lind
The Deseret News
September 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

For Tom Schultz, the 21st chief of the U.S. Forest Service, repealing the Roadless Rule is not a matter of ideology but rather a matter of “common sense land management.” Leaving land alone and letting nature run its course is not management, Schultz explained, but a “false narrative.” “The idea that if I care about something, I walk away from it,” Schultz said. “I guess I don’t buy that.” The Roadless Rule… prevented the building of roads through nearly 60 million acres of Forest Service land, conserving a small percentage of the overall American landscape from further development. Today, after carve outs by several states, the total acreage is closer to 45 million. …Schultz spoke with Deseret News to explain why it’s important to repeal the provision, why the administration is working so “expeditiously” to do so and what the public might expect from the prospect. 

Read More

Forestry Institute for Teachers program returns this fall

The Plumas Sun
September 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Plumas County, California — The Forestry Institute for Teachers announces FIT-Focus, an immersive, three-day professional learning experience designed for both formal and informal educators from the preschool level to 12th grade and above. The program will be held from Oct. 17 – Oct. 19, in Meadow Valley. Program focuses on the tools, techniques and metrics that inform forest management, blending engaging, field-based instruction with real-world insights from subject-matter experts. “Whether you’re looking to deepen your content knowledge, explore new environmental education strategies or connect with like-minded educators, FIT-Focus provides the perfect setting — outdoors, in the forest,” says FIT. Participants receive access to environmental education curricula — Project Learning Tree Green Jobs, Our Forests, nature journaling — and focused pedagogy connecting field learning to Next Generation science standards, Common Core state standards and career technical education standards.

Related content, in the Daily Bulldog, Educators take to the woods during the 2025 Forests of Maine Teachers’ Tours hosted by Maine TREE Foundation

Read More

Forest Stewardship Council U.S. Names Chestnut Carbon as the 2025 FSC President’s Award Winner

By Forest Stewardship Council – US
EIN Presswire
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

St. Louis, Missouri  — Forest Stewardship Council U.S. President Sarah Billig announced the second annual President’s Award at the organization’s 2025 Stewardship in Action Conference on Sept. 10 in St. Louis, Missouri. Chestnut Carbon, a leading developer of nature-based carbon removal projects, was selected as the winner. The President’s Award gives top-level recognition to this outstanding organization at the forefront of sustainable afforestation and improved forest management. The FSC U.S. President’s Award is the highest honor of the broader Leadership Awards program, which recognizes excellence in the use of FSC-certified products, materials, and commitment to responsible forest management across industries, as well as in advocacy, conservation and individual leadership in the FSC community. …Chestnut builds long-term projects that offset carbon emissions by cultivating biodiverse forest ecosystems, improving air and water quality, and supporting local communities. 

Additional coverage in News Channel Nebraska: Forest Stewardship Council US Announces 2025 Leadership Awards

Read More

State scientists are planting thousands of Oregon Ash trees in invasive beetle territory, hoping to find rare natural resistance

By Karen Richards
Oregon Public Broadcasting
September 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Just outside Cottage Grove at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dorena Research Center, scientists are playing a numbers game: They’re growing thousands of Oregon Ash, sourced from up and down the West Coast, hoping to find the rare tree with genetic resistance to the Emerald Ash Borer. About one in 1,000 trees, or five of the 5,300 seedlings here, may be able to survive the beetle infestation, according to Dorena Center geneticist Richard Sniezko. “We’ve labeled each seedling, so when they’re planted out, there will be a tag on it. So we’ll know which parent tree it came off of.” It’s a gamble, but it could put the West Coast a step ahead of many other states, where people are now finding a few so-called “lingering,” living ash trees, and propagating them. …Oregon Ash grows from British Columbia to southern California.

Read More

Lingít elders, Tongass advocates in Juneau gather in favor of keeping Roadless Rule

By Yvonne Krumrey
KTOO
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this summer it was moving to rescind the Roadless Rule, a 2001 law that protects large swaths of National Forest land from development. That includes more than half of the Tongass National Forest, where Juneau is located. On Saturday, more than 100 people gathered in the state capital to protest the move. …Alaska’s Congressional delegation unanimously supports the rollback of the Roadless Rule. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski has said that most of the Tongass would still be protected without it — the parts of the forest that are already designated as wilderness. …But protesters say Alaskans have more to lose in risks to the land and waterways than what they have to gain through further development. Lingít elders and fishing and tourism industry experts took the mic Saturday to deliver a message: the Roadless Rule should be left alone.

Read More

Cortez Masto, former women firefighters urge return of training program struck by anti-DEI cuts

By Jeniffer Solis
Idaho Capital Sun
September 15, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

©USDAFlickr

…The Women in Wildfire Boot Camp program was established in 2011 and continued for more than a decade before it was terminated because of President Donald Trump’s executive order banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government. …At a July 10 U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, U.S. Forest Service Acting Chief Tom Schultz was asked to explain why the boot camp program was eliminated. He responded, “there are still ample opportunities for all firefighters to be trained without singling out solely women.” …U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nevada, and six other senators on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee sent a letter to the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior on Friday requesting an explanation for the elimination of the boot camp program and its immediate reinstatement.

Read More

The Secret Lives of Dead Trees

By Stephen Ornes
Scientific American
September 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Mark Harmon, a longtime faculty member at Oregon State University, has been watching number 219, and more than 500 other logs nearby, decay for 40 years. He has trekked to this site in the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest, a watershed nestled in Oregon’s western Cascade Mountains, at least 100 times. His goal: establish an exhaustive baseline dataset that any scientist could use to test hypotheses about tree decomposition or to compare patterns of decomposition in the Pacific Northwest with those in other regions. …In a 2020 analysis, Harmon and his colleagues estimated that decay rates can vary by a whopping 244-fold across species and climates. …Scientists used to assume that decomposition was instantaneous, Harmon says—that when a tree dies, it essentially disappears. “But that’s not true anywhere on Earth, and it’s never been true,” he says. A dead tree is “just a transition to something else.”

Read More

US Forest Service seeks public comment over rescinding roadless rule: What to know

By Mariah Johnston
The Salem Statesman Journal
September 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The Trump administration is looking to finalize a repeal of a longstanding Roadless Rule with a public comment period that lasts until Sept. 19. …Environmental groups say removing the rule will threaten clean drinking water and allow for logging and roads on some of Oregon’s most iconic lands. Timber companies say that removing the rule will help mitigate wildfires, as well as support forest management moving to the hands of local officials. …The rule applies to 44.7 million acres in 10 Western states. …These are areas that have been off limits to logging and development for more than 20 years. The American Forest Resource Council says “rhetoric suggesting that rescinding the rule will result in unrestrained logging just isn’t based in reality.” Oregon Wild plans to focus on the importance of protecting areas with clean drinking water. …So far, the public comment board has recorded more than 98,000 comments. Maps of roadless areas in Oregon can be found here

Read More

Over 2,000 sign petition to oust forest supervisor amid wildfire management concerns

By Mayra Franco
Fox 26 News
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Shaver Lake, Calif. — A new petition circulating online is calling for new leadership in the Sierra National Forest and the removal of current Supervisor Dean Gould. In less than two days, the petition has gathered more than 2,000 signatures. Frede Serrano, the organizer of the petition says the outcome shows a clear sign of public frustration with the current leadership, saying Gould is failing to protect the land. FOX26 spoke with residents on both sides of the aisle to hear their perspectives. …David John Hornor, long-time Shaver Lake resident says, he is against the petition and is in support of Gould. Hornor believes that Gould’s hands are tied by complex regulations and limited funding, making forest management a difficult balancing act.

Read More

Trump wants to open forests to more trucks, logging. Which California lands are at risk?

By Ariane Lange
The Sacramento Bee
September 14, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Agriculture has moved to rescind the “roadless rule” that protects portions of national forests from development — including 4.4 million acres in California — and members of the public can still submit comments about the change to the federal government. Every national forest in California would be affected. Commenters can weigh in through the online form on regulations.gov through Sept. 19; the docket is FS-2025-0001-0001. Since 2001, the roadless rule has protected designated areas from development and logging, limiting or barring the construction or reconstruction of roads. About 21% of California’s national forestlands are protected. Throughout the U.S., the 2001 rule covers 59 million acres. The administration has said the move to end the rule would open up these forests to more logging and has said that more roads would help with wildfire prevention. As NPR reported, the U.S. Forest Service has previously found that roads appeared to do nothing to mitigate wildfires.

Read More

Private timber lands restrict access due to vandalism and littering concerns

By Bobby Corser
KATU News
September 11, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

LINCOLN COUNTY, Oregon — Travelers exploring private timber lands along the Oregon Coast may encounter locked gates or restricted access, but this is not due to a desire to keep citizens off the property, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said. The closures are a response to increasing incidents of littering, vehicle abandonment, theft of forest products, and criminal mischief. Common acts of vandalism include property destruction by 4x4s and ATVs in unauthorized areas and damage to road access gates, officials said. These actions not only destroy the natural beauty of the forests but also incur costs for cleanup and repairs, which are paid by private timber companies and taxpayers.

Read More

EU announces dates for virtual training on EU Deforestation Regulation

Wood Pellet Association of Canada
LinkedIn
September 13, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The European Commission has announced dates for virtual training sessions on the EUDR Information System, open to all interested parties. These sessions provide guidance on submitting due diligence statements under the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). While these sessions are available to all, WPAC anticipates that most of our members will meet their EUDR obligations through the Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) system, which we helped to develop. EUDR establishes robust requirements for traceability, due diligence, and risk mitigation. SBP has developed a voluntary EUDR module integrated into its Data Transfer System (DTS), helping Certificate Holders prepare now for compliance ahead of the December 2025 implementation deadline. …Learn more about EC’s training sessions here. Learn more about SBP’s EUDR module here.

Read More

EU Deforestation Regulation may cut Austrian softwood production by up to 10%

The Lesprom Network
September 12, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Austria’s softwood sector may face a production decline of up to 10% if the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) takes effect in its current form at the end of the year. The regulation requires full traceability of wood products across the entire supply chain, which industry representatives say is unworkable according to Markus Schmölzer of the Austrian Sawmill Association. Although the sector expects a 2% production increase in 2025, the EUDR poses a direct threat to the entire wood value chain. A decline in softwood production would affect manufacturers of building components, furniture, panel boards, paper, and pellet products, especially during winter months. …The Austrian industry urges the EU to either suspend the regulation entirely or revise it through an “Omnibus” legislative package aimed at reducing bureaucracy. …While supporting the goal of halting global deforestation, the sector proposes targeted monitoring for high-risk regions and exemptions for low-risk countries such as Austria.

Read More

Compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation Is Feasible, Underway — and Must Go On

By Bo Li, Tina Schneider, Sophie Labaste, Olivia Campbell & Janneke de Vries
World Resources Institute
September 10, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), one of the world’s most comprehensive legislations to curb tropical deforestation, will take effect at the end of December 2025. Since its adoption in 2023, debates over its implementation and effectiveness have been loud and persistent. Some claim the requirements are unclear or impossible to meet, especially for smallholders, while others fear the regulation will disrupt trade or place heavy burdens on businesses. …Despite the challenges, governments, companies and smallholders worldwide are showing that EUDR compliance is not only possible — it is already underway. Building on our previous analysis of why the EUDR is a necessary regulation to tackle deforestation linked to commodity supply chains, this article focuses on the practicality of compliance and highlights concrete steps being taken to prepare. …Guidance from EU national enforcement authorities, such as the Netherlands’ report, show that compliance with the EUDR is not rocket science. 

Read More