Category Archives: Forestry

Forestry

Sustainable Forestry Initiative welcomes G7 Kananaskis Wildfire Charter

Sustainable Forestry Initiative
June 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States

Ottawa, Canada —The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) welcomes the G7 Kananaskis Wildfire Charter and its emphasis on a “whole of society approach” to preventing, responding to, and recovering from extreme wildfires. The Charter, an outcome of the G7 leaders meeting in Alberta earlier this month, outlines a comprehensive global framework that includes science-based mitigation and adaptation strategies such as sustainable forest management, Indigenous-led land stewardship, the use of fire as a positive tool for forest management, data sharing, and collaborative systems to address wildfire-related health and safety risks. …”we’ve long understood that sustainably managed forests can be a solution in wildfire mitigation and adaptation strategies, and we are pleased to have the financial support from Environment & Climate Change Canada, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Doris Duke Foundation to support forest health and resiliency,” said Kathy Abusow, President & CEO of SFI. 

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Forest Stewardship Council Canada News & Views

Forest Stewardship Council Canada
July 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

In the July news you’ll find these headlines and more:

  • Explore FSC Canada’s achievements during 2024 in our Annual Report
  • Join us for FSC Forest Week – September 20-26, 2025 – Be part of this global campaign to help raise awareness about the importance of responsible forestry.
  • Guidebook to Support Smallholders and Community Forests is Here
  • Podcast: Demystifying FSC Chain of Custody audits

 

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Canadian-built waterbomber gets upgrade for global wildfire fight

By Jeffrey Jones
The Globe and Mail
July 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

With wildfires wreaking more devastation around the world each year, Canada has what other countries want: an aircraft that keeps proving itself. De Havilland Aircraft of Canada’s twin-engine firefighter planes are renowned for their manoeuvrability, and for expertly skimming along bodies of water to fill up with large volumes to dump on infernos – and do it repeatedly. …The Canadair 515 is the first new model of the waterbomber to go into production since 2016. …De Havilland is producing the 515 in stages in Victoria and Calgary with parts from across the country. It is designed with an upgraded flight deck kitted out with the latest in avionics, aimed at bolstering safety and reliability in the harsh conditions in which the company’s planes already excel. The waterbomber is also built with improved materials, including advanced composites and polymers, and corrosion protection. First deliveries are scheduled for 2028. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

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The G7 Tackled Wildfires. Was It a Milestone?

By Zoe Mason
The Tyee
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

As world leaders gathered for the G7 summit last week in Kananaskis, Alberta, more than 50 wildfires burned across the province. The leaders’ joint statements included the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter, the first G7 document explicitly dedicated to co-ordinating international action on wildfire prevention, mitigation, response and recovery. It was agreed to by all the G7 leaders, as well as the heads of Australia, India, Mexico, South Korea and South Africa, non-G7 governments also invited to join this year’s summit. The charter outlines initiatives ranging from geospatial mapping and early warning systems to the adoption of wildfire-resilient infrastructure. Mathieu Bourbonnais, an assistant professor in environmental science at the University of British Columbia Okanagan and UBC research chair in wildfire management, said he is trying to be positive about the statement’s approach. “The other thing is, we’re doing a lot of this already”.

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Strengthening southern Yukon communities against wildfire exposure

By Yukon Dept. of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Cision Newswire
July 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

WHITEHORSE, Yukon — Communities in southern Yukon will reduce their wildfire risk after a combined investment of more than $17 million from the federal and Yukon governments. The funding was announced by Dr. Brendan Hanley, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Member of Parliament for Yukon. …Funding for the Government of Yukon’s Wildland Fire Management branch will decrease fire risk in the communities of Whitehorse, Teslin, and Haines Junction—communities which are part of the northern boreal forest region and prone to aggressive wildfire behaviour. …New treatment will include reducing or managing materials that are flammable or combustible in the wildland-urban interface. These measures follow national standards set out by FireSmart Canada and will increase the wildfire resilience of these three communities.

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Keep promise to North Lake residents, remove slash piles

Letter by Rick Craig and North Lake Neighbours Association
The Sunshine Coast Reporter
July 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

On the Easter long weekend, there was a wildfire on Egmont Forest Service Road that had to be controlled by the local fire department because a logging slash pile being burned was left unattended. How big does a wildfire have to get before the shíshálh Nation or the province will finally fulfill their promises to the residents around North Lake in Egmont? …Four years ago we participated in a community engagement process with BC Timber Sales and the shíshálh Nation regarding the cutting of 60,000 cubic metres (thousands of trees) around North and Klein Lakes. …One of the bigger concerns that we had was the removal of hundreds of large burn piles created by the logging. We were promised by both BCTS and the shíshálh Nation that the burn piles would be dealt with after the logging ended. It is now two years later and the burn piles have not been removed. 

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Without more trees, B.C.’s next heat dome could be even deadlier

Dr. Bethany Ricker, David Quigg and Dr. Melissa Lem
Victoria Times Colonist
July 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Four years ago, British ­Columbia endured the ­deadliest weather event in recorded ­Canadian history. The 2021 heat dome claimed the lives of more than 600 ­people, many of whom died alone in overheated homes. As we mark the fourth anniversary of this devastating mass casualty event with record-breaking heat elsewhere in the country, we must confront a troubling truth: B.C. remains dangerously unprepared for the next one. Despite some advancements, including updated building codes, rebates for heat pumps and a now-depleted $30-million fund to provide vulnerable households with air conditioning units, one of the most critical aspects of climate readiness has seen little to no progress. In fact, it’s getting worse. Our communities are rapidly losing tree canopy, green space and permeable surfaces — the very elements that keep cities cooler during extreme heat.

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Board to audit stand-level biodiversity near Terrace

BC Forest Practices Board
July 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

VICTORIA – The Forest Practices Board will conduct a limited-scope audit focusing on stand-level biodiversity and the management of block reserves in the Coast Mountains Natural Resource District, starting on July 7, 2025. The audit will examine the practices of the licensees with the highest levels of harvesting activity over the past two years: BC Timber Sales (Skeena Business Area), Terrace Community Forest and Coast Tsimshian Resources Ltd. The audit will assess whether practices related to stand-level biodiversity and block reserve management carried out between July 1, 2023, and July 11, 2025, comply with legal requirements under the Forest and Range Practices Act. This includes evaluating Wildlife Tree Retention Areas, which are key tools for conserving biodiversity, protecting riparian zones, managing cultural values and maintaining visual quality.

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High Bar First Nation, West Fraser sign Joint Development Agreement

By Barbara Roden
100 Mile Free Press
June 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Llenllenéy’ten (High Bar) First Nation (HBFN) has signed a historic Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. (West Fraser). The JDA was signed during HBFN’s National Indigenous Peoples Day event in Clinton on June 21. A press release issued by High Bar on June 24 stated that “The landmark agreement highlights HBFN’s commitment to sustainable forest management through partnership with the private sector to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.” The relationship ensures fibre supply for West Fraser, and opens the door for more diverse fibre product development. At the same time, HBFN notes that the agreement creates a path toward increased resource revenues and decision-making authority for HBFN, which marks a meaningful step toward economic reconciliation. Under the JDA, West Fraser will transfer a portion of its timber harvesting rights to Llenllenéy’ten (High Bar) First Nation. 

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Foreign national trying to fight B.C. wildfires caught up in red tape

By Gordon McIntyre
Vancouver Sun
June 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

With wildfire season in full swing, an immigration consultant says there is a simple way to end the shortage of qualified people to fight wildfires: Let existing, trained firefighters who are non-residents stay once their work permits expire by letting them choose a path to permanent residency. Jennie McCahill is representing Irish national Jake McGavin, a team leader with a wildfire-fighting contractor called Carmanah Wildfire, which is based in Sidney but has firefighting crews spread all over B.C. …McGavin, who turns 29 in September, is in his third season fighting wildfires in B.C. He’s been lucky to have received a pair of two-year work permits, but the second is soon to run out. …He wants to stay in Canada not only because he’s fallen in love with B.C. …”Unfortunately, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada does not recognize wildland firefighting as skilled work.”

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Province considering auctioning cutblocks near Walker Creek

By Abigail Popple
Penticton Herald
June 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In the northernmost parts of the greater Robson Valley sits the Walker Creek watershed, a lush land with countless species of flora and fauna. …The area is also at the heart of a conflict between advocacy group Conservation North and BC Timber Sales (BCTS). In May, Conservation North found out BC Timber Sales is proposing cutblocks in the area, which would be auctioned off to forestry companies. The group held a letter-writing night in Prince George, where they encouraged attendees to contact the Ministry of Forests expressing opposition to the proposed auction cutblocks. …The area is one of the last untouched forests in the province, says Conservation North Director Michelle Connolly. “There are virtually no roads, mines or cutblocks. [Walker Creek] represents a place where mother nature makes the rules: it’s self-managing, self-maintaining, it’s a wild valley,” Connolly told a crowd of dozens during the letter-writing night.

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Thousands Speak Up on Outdoor Access in Mosaic Forest Management Survey

Mosaic Forest Management
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Over 7,600 people shared their views on outdoor recreation in a first-ever public survey conducted by Mosaic. “The feedback we received tells us how important Mosaic’s managed forests are to people’s lives,” said Jimmie Hodgson at Mosaic. “It reinforces our responsibility to work toward solutions that reflect what we heard.” Early findings show:

  • Frequent use: Most respondents reported using Mosaic managed lands regularly throughout the year.
  • Camping experiences: Most campers described their experiences as good or excellent.
  • Top concerns: Gate access, illegal dumping and wildfire risk were the most cited issues.
  • Shared values: Respondents emphasized personal accountability when recreating, public safety and minimizing environmental impact.

While many support access restrictions during wildfire season or active operations, others expressed frustration with inconsistent gate schedules, limited access points and unclear communication. The survey also highlighted a strong desire for more transparency, better signage and real-time updates. …A full report will be released this fall.

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Forest Enhancement Society of BC Newsletter

Forest Enhancement Society of BC
June 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

With summer here, so is wildfire season. We all have a role to play in reducing the risk that wildfire represents to our communities and forests. …Over the past 9 years we have been funding projects that leave communities and infrastructure better protected, give firefighters more options when responding to wildfires and help create more resilient forests now and for the future. Find these stories and more in this month’s newsletter:

  • Message from Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar
  • FESBC’s Board Chair, Ken Day’s welcome message
  • BC Forest Safety Council safety tip
  • Faces of Forestry feature: Aaron Lee
  • FESBC Board of Directors’ tour with Ntityix Resources
  • Balancing fire and fibre utilization feature story
  • Wildfire risk reduction project led by Kenpesq’t Forestry
  • Wildfire risk reduction treatment in the City of Vernon

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Strengthening land stewardship, cultural site protection in Squamish Nation territory

By the Ministry of Forests and the Squamish Nation
Government of British Columbia
June 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Sea to Sky Gondola in SquamishSḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and the Province have signed an agreement to guide forest stewardship in Squamish Nation territory at a ceremony held at the top of the Sea-to-Sky gondola overlooking Átl’ḵa7tsem (Howe Sound). “This agreement will ensure our cultural sites and key environmental areas are protected for future generations. These have been our lands for thousands of years, and the fact they are now back under our direct control provides a greater sense of security for our people, and a strong optimism for our future,” said Sxwíxwtn Wilson Williams, Councillor and elected spokesperson, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation). …The next step will be to complete a ministerial order, which will include consultation with First Nations, and engagement with the public. It aims to establish objectives for the forestry sector to follow in alignment with the agreement and provide the Squamish Nation certainty in sites of high value.

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Salmon Arm-based company turning forestry waste into useful soil additive, reducing logging emissions

By Luc Rempel
Castanet
June 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

A local company has found a new use for forestry waste that would otherwise be burned, releasing emissions into the atmosphere. Silvachar Environmental, which is based out of Salmon Arm, is working to turn forestry waste into biochar — a soil additive that has been used for thousands of years to help retain moisture and lock nutrients into the earth. “Biochar has a high surface area, which allows it to absorb liquid, solids and gasses disproportionate to its size, just due to its surface area and the porosity of it,” said Silvachar’s Kevin Smith. Biochar’s porosity can help in a home garden or even for large agricultural applications. “You think of how much fertilizer gets put on agricultural fields each year or multiple times a year, and realistically they’re losing up to 60 per cent of those nutrients,” Smith said.

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Firefighters urge hikers to stay out of trails near Squamish, B.C., wildfire

By Akshay Kulkarni
CBC News
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Firefighters are urging hikers and mountain bikers not to enter trails closed due to a wildfire just north of Squamish, B.C., ahead of the Canada Day long weekend. The Dryden Creek wildfire, which was discovered on June 9, is considered under control by the B.C. Wildfire Service, but a local state of emergency remains in Squamish and a campfire ban remains in effect for the district. Fire suppression work is ongoing in the area, and evacuation orders and alerts remain due to the danger of trees falling and rocks rolling loose. Despite that, firefighters say they’re seeing people disobey trail closures, which could prove to be a risky decision. “Especially last weekend, numerous hikers and mountain bikers accessed trails that were closed,” said B.C. Wildfire fire information officer Jennifer Lohmeyer on Tuesday. “Some people even moved barriers that had been put in place to indicate that the trail was closed,” she added.

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Delta undertaking a tree inventory

By Sandor Gyarmati
The Delta Optimist
June 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The City of Delta is undertaking an inventory of its trees. Crews started last week in Ladner, collecting data on street and park trees as part of Delta’s Urban Forest Strategy. In its request for proposals this spring for a qualified arboricultural consultant to conduct the urban forest subsection inventory of individual city-owned urban trees, the city noted it wanted to focus on street and park specimen trees. The project does not include trees on private property, nor is it the intent to include larger stands of trees in the city’s natural areas. The purpose of the project is to expand a tree inventory that was started in-house in 2023, improve asset management, as well as gain an accurate cost of a city-wide tree inventory for areas with low, medium and high canopy coverage.

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With classroom temperatures soaring, schoolyards need more trees

By Peter Kutenbrouwer
The Globe and Mail
July 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The other day, in the midst of a heat wave that suffocated central Canada, this newspaper brought us the story of a five-year-old at a public school in Ottawa, sent to hospital for heat exhaustion. The accompanying photo shows the child and his mother seated on a picnic table in the schoolyard, surrounded by grass and pavement – and one tree. As a forester, I volunteer with a program of Forests Canada called Forestry in the Classroom, whose goal is to connect ”the next generation of forest stewards with forestry and environmental professionals.” This spring I visited a school in north Toronto to take a class of Grade 5 students to a nearby forested ravine, to help them identify trees and to evaluate tree health. On my arrival at the school, I was shocked to find the playground a barren wasteland. 

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Province-wide Fire Ban Lifted; Caution Urged when Lighting Outdoor Fires

Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture Press Release
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

The province-wide outdoor fire ban that prohibited the setting of fires on forest land or within 300 metres of forest land in Newfoundland and Labrador has been lifted. The ban was authorized under the authority of section 99 of the Forestry Act. A Permit to Burn is required to burn brush and other materials during Forest Fire Season, which is in effect in the province until September 30. Permits are free and available at provincial Forest Management District Offices. A Permit to Burn is not required for backyard fires, recreational campfires, or boil-ups located on or within 300 metres of forest land if the fire is prepared in accordance with Provincial Forest Fire Regulations. Anyone planning a fire should check Public Reminders for Forest Fire Season and the current Fire Hazard Rating for guidance.

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Ontario offers $3 per hour pay increase, new title for forest firefighters

Global News TV
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

For years, forest firefighters in Ontario have been calling on the provincial government to reclassify their jobs to recognize them as an emergency service in a bid to stem recruitment and retention issues. It’s a change the Ford government promised it would take on after sustained pressure from front-line staff and union officials. The province now says work to reclassify forest firefighters — officially called resource technicians — has been “completed,” and is blaming the Ontario Public Service Employees Union for a delay in announcing the move. Whether the terms the government has put forward address the substantive changes called for by forest firefighters is contested. Draft information seen by Global News shows the reclassification involves renaming positions within the existing union structure — and moving people one category further up the grid, for a raise of roughly $3 per hour.

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We Are Living in the Age of Fire. And It’s Only Going To Get Worse

By Stephan Maher
Time Magazine
July 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

The hills of Louis Creek Valley are covered in lovely, towering Douglas fir, healthy evergreens climbing from the grassy meadow at the valley floor up to the ridges where the mountains meet the sky. It’s lush, like much of interior British Columbia, where densely packed conifers line the innumerable wooded valleys, the heavy cone-laden branches reaching down to the ground.  Joe Gilchrist, a fire steward of Secwepemc people, and a firefighter for more than 30 years, stands on the valley floor and looks at the beautiful trees. But what he sees first is danger. “It’s been over 100 years since it’s been illegal for Indigenous people to use fire on the land, and so in that time, the trees have overgrown the area, and some of the trees have got diseased,” he says. 

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Join Thousands of Professionals Shaping the Future of Forest Products Manufacturing at Forest Products EXPO 2025

The Southern Forest Products Association
July 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

The clock is ticking to register and make plans for the 38th Forest Products Machinery & Equipment EXPO from August 6-8 in Nashville, and you do not want to miss it! EXPO is the epicenter of the entire wood products manufacturing sector – held only every other year – with numerous exhibitors showcasing state-of-the-art machinery and specialized services designed for the forest products industry. This event brings together thousands of industry leaders and decision-makers eager to explore cutting-edge products and solutions, spanning advancements in hardwood and softwood log processing, remanufacturing, pallet industries, bioenergy, engineered wood products, and pressure treatment. Seize this unparalleled opportunity to explore new machinery, engage with key decision-makers, reimagine your sawmill operations, and propel your business to new heights.

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Rescinding the Roadless Rule won’t protect from wildfire

By George Wuerthner
The Bend Bulletin
July 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

George Wuerthner

…In nullifying the Roadless Rule, Secretary Rollins specifically justified her decision by suggesting it would allow “for fire prevention and responsible timber production.” She claims it will enable “responsible forest management,” which is code for more logging. The underlying cause of the increase in wildfires across the country is a warming climate. …“Extreme fire weather” is characterized by low humidity, drought, high temperatures, and high winds. …There are numerous examples where logging and prescribed burning have increased the spread of fires. Opening up the canopy by logging dries out soils and surface fuels. It also permits greater wind penetration. …The second problem with this approach is that embers tossed by high winds can go through, over, and around any “fuel treatments.” A third problem is that the majority of urban home destruction is the result of grass or shrub fires, not forest blazes.

Related coverage:

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Forest Service will lift “roadless rule” to encourage logging

By Peter Aleshire
The Payson Roundup
June 27, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

The U.S. Forest Service has proposed lifting the rule that bars roads in designated wilderness areas. The change could open 1.2 million acres of federal land in Arizona to logging. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins proposed canceling the 25-year-old “roadless rule” that created some 58 million acres of wilderness areas throughout the west. Arizona’s forested wilderness areas come to about 1.2 million acres of the 11 million acres of Forest Service land in Arizona. …Environmental groups immediately decried the proposal. They said it would increase the danger of wildfires and destroy wilderness areas essential to wildlife and many forms of recreation. …However, a century of logging, cattle grazing and fire suppression has dramatically increased tree densities across forested Northern Arizona … from about 50 per acre to more like 1,000 per acre in the past century. …The Four Forests Restoration Initiative has tried and mostly failed to ramp up logging on six million acres of non protected forest already criss-crossed with roads.

Related coverage

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Position on President Trump’s Executive Order “Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response”

The Federation of American Scientists
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) “Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response” is the latest of several significant federal policy efforts aimed at tackling the wildfire crisis. The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) focuses on embedding science, data, and technology into government to support communities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from wildfires. FAS applauds several elements of President Trump’s EO. For instance, the EO correctly recognizes that wildfire technology and prescribed fire are powerful tools for reducing risk and strengthening wildfire resilience. FAS is also glad to see the Administration promote interagency coordination; emphasize the importance of state, local, and Tribal leadership; and recognize the intersection of wildfire resilience and other sectors, such as the grid and our bioeconomy. We are encouraged that the Administration and Congress are recognizing the severity of the wildfire crisis and elevating it as a national priority. Yet the devil is in the details when it comes to making real-world progress.

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Yellowstone’s 1988 Fires Eviscerated Forests. Will They Ever Recover?

By Mark DeGraff
The Mountain Journal
July 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

In the parched summer of 1988, wildfires ripped through more than one-third of Yellowstone National Park during the most severe fire year in park history. Approximately 1.2 million acres scorched by September. …While new forests sprouted in most of Yellowstone’s charred woodlands, recent research has identified that 16 percent of the forests consumed by the fires still have few trees. A recent study found that much of this land has transformed into green meadows full of grasses and wildflowers. Of the roughly 965 square miles of forest killed by the fires, 158 remain unforested, largely due to a lack of available seeds to start the next generation of trees. Seventy square miles of the previously forested land is now open meadow… The forests that [recovered quickly] were full of lodgepole pines with serotinous cones. …Alternatively, the areas that remain unforested were mainly above 8,200 feet in elevation and dominated by subalpine fir, Engelmenn spruce and non-serotinous lodgepole pines.

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Washington forest health survey finds 545,000 acres of stressed or dead trees

By Emily Fitzgerald
Washington State Standard
July 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

More than half a million acres of trees spread across Washington were sick, struggling, or dead last year, according to the results of an aerial survey of forests by the state’s Department of Natural Resources. Surveyors identified about 545,000 acres with some level of tree mortality, defoliation, or disease, the department said this week. That’s less than 1% of the total forestland surveyed. The amount of forest with problems is up nearly 30,000 acres from 2023 and more than the 10-year average of 519,000 acres, but well below the acres mapped with diseased or dead trees in 2022, according to the Department of Natural Resources. The Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service partnered to conduct an aerial survey of 22 million forested acres in Washington state to observe recently killed and damaged trees. They carried out the survey between June and September last year.

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USDA Signs Historic Agreement to Reduce Wildfire Risk in Montana

US Department of Agriculture
June 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

HELENA, Montana — US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced US Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz and Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed a historic Shared Stewardship Memorandum of Understanding, establishing a new framework between the US Forest Service (USFS) and the State of Montana to advance forest restoration and reduce wildfire risk across the state. Montana’s Shared Stewardship Agreement expands collaborative efforts to accelerate active forest management, safeguard communities, and support sustainable timber production. …“By cutting burdensome, unnecessary red tape and empowering Montana to lead, we’re proving that through real partnership, conservation and economic growth can go hand-in-hand. …The Forest Service and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) will jointly identify and execute large-scale forest management projects, initially focusing on approximately 200,000 acres in northwest Montana.

Related coverage: Governor Gianforte Press Release

 

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Judge considers delay of Garnet Mountain logging

By Laura Lundquist
Missoula Current
July 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

A federal judge has less than two weeks to decide whether to halt a U.S. Bureau of Land Management project east of Missoula for its potential harm to grizzly bears or Canada lynx. On Monday, Missoula federal district judge Dana L. Christensen heard arguments on whether five conservation organizations were likely to win their lawsuit against the Missoula BLM Office regarding a series of logging projects in the Garnet Mountains, known as the Clark Fork Face Project. …The BLM has already accepted a bid and appropriated $880,000 to pay for the Big River Thinning Project, which is supposed to start on July 15. So Christensen needs to decide before then whether or not to grant the injunction. The plaintiffs also seek to stop three other timber sales but they’ve yet to be sold.

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Federal budget bill would boost logging — but cut funds to Oregon timber counties

By April Ehrlich
Oregon Public Broadcasting
July 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The Republican-backed budget bill that passed in the U.S. Senate Tuesday authorizes dramatic increases to logging on federal lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. But Oregon counties won’t see most of those revenues if the bill clears the U.S. House unchanged. “Rural counties, all counties that receive timber revenue from the Forest Service and the BLM will lose,” said Doug Robertson, executive director of the O&C Counties Association, a group that supports Oregon timber counties. …Counties can’t collect property taxes from federal lands that are within their boundaries, which leaves many counties with limited options to raise local taxes to pay for schools, law enforcement and public infrastructure. …Oregon counties have typically gone with Secure Rural Schools, since it provides more funding. That funding expired in 2023. …Counties wouldn’t see any of the revenues from those long-term sales.

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Final decision released for Bonanza Project in Castle Mountains

The USDA Forest Service
June 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, Montana — The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest has released a final decision for the Bonanza Project, located in the Castle Mountains just east of White Sulphur Springs. Primary management activities planned include timber harvest and prescribed fire. “The project area is highly impacted by the mountain pine beetle and some areas have experienced 90% tree mortality,” said District Ranger Jason Oltrogge. “The timber generated from this project will provide wood products to local companies and prescribed fire will restore forests and reduce wildfire severity.” The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest partnered with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to plan this project, and the joint effort made this project a reality. …The project includes commercial timber harvest on 1,980 acres and prescribed burning on 918 acres. Project implementation is anticipated to start later this summer.

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Watch Out For This Tree Eating Bug

The US Department of Agriculture
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

SANTA FE — If you see brownish-yellow or red discoloration of trees while exploring the Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF), it may be the result of defoliation from the Douglas-fir tussock moth (DFTM). Do not pick up this cute – and potentially dangerous – caterpillar. These caterpillars have thousands of tiny hairs covering their bodies. The female moths, egg masses, and cocoons also have hairs, which can cause tussockosis, an allergic reaction from direct skin contact with the insects themselves or their airborne hairs. …Trees with brown branches signal the outbreak of the Douglas-fir tussock moth, whose larvae feed on the needles of a variety of fir tree species. …An aerial survey will also be conducted to pinpoint specific locations and assess the acreage of the defoliation. …Anyone seeing these caterpillars is asked to leave them on the ground and report the sighting to the nearest Santa Fe National Forest district office. 

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Merkley, Murray, Heinrich, and Klobuchar demand immediate halt to forest service reorganization, funding cuts

Jeff Merkley, Senator for Oregon
June 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Washington, D.C. – Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately cease its plans to reduce Forest Service staffing and to distribute federal funding to states and communities as the law requires. The letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins follows U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz testifying before the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee and admitting the agency was intentionally withholding Congressionally approved federal funding. “We write to express our concern that the staff reductions and unauthorized funding cuts that have occurred since February 2025 threaten the Forest Service’s ability to fulfill its statutory responsibilities to states, local governments, Tribes, and forest landowners.” They are asking for a response by July 9, 2025.

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US Agriculture Secretary says ‘roadless rule’ roll back impacts all but two states — Colorado and Idaho

By Robert Tann
Sky-Hi News
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

When U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced on Monday that her department would be opening up more US Forest Service land to development, she did so with the caveat that just two states — Colorado and Idaho — would not be impacted.  Rollins, who serves in President Donald Trump’s cabinet, unveiled the plans during a meeting of Western state governors in Santa Fe, where she told reporters that the Agriculture Department would be rescinding the 2001 “roadless rule” established under former President Bill Clinton. The rule, hailed by conservationists as a landmark preservation effort, protects roughly 58.5 million acres of backcountry Forest Service land from road construction, logging and other development. “For too long, Western states, especially those with large swaths of land administered by our incredible Forest Service, have been inhibited from innovating because of burdensome regulations imposed by the federal government,” Rollins said.

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Oregon House passes bill to repeal controversial wildfire risk map

By Zach Urness
Idaho Statesman Journal
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

After a longer wait than expected, the a bill that would eliminate the unpopular Oregon Wildfire Hazard Map passed the Oregon House on June 24. Senate Bill 83 repeals a map meant to identify parts of Oregon at high risk of catastrophic wildfires but has become a lightning rod for anger from rural residents who say it places an unfair burden on them. The bill, which passed the Senate in April, now heads to the desk of Gov. Tina Kotek. The map, which was released earlier in 2025 and identifies areas at high wildfire risk, requires stricter building codes and creation of defensible space for roughly 100,000 properties in the name of wildfire prevention. The map was roundly condemned by impacted residents who said it was inaccurate, decreased property values and imposed burdensome regulations.

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Can Michigan’s forests survive climate change? One researcher is finding out

Emilio Ibarguen, Michigan Environment Watch
Bridge Michigan
July 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Jeremy Johnson

As Michigan’s climate warms, tree species like red pine and eastern white pine may no longer thrive here. Their native regions are moving north faster than forests can keep up with. …To help forests stand a chance, Michigan State University forest genetics professor Jeremy Johnson is experimenting with “assisted tree migration.” …“We can improve the genetic gain in those trees and start an orchard where we have seed that is adapted to the future climates”. Johnson is backed by a $500,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which he’ll use to plant thousands of trees at nine sites across the state and spend the next 20 years tracking their performance. …Johnson hopes to find individual trees with traits that help them survive in the simulated conditions. Their seeds can then be planted on the edges of existing forests where they can cross-pollinate with other trees and spread those traits, making the forests more resilient.

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Rayonier Completes Sale of New Zealand Business to The Rohatyn Group

By Rayonier Inc.
Business Wire
June 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East, International

WILDLIGHT, Florida –Rayonier announced the completion of the previously announced sale of entities holding its 77% interest in the New Zealand joint venture to a special purpose vehicle owned by an investment fund managed by The Rohatyn Group (“TRG”) for a purchase price of $710 million. …Rayonier continues to anticipate using at least 50% of the proceeds to reduce leverage and/or return capital to shareholders through special dividends and share repurchases. …“We want to extend our gratitude to the team in New Zealand, which has done an outstanding job in managing these highly productive assets, and we are pleased to transfer the stewardship of this business to TRG, a well-regarded manager of forestry assets in the region,” added McHugh.

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Trump administration plan could allow reconstruction in 85,000 acres of Tennessee National Forest land

By Justin Wallace
WBIR.com
June 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Around 85,000 acres of national forest land in Tennessee could be open to road construction, reconstruction and timber harvest under a new Trump Administration plan, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. …The USDA described the rule as being “outdated,” claiming it contradicts the will of Congress and goes against the mandate of the department’s Forest Service to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands.” …Rescinding the rule would remove the prohibitions on reconstruction, allowing for fire prevention and possible timber production, the federal department said. …The USDA also said the rescinding aligns with President Trump’s “Executive Order 14192, Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation” to get rid of “overcomplicated, burdensome barriers that hamper American business and innovation.”

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Forest Stewardship Council stands with the EU Green Claims Directive

Forest Stewardship Council
July 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) reaffirms its support for the Green Claims Directive (GCD) and the Empowering Consumers Directive (ECD) and welcomes the European Commission’s recent decision not to withdraw the GCD proposal. These legislations are critical in the fight against greenwashing and ensuring that consumers have access to accurate, reliable, and verifiable information. FSC, together with ISEAL, has contributed concrete feedback into the GCD and ECD discussions since their onset, with the aim of raising the bar for environmental claims and ensuring the provisions will work in practice. Together, the two proposals offer a powerful framework to ensure that environmental claims and labels placed on the EU market are trustworthy and transparent. Labels rooted in robust, independent certifications like FSC, support companies to enhance accountability and consumer trust.

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Can Business Conserve Forests and Our Future?

By Seth Larson
World Wildlife Federation
June 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Last month, alarming new data were released showing record-breaking tropical forest loss in 2024—an 80% increase over the previous year. Forests are critical to our planet and to us as humans, so we need to double down on efforts to stop the loss of forests where possible and more responsibly manage forests that are earmarked for production. Businesses have a big role to play because 54% of the world’s forests are managed either wholly or partly for the production of things like timber, pulp and paper, and furniture. In this episode of Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson sits down with Linda Walker, WWF’s senior director of corporate engagement for forests, to explore the urgent threats to global forests and the role of business in helping reverse current trends. [Watch the interview on You Tube or read full transcript in story link]

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