Category Archives: Forestry

Forestry

Registration Open: CIF 2025 National Conference & AGM

Canadian Institute of Forestry
May 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

This multi-day Conference, Finding Opportunity in Complexity, will explore the interconnected dimensions of climate change, forest fire management, biodiversity conservation, Indigenous forest stewardship, socio-economic considerations, and the evolving forest industry. From October 5-8, 2025, you can experience beautiful Binesii-wiikwedong (Thunder Bay), on the shore of Anishinaabewi-gichigami (Lake Superior) and the surrounding area. The boreal forests of the “Lakehead”, the traditional territory of Fort William First Nation, have provided a cultural and spiritual foundation for Indigenous Peoples for generations, along with a diverse suite of ecosystem services. Over time the area’s forests have also become a source of economic prosperity, making the region a hub of forest management, scientific inquiry, and policy development. Join us as we transform the challenges of complexity into opportunities by considering the history of forest management, celebrating the contributions and diverse perspectives of our peers, and looking toward resilient and healthy future forests.

Read More

CIF Annual Awards Program – Nomination Close May 15!

Canadian Institute of Forestry
May 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Each year the Canadian Institute of Forestry presents a number of Awards in recognition of outstanding and unique accomplishments to forestry in Canada. Recipients may earn distinction through demonstration of exceptional accomplishments in the field of forestry. The nomination deadline for all National Awards is May 15th, 2025. More than ten awards are open for nominations, including: The Canadian Forestry Achievement Award; the Canadian Forestry Scientific Achievement Award; the Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Award; the Presidential Award; and the Forest Capital of Canada Designation. Who will you put forward for recognition?

Read More

Sustaining Canada’s Forests: A Model for Responsible Management

By Kate Lindsay, Etienne Bélanger, and Darren Sleep
LinkedIn & the Hill Times
May 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Forests are fundamental to Canadians. As “hewers of wood and drawers of water,” forests are as much a part of Canadian DNA as hockey sticks and maple syrup. …Canada harvests a relatively small portion – less than 0.5% – of its forests annually, adhering to sustainable practices. Every hectare harvested is carefully managed to ensure full regeneration, maintaining ecosystems and biodiversity while continuing to support the communities and livelihoods that depend on them. Harvesting takes years of meticulous planning. In fact, before a single tree is cut, forestry companies study and analyze the forest ecosystems before developing and presenting the government and the public with 100 to 200-year plans, repeating the process every ten years with improved information. [The Hill Times requires a subscription for full access to this story]

Read More

Forest Stewardship Council News & Views

Forest Stewardship Council Canada
May 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

The May News & Views includes the following headlines: 

  • 5 Things to Know About OECMs in Canadian Forests
  • Public Consultation of FSC-STD-50-001: Requirements for Use of FSC® Trademarks by Certificate Holders
  • Join FSC for webinars on the FSC Principles, Criteria, and Indicators revision
  • New podcast episode out: Demystifying FSC Chain of Custody audits
  • FSC North America at the International Mass Timber Conference

Read More

Telkwa Caribou Road Restoration project gets funding

By Marisca Bakker
Houston Today
May 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Telkwa Caribou Road Restoration project has received a commitment of $278,257 over three years from the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation. This project will benefit the Telkwa caribou herd through the reclamation of approximately 100 kilometres of road that will according to the project, reduce interactions of caribou with predators, increase habitat availability and access for predators to alternative prey, and increase intact caribou habitat (mature, old-growth forest) into the future. Senior conservation planning biologist Laura Greene said the Telkwa caribou herd has been a conservation concern since the late 1960s. Increasing landscape change, such as logging, road-building, human settlement, etc., is what has driven the decline of the Telkwa caribou, Greene explained. Habitat alteration can result in the direct loss of habitat for caribou, a decrease in habitat quality, and/or a shift in the predator-prey dynamics, resulting in more caribou being killed by predators.

Read More

Alberta Newsprint, West Fraser share 2025 forestry plans with Whitecourt region residents

By Brad Quarin
The Whitecourt Star
May 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

James Norman

Representatives of the Alberta Newsprint Company (ANC) and West Fraser and Blue Ridge Lumber met locals during joint open houses in early May. The open houses were held in Whitecourt, Edson, Fox Creek and Swan Hills so region residents could learn about forestry operations plans for this year. “Plans are pretty much business as usual,” said James Norman, ANC fibre supply superintendent on Tuesday evening. “We’re cutting about the same amount we’ve cut in the last few years, about 400,000 cubic metres a year.” The purpose of the open houses from May 5 to 8 was for locals to see plans for harvesting, road development, reforestation and herbicide treatment, according to ANC. …Meanwhile, West Fraser stated that “Blue Ridge Lumber plans to layout roughly 1.1 million cubic m of timber.” West Fraser handouts stated the company plans to plant approximately eight million lodgepole pine, white spruce and black spruceseedlings in 2025, from mid-May to late July.

Read More

Okanagan Forest Task Force founder uses thermal imaging drone to help prevent wildfires

By Rob Gibson
Castanet
May 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

When Kane Blake, founder of the Okanagan Forest Task Force, isn’t busy cleaning up the backcountry he uses a night drone looking for unattended campfires. Blake has spotted and doused hundreds of fires. “My truck has big water tanks on it. When it gets dry and we’re doing cleanups, dragging cars and heavy things across rocks — I want our group to be safe — I don’t want to be the group that started a fire,” Blake said. He uses a drone with thermal imaging to spot fires and he’s even able to see people light up with the technology. …According to the BC Wildfire Service, anyone found in contravention of an open fire prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail.

Read More

From Langford to Leadership: Honourable Ravi Parmar’s Journey in B.C. Politics

By Chief Dallas Smith
Rez Dog Walkers
May 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Join us live from Penticton as we dive into an engaging conversation with the Honourable Ravi Parmar, the Minister of Forests! In this episode, we explore the exciting changes happening in British Columbia’s forestry sector, including the recent timber review and the ongoing softwood lumber issues. Ravi shares his journey from a young political enthusiast to a minister, reflecting on his experiences with mentors like John Horgan and the importance of building relationships across party lines. We discuss the challenges and opportunities in forestry, the significance of reconciliation, and how First Nations are taking a leading role in resource management. Tune in for insights on the future of forestry in B.C., the importance of community engagement, and the collaborative efforts needed to ensure a sustainable and inclusive approach to resource management. Whether you’re a forestry professional, a community member, or just curious about the political landscape, this episode is for you.

Read More

Sundre council adds voice to forestry advocacy

By Simon Ducatel
The Albertan
May 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Forrest Battjes

SUNDRE – The Town of Sundre’s council has agreed to add its voice in support of the forest sector’s advocacy in the face of U.S. tariff threats as well as what the industry considers regulatory hurdles at home. Forrest Battjes, a forestry educator with the Alberta Forest Products Association, presented to council on April 7 during a regular meeting. The association represents companies across the province from High Level down to Crowsnest Pass including operations ranging from pulp and bio-energy to engineered wood products. The sector reportedly supports approximately 30,000 jobs across Alberta and in some communities like Sundre, home to West Fraser ­– Sundre Forest Products, is among the largest local employers. Battjes discussed trade barriers in Alberta’s industry as a whole as well as some proposed solutions to face the challenges. “The stakes are high right now for our industry,” said Battjes.

Read More

Mosaic Seeks Public Input on Responsible Recreation

Mosaic Forest Management
May 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

A survey launched by Mosaic Forest Management on May 1st seeks to gather public input on a range of topics related to responsible recreation including illegal dumping, wildfire risks, impacts on wildlife, and gates. Mosaic welcomes responses from those who have camped, cut firewood, or recreated on Mosaic managed land located on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, and from those who may have never done so but have thoughts on outdoor recreation. The eight-minute online survey is open until May 23. Afterward, Mosaic will compile its findings and report back on what the public had to say. “This survey will guide Mosaic’s commitment to responsible forest stewardship—balancing public recreation with environmental protection,” said Steve Mjaaland, Manager of Forest Protection at Mosaic. For anyone interested in sharing their take on responsible recreation, gates and all, visit MosaicForests.com/Survey from now until May 23.

Read More

Students learn to lead on the land in ground-breaking university program

By Sonal Gupta
National Observer
May 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Garry Merkel

Canada’s first Indigenous land stewardship degree puts Indigenous law, governance and connection to land at the heart of environmental education. Hayley Toderian, 29, waited two years to enrol. Now, she’s part of the inaugural class in a groundbreaking undergraduate program at the University of British Columbia, the first of its kind. The four-year degree was created in response to growing recognition of the need for Indigenous-led approaches to land management and environmental challenges, land reclamation and environmental policy. …The program, housed within UBC Forestry, goes beyond ecological practices to include the political, legal and ethical frameworks of Indigenous land stewardship. …Garry Merkel, a Tahltan forester and the director of the Centre for Indigenous Land Stewardship at UBC Forestry, said students explore Indigenous systems of land tenure, resource allocation and dispute resolution — frameworks developed and maintained by communities over centuries.

Read More

Forests taking longer to recover from severe ‘megafires’ since 2010

By Orla Dwyer
Carbon Brief
May 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The research, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, finds a “significant increase” in the severity of forest fires from 2001-10 to 2010-21 – especially in western North America, parts of Siberia and south-eastern Australia. It also finds that recovery from large fires has become “more difficult” for forests in recent years, particularly in the boreal forests of the far-northern latitudes.  Furthermore, fewer than one-third of all forests studied recovered successfully within seven years of a “megafire” – a broad term used to refer to extreme fires. A “surprising discovery” was that fire severity had the largest impact on forest recovery – even more than climate change, one of the study authors tells Carbon Brief. One researcher, who was not involved in the study, notes that the findings are “expected, but not previously reported on such a large scale”.

Read More

Walk the Vanier Nature Park Garry Oak Restoration Project

Comox Valley Record
May 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Comox Valley Naturalists (CVN) invites the public to a forest of knowledge and a natural urban adventure on Saturday May 17 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. A series of one hour guided walks will take place in the City of Courtenay Vanier Nature Park off Vanier Drive, where a new Garry oak restoration project is underway. This project is being co-managed by CVN and the City of Courtenay. Choose between three walk times that each have a different leader who will share their expertise about Garry oak trees, forest ecosystems and the ongoing work in the park. This project has funding from CVN, the City of Courtenay and Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation.

Read More

FREE Mini Conference WildFire Risk Reduction for Golden and Area A

Golden and Area A Firesmart
May 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Join us for field site visits on May 13 and an action packed day. Guests are welcome to come to one, some or all of the events listed below!

12:30 to 1:15 PM — Meet at the Golden Civic Centre to Register for Field Site Options. Locations will showcase examples of wildfire risk reduction treatments. Speak to experts about the treatments, the challenges and outcomes.
3:00 to 6:00 PM — Open House Golden Civic Centre. Your local government Firesmart coordinators, Wildfire Risk Reduction practitioners and local businesses will showcase how they are helping to ready Golden and Area A in case of wildfire.
7:00 to 9:00 PM — Speaker’s Panel at the Golden Civic Centre. Landscape Ecologist, Paul Hessburg ; UBC’s Centre for Wildfire Coexistence, Jennifer Baron; Professional Forester Lindsay Hill, of Forsite Consultants; and Superintendent-Cultural and Prescribed Fire Program with the BC Wildfire Service, Fons Raedschelders.

For updates and information – Please visit the Golden and Area A, Community FireSmart Facebook Page

Read More

Calgary continues efforts to plant nearly a million trees, and better balance local canopy

By Andrew Jeffrey
CBC News
May 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

After a major influx of federal dollars last fall, Calgary’s efforts to plant more trees continues this spring. Since 2023, Calgary has planted 200,000 trees. Looking further ahead, Calgary, a city of roughly seven million trees, aims to nearly double its urban canopy coverage from 8.25%, as measured in 2022, to 16% by 2060. The local effort was bolstered by nearly $61 million from the federal government last fall. The funding is part of Canada’s 2 Billion Trees program, a national effort to improve urban spaces, provide cleaner air and help the country adapt to climate change. But where Calgary’s new trees will go is a pressing question surrounding this project. …Paul Atkinson, the city’s acting urban forestry lead, said Calgary targets areas with less trees per hectare of public land. Some areas need soil rehabilitation, which can be expensive, while other neighbourhoods weren’t developed with enough space for trees.

Read More

‘Leaders in the province’: Langford praised by B.C. forests minister at wildfire preparedness Saturday

By Liz Brown
Chek News
May 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Langford received recognition for its wildfire preparedness initiatives from B.C.’s minister of forests on Saturday, who attended the City’s Community Wildfire Preparedness Day. Community Wildfire Preparedness Day is an annual national campaign that focuses on wildfire preparedness initiatives at the community level, ahead of each year’s wildfire season. B.C.’s Minister of Forests, Ravi Parmar lives in the neighbourhood and was in Langford for the Thetis Heights event. …The day included FireSmart and BC Wildfire initiatives that focused on wildfire awareness, preparedness, education, safety and community resilience. …“We’re just seeing a glimpse this weekend of the impact the wildfires are having on communities right throughout the province,” said Parmar, referencing the wildfire that started in Northern B.C.’s Hixon on Friday. …Across Canada, the Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a national campaign that encourages people to take actions that increase the resiliency of their home, neighbourhood and community to wildfires.

Read More

Help track Kitimat’s forest giants

By Quinn Bender
Northern Sentinel
May 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Towering trunks and thick canopies will be the focus of a new community initiative starting May 10, as Kitimat-area residents are invited to join volunteer-led hikes to explore and record some of the oldest trees in the Kitimat River valley. The Big Tree Quest begins with two guided hikes on May 10 and May 31… These free public events aim to teach simple techniques for measuring tree height, circumference and canopy — skills that allow participants to contribute entries to the UBC Big Tree Registry. …The UBC Big Tree Registry is a province-wide initiative to identify, document, monitor and protect the largest known trees of each species in British Columbia, while engaging the public in conservation efforts. Originally established in 1986 by the B.C. Forestry Association … the registry has changed hands several times before finding a permanent home in the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia in 2010.

Read More

New funding supports fight against BC’s invasive plants

By Ministry of Forests
The Province of BC
May 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

May is Invasive Species Action Month and 33 organizations throughout BC will be able to continue their work fighting invasive plants, due in part to a funding boost. …Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests said “No one person, group, agency or government can effectively control invasive plant species alone, and collaboration is critical to everyone’s success. The work these groups do is crucial in our fight to ensure BC’s environments remain healthy and vibrant.” …Nearly $3 million will go toward groups, such as regional invasive species committees, local governments, environmental groups, researchers and the Invasive Species Council of BC, to continue collaboration and support of invasive plant programs and management actions. …Gail Wallin, executive director, Invasive Species Council of British Columbia said, “Invasive plants are estimated to cost us over $2 billion in losses annually.”

Read More

Canada’s woodlands have a health problem, says report

By Matt Prokopchuk
Superior North News
May 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

THUNDER BAY — The health of Canada’s forests is an issue if the county is to meet its climate targets, according to a recent study. Co-authored by Julee Boan, partnership director for the Global Nature International Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, with Rachel Plotkin, the boreal project manager at the David Suzuki Foundation, the report Counting on Canada’s Commitments: To Halt and Reverse Forest Degradation by 2030, Canada Must First Admit It Has a Problem, makes the case that forest heath — not just size — must be prioritized. The incoming federal government needs to provide leadership in how forests are managed in Canada, particularly around establishing regulations to ensure that overall woodland health is prioritized, says the report. …The report focuses on “degradation” of forests (essentially meaning, what the researchers are arguing, is a decline in their health), rather than deforestation… “…the quality of the forests is being degraded…,” Plotkin said.

Read More

Innu Nations in northern Quebec want better protection of the woodland caribou

By Savanna Craig
APTN National News
May 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

©NRCan

Two Innu Nations in northern Quebec say they’re not satisfied with how the provincial government is handling protections for Woodland Caribou herds. Both Essipit and Mashteuiatsh Nations say they’re pushing for a legal resolution. “Quebec right now is not doing much and it doesn’t look good in the near future,” said Michael Ross, director of development and territory for Essipit First Nation. Ross said his community submitted new documents to the court on May 1 to request for a mediator to hold Quebec accountable and come to a resolution. Both parties have yet to come to a mutual agreement on how to protect the caribou. Ross said the woodland caribou population has been declining in Quebec since the late 1990s. …The Woodland Caribou, also known as the boreal caribou, has been listed as endangered in Canada since 2003, according to the federal government and has fewer than “34,000 individuals.”

Read More

How the EU deforestation law aggravates the trade dispute with the United States

The Financial Times in Bytes Europe
May 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, International

The EU has made little headway and an attempt to appease the US by delaying controversial import controls has fallen flat. The US forestry industry has accused the EU of erecting trade barriers by favouring its own industry under amended deforestation rules. The EU’s deforestation law, which will ban the import of products from sectors including rubber, cocoa, wood and paper if they come from deforested land, should have come into force last year. Under pressure from the bloc’s trading partners it was delayed until the end of the year. Despite this respite, the nine biggest US forest product organisations accused the EU of setting “severe” compliance challenges, opening a new front in the growing transatlantic trade conflict. The EU has categorised the US — and all its own members — as “low risk”. Heidi Brock, head of AF&PA, said the law amounted to a “non-trade tariff barrier” for US paper and wood products.

Read More

US Department of Agriculture Acts to Boost Timber Production, Reduce Wildfire Risk

US Department of Agriculture
May 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced $23 million in grants to support transporting hazardous fuels – such as dead or downed trees – from national forests to processing facilities. Through the USDA Forest Service’s Hazardous Fuels Transportation Program, these grants will reduce the hazardous fuels that pose wildfire threats to communities, critical infrastructure and recreation areas. “President Trump has directed his cabinet to unleash domestic production of our natural resources, including timber. Our nation is blessed with an abundance of resources and there is no reason we cannot responsibly harvest and use these products right here at home. Investments like these are delivering on our commitment to protect communities, make forests healthier and more resilient,” said Secretary Rollins. “Removing hazardous fuels not only reduces wildfire risk but also creates opportunities for businesses and workers in the wood products industry. These grants also reflect the Forest Service’s dedication to active forest management…”

Read More

Bill intends to boost Oregon’s ‘dual credit’ farm and forestry classes

By Mateusz Perkowski
Capital Press
May 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Oregon lawmakers appear likely to pass a bill that encourages college-credit agriculture and forestry classes in high schools, though some have doubts about its effectiveness. Senate Bill 784 would require the development of statewide standards for “dual credit” courses in these subjects, which is intended to make such classes more widely available, especially in rural areas. “Many students are eager to pursue careers in agriculture, forestry and natural resources but they need exposure and seamless pathways to higher education and industry jobs,” said Sen. Todd Nash, R-Enterprise, the bill’s chief co-sponsor. …More than 7,400 students are enrolled in natural resource programs at Oregon’s universities, showing there’s a demand for such education, so SB 784 would be a “smart investment” in the state’s future workforce, said Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, the bill’s chief co-sponsor.

Read More

Washington state forests are too complex for ‘cut or don’t cut’ thinking

By Scott Freeman, Jefferson Timber Cooperative
The Seattle Times
May 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

SEATTLE — Recent controversy over the management of Washington’s older state-owned forests has been dominated by an either/or framework: Either we clear-cut these tracts or prevent any harvest at all. Cut it all now or don’t cut any, ever? The human brain loves to dichotomize, but this type of either/or thinking doesn’t work in the woods. Ecologically, economically and culturally, our forests are too complex. Ecologically, climate change is altering our forests rapidly and radically. …Economically, rural areas in Washington state are a microcosm of a pattern that is global in scope. …Cultural values need to be considered as well. …We have to implement a broad array of management models and tools. Instead of re-fighting the 1980s War in the Woods and practicing lawsuit-driven forestry, we need to create flexible, forward-looking practices that will support the health of our forests and rural communities in a time of rapid change.

Read More

Alaska State Forestry & Fire Department partner to reduce risk of wildfire

By Isabelle Crow
Fire and Safety Journal Americas
May 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DOF) is working with the Anchorage Fire Department (AFD) Wildfire Division to implement a shaded “fuel break” in the Anchorage Hillside area extending from Hilltop Ski Area Road to Prospect Drive. Known as the East-West Connector, this project was scheduled to begin May 5 and represents a renewed effort to reduce wildfire risk through coordinated mitigation work across the Municipality of Anchorage. Wildfire Division Chief, Anchorage Fire Department, Jon Glover shared this statement: “The collaboration between the State of Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection and the Anchorage Fire Department on the East-West Connector shaded fuel break represents exactly the kind of partnership our community needs. This project is more than a line on a map, it’s a commitment to proactive wildfire mitigation and public safety. Together, we’re building resilience and delivering long-term value to the residents we serve.”

Read More

Trump Budget Proposal Portends Deep Cuts to Public Lands

By Robert Chaney
The Mountain Journal
May 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Taking aim at “climate ideologies antithetical to the American way of life,” President Donald Trump’s proposed 2026 federal budget would reduce spending on public lands, shift some national park facilities and forest management to states, and consolidate federal wildland firefighting into a new service inside the Department of the Interior… If Congress approves the proposed budget, the cuts would go into effect on October 1, 2025, when the federal fiscal 2026 budget year begins… Trump’s budget recommends $4.7 billion in cuts department-wide, including $1.4 billion from Forest Service activities and research… “The President has pledged to manage national forests for their intended purpose of producing timber,” the letter states, but it reduces Forest Service salaries by $342 million, eliminates the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program’s $50 million allocation, and reduces “funding for recreation, vegetation and watershed management, and land management regulation.” It also recommends “transferring smaller, lesser visited parks to State and tribal governments.”

Read More

Alaskans fight to save timber industry

By Pedro Gonzalez
Must Read Alaska
May 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was perhaps the last of the great pianist-composers whose line stretched back to Mozart and Beethoven. The kind of musician whose craft demanded instruments of commensurate quality, the world’s finest pianos: Steinway & Sons. Rachmaninoff called them “perfect in every way.” Part of that perfection was owed to the uniquely excellent acoustic qualities of the Sitka spruce used to build the soundboards. But not just any tree will do. To achieve its trademark warm, rich tone, Steinway requires spruce sourced from Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, which is today supplied exclusively by Viking Lumber. Located on Prince of Wales Island, it is one of the last sawmills standing in the state and the only one in the U.S. capable of meeting Steinway’s needs. Now, Viking is threatened with extinction by the caprice of the U.S. Forest and Wildlife Service.

Read More

Oregon Board of Forestry discusses state forester recruitment

By Will Chappell
Cannon Beach Gazette
May 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Oregon’s Board of Forestry met on April 23, in Salem, and began discussions about the process of recruiting a new state forester as well as desired attributes for candidates. Board members agreed that the search should be conducted in a way that kept candidates’ names private until the final stages to encourage a wider pool of applicants… The search … comes following the resignation of Cal Mukumoto from the position in January. …Board Chair Jim Kelly started the discussion after Stevens’s presentation and said that he was concerned about a public process dissuading qualified people from applying, noting that in the last search for a state forester in 2021, only seven applications had been received. Kelly said that he wanted to have a process where information was closely guarded by the board to promote a nationwide pool of applicants. Board Members Joe Justice and Brenda McComb both agreed with Kelly.

Read More

Whistleblower Sues Oregon Department of Forestry

By Nigel Jaquiss
Willamette Week
May 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

The embattled Oregon Department of Forestry faces a new whistleblower lawsuit in Marion County Circuit Court. Shauneen Scott, a 40-year state employee who most recently served as ODF’s human resources director, alleges in the April 18 lawsuit that she filed reports with the state about a variety of concerns about ODF management after joining the agency in 2024. After some of those concerns contributed to high-level departures, Scott’s lawsuit says, the department’s acting director, Kate Skinner, fired Scott in February 2025. She is seeking $800,000 in damages. The Oregon Department of Justice, which will defend the state against Scott’s lawsuit, does not comment on pending litigation.

Read More

Invasive emerald ash borer could wipe out Oregon’s ash trees. Here’s how you can help

By Cassandra Profita
Oregon Public Broadcasting
May 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

An invasive green beetle called the emerald ash borer arrived in the Midwest from Asia, and it’s killed over 100 million ash trees across the country since it was discovered in 2002. Now it’s killing ash trees in Oregon, which don’t have any defenses against this invader. “There’s nothing that can stop emerald ash borer from coming through. We can only slow it down,” said Wyatt Williams, an invasive species specialist for the Oregon Department of Forestry. So far, infestations have been found in Washington, Marion, Yamhill and Clackamas counties. …But experts say the beetle will eventually kill the vast majority of ash trees in Oregon, including native Oregon ash, which provides valuable shady streamside habitat for salmon and steelhead. …Gathering seeds from healthy ash trees is one thing people are doing in the face of this invasion — just in case any of those trees prove to have natural resistance to the emerald ash borer.

Read More

Warner & Kaine Introduce Bills to Protect Wilderness in Virginia

US Senator Mark R. Warner
May 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced two bills to protect wilderness in Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, and Bath counties. “We are lucky to have such beautiful natural resources in Virginia, and we need to do more to ensure that these lands are protected for future generations,” said the senators. “We’re proud to introduce this legislation to preserve wilderness in Rockingham, Augusta, Highland, and Bath counties, protect wildlife, and support local economies that depend on tourism and outdoor recreation.” These additions were recommended by the U.S. Forest Service in 2014 and endorsed by members of the George Washington National Forest Stakeholder Collaborative, a group of forest users who work together on acceptable locations in the George Washington National Forest for wilderness, timber harvest, trails, and other uses. In 2023, the tourism economy directly employed 7,562 people and generated $842.5 million in expenditures in [these areas].

Read More

Cultural burning by Indigenous peoples increased oak in forests near settlements

By Jeff Mulhollem
Penn State News
May 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A debate continues among scientists over whether tree composition in forests in eastern North American historically have been influenced more by climate or by cultural burning, which is the intentional and controlled use of fire by Indigenous people to manage their environment. A new study of southern New England forests … lends credence to the cultural burning hypothesis, suggesting that fire-tolerant vegetation — oak, hickory and pine — were significantly more abundant near Indigenous settlements over the last 5,000 years. “The results of this study strongly suggest that Native Americans extensively use fire and other disturbances such as land clearing for villages, agriculture and trails, and both directly and indirectly promoted fire-adapted trees,” said study co-author Marc Abrams, Penn State professor emeritus. “These trees were very important to the Native American diet because of the mast — nuts and acorns — they produced.”

Read More

Trump timber order spurs debate about Vermont’s woods

By Amanda Youngsman
Rutland Herald
May 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

When one of Vermont’s oldest lumber mills, run by the A. Johnson Company in Bristol, shut down its saws in 2023 after 117 years in business, it seemed like another sign of a waning timber industry. Now, a sweeping executive order from President Donald Trump has stirred fresh debate in the Green Mountain State over whether a surge in federal logging might revitalize local forest economies or imperil treasured woodlands. …Though it only makes up about 6-7% of Vermont’s total land area, it’s the state’s largest federal land holding and a key source of wood for local sawmills. …“There are lots of reasons why the Forest Service hasn’t been doing more harvesting but amongst them are the weaponization of the Endangered Species Act,” said Jack Bell, one of the cofounders of Long View Forest, a logging company in Hartland.

Additional coverage in the VT Digger by Greta Solsaa: Vermonters react to the Trump administration’s guidance for increased logging on national forests

Read More

Protect New Hampshire’s timber industry, North Country towns and taxpayers

By Tom Brady, Raymond Gorman and Robert Théberge – Coos County Commissioners
New Hampshire Union Leader
May 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

NEW HAMPSHIRE yield tax on timber, often called the “timber tax,” was established in 1949 and has been locally collected to offset property taxes ever since. …The yield tax on timber has been an essential tool for promoting conservation, helping the timber industry, and stabilizing municipal revenues in heavily timbered towns. …The legislation would, “…encourage conservation of the forest resources of [New Hampshire] by releasing growing wood and timber from the yearly burden of local property taxes and substituting a yield tax….” The timber tax has been very effective achieving these goals… The current policy strikes an excellent balance between industry and conservation. There is a new government-promoted industry threatening New Hampshire’s timber industry, loggers, timber processors, and heavily timbered towns that depend on timber tax revenues. Carbon credits.

Read More

With new techniques, landowners shape forests for maximum carbon storage

By Jan DeBlieu
The Maine Monitor
May 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Steve Tatko oversees land management and forestry operations for the Appalachian Mountain Club in Maine, including its timber management project in the 100-Mile Wilderness. Over the course of several years AMC has systematically restored the river’s channels, which were badly scoured by log drives before the Clean Water Act barred them in the early 1970s. The work included stabilizing shorelines and replacing culverts, all to repair the health of waters that serve as the Atlantic salmon’s most inland spawning grounds. The biological health of rivers and streams depends on the forests surrounding them, and much of AMC’s holdings were cut hard by previous owners. Those stands grew back so packed with small trees that few can thrive. “We’re cutting the junk now so long after I retire there will be good forests here,” Tatko said. New England Forestry Foundation is promoting building with wood products instead of concrete and steel, especially in cities. 

Read More

Another 1,000 acres of state forest considered ‘suitable’ for solar by Michigan DNR

By Sheri McWhirter
Michigan Live
May 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

GAYLORD, MI – State officials reviewed at least five sites across northern Michigan for possible solar energy buildout in what’s become a controversial effort to increase renewable energy by deforesting state land. Maps and other documents released to MLive under the state Freedom of Information Act show sites reviewed by officials include previously unknown areas in the Mackinaw and Pere Marquette state forests. Both those sites near Fife Lake and Mancelona were deemed ‘suitable’ to lease for solar panels in 2021, records show. …Released records show DNR officials reviewed 4,800 public acres across those five northern Michigan locations. All are either adjacent or in proximity to high-voltage transmission lines, considered a key factor for renewable energy development. …State officials said leasing 4,000 acres of public land statewide for solar energy is part of the DNR’s plan to increase revenues for the agency and accelerate Michigan toward its goal of 100% clean energy by 2040.

Read More

Government remains on track to ban full Farm-to-Forest conversions

By Honourable Todd McClay
The Government of New Zealand
May 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has confirmed that restrictions on full farm-to-forest conversions on LUC 1-6 farmland will be in place this year, and reaffirmed that they will take effect from 4 December 2024 – the date of the original announcement. Enabling legislation will be introduced to Parliament during Q2 of this year. “The Government is focused on maintaining strong food and fibre production while supporting sustainable land use. We remain concerned about the effect that farm conversions are having on highly productive land — particularly sheep and beef farms in Northland, the East Coast and parts of Otago and Southland,” Mr McClay says. The new rules, now progressing through Cabinet, will ensure balance and recognise the value of both forestry and farming, while providing certainty for our food producers.

Read More

Tech on the treetops: How AI can protect forests

TechXplore
May 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the newest tool in the arsenal to prevent the degradation and depletion of forests, with new research revealing how the technology can help protect the ecosystem. Charles Darwin University (CDU) researchers have collaborated on an international study, led by the University of Sri Lanka, to develop an AI model which detects changes in forest cover, or the amount of land surface covered by trees. According to the United Nations, between 2000 and 2022 there was a net forest area loss of 100 million hectares. Researchers took U-Net architecture—which is used for image segmentation often in biomedical image analysis—and adapted it to compare past and present pictures of the ecosystem and detect where forest loss has occurred. This custom model was fed a dataset of images from Google Earth and was able to detect forest cover changes with an accuracy of 94.37%.

Read More

Russia devastates ecology in Ukraine with strikes causing forest fires

By Vira Kravchuk
Euromaidan
May 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Forest fires caused by Russian military strikes and mine detonations engulfed 85 hectares in Kharkiv Oblast, damaging residential areas and prompting civilian evacuations near Izium city. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Ukraine has suffered over €72.9 billion in environmental damage from more than 7,000 recorded environmental crimes, according to Olha Yukhymchuk, Ukraine’s deputy minister of environmental protection. The ongoing destruction continues to devastate Ukraine’s natural ecosystems and wildlife. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the blazes started when Russian multiple rocket launch systems hit Borivka community in Izium district, while explosives left by retreating Russian forces continue to detonate within the burning forest.

Read More

Logging devastated Victoria’s native forests – and new research shows 20% has failed to grow back

By Australian National University researchers
The Conversation
May 1, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Following the end of native logging in Victoria on January 1 2024, the state’s majestic forests might be expected to regenerate and recover naturally. But our research shows that’s not always the case. We quantified the extent of regeneration following logging in the eucalypt forests of southeastern Australia between 1980 and 2019. This included nearly 42,000 hectares of logged mountain ash forest in Victoria’s Central Highlands. We analysed data … and discovered that nearly 20% (8,000 hectares) of logged areas failed to regenerate. …All that remains in these areas are grassy clearings, dense shrublands or bare soils. …Our research shows more needs to be done to restore Victoria’s forest after logging. …Our research shows the regeneration of forests after logging is not guaranteed. Nature often needs a helping hand. But we need to find ways to fund these projects. …leaving nature to its own devices would mean losing a fifth of the forests logged over the past 40 years. 

Read More