CALGARY — The Indigenous Resource Network, a non-partisan platform for Indigenous workers and business owners involved in resource development, commissioned a poll to gauge Indigenous support for forestry and other resource development activities. 510 self-identified First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons across Canada were interviewed. The poll found strong Indigenous support for forestry activities, with about twice as many Indigenous peoples indicating they support (62%), rather than oppose (33%), that activity. It also showed a high level of forestry activity in Indigenous territories. Over half of respondents (58%) said they knew of a current forestry project proposed or underway in or near their community. Indigenous support for forestry was higher than for other resource development activities such as oil & gas and mining, although majorities supported those activities as well. The respondents were optimistic about their community’s capacity to benefit from forestry.
WASHINGTON and OTTAWA — The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced seven conservation grants today that will build on SFI’s commitment to conservation research and increase knowledge about the conservation benefits associated with forests influenced by the SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard and the SFI 2022 Fiber Sourcing Standard. The grants reflect the priorities of SFI’s innovative Conservation Impact Project, which advances understanding of climate change, biodiversity, and water in sustainably managed forests. The grants also highlight the key role that SFI-certified organizations and other members of the SFI network play in collaborating on conservation projects.
The United Nations (UN) has declared March 21 as International Day of Forests. Here are eight reasons why forests are important for our economy, our planet, and society at large. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) – forests cover 31% of the planet’s land surface, store an estimated 296 gigatonnes of carbon, and are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Forests provide the world with roughly 40% of the current global renewable energy supply, more than solar, hydroelectric, or wind power. With nearly 40% of our country blanketed by trees, Canada’s forests are one of the world’s most sustainable providers of renewable, reusable, and recyclable forest-based products and materials. Sustainably managed forests in Canada, and the renewable products they provide, are vital to helping us meet the UN’s 
KAMLOOPS, B.C. — The director of provincial operations for BC’s wildfire service says the province needs a “holistic,” large-scale program to reduce wildfire risk, starting in backyards, moving to communities then extending to forested lands. Cliff Chapman says planning is underway to decide how new funding will be used to increase the service’s capacity, while it partners with the forest industry, B.C. Cattlemen’s Association, First Nations, communities and other stakeholders. B.C.’s budget released last month allocated $145 million over three years for Emergency Management BC and the BC Wildfire Service to kick-start the province’s transition to a more “proactive approach” to wildfire preparedness and response. The funding will be used to help the wildfire service increase its permanent, year-round staffing, allowing it to focus on every aspect of emergency management for wildfires, including prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
FREDERICTON, NB
Invasive insects are a worldwide scourge. Now, they could be coming to a tree near you — and that could have profound implications for urban areas. An international group of researchers warns that by 2050, 1.4 million street trees will die because of the infestations, wiping out beloved species such as the ash. In research published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, the scientists drew on data from hundreds of U.S. communities to forecast invasive insects’ effects. Rather than focus on all urban trees, they homed in on the best-tracked trees: those planted alongside roads. These street trees shape cities. But the researchers project that some will be more affected than others, with less than a quarter of the nation experiencing 95 percent of the losses. …Travel, trade and shortsighted planting all put street trees at risk. 
We are living climate change, fully immersed in the future that, until recently, we were only talking about. In 2020, the routine continued for the fourth straight year—fires handily set a new California record for charred acreage, alternately coloring the world orange, sepia, and, as one writer for The New York Times put it. One Wednesday in September, San Francisco went red, like a city under a darkroom light. Equivocation is gone from the media accounts and scientific discussions; the drought-baked landscape and fires that rip through it are results of a changing planetary reality. …But to meet the climate challenge, we have to accomplish one other essential task: Save the world’s biggest forests. The planet is a linked physical-biological system in which large wooded expanses keep both local and global conditions stable and livable. …If we lose too many trees, everything changes.
Forest products exist in a global marketplace. Many manufacturers in the U.S. import specialized products from other countries to produce their finished products. Russian-Baltic birch plywood is one of those products because it can be peeled into very thin veneer and layered thick with glue to add strength and stability into American-made cabinetry, flooring and more. According to U.S. Census Bureau Trade Data, the U.S. imported around 400 MMBF of forest products from Russia in 2021 to meet this need, an increase of 104% over 2020 imports. …More broadly, U.S. and China import 50% of the world’s traded softwood lumber. …But, public lands in the U.S. have great potential to meet these needs. Oregon is the No. 1 supplier of softwood lumber in the nation and federal lands in the Pacific Northwest could be providing much more of this supply to the market.
MONTANA — The International Day of Forests on March 21 reminds us what we love about Montana — our rich treasury of public lands — and, in these heated times, the role of old and mature forests in battling climate change. One such forest exists in the farthest corner (Black Ram) of northwest Montana, in the Yaak Valley, on the Kootenai National Forest. At Black Ram, ancient larch — 600-800 years and still going strong — preside over a rich diversity of old growth spruce as well as cedar, hemlock, and subalpine fir. …And yet Black Ram is caught in the crosshairs. A “forest resilience” proposal created by Trump’s directive to the U.S. Forest Service would increase logging volume by 40%. …Despite the Biden administration’s stated commitment to address climate change, Black Ram remains the central proposal in a logging campaign.
MONTANA — We’re legendary for our iconic, forested mountaintop vistas. However, aging amenities at well-loved recreational areas, overused and overgrown trails, a changing climate and landscapes charred by larger and more severe wildfires have all contributed to our forests and rangelands being out of balance. The Agency’s new 10-Year Wildfire Crisis Strategy is a shared road map for change. More than six million acres of Montana’s public lands and watersheds are in desperate need of our collective help to reduce the risks of catastrophic wildfire and support the quality of life Montanans value. …Right up against these public and private forests and rangelands we have highly concentrated clusters of homes and businesses. These developments, without proactive measures to protect them, are at risk of tragic losses.
As urban settlements grow and big cities turn into concrete jungles, Turkey adheres to its longstanding policy of increasing the size of forests. Forestation efforts gained new momentum in recent years with the country devoting 
2021 was the second-worst wildfire season in the European Union since 2000, when the European Forest Fire Information System EFFIS records began. Damages in 2021 were only surpassed by those in 2017, when over 1 million hectares (ha) burned in the EU. The report finds that large and extreme fires affected many countries, especially in the Mediterranean Basin and warns about the current dangerous conditions that can fuel wildfires. In 2021, fires were observed in 39 countries, burning 1,113,464 ha as mapped by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). Turkey was most affected by wildfires in 2021, which alone accounted for 206,013 ha burnt from a large number of massive fires. It was followed by Italy, with 159,537 ha – nearly four times the average of the last 13 years – and Algeria with 134,273 ha. … different categories of forests together accounted for 28% of the total burnt area. 
Germany’s Sawmilling and Timber Industry Association (DeSH) has called for the strengthening of local raw wood material supply chains and secure energy supplies against the background of the Ukraine conflict. In a statement, DeSH says Germany faces major challenges in the coming months and years against the background of the Ukraine conflict, with the country’s diverse dependencies on fossil and imported resources, especially in the energy sector. “The interruption of supply chains and production not only has serious consequences for the work and livelihood of many people, but also for the transport of goods of all kinds and the secure supply of heat and electricity,” it said. “At the same time, climate change [issue] is progressing and requires a consistent shift towards sustainable and renewable materials in all areas of life.” DeSH says wood can make a “significant contribution” to overcoming these challenges.
Efforts to protect threatened species will be undermined and it will be easier to log native forests if proposed changes to Victoria’s forestry laws are approved, environment groups have warned. The state government says the legal changes will make the regulations clearer, and provide guidance for the logging industry. A coalition of more than a dozen environment groups, including the Victorian Forest Alliance, have written to Minister for Environment Lily D’Ambrosio, expressing “grave concern” over proposed changes to forestry codes of practice, and amendments to the Conservation, Forests and Lands Act. …The Victorian Government says the amended legislation does not change any existing rules or environmental standards, or give the minister the power to alter the code of practice in any new ways.
