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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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.
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. 
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.
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. 
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.”
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:
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh 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.
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.
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.
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. 
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.
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. 
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.