Canada’s wildfire seasons are growing longer, larger and more destructive, according to a six-decade analysis of fire records by the federal government’s Canadian Forest Service. The study shows the trend isn’t being driven by more frequent fires but by a smaller number of increasingly large wildfires that are burning more land than in the past, reinforcing a trend federal scientists first identified years ago. In 2019, fire scientists with Natural Resources Canada published a study that suggested wildfire activity across the country had increased steadily since the mid-20th century, driven by rising temperatures and longer fire seasons. …The research found that the area burned from wildfires continues to rise across nearly all Canadian eco-zones, even in the Pacific Northwest and Atlantic Canada regions. Both were once considered lower risk because of wetter conditions but are now showing flat or increasing fire trends.
It’s pretty bold to make the theme of this year’s BC Natural Resources Forum “momentum for continued growth.” What growth are we continuing? We’ve lost a bunch more mills here in the north and the industry is on the ropes with Donald Trump’s tariffs. If anything the momentum has been in the opposite direction. The momentum is heading towards catastrophic decline. At least with forestry. And we can’t let that happen. We need the pulp mills in Prince George and we need our forest industry. …We need to rethink what we are doing and find a way to do things better — and cheaper. …One direction we can move in is we start thinning the plantations close to town. …Unfortunately, BC Timber Sales is not committed to this idea. …As far as anyone can tell, they believe thinning will reduce the Annual Allowable Cut.
Federal forest managers left vast stretches of beetle-killed pine standing in Jasper National Park, a failure that became a key driver of the catastrophic 2024 wildfire that destroyed roughly a third of the town, according to a Canadian Forest Service report that contradicts cabinet’s climate-change narrative. The analysis says a severe Mountain Pine Beetle infestation peaked about seven years before the fire, leaving behind extensive dead lodgepole pine that dramatically worsened fire behavior. …Blacklock’s Reporter says the Forest Service document, Jasper wildfire complex 2024 fire behaviour documentation, reconstruction and analysis, concludes that dead pine from beetle mortality formed a major part of the fuel load. Tree death altered forest structure, accelerated the drying of surface fuels, and created an abundance of dry, woody material that sharply increased fuel consumption and fire intensity. Internal reports and Access to Information records show Parks Canada was slow for years to remove dead pine through cutting or prescribed burns.
A broad coalition of forestry workers, community leaders and industry representatives has organized a petition asking the public to support their push for the provincial government to take immediate action to address the current challenges faced by an ailing forest industry. The group has launched a new province-wide platform called Forestry Is a Solution to ask British Columbians to show their support for forestry workers and their families. …The campaign has identified as its top priority that the provincial government expedite permits and project approvals to speed up access to economic fibre. It also seeks to improve the competitiveness of BC’s forest industry by reducing administrative barriers and regulatory burdens. The coalition says it’s time to fix BC Timber Sales and its policies to ensure a reliable and competitive supply of logs for mills and secondary manufacturing.
STRATHCONA COUNTY, AB – Project Forest has partnered with Keyera and Strathcona County to establish the Keyera Legacy Forest. This forest restoration initiative is focused on restoring wildfire-impacted land and supporting community biodiversity in Alberta’s industrial Heartland. Located in Strathcona County, northeast of Fort Saskatchewan, the project will restore over 95 acres of ecologically degraded land. Strathcona County will use a Conservation Easement to ensure permanence and create a “green island” within Alberta’s Industrial Heartland. …The Keyera Legacy Forest is a unique example demonstrating how restoration and industry can coexist, delivering long-term community and ecological benefits. This is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to responsibly restore designated industrial land. This project represents a voluntary commitment by Keyera to invest in long-term environmental stewardship, guided by values rather than obligation.
Government is postponing the introduction of proposed amendments to the Heritage Conservation Act that had originally been anticipated for spring 2026. This decision reflects the need to continue engagement to gather and incorporate additional feedback from industry, local governments and First Nations. Input received to date has confirmed the importance of streamlining the permitting for major projects on Crown land and private residential projects, ensuring quicker community rebuilds following a disaster, and better protecting heritage and significant First Nations cultural sites. The Ministry of Forests will continue to engage with industry, project proponents, First Nations, local governments and other interested parties. Specifically, the Province will be inviting industry partners to a cross-sector meeting in the coming weeks to discuss the permitting process, and will continue to welcome feedback as the work progresses.
Together, we have served as US Forest Service chiefs for both Republican and Democratic administrations. We know that forest management decisions never come without debate, opinions and — more often than not — disagreement. Each of us has had to strike the difficult balance between leaving some forests intact, while sustainably using others to benefit communities and economies. But regardless of who is in the White House, one thing has always remained true: Americans value their national forests, and they want to see them protected for the benefits they provide us, like clean air, water, abundant recreation opportunities and sustainable economies. …The current administration needs to know: Repealing the Roadless Area Conservation Rule would not be in the long-term interest of the American people, the National Forests or the communities they serve. Each of us has been faced with tough decisions. Keeping backcountry and healthy forests free of unnecessary roads was never one of them.
Drax launched its Biomass Tracker, a new digital tool that provides greater visibility into the journey our woody biomass takes through the company’s global supply chain. The interactive tool shows the countries and states where Drax sources its biomass, the types of fibre used in Drax’s own woody biomass, how it is transported, and the carbon associated with each stage of its journey to Drax Power Station or to third-party customers. It also includes data on independent sustainability certifications, helping to strengthen accountability across the sector. The Biomass Tracker uses quarterly real-world data presented through an interactive Sankey diagram, allowing users to explore each stage of the supply chain from fibre origin (for Drax-own pellets), pelletising to transport, storage and use. …The tool is available to access on 
U.S. forests have stored more carbon in the past two decades than at any time in the last century, an increase attributable to a mix of natural factors and human activity. To unravel the cause behind this spike, researchers used nationwide forest data to examine how six environmental factors may have contributed to the increase in carbon sequestered by forests. They found that natural forces such as increasing temperatures, shifting precipitation, and carbon fertilization are among the largest contributors to carbon gains, but human drivers, like letting forests get older and planting trees, are also becoming bigger factors. …this new analysis aims to help researchers better separate what portion of carbon held by forests is related to human action and which portion isn’t. …This work highlights the vast difference in the amount of carbon forests can absorb naturally versus when they are actively managed. 
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources aerially surveyed more than 13.5 million acres last year, checking for forest damage across the state’s forestland. Its findings are included in the recently released 2025 Forest Health Annual Report. Brian Schwingle, forest health program coordinator, said the annual survey and report is important because it tracks trends and reveals what is impacting trees, allowing the managers to make decisions for healthier, more resilient forests. “The two biggest tree health stories in 2025 in Minnesota were the derecho, the big blowdown in Bemidji, and the three big wildfires in northeast Minnesota in May,” he said, noting prior spruce budworm damage helped fuel the fires. In July, a derecho damaged 11,600 acres in and around Bemidji. Derecho, a Spanish word for straight, is a widespread, straight-line windstorm associated with a band of fast-moving thunderstorms. They can leave serious damage in their wake.
BOGOTA, Colombia — Chile is reeling from one of its most serious wildfire emergencies in years. Deadly flames sweeping across central and southern parts of the South American country have turned large swaths of forest and towns to ash. Fire scientists say the blazes are being driven not only by extreme heat, drought and wind, but also by how human-shaped landscapes interact with changing climates — a lethal mix that makes fires harder to control. …The fires have razed forests, farmland and hundreds of homes. …What distinguishes Chile’s current fire season isn’t an unusual surge in the number of fires, but the amount of land they are burning. …Miguel Castillo, at the University of Chile… “almost tripling the amount of affected area,” even though the number of fires so far is “within normal margins.” That means fewer ignitions are causing far greater damage — a pattern increasingly seen in extreme wildfire seasons around the world.
Mexico’s National Forestry Commission has issued the 2026 Rules of Operation for its Sustainable Forestry Development for Wellbeing Program, establishing requirements to access federal funding. The rules guidelines governing the allocation of public resources to strengthen sustainable forest development across Mexico. The program is structured around six support components: community forest management and sustainable value chains; commercial and agroforestry plantations; forest restoration; environmental services; forest protection; and capacity building and local development. Through these components, financial support will be provided to ejidos, Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities, women-led forestry enterprises, and landowners of forested and preferentially forested land. Eligible projects include sustainable forest management, forest and agroforestry plantations, ecosystem restoration, conservation of environmental services, and protection against wildfires, pests, and diseases. Support also covers training and research activities, with a cross-cutting gender approach designed to strengthen women’s participation—particularly Indigenous and Afro-Mexican women—in decision-making and forestry value chains.
Negotiations between the European Commission, European Council, and European Parliament, often referred to as the “trilogue”, have reached a significant conclusion regarding the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). On December 4, 2025, an agreement was reached, which promises to ease the administrative burden on the timber industry across Europe. This marks an important milestone, with changes that significantly affect the way the sector will handle the regulation moving forward. The EUDR, designed to combat global deforestation, will now come into effect in January 2027, offering a twelve-month delay for businesses to adjust. One of the most crucial changes in the reform is the elimination of the complex process requiring the forwarding of reference numbers throughout the entire supply chain. This has been hailed as a victory by many industry leaders, including Dr. Erlfried Taurer, Chairman of the Austrian Timber Industry Association.