Category Archives: Forestry

Forestry

Leaders, Learners and Laggards Line up Conservation Report Cards for Canada are Out

By The Canadian Parks And Wilderness Society
Cision Newswire
March 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

OTTAWA, ON -The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWSCanada’s only charity dedicated to the protection of public land, freshwater and ocean) just-published a report ON THE PATH TO 2030: A Report Card on Progress to Protect Land and Ocean Across Canada to shed light on which provinces and territories are sitting at the head of the class, which need improvement, and who needs to sign up for summer school. “There’s never been a more important time for Governments, organizations and all Canadians to support conservation efforts across the country,” said Sandra Schwartz, National Executive Director of CPAWS. “With constant breaking news across North America, it’s easy for all stakeholders to get lost in the woods and drift from the important conservation work they have started. There’s nothing quite as fundamental to the Canadian identity as nature, and long-term funding is essential to make it happen.”  

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BC auditor general flags flaws in forest carbon accounting

By Rochelle Baker
National Observer
March 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Sheila Dodd

British Columbia’s carbon-accounting process to help make forestry decisions isn’t consistent or transparent, a new report by the province’s auditor general indicates. The BC Forests Ministry uses carbon projections to help determine how management decisions could affect the amount of carbon emissions the province’s forests store and release into the atmosphere. The audit focused on the ministry’s methods for carbon projections between April 2022 and December 2024 in three areas: the forest investments program, the allowable annual cut and forest landscape planning. The forest ministry failed to establish open and consistent methods to make carbon projections the report found. …However, at the end of 2024, the ministry did finalize an open and consistent plan for carbon projections to inform landscape planning, Dodd noted. …Gary Bull, with the UBC’s forestry department said… “In order to do carbon accounting you have to have some kind of consensus around the rules of the game,” he said. 

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Canadians want next government to prioritize climate change, poll finds

By Stefan Labbé
Business in Vancouver
March 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Two-thirds of Canadians agree the next federal government should prioritize action on climate change and protecting nature, a new poll has found.  The national poll was carried out by Leger on commission from the B.C.-based environmental group David Suzuki Foundation. A similar share of respondents supported Ottawa investing in renewable energy over fossil fuels. …The poll questioned a panel of 1,548 Canadian adults in an online survey. In a letter sent Tuesday to the leaders of all major federal political parties, the David Suzuki Foundation joined 13 environmental groups calling on the next government to provide tariff relief measures that don’t lead to the over-harvesting of Canadian forests. The letter also lobbies the next federal government to craft tariff relief measures that prioritize funding Canadian workers — not foreign-owned forestry corporations. …“Unsustainable logging practices in Canada put this key export market at risk,” the letter notes. “Canada must acknowledge and reform current industrial logging practices that degrade forest ecosystems.”

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International Day of Forests: Celebrating our roots, growing our future

By Kathy Abusow
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
March 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, International

Kathy Abusow

This year’s International Day of Forests is the perfect moment to recognize that sustainable forestry isn’t just a North American priority—it’s a global one. Forests provide clean air and water, store carbon, support biodiversity, and sustain economies. At the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), we believe that sustainable forests are critical to our collective future. In a time of growing uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to come together—and this spirit of partnership is at the heart of what we do at SFI. 2025 is SFI’s 30th anniversary — an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come and the progress that lies ahead. …We’ve grown into an organization that connects landowners, businesses, conservationists, educators, and Indigenous partners—all united by a shared commitment to forest-focused collaboration. Together, we are creating a world that values and benefits from sustainably managed forests, today and for generations to come.

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BC Wildfire Service has record application numbers ahead of wildfire season

By the Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
March 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Province is ramping up wildfire preparedness for 2025 by welcoming back experienced wildland firefighters and training a new wave of recruits, following a record number of applicants. Since October 2024, the BC Wildfire Service received more than 2,200 applications, the highest recorded number of applications ever received. This includes 578 in January alone, the largest number ever received in a single month. “I’m proud of everyone who put their name forward to join our team and grateful to all the wildland firefighters who continue to keep us safe year after year,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. …a series of enhancements were made in 2024 to strengthen pathways for participation in wildfire response, specifically for applicants in rural and remote communities. …A dedicated training and recruitment model for First Nations communities is expanding this spring…

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Island First Nations benefit from new forestry funding

By Grant Warkentin
My Cowichan Valley Now
March 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

More than $2.3 million in funding is coming to Vancouver Island to help First Nations and forestry businesses. Federal natural resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced the funding this week, saying it shows a commitment to defending and strengthening BC’s forestry sector. In total the federal government is funding 67 projects with $20 million across BC.

  • Gwa’sala ‘Nakwaxda’xw Strategic Forestry Development Project – Port Hardy: $100,000
  • Nuchatlaht Hahouthle Forestry Plan – Zeballos, BC: $50,000
  • Large Cultural Cedar Xwax’wana (Canoe) Carving and Forest Stewardship Revitalization project – Campbell River: $300,000
  • Homalco Jeh Jeh Tenures Management Leadership and Development Project – Campbell River: $382,100
  • The Use of Drones in Forestry – Port Alberni, BC: $413,960
  • Toquaht Forest Products Eco-Industrial Park – Phase I: Facilities Update and Integration – Ucluelet: $410,000
  • Cowichan Tribes Waste Fibre Recovery Business Planning – Duncan: $25,000
  • Freegro Tree Shelters – KDC – Dunan: $250,000
  • KFT Expansion and Launch of New Drought Mitigation Product Line – Duncan: $347,570

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Mission forestry stays profitable with challenges ahead

By Dillon White
The Mission City Record
March 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Mission’s forestry department nearly doubled its forecasted net profit for 2024. However, challenges could be on the horizon. Forestry director Chris Gruenwald presented a quarterly report to council on Monday (March 17) that also reviewed last year as a whole. Gruenwald’s report says the warmer winter weather and lack of snowfall are concerning as wildfire season approaches on April 1. “The department will work closely with our partners, including Mission Fire Rescue Service and BC Wildfire Service, to ensure we are well prepared for the 2025 wildfire season,” the report reads. Uncertainty around tariffs on softwood lumber that could negatively impact timber markets is also a major concern.

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Nearly half of landslides during B.C. disaster linked to logging, wildfire: study

By Brenna Owen
Canadian Press in Penticton Herald
March 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER – A study has found nearly half of the landslides, debris flows and washouts that occurred during British Columbia’s atmospheric river disaster in November 2021 originated in areas that had been logged or burned by wildfire. …The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, covered about 70,000 square kilometres in the region, examining 1,360 debris flows, landslides and bank erosion triggered by the storm. It found 17 per cent of those hazards originated within burned areas, while 14 per cent occurred at or below roads used by resource industries and an additional 15 per cent stemmed from logging cut blocks, for a total of 46 per cent. Representatives of B.C.’s Forest Ministry and Transportation Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the study’s findings.

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New Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre will be rooted in research and reconciliation

By Rochelle Baker
National Observer in the Penticton Herald
March 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Sustainability and cultural exchange will be the cornerstones of a new community hub in the heart of Vancouver Island’s Clayoquot Sound biosphere region. The Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Centre, rooted in Nuu-chah-nulth Nations’ values, will address ecosystem threats and promote a sustainable future, diversified economy and strong cultural traditions, said Rebecca Hurwitz, executive director of the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust. The centre — based around the nuučaanuł (Nuu-chah-nulth) principle of “Hishuk ish ts’awalk” meaning “we are all one and interconnected” — will be a three-story building that includes an Elders room, a kitchen, offices, shared community areas, research and education spaces, and an archives library, Hurwitz said. It will be built with low carbon techniques and materials and feature geothermal energy and rainwater collection, she added. The idea for the Tofino facility originated in 2014 when the ƛaʔuukʷiʔatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht Nation) invited the trust to locate the biosphere centre in their territory, Hurwitz said.

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B.C.’s Forests Minister says he will ‘fight like hell’ for jobs

By Wolf Depner
Victoria News
March 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Ravi Parmar

As B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar continues his tour of forest-dependent communities in southern B.C., he promised changes to the program that manages 20 per cent of the province’s allowable annual cut. The government announced in February a review of B.C. Timber Sales… “We are going to get the most value out of our timber, out of our logs, create more job opportunities and we are going to diversify as well,” Parmar said, speaking from Vernon March 17. Parmar had earlier visited the Gorman Brothers’ facilities in West Kelowna. …Parmar is also scheduled to stop in Kamloops, Barriere, Merritt and Clearwater. Parmar’s tour takes him through parts of the province largely held by MLAs part of the Conservative Party of B.C., including the riding of Ward Stamer, MLA for Kamloops – North Thompson. A logging contractor and former mayor of Barriere following his election to Victoria, Stamer currently shadows Parmar’s portfolio for his party.

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Forest Practices Board calls for stronger protections for cultural heritage sites

BC Forest Practices Board
March 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

FORT ST. JOHN – The Forest Practices Board has released its findings following a complaint from the Halfway River First Nation regarding grazing impacts on culturally significant sites and concerns about government enforcement to protect the Nation’s drinking water. In 2023, the Nation raised concerns about livestock damaging mineral licks and displacing wildlife within its territory in the Halfway River watershed. The board investigated two range agreement holders and the Ministry of Forests to assess compliance with legal requirements. Investigators examined records from 2013 to 2023 and found that government did not follow the law when it approved two range use plans. The agreement holders did meet requirements to protect riparian areas, but there were no enforceable requirements for safeguarding cultural heritage sites, such as mineral licks. …The board also found problems with how government investigated the Nation’s complaint about drinking water.

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Myths of the B.C. forest industry

Letter by Eli Pavnick and Janet Parkins, Climate Action Now!
Castanet
March 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Janet Parkins

Eli Pivnick

Successive B.C. governments have failed to seriously overhaul forestry policy. …A good example is the March 7 letter to Castanet by Brian LaPointe. LaPointe has worked in the forest industry continuously since 1973. His letter expresses many of the myths propagated by the forest industry. The industry has always said, echoed by Lapointe, that clear cuts mimic insect and disease infestations and wildfires. However, that is true only when a forest is regarded as a supply of timber. But forests are much more than that. …If clearcuts are so harmful, why are they the dominant form of logging? In a word, profit. Clear cutting means faster and bigger machinery can be used. So it is more efficient and cheaper. The downside is on jobs, tourism, wildlife, fires, floods, scenery, landslides, biodiversity and the climate. …In 20 years, clearcut logging will be recognized for the barbaric and destructive practice it is…

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Living with Fire: A Look into Ntityix’s Approach to Forest Management

The Forest Enhancement Society of B.C.
March 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

West Kelowna, B.C. – …Ntityix Resources LP (Ntityix), owned by Westbank First Nation (WFN) has undertaken extensive wildfire risk reduction work . They have achieved significant milestones in their ongoing efforts with support from the Ministry of Forests and the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC). …“Our government has all hands on deck to protect people, communities and forests, but we cannot do it alone. That’s why the work done by organizations like Ntityix is critical, especially in the Thompson Okanagan region where the wildfire risk is high. I thank them for doing their part in the fight against climate change and wildfires,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. …Ntityix has been at the forefront of wildfire risk reduction initiatives in the Thompson Okanagan region, leveraging cultural practices and traditional knowledge to enhance fuel modification zones and significantly contribute to long-term wildfire mitigation strategies.

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Courtenay air quality getting better thanks to local initiatives, report says

By Madeline Dunnet
Comox Valley Record
March 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Air quality in Courtenay is improving while pollution caused by wood stove smoke has been steadily decreasing over the past five years, according to a recent report presented to the City of Courtenay council. Wood is a common fuel source that is used to heat homes in the Comox Valley because it is relatively affordable, reliable and available. But wood stove smoke has also become the most significant source of air pollution in the region. According to the CVRD, a growing body of evidence gathered since 2008 shows that air quality in the area is concerning. There are high levels of fine particulate matter — a pollutant that can cause serious health problems — in the air and much of it is due to smoke.

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B.C. reminded of the bear necessities of safety as hibernation season ends

By Austin Kelly
Terrace Standard
March 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

As spring approaches flowers will bloom, leaves will come back to trees and hungry bears will be digging through your dumpsters. Angelika Langen the executive director and co-founder of Northern Lights Wildife Sanctuary says the best way to avoid bears at home is to make sure anything that might attract them, like dumpsters, are locked up because wherever they wander and wherever they roam, they’ll be looking for food. “They’re coming out of hibernation and they’re hungry, they will be looking for anything that provides them with as much calories as possible,” she said. Getting bear-proof garbage containers, avoiding leaving pet food outside and keeping gates to your property closed are ways to keep bears from being uninvited guests looking for a meal at your home.

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York University receives close to $400K from Natural Resources Canada to better understand planning needs of wildfire prone communities

York University
March 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Eric Kennedy

TORONTO – With $386,000 in funding from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) through its Build and Mobilize Foundational Wildland Fire Knowledge Program under the Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative, York University and its partners will evaluate the issues local governments face in adopting wildfire mitigation practices and determine how to scale up their mitigation efforts. The project, Understanding and Improving Wildfire Mitigation Partnerships with Local Governments, which also received more than $100,000 in-kind from York, is led by York emergency management Associate Professor Eric Kennedy of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies in collaboration with FireSmart Canada; the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources/Aviation, Forest Fires and Emergency Services; and Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. It is particularly important today as the frequency and severity of wildfires continues to rise, increasingly threatening the health and safety of communities.

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Forestry commission releases final report, but P.E.I. government is already dampening expectations

By Stephen Brun and Wayne Thibodeau
CBC News
March 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Prince Edward Island’s forestry commission has made several recommendations aimed at protecting the province’s forests against the inevitable next big storm. But some members worry the province may be already poised to dismiss the concerns outlined in the final report. The 12-member panel was struck in the wake of Dorian and Fiona, storms that devastated many of P.E.I.’s forests. Commission member Gary Schneider, who works with the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project, said the two storms demonstrated a need for more diversity in the province’s forests. “We’ve got really accurate predictions that white spruce, balsam fir, white birch are not going to do well with the warming climate, whereas red oak, red maple, white ash are going to be doing well,” Schneider said. …The commission’s report recommends that any new provincial policy encourage the development of more resilient forests, and mitigate damage caused by storms and climate change.

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Canada Supports Tree-Planting Activities in Gatineau and Across Quebec

By Natural Resources Canada
The Government of Canada
March 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Gatineau, Quebec — Natural Resources Canada announced more than $16 million in funding for four tree-planting projects that will bring environmental, health and social benefits to both urban and rural communities across the province of Quebec. The City of Gatineau and the City of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu are receiving funding for urban tree-planting projects that will plant new trees on public lands, helping to capture carbon, increase biodiversity and cool areas vulnerable to extreme heat. …These projects are being supported in part by Canada’s 2 Billion Trees (2BT) program. This program is dedicated to working with governments and organizations across the country to support the expansion of Canada’s forests while creating sustainable jobs in communities. 

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Forest Sector Markets and Innovation at the SFI Annual Conference

Sustainable Forestry Initiative
March 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Join forest sector leaders and the SFI network at the 2025 SFI Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from May 20-23, 2025. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the role of markets in responsible forestry, innovations in forest product supply chains, and more through impactful sessions. Explore Sessions on Markets and Supply Chains

  • The Role of Markets in Promoting Responsible Forestry and Sourcing SFI is increasingly recognized for providing supply chain assurances with brands, retailers, and rating tools. Explore insights into forest sector markets and how market leaders evaluate sustainable forestry.
  • Solutions to Address Deforestation and Forest Degradation The EU Deforestation Regulation and other public and private initiatives are focused on avoiding deforestation and forest degradation. Learn about implementation efforts to comply with policy requirements and recent case studies that analyze compliance.
  • Forest Products Innovation to Advance Sustainability SFI-certified forests and products are powerful tools for addressing global sustainability priorities and marketplace demands. Discover innovative developments in forest product supply chains.

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Ohio city sues Trump, Musk over DOGE freeze on already spent forestry grant

By Jordan Laird
The Columbus Dispatch
March 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Columbus is joining other cities and nonprofits to sue President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency for cutting federal grants for their local programs — in Columbus’ case, tree planting. Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced Thursday that the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in federal court in South Carolina challenging DOGE’s cuts to community grants, including a $500,000 U.S. Forest Service grant for Columbus. The city has already spent most of the allotment to plant more than a thousand trees in neighborhoods that lack tree canopy, but it hasn’t been reimbursed. …Columbus is one of six city plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which also includes San Diego, Baltimore and Nashville. They are joined by 10 environmental nonprofits. All of the plaintiffs were awarded various federal grants and have lost, or could lose their funding. They’re suing a long list of federal agencies and their administrators in addition to Trump, DOGE and Musk.

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Timber industry analysts wonder if they can keep up with Trump logging orders

By Robert Chaney
The Mountain Journal
March 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

President Donald Trump’s March 1 Executive Order calling for “Immediate expansion of American timber production” generated lots of enthusiasm in the Northwest wood products world. But analysts added equal amounts of concern that Trump’s DOGE-driven federal cuts might keep the woods quiet. “It’s going to be a good thing in terms of helping stimulate activity on national forests,” University of Montana’s Todd Morgan said of Trump’s order. But Morgan, the forest industry analysis director of UM’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, also recognizes the uncertainty spiraling around Washington, D.C. “A lot is going to depend on who’s left in federal agencies at the end of the day, the week, the next four years,” he said. “All this funding- and budget-cutting…is going to interfere with the stated goals.” …Trump took on the import market in a second March 1 order: “Addressing the threat to national security from imports of timber, lumber.” 

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New agroforestry maps plot benefits of trees

By Lauren Quinn
Agupdate.com
March 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

There’s a longstanding attitude in many farming communities that trees and agriculture don’t mix. But agroforestry — the intentional integration of trees and shrubs in agricultural systems, such as planting trees as windbreaks, integrating trees on pastures, or growing tree crops intercropped with annual crops — can provide a multitude of benefits to both farmers and landscapes. So far, in the U.S. Midwest, those benefits have gone unrealized, with vanishingly small adoption rates. Researchers say strategic plans that integrate environmental, social and economic considerations are needed to expand agroforestry throughout the Midwest. Ultimately, the team developed a map identifying areas where agroforestry could deliver the biggest impacts in terms of soil erosion, water quality, climate and profitability for lands that are not viable for other crops.

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The Tongass National Forest is a national treasure worth more than timber

By Hunter McIntosh
The Alaska Beacon
March 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Alaska’s Tongass National Forest is one of the last great wild places. Spanning nearly 17 million acres, it is the largest national forest in the United States and one of the world’s largest remaining temperate rainforests. …And yet, despite its immense ecological and economic value, the Tongass remains under threat. For decades, the logging industry and its political backers have tried to chip away at the Roadless Rule [claiming] cutting down these ancient trees is an economic necessity. …The timber industry in the Tongass is not only economically unsustainable, it is a drain on the American taxpayer. …on his first day in office, President Trump issued an executive order to repeal the Roadless Rule protections for the Tongass National Forest. Nothing has happened yet, but we should expect it. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration is taking a wrecking ball to the Forest Service, which could make administration oversight of any logging and roadbuilding even more difficult. 

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Logging on: How Trump’s executive order to expand timber production affects Montana

By Robert Chaney
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle
March 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

President Donald Trump’s March 1 executive order calling for “immediate expansion of American timber production” generated lots of enthusiasm in the Northwest wood products world. But analysts added equal amounts of concern that Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency-driven federal cuts might keep the woods quiet. “It’s going to be a good thing in terms of helping stimulate activity on national forests,” the University of Montana’s Todd Morgan said… but also recognizes the uncertainty spiraling around Washington, D.C. “A lot is going to depend on who’s left in federal agencies at the end of the day, the week, the next four years,” he said. “All this funding- and budget-cutting is going to interfere with the stated goals.” …Trump’s order also calls for timber production targets. That’s something that has been missing from federal land management for a long time, according to Montana Wood Products Association Director Julia Altemus.

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Foresters, loggers see benefits, flaws in Trump order

By Justin Schatz
Silver City Daily Press
March 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Silver City, NM — On March 1, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled “The Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production,” seeking to rapidly expand domestic timber production. The order was announced before President Trump’s tariffs on Canada took effect under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. …Many public land advocates and conservationists are sounding the alarm on the order’s potential consequences on decades of conservation efforts. Randi Spivak, who serves as the public lands policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said this order will have long-term consequences on the health of public lands. …Those within the logging industry see the executive order as an opportunity to boost local economies and revive an industry that has struggled for the last few decades. American Loggers Council Executive Director Scott Dane spoke on the order and what it means for the domestic logging industry.

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King County foresters are testing native tree seedlings from warmer, drier climates to promote healthy, climate-resilient forests

King County
March 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

King County foresters are planting native tree seedlings acquired from warmer, drier climates for a long-term study designed to promote healthy, resilient, and productive local forests. Based on climate modeling that predicts conditions at the end of the century, the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks secured tree seedlings from Southwest Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. Forest specialists selected four planting locations throughout King County that have different site conditions and will monitor the trees’ survival and health multiple times over the next decade. The climate-adaptive tree planting trials are one of the strategies included in King County’s 30-Year Forest Plan launched by Executive Dow Constantine to promote urban and rural tree canopy and improve forest health and productivity for current and future generations.

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Washington’s wildfire preparedness in question as federal staff reductions take effect

By Martha Bellisle
Associated Press in Oregon Public Broadcasting
March 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Wildland firefighters will keep a four-year-old pay hike under a GOP-led spending bill signed by President Donald Trump, but many worry that mass federal worker firings will leave the nation more vulnerable to wildfires. …The permanent pay raise comes as Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has cut about 3,400 workers at the U.S. Forest Service… Many of those workers kept trails free of debris, oversaw prescribed burns, thinned forests and were specially trained to work with firefighters. They say staffing cuts threaten public safety, especially in the West, where drier and hotter conditions linked to climate change have increased the intensity of wildfires. …Randy Erwin, president of the National Federation of Federal Employees warned that continued efforts by the Trump administration to cut firefighters and their support personnel “will cripple the workforce and make Americans less safe.”

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Trump wants to log more trees. He’ll need states’ help.

By Alex Brown
Stateline
March 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

President Donald Trump’s orders direct federal agencies to set aggressive targets for timber harvests. …State officials and forestry experts say Trump’s plan relies heavily on state land management agencies to carry it out. Most states say they’ll cooperate to some extent — especially to boost wildfire prevention projects. But most states also are concerned that federal workforce cuts will undermine their goals, and some worry about loosening environmental standards. …Leaders in liberal-leaning states say they’ve invested heavily in wildfire resilience work on federal forests. They’re cautiously optimistic that Trump’s orders could allow them to expand such projects. But they oppose efforts to slash environmental regulations. Meanwhile, foresters in conservative-leaning states say they welcome the chance to increase domestic timber production and help a struggling industry. …The Forest Service is poised to shed another 7,000 employees in the coming months. The cuts are likely to increase the feds’ reliance on state partners.

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Big Sky Fire Department comments on U.S. Forest Service firings, wildfire preparedness

By Carli Johnson
Mountain Outlaw magazine: Explore Big Sky
March 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

…thousands of federal employees across the country lost their jobs as part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s initiative for large-scale reduction and grant freezing. …Layoffs included essential employees whose responsibilities were to respond to wildfires, provide wildland fire safety education… Dustin Tetrault, Big Sky Fire Department’s fire chief said the state is well-equipped at the local government level has been gradually filling more roles to have large-scale incident response. …Many tenured forest service employees are being fired or accepting a leave with promised pay because the state of the forest service remains so uncertain. This takes away years of knowledge of the land and relationships built with local services like BSFD, making future collaboration more difficult. …Despite uncertainty, there are two potential bills in the Montana legislature that, if passed, could have a major effect on the reorganization of how the U.S. deals with emergency fire services, Tetrault explained.

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From coal to community forest: how one Ohio organization is reclaiming former mine land

By Erin Gottsacker
The Ohio Newsroom
March 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Lombard and Stanley are two co-founders of Rising Appalachia. The nonprofit is revitalizing 45 acres of former mine land, once owned by the Sugar Creek Coal Company… But the space won’t exist solely for recreation and education; they want to make it economically productive for the community again. The Sugar Creek Coal Company still owns 900 acres surrounding Rising Appalachia’s project. Lombard, Stanley and other community members are trying to raise approximately $4 million to purchase the rest of it and establish a community forest. “People can hunt on the land, they can gather food on the land, they can be involved in submitting public comments for projects and management proposals,” Stanley said. “But it’s not exactly managed by the community. A community forest in contrast, is designed by and managed by the people who live here and depend on the forest.”

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Don’t wait to battle beetles Forest experts warn, now is the time to guard against pine beetles

By Sierra Ferguson
Black Hills Pioneer
March 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

It might be time to treat your trees to prevent pine beetle infestations in the Black Hills. That’s according to US Forest Service Entomologist Kurt Allen, and Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Forest Health Specialist John Ball. The pair have been hosting talks and information sessions on mountain pine beetle outbreaks since 1999. Last week, they stopped in Spearfish with a handful of clear messages. For one thing, the Black Hills is not necessarily on the verge of a mountain pine beetle epidemic — at least not on the scale last seen a decade ago… “Between the larvae feeding and a blue stain fungus they introduce, they kill trees very quickly,” Ball said.

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An Ohio conservation program makes protecting the state’s forests more profitable

By Kendall Crawford
The Ohio Newsroom
March 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

…The vast majority of Ohio forestland is privately-owned. While many owners may be tempted to cut and sell trees in the state’s commercial timber market, the Nature Conservancy in Ohio’s Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP) outlines a different path forward. The conservation program pays private landowners to protect their forest and capture more carbon. Sustainable Forestry Director Tom Rooney said each participant is guided on how to best care for their individual forest. …These landowners are key to helping Ohio regain lost forestland, Rooney said. When European settlers arrived in Ohio, trees covered an estimated 95% of the state. By the turn of the 20th century, much of the land was cleared to make way for agriculture and industry. Today, only around 30% of Ohio is forested. …Through the program, landowners can sell carbon credits to large companies who want to offset their emissions. 

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Wisconsin may see more logging of national forest land under Trump order

By Danielle Kaeding
Wisconsin Public Radio
March 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

President Trump wants to ramp up timber production by fast-tracking projects under laws that protect endangered species and other environmental regulations, which could expand logging of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. …The president’s order also directs agencies to convene a committee under emergency regulations that could bypass endangered species protections to clear the way for logging projects. …Environmental groups like the Environmental Law & Policy Center argue that more logging would damage national forests and harm recreation, wildlife and water quality. …A USDA spokesperson said it will continue to protect wildlife under the Endangered Species Act while meeting Trump’s directive.” …Logging advocates like Henry Schienebeck with the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association said stakeholders may have to take a closer look at demand and the capacity of mills to handle more lumber. He said the order represents a golden opportunity for the public to have healthy, well-managed forests.

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Conservation Resources works to keep trees and soil healthy to increase timber yields

By Emmett Burnett
Business Alabama
March 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Conservation Resources, a New Hampshire-based investment firm, has launched a new program for its Alabama timberland. With 15,000 acres of Alabama’s trees in its domain, CR is implementing a program for its holdings that it terms “regenified” management. Regenified is a practice and outcome-based land verification and certification program driving the growth of regenerative agriculture and the adoption of certified products. CR was the first institutional timberland manager to have properties certified by the program. The firm is also perusing the 100 Million Acres Initiative. Founded by partners that include Conservation Resources, the program aims at transitioning 100 million acres — the approximate size of California — nationwide to regenerative management practices. In conjunction with the 10-year initiative, CR pledges to transition 100% of its managed lands to regenerative practices. …The program focuses on restoring the health of the entire ecosystem. It encourages biodiversity, soil health, water conservation and climate resilience.

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New Study Finds Time is Not the Driving Influence of Forest Carbon Storage

By Chrissy Billau
The University of Michigan
March 17, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

PELLSTON, Mich. — It is commonly assumed that as forest ecosystems age, they accumulate and store, or “sequester,” more carbon. A new study based at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) untangled carbon cycling over two centuries and found that it’s more nuanced than that. The synergistic effects of forest structure, the composition of the tree and fungal communities, and soil biogeochemical processes have more influence on how much carbon is being sequestered above and below ground than previously thought. …“Time is a playing field, and the rules of the game are things like canopy structure, tree and microbial community composition, and soil nitrogen availability. That means that changes in things like structure, composition, and soil nitrogen are what control forest carbon trajectories, whether quickly or slowly, and whether we are influencing those changes through management or letting them happen on their own terms,” Dr. Luke Nave said.

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Arkansas foresters receive top honors

The Pine Bluff Commercial
March 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Don Bragg — one of three inducted into the Arkansas Foresters Hall of Fame — was a forester who loved science and sharing that passion with others. The late Bragg joins the Arkansas Foresters Hall of Fame roster along with Greg L. Hay and Pete Prutzman. The hall is housed in the Forest Resources Building at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Plaques honoring the three were officially hung this month following last November’s induction ceremony at the Ouachita Society of American Foresters. The Arkansas Foresters Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to forestry in Arkansas, according to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

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Forests, crucial ecosystems for food security — International Day of Forests

United Nations
March 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Forests, pillars of global food security and nutrition, are the livelihoods of millions of families. They provide essential foods such as fruits, seeds, roots and wild meat, fundamental resources for indigenous and rural communities. But its function goes far beyond. Forests are a vital source of energy, providing wood for cooking, playing a key role in agriculture by hosting pollinators and acting in soil enrichment, climate regulation and biodiversity conservation. In addition, forested watersheds supply freshwater to more than 85% of the world’s major cities. In crisis situations, forests become an economic and food lifeline, providing up to 20% of family income in rural areas, guaranteeing healthy diets. But these ecosystems are in danger. …Join the cause and defend the theme of International Day of Forests 2025: “Forests and Food”. The future of food begins in the forests!

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The U.N. Misses the Forest and the Trees

By Vahaken Mouradian
The National Review
March 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

To do its part to save the natural world and its wonders (such as the Amazon rainforest), the Brazilian state of Pará is laying a massive strip of asphalt across the Amazon rainforest. Laugh all you like. This four-lane highway might be the only concrete outcome of this year’s United Nations climate change conference. Fifty thousand sojourners’ worth of traffic is expected to gum up the city of Belém in November during COP30. …This will be the United Nations’ 30th annual Conference of the Parties, during which delegates of the parties will agree on the need for more agreements and more conferences. The COP series has succeeded in conserving itself if not the environment. …Can’t blame local officials for making the most of it. This, as far as anybody can tell, is its chief function: to allow the host country to expedite development projects and extend the season for the regional leisure and hospitality industry.

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Forest Stewardship Council Launches the FSC Brand Hub

Forest Stewardship Council
March 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is thrilled to announce the launch of the FSC Brand Hub, a user-centric platform designed to streamline trademark management, marketing resources, and brand assets for all FSC stakeholders. Developed with input from users around the world, the FSC Brand Hub is tailored to the needs of certificate holders, promotional licence holders, certification bodies, and other FSC partners. This new platform replaces the legacy system, offering an improved, modernized experience… Whether you’re managing trademark designs, building marketing campaigns, or creating custom assets, the FSC Brand Hub is a one-stop solution. …FSC will also host a webinar to introduce the Brand Hub, including how to navigate the platform, customize assets, and make the most of this exciting new resource.

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Drone tree-seeding trial could ‘revolutionise’ the expansion of rainforests say exponents

By Angela Garwood
Positive News
March 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

A pioneering drone seeding initiative in south-west England – one of the largest of its kind using native tree seeds to date – has the potential to transform rainforest restoration, say those involved. The project, by the Woodland Trust, has seen high-tech drones scatter 75,000 seeds across the Bodmin landscape in Cornwall. The drones, which weigh 110kg and can carry up to 58kg of seeds each, hover a few metres above the ground and can access areas where the planting of trees by hand isn’t feasible. Joining forces with the South West Rainforest Alliance, the Woodland Trust aims to use the technique to triple the land area of temperate rainforest across Cornwall and Devon from 8% to 24% by 2050… Scattering tree seeds that are native to these rainforests, including common oak, alder, wild cherry, downy birch and hazel, the drones seeded 11 hectares of land in eight hours.

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