OTTAWA — The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson announced a $16.3 million investment over the next three years, starting in 2024–25, to support 25 projects through the Government of Canada’s Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program (FMWCC) – Training Fund. Through this investment, over 2,800 youth and community members in remote, rural and Indigenous communities across Canada will receive wildland firefighting training to enhance community capacity for responding to and managing wildfires. …Some of the projects funded through the FMWCC Training Fund include: $329,109 to the Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s project in Thunder Bay, Ontario… $499,330 to the Metis Settlements General Council’s project in Edmonton, Alberta… $946,330 to Prince Albert Development Corporation Management Co. Ltd.’s project in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan… and $1,999,999 to the Independent First Nations Alliance’s (IFNA) project in Sioux Lookout, Ontario.
A Canfor operation in Prince George and three area First Nations have received federal funding to boost innovation in forestry. The $293,500 in local funding is part of more than $20 million the Canadian government is investing in 67 projects province-wide. The funds are part of a broader effort to enhance the competitiveness and resiliency of Canada’s forest industry, which has faced increasing trade barriers, particularly from the US. Among the recipients is Canadian Forest Products, or Canfor, which will receive up to $121,500 for a project aimed at producing innovative, formaldehyde-free and isocyanate-free wood adhesives. The company will explore extracting kraft lignin from black liquor at its Northwood mill in Prince George, converting it into a new, sustainable bioproduct. The project aims to determine the commercial viability of this process, which could open up new revenue streams and reduce reliance on harmful chemicals.
At UBC’s Faculty of Forestry, we are shaping a sustainable, biodiverse, and inclusive future by advancing the stewardship of forests and the environment. The Faculty is Canada’s largest forestry school, welcoming over 1,600 students annually. Our innovative research, hands-on education, and community engagement are addressing some of the most pressing global challenges. This Giving Day, we’re proud to feature the 
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.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed 
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.
As a log truck driver, I want to share my perspective on the proposed increase in truck weight limits in Alabama. This issue is critical to the livelihoods of many hardworking people and to the… state’s forestry sector. The challenges of operating a log truck have grown significantly in recent years. Insurance premiums keep rising, fuel prices fluctuate unpredictably, and truck maintenance costs have soared due to the increasing price of parts and repairs. Despite these mounting expenses, the rates paid to haul raw wood remain relatively stagnant because of supply and demand constraints. Timber is so plentiful that mills often hit capacity before the end of the workweek, forcing them to impose quotas and stop purchases early. These restrictions directly impact our ability to make a living and keep our businesses afloat. …If weight limits are not raised, the future of Alabama’s log trucking industry — and by extension, the forestry sector — remains uncertain.
NEW YORK — A jury in Georgia has ordered Monsanto parent Bayer to pay nearly $2.1 billion in damages to a man who says the company’s Roundup weed killer caused his cancer. The verdict marks the latest in a long-running series of court battles Monsanto has faced over its Roundup herbicide. The agrochemical giant says it will appeal the verdict. The penalties awarded include $65 million in compensatory damages and $2 billion in punitive damages. That marks one of the largest legal settlements reached in a Roundup-related case to date. …Germany-based Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, has continued to dispute claims that Roundup causes cancer. But the company has been hit with more than 177,000 lawsuits involving the weedkiller and set aside $16 billion to settle cases. Monsanto said Friday’s verdict “conflicts with the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence and the consensus of regulatory bodies and their scientific assessments worldwide.” 
Virginia loggers hope steps taken by President Donald Trump will breathe new life into parts of the Commonwealth they feel have long been abandoned. …Canada is the largest exporter of lumber into the US. The lumber industry in the United State has a long history and has been financially rocky in recent decades. Unregulated cutting up to the 1980s damaged land and water systems. Regulations followed. Then international trade agreements saw production shipped overseas, further denting an industry that literally built America. But loggers in Virginia have stuck with it. Among them is Vance Wright. …Trump’s shortest-term impact on logging may be with tariffs. But logging and timber have long been subject to different international trade deals. And while those international markets arguably killed Virginia’s manufacturing, think Martinsville’s now-shuttered furniture factories, it also opened doors to new opportunities.
