Through a partnership with FSC Canada, FSC US, FSC International and the Free to Grow in Forestry Movement, we pleased to announce an initiative on improving workplace culture in North America’s forestry sector. In alignment with the FSC Strategic Framework on Diversity and Gender (2022-26), and furthering the foundational efforts of the Free to Grow in Forestry Movement, the co-leadership of FSC Canada, FSC US and FSC International, a North American Council comprised of FSC economic, Indigenous, environment and social chambers, and the International Forest Students Association (IFSA), are now working collaboratively to lead the sector toward strengthening their workplace culture for the betterment of all people. The FSC Strategic Framework on diversity and gender calls for a “paradigm shift” in workplace culture that can only be achieved by the joint efforts and contributions of all members of society. With that in mind, FSC has established an Inclusion Council for its North American membership.
We are informed that Jackson Wijaya is becoming the beneficial owner of both Domtar, formerly known as Paper Excellence, and Asia Pulp and Paper (APP). Domtar is a company in good standing that has maintained FSC certification since 2008, covering over 7 million ha of forest area, as well as mills and processing plants. 
TORONTO
The beaver is a well-known symbol associated with Canada. But in Alberta, beavers are not always looked upon favourably. Historically, tensions between beavers, farmers and ranchers have been high, as beavers can fell many trees and their dam-building can cause fields to flood, damaging crops and grazing areas… The researchers are exploring the impacts of beavers and their structures on hydrology and ecosystem health within the Sibbald Valley in Kananaskis Country… The researcher is also interested in how clear-cut logging on the slopes above the pond complex might alter the volume and speed of water entering the ponds. This work includes monitoring soil moisture levels on nearby slopes that remain treed and those that have been clear-cut.
University of New Brunswick forestry professor Anthony Taylor began a research project to examine what was killing balsam fir trees favoured by many Canadians to decorate their homes at Christmas. …in a paper recently published in the journal “Frontiers in Forests and Global Change,” Taylor and his co-authors identify the cause of the die-off in western New Brunswick and eastern Maine as drought and high temperatures brought on by climate change. “Identifying the broad scale climate anomalies, such as a drought, associated with the reported sudden balsam fir mortality in 2018 could prove useful to determine the likelihood of future mortality in response to climate change,” the study says. Taylor said he was shocked by “that much” death of balsam firs. …Taylor said heat and drought have weakened balsam firs, making them more vulnerable to pests and diseases that they would otherwise be able to defend against. 
The scientific evidence behind glyphosate’s dangers is overwhelming—and infuriating. Glyphosate doesn’t stop at the plants it’s meant to kill. It contaminates everything in its path, infiltrating the food chain and leaving behind a legacy of harm… Even if Ontario banned glyphosate tomorrow, the chemical’s impact would linger for years. It persists in the soil, where it continues to harm microorganisms and plants. The forests we love may take decades to recover, and some ecosystems may never fully return to their original state. This isn’t just a fight for today; it’s a fight for the future. Quebec has already banned glyphosate in forestry. European countries like Austria and Germany are phasing it out. These regions recognize that short-term convenience isn’t worth long-term destruction. So why is Ontario still clinging to outdated, harmful practices?
WASHINGTON — Workforce development organization 
The U.S. government is investing $265 million in 17 states to save private forests from development, while improving rural economies, mitigating wildfire threats and reconnecting wildlife. The U.S. Forest Service recently announced the grants in its latest batch funded by the Forest Legacy Program. The October awards were made through Inflation Reduction Act funds. These new grants will help protect some 335,000 acres of vital forest lands in 21 projects. …“Landowners face many pressures to convert forests to other uses and this investment is key to keeping the economic, social, and ecological benefits that these forests provide,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Oct. 29 in press statement about the recent round of grants. …The total allocation for 2024 will amount to nearly $420 million in grants to 47 projects to save 500,000 acres of forest land. Over the last three decades since the program began, the federal government has saved 3.1 million forest acres in 479 completed projects.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced a new policy for monitoring national forests and grasslands. The policy aligns monitoring, partnerships, and information-sharing efforts to help land managers monitor changes related to climate change and other stressors affecting National Forest System lands and make timely, informed, science-based decisions within staffing and budget constraints. This policy is an important step in implementing the agency’s 2012 planning rule, which requires the agency use monitoring to inform adaptive management. The Forest Service monitors national forests and grasslands to gauge progress toward forest restoration, the effects of disturbance and climate on forests — such as the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, drought and floods — and to help people understand how forests are changing through time.
KALISPELL, Mont. — The Flathead National Forest and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation are working together to reduce wildfire risk through the Jackknife Project. The project is made possible by the Good Neighbor Authority, which allows the two agencies to plan and coordinate forest management projects. A Eureka company, Stoken Logging will harvest about 800 trees per acre and will leave about 100 to 250 trees per acre as part of a timber sale. The project spans over 1,000 acres on Good Creek Road and the harvest will allow residual trees to have more access to light water and nutrients. The reduction in trees will reduce the ability of wildfires to reach the top of trees, known as a crown fires.
J.P. Morgan Asset Management announced that institutional investors advised by the firm’s wholly-owned timber investment manager, Campbell Global, have led the acquisition of 40,800 productive acres of high-quality, commercial timberland located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. The firm has named the property Tyee to acknowledge the Cascadia region’s indigenous Native American history. Campbell Global was acquired by J.P. Morgan Asset Management in 2021 and is recognized as a pioneer in timberland management, having managed more than five million acres worldwide for pension funds, foundations and other institutional investors since inception. Tyee will be continuously managed for both carbon capture and timber production to meet growing demand for sustainable building products and other uses. Some details of the property include 100% certified in accordance with Sustainable Forestry Initiative standards.
A new report, “Browsing Damage – What is Happening in the Forest and What Happens in the Statistics?”, published by the Swedish Forest Agency, provides new insights on the ongoing debate surrounding moose management and its impact on Sweden’s forests… The report challenges the prevailing conclusion that increasing pine tree densities is the most effective way to reduce browsing damage and suggests that moose density plays a more significant role. The study uses an extensive database and an updated calculation model and demonstrates that moose density has a greater impact on browsing damage than pine density… By comparing observations with spatially matched estimates of moose densities, the study reveals a noticeable browsing damage reduction as moose density dropped and pine density increased over the years.
Bonn – The European Parliament, Council of the European Union (EU), and EU Commission have agreed to a