Hurricane Milton spared Tampa as it plowed through Florida, compounding the damage wrought by Helene. In other news: forestry could shape BC North’s election outcome; Oregon’s Forestry Dept. is accused of being “bad for women”; Montana’s Stoltze Lumber is still thriving; and a virtual reality tool for sawmill training debuts in Australia. Meanwhile: the US GDP increased 3% in Q2, 2024, as inflation reached lowest point since 2021; and conference registration is open for the BC Professional Foresters, and the BC Truck Loggers, while COFI says Save the Date for their 2025 Convention.

In Forestry/Wildfire news: experts say the Jasper fire could have been prevented; US agencies battle over wildfire aviation policies in California; Washington state’s forester says forest management is key to wildfire mitigation; a Minnesota pilot survived crash of his fire-suppression plane; and the pivotal US Northwest Forest Plan is up for renewal.

Finally, a look at how Ukraine’s forests have been devastated by the hellscape of war.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor