Canada’s Labour Relations Board ruling ends railway work stoppage, imposes binding arbitration. In other Business news: BC Forests Minister says the US is ‘playing hardball‘ on lumber duties; US new homes sales rose in July; and China’s wood furniture exports surged in 2024. In Wood Product news: Canada invests in sustainable wood construction technologies; Canadian Wood focuses on Indian consumers; Montana’s mills are key to the state’s forest sustainability; and Stanford University researchers develop a wildfire-shielding gel. 

In Forestry/Wildfire news: cooler weather dampens wildfires in BC and Alberta but new risks arise; Rocky Mountain wildfires have actually decreased in size over the last century; fuel-thinning in Whistler said to compromise coastal forests’ natural fire resilience; ENGOs say Oregon’s coastal martens are threatened; and pine beetles reach epidemic levels in Alabama. 

Finally, pest or picture perfect? Lives of bugs captured in striking detail.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor