Matthew Reddy is SFI’s new CEO, succeeding Kathy Abusow. In other Business news: a BC lawmaker wants Domtar’s Crofton mill to be considered as a naval base; Témiscaming’s mayor sees a future with RYAM; Northern Pulp has approval to demolish its New Brunswick mill; and Unifor is calling for a strategy to strengthen Canada’s forest sector. Meanwhile: Trump’s trade war with Canada is called absurd and unfunny, and unhelpful vis-à-vis China; Russ Taylor sees bad news for homebuilders; and Canada is set to hold interest rates steady.

In Wood Products news: Canada Wood reports advances in Asian wood markets; wooden wind-turbine blades offer an alternative to EU fibreglass; Michigan opened the world’s tallest mass timber research building; Denver features a 12-storey mass timber student residence; and Clemson opened its new mass timber forestry building. 

In Forestry/Wildfire news: New Brunswick unveiled a new wildfire management plan; prescribed burns cut sequoia mortality by half; Texas launched an insurance program to encourage prescribed burning; the US Forest Chief may have a conflict of interest; the US Interior Secretary says a fire contributed to the Grand Canyon flooding; and Algeria seeks the  death penalty for wildfire arsonists.

Finally: archaeology reveals the role of women in Oregon’s early timber industry. 

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor