Note to our readers: With Canada Day and the US Independence Day holiday upon us, the Frogs are taking a short break. We are back Monday. Have a wonderful holiday!
The US is expected to formally decline an extension of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement today, triggering the pact’s sunset review process. In other Business news: Trump remains undecided on bipartisan housing bill; a BC judge rejected a bid to reopen the Cowichan Aboriginal title case; Metsä Group expands its use of AI; the US goods trade deficit widened; and Japan’s housing starts rebounded.
In Forestry news: Alberta researchers say some species fail to recover after clearcutting; Coulson Aviation reflects on nighttime aerial firefighting; Canada’s winter isn’t a barrier for the spotted lanternfly; Australia assesses the legacy of Victoria’s native logging ban; and the UK prepares stronger timber due diligence rules. Meanwhile: Capilano University celebrates timber in student housing; sawdust-based foam can replace polystyrene packaging; and updates on the Wood Pellet Association of Canada’s 2026 conference, and the Southern Forest Products Association’s EXPO 2027.
Finally, California celebrates a first as eight inmates earn forestry degrees.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News
The Trump administration is expected to formally declare on Wednesday that it will not extend the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade, starting a decade-long clock to wind down the 32-year-old North American free trade zone. That declaration will kick off a six-year review session, part of a “sunset clause” negotiated by President Trump’s first administration. However, it will do little to alter contentious negotiations over the pact’s future, including sweeping demands to boost US content in automotive production and trade protections to block Chinese goods. …Trade chiefs from the US, Mexico and Canada are expected to meet virtually on Wednesday and declare whether they want to extend the pact for another 16 years. …Failure to reach agreement on revisions to USMCA would keep the trade pact in an indefinite limbo, with similar review sessions annually for the next 10 years. …The review and sunset process is separate from a termination clause that the US could exercise, triggering a withdrawal within six months.
VANCOUVER — A BC judge has ruled against a Richmond company that sought to reopen the Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title case. Last year’s landmark B.C. Supreme Court decision found the Cowichan held Aboriginal title to a swath of land in southeast Richmond, including privately owned lands. The application to reopen the case was brought by the Montrose companies, which owns warehouses, a Coca-Cola distribution centre and other facilities in the area. The company was not involved in the trial that led to the 2025 ruling, but said it affected the status of its property and, in one case, led to a potential deal being put on hold. In a decision dated Monday, BC Supreme Court Justice Barbara Young dismissed the company’s application. …She said the proper place for Montrose to make its case is through an appeal.
WASHINGTON – President Trump said he hasn’t decided whether he will sign a bipartisan housing bill, dismissing the landmark affordable housing legislation as “a big yawn” and “so unimportant” compared to an unrelated bill he supports to overhaul voting in elections. Trump told reporters on Monday, June 29 that he won’t make a decision on The 21st Century Road to Housing Act until it arrives on his desk. The president abruptly canceled a signing ceremony last week for the housing bill and said he won’t sign it until Congress passes the SAVE America Act ‒ a stalled bill he backs that would require photo identification and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and prohibit universal mail-in voting across the country. …The housing bill is the first major piece of legislation that passed Congress in more than three decades to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis.
The U.S. goods trade deficit is widening, the Commerce Department said Friday, suggesting stockpiling ahead of higher tariffs and a continued reliance on imports for the domestic data center rollout, analysts say. The goods trade deficit for May jumped more than $20 billion to $105.8 billion, up from $83 billion in April, according to 
Japan’s housing starts surged 33.9% yoy in May 2026, sharply accelerating from a 11.4% increase in the previous month and marking the second straight month of expansion. It was also the fastest growth since March 2025, topping market expectations of 31.8%. Growth was broad-based across most segments, including owner-occupied homes (31.8% vs 19.5% in April), rental housing (33.3% vs 17.3%), built-for-sale housing (39.2% vs 3.4%), and two-by-four homes (24.8% vs 64.8%). In contrast, prefabricated housing fell 3.4%, swinging from a 11.1% increase in April.
EDMONTON — Current clearcutting practices sometimes outpace the recovery times of vital boreal forest species, according to a groundbreaking global analysis led by University of Alberta researchers. 
As the Victorian Forestry Transition Program comes to a close, some residents in regions that relied on the timber trade are questioning what has been done to build a replacement economy. The state government’s transition program ends today, two-and-a-half years after Victoria’s native logging industry was brought to an end with the flourish of a pen. The government committed $1.5 billion to support the transition, including $320 million to the Forestry Transition Program to provide financial support for affected workers, businesses and communities. But some residents remain unconvinced enough has been done to replace the jobs lost. …A Victorian auditor general’s 
Get ready for WPAC’s annual conference, September 22-23, 2026, in beautiful Victoria, BC! This year’s theme, Building Canada Stronger: Navigating the Global Wood Pellet Transition, covers securing supply, resilient energy and next-gen bioenergy. Day 2 focuses on the innovation, decarbonization and domestic markets. Sessions include:
LONDON — The United States accounted for about a third of the rise in global carbon emissions in 2025, as higher gas prices pushed power producers back to coal, an Energy Institute report showed. Highlights from the report include:
