Canadian officials are adopting a different tone on Trump’s tariff threat. In related news: TD Economics sets the record straight on Canada-US trade; the Oilpatch thought it had dodged a bullet; the Union of BC Indian Chiefs says it’s time to revisit the Northern Gateway pipeline; and BC and Nova Scotia worry about impacts. Meanwhile: Alaska’s leaders cheer Trump’s move on logging, while Oregon braces for impacts on federal land.
In Forestry/Climate news: the USDA announced its new leadership team; Washington state’s land commissioner pauses timber sales; ENGOs call on BC to protect caribou habitat; why Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement is different this time; and Korea plans to reduce biomass energy subsidies.
Finally, the summary of the final day from the TLA Convention includes the CEO panel (just in case, here are summaries from Day 1 & Day 2).
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the names of the following individuals who will hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C. These appointees have been selected to implement President Trump’s America First agenda, ensuring that the needs of America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers remain a top priority.
OTTAWA — The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.8% on a year-over-year basis in December, down from a 1.9% increase in November. …The CPI excluding food rose 2.1% in December. A temporary GST/HST break on certain goods was introduced on December 14, 2024. …The shelter component grew at a slightly slower pace in December, rising 4.5% year over year following a 4.6% increase in November. Rent prices decelerated on a year-over-year basis in December (+7.1%) compared with November (+7.7%). However since December 2021, rent prices have increased 22.1%. The mortgage interest cost index decelerated for the 16th consecutive month, reaching 11.7% year over year in December 2024, the smallest increase since October 2022 (+11.4%) as interest rates continued to rise.
Lumber prices fell toward $580 per thousand board feet, retreating from eight-week highs of $600 on January 16th, as the impending 25% tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, set to take effect on February 1st, weighed on the market. These tariffs, imposed by President Trump, will increase the cost of Canadian lumber, which is a key input for U.S. housing construction, potentially reducing demand as builders face higher material prices. The price hike could discourage housing projects, especially as the broader construction sector slows. Trump’s executive orders aimed at stimulating U.S. housing production, including efforts to lower construction costs, may further dampen demand for imported lumber by promoting domestic sourcing. As Canada is the largest supplier of U.S. lumber, the tariff’s impact on supply and demand dynamics is expected to be significant, with builders likely seeking alternatives as lumber prices rise.›
U.S. home prices rose 0.4% from a month earlier in December on a seasonally adjusted basis, slightly slower than the 0.5% growth posted in November. This is according to the Redfin Home Price Index (RHPI). …On a year-over-year basis, home prices closed the 2024 calendar year up 5.4%. That was the second-smallest annual increase in a calendar year since Redfin started tracking the RHPI in 2013, only trailing 2015 (5.2%). Redfin 
Colorado wildlife officials say the capture of 15 grey wolves in British Columbia and their release in the U.S. state is complete, an operation they say led to unspecified threats against staff. The operation that began in B.C. on Jan. 10 and wrapped up on Saturday follows Colorado voters’ approval of a 2020 ballot initiative to reintroduce grey wolves to the state, where the animals are listed as endangered. But the program has stirred opposition, and a statement from Colorado Parks and Wildlife on Sunday says its staff have been threatened over the relocations. It says its officers were “watched” and were targeted by threatening phone calls and social media posts. The department says it did not share details while the wolf release was underway due to the “safety risk and security needs of our staff and the animals.” It adds that two of the 10 wolves reintroduced in Colorado in 2023 have been illegally shot.
President Donald Trump signed executive order aimed at boosting oil and gas drilling, mining and logging in Alaska. While state political leaders cheer, environmental groups see it as worrying. …”It means a timber industry in the Tongass National Forest can once again take place. It means Alaska can begin the process [of] finally getting its remain[ing] acreage of land from the federal government”, Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy said on X about the executive orders. …It also aims to reverse restrictions on logging and road-building in a temperate rainforest. …Cooper Freeman, Alaska director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told The Associated Press that the president “just can’t wave a magic wand and make these things happen. Environmental laws and rules must be followed… We’re ready and looking forward to the fight of our lives to keep Alaska great, wild and abundant”.
