Daily News for April 08, 2026

Today’s Takeaway

CUSMA deadline slips past July as US signals separate-track approach for Canada and Mexico

The Tree Frog Forestry News
April 8, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway

The Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) is unlikely to be renewed by July 1, as the US signals a shift toward separate protocols for Canada and Mexico. In related news: US homebuilders flag pending budget cuts harmful to housing; US tariffs disrupt European forestry trade flows; the lumber futures fell to 1-month low; and a Kimberly Clark warehouse is destroyed by fire. Meanwhile: a new study says forestry is still a pillar of BC’s economy; BCIT’s industry-driven training shapes the future of sawmilling; and the latest issue of CWC’s Wood Design & Building is out—as is Canada Wood Markets Insights news.

In Forestry news: the US Forest Service overhaul—including the moving or closure of regional research centers, is raising serious concerns; BC Forest Practices Board found wildfire-risk reduction harvesting in the Cariboo compliant; the watchdog report on RCMP actions during the Fairly Creek protest is delayed; wildfire strategy reshapes West Fraser’s logging plans in Bragg Creek, Alberta; and Canada’s latest job creation investment includes monies for Project Learning Tree Canada.

Finally, starting tonight, the Frogs will be reporting live from COFI’s 2026 Convention. Hope to see you there.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

Trade agreement talks unlikely to be resolved by July 1: U.S. trade representative

By Kelly Malone
Victoria Times Colonist
April 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Jamieson Greer

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that he doesn’t expect negotiations on the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement on trade to be resolved by July 1. …July is the required deadline for the trilateral trade pact, known as CUSMA. The CUSMA review sets up a three-way choice for each country. They can renew the deal for another 16 years, withdraw from it or signal both non-renewal and non-withdrawal — which triggers an annual review that could keep negotiations going for up to a decade. …Canada is still being slammed by Trump’s separate tariffs on industries like steel, aluminum, autos, lumber and cabinets. Greer previously has floated the idea of abandoning the trade pact in favour of two separate bilateral agreements. …Greer said the Trump administration’s baseline is that “things have to be changed.” …Greer, however, said there are “load-bearing pillars” in the North American trade deal that work well.

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New Study Confirms Forestry Remains a Foundational Pillar of B.C.’s Economy

The BC Council of Forest Industries
April 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC – The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) today released its latest economic impact study, Rooted in BC: Economic Impact of Forestry. The report uses the latest Statistics Canada data up to December 2024 to provide a localized look at the sector’s vital role across all eight of BC’s economic regions. Despite significant global trade volatility and shifting land-use priorities, the findings underscore that the forest sector remains an indispensable pillar of the provincial economy. From sustaining high-wage jobs to funding the essential public services British Columbians rely on, the industry’s footprint remains significant.

By the numbers:

  • Total Investment: $14.4 Billion invested in BC operations (2015-2024)
  • Employment: 95,000 jobs (direct, indirect, and induced)
  • Government Revenue: $3.4 Billion to support healthcare, education and infrastructure
  • Manufacturing: Forestry represents 1 in 5 BC manufacturing jobs
  • Exports: 21% of BC’s merchandise exports

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Forestry is a Solution: COFI 2026 Convention to tackle industry crisis and what BC can control

By Travis Joern, Director of Communications & Events
The BC Council of Forest Industries
April 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC — This week, the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) will convene its Annual Convention, bringing together more than 600 industry delegates, community and First Nations leaders, and government representatives. The gathering comes at a critical turning point as the sector navigates a perfect storm of mill closures, volatile global markets, and ongoing trade disputes. To weather the storm, focus must be on the factors within BC’s control. Action on critical policies has been too slow. As mills close and communities face the impact, the COFI Convention serves as a vital platform to align on practical solutions such as improving timber supply, streamlining regulations, and fixing the business environment to improve global competitiveness. This year’s convention theme, Forestry is a Solution, mirrors a province-wide initiative highlighting the deep-rooted support British Columbians have for the workers and families that depend on a vibrant forest economy. …COFI today released its updated study, Rooted in BC: Economic Impact of Forestry

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Industry-Driven Training: Shaping the Future of Sawmilling

British Columbia Institute of Technology
April 8, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Professionals in the lumber and sawmilling sector who are ready to take the next step in their careers can elevate their business acumen and leadership potential through BCIT’s Associate Certificate in the Business of Sawmilling. Developed with guidance from industry leaders, this flexible, part-time program empowers learners to build the strategic insight, confidence, and applied skills needed to move into supervisory and management roles. Delivered fully online and taught by experts from across North America, the program equips students with a clear understanding of how economic trends, market forces, financial decisions, and operational strategies shape modern sawmill performance. Graduates leave with the practical knowledge and industry-relevant perspective to contribute at a higher level, drive improvements, and make meaningful business decisions within their organizations. What sets this program apart is the calibre of instructors behind it: professionals with decades of combined experience in economics, finance, manufacturing optimization, fibre strategy, and global wood products markets.

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US tariffs disrupt global forestry trade flows

By Markku Bjorkman,
Finish Forestry Association in PulpaperNews.com
April 8, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

Global trade is being reshaped by escalating tariffs and geopolitical tensions, with the Nordic and European forestry industries directly affected. During 2025 and 2026, the United States introduced a series of trade measures that are altering the conditions for exports of timber, paper and pulp. …At the same time, the US has imposed steep tariffs on several major trading partners. Canada faces tariffs of 35%, although some products covered by the USMCA agreement are exempt. Brazil is subject to tariffs of up to 50% on paper and paperboard, while China continues to face high tariff levels. …Even where products are exempt from tariffs, trade is affected by higher supply chain costs, currency fluctuations and weaker demand. There is also a risk of trade diversion. If Canadian or Brazilian exporters face higher tariffs, they may redirect volumes to other markets, increasing competition in Europe. The broader trend points to a more fragmented global trading system.

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Kimberly Clark Warehouse Destroyed by Fire in Ontario, California; Employee Arrested

By Janet Freund, Redd Brown, and Andrea Chang
Bloomberg Industries
April 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

ONTARIO , California — A Kimberly-Clark Corp. employee has been arrested on arson charges after a massive fire broke out Tuesday morning at a California distribution center that serves around 50 million people. The 1.2 million-square-foot facility — located in Ontario, about 35 miles outside of Los Angeles — houses facial tissue and toilet paper, according to a local Fox report. Ontario Deputy Fire Chief Mike Wedell said the building’s roof completely collapsed and all products inside were destroyed. …The blaze reached a six-alarm response, involving around 175 firefighters. The fire was contained to the building of origin. …The department also said it had identified a suspect: Chamel Abdulkarim, an employee of NFI Industries, a third-party logistics provider for Kimberly-Clark products. …Kimberly-Clark said that there were no reported injuries. The company’s shares fell 4.1% on Tuesday. Analysts warned that the fire could lead to supply problems in the region.

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Domtar wastewater treatment project remains on schedule

By Jorgelina Jmanna-Rea
The TimesNews
April 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

KINGSPORT, Tennessee — A new wastewater treatment system at Domtar’s Kingsport mill is still on schedule to start running later this year, part of an effort by the mill to mitigate odors affecting neighboring residents. Mill Manager Tony Clary updated the Kingsport Economic Development Board on the project’s timeline, the construction of an anaerobic digester, at the board’s monthly meeting Tuesday. The project is at a halfway point, and the new system is expected to ramp up at the end of the year. The mill faced scrutiny from city officials and residents over odors emitting from its wastewater after the site converted from manufacturing paper to recycling containerboard in 2023. The company secured funding to construct a new wastewater treatment system in December 2024 and broke ground in August 2025.

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Finance & Economics

Lumber Futures Fall to 1-Month Low

Trading Economics
April 7, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures tumbled toward $580 per thousand board feet, marking a one month low as the combination of high interest rates and falling home construction has crushed demand faster than sawmills can reduce supply. This downward pressure is driven by a 14.2% collapse in single family housing starts and a 5.4% decline in building permits that signaled an abrupt cooling of spring activity. While ongoing sawmill closures have removed 1.3 billion board feet of capacity and US duties on Canadian imports remain at 45% these supply factors are failing to support prices against a sharp loss of buyers. The recent surge in mortgage rates to 6.46% has stifled traffic and left builders managing a 2.4% increase in unsold inventory that necessitates immediate price cuts. Furthermore the April 2nd announcement of C$2.1 billion in Canadian forestry subsidies has introduced expectations of more wood availability that offsets the risks of shipping delays through the Strait of Hormuz.

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Trump Seeks Nearly $11 Billion Cut to HUD Programs

The National Association of Home Builders
April 7, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

President Trump has proposed a budget that would cut non-defense discretionary spending by $73 billion for fiscal year 2027, which runs from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027. The spending reductions include a $10.7 billion cut — about 13% — for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). …The president’s proposed budget changes include:

  • Eliminating funding for the Community Development Block Grant program.
  • Eliminating the Home Investments Partnerships Program.
  • Eliminating the Fair Housing Initiatives Program under the Fair Housing Act.
  • Eliminating programs deemed to fall under the executive orders “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Programs and Preferencing” and “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” including homeless assistance programs, housing counseling, Pathways to Removing Obstacles (PRO) Housing, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS.

Although the cuts are unlikely to be enacted, NAHB will continue to monitor the appropriations process as funding decisions are made on key housing, tax, labor and environmental programs.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

The April issue of the Wood Design & Building Magazine is now available!

By Wood Building & Design Magazine
Canadian Wood Council
April 8, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

This issue of Wood Design & Building explores how intentional design can carry culture, support community, and foster connection. The projects featured here demonstrate how a clear vision can transform a building into an environment grounded in purpose, identity, and care, reflecting both people and place. Several projects in this issue centre Indigenous perspectives and priorities. The Membertou First Nation office building, the Weliankweyasimk Women’s Shelter, and the Chief Leonard George residential building each reflect cultural knowledge, respond to community needs, and create spaces of safety, continuity, and belonging. Long associated with shelter and refuge, wood is also a material of gathering, warmth, and shared experience. It is no coincidence that projects grounded in human wellbeing so often turn to wood. This connection is present in many cultures. Our WoodWare feature on FinnFox, for example, highlights the part wooden saunas play supporting health and building community in Nordic (and Canadian) sauna culture.

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Canada Wood Market Insights – April 2026

Canada Wood Group
April 8, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Canada Wood’s April 2026 Market News highlights how targeted technical work, partnerships, and education are advancing Canadian wood products across Asia. In Korea, fire and acoustic testing is helping pave the way for broader adoption of wood in mid-rise construction. In Japan, efforts to integrate Canadian dimension lumber into traditional post-and-beam systems are opening new hybrid opportunities, while a villa project in Okinawa showcases wood’s performance in demanding climates. At the same time, rising domestic lumber production in Japan signals increasing competition. In China, a technical exchange led by Dr. Steven Craft is supporting dialogue around mass timber fire safety, while education initiatives are shaping the next generation of designers. The newsletter also reflects on Canada–Japan collaboration in post-disaster rebuilding and highlights innovation showcased at Tokyo’s Nikkei Show—together illustrating how Canada Wood continues to expand market access, strengthen relationships, and position wood as a practical, sustainable building solution.

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Bonterra taps Sarah Richardson to turn packaging into a platform

By Mike Connell
Strategy Online
February 19, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Bonterra is leaning into design as a strategic differentiator with the launch of its first-ever designer collaboration for facial-tissue box designs, partnering with Canadian interior decorator and television personality Sarah Richardson to elevate an everyday household essential. …“This is Bonterra’s first designer collaboration, placing creative vision front and centre,” Kruger Products CMO Susan Irving tells strategy. …the move is rooted in consumer insight, citing research showing that packaging design plays a meaningful role in purchase decisions, particularly where products are often displayed openly in the home. …The primary target audience is “Canadians looking to make more sustainable choices in their everyday without sacrificing on beautiful design,” Irving says. …The facial tissues are made with 100% recycled paper, packaged without plastic and supported by initiatives including 4Ocean and Veritree. The brand has committed to planting 150,000 trees in Canada over three years and removing the equivalent of 19 million single-use plastic water bottles from oceans.

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West Virginia hosts forest products trade mission with buyers from India and Vietnam

West Virginia Department of Agriculture
April 2, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

CHARLESTON, West Virginia — The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) recently hosted a highly successful inbound trade mission March 26-28 in partnership with the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA), connecting international buyers from India and Vietnam with West Virginia’s log and lumber industry. The mission focused exclusively on forest products, with visiting buyers touring log yards and sawmill facilities across the state. These site visits provided a firsthand look at West Virginia’s high-quality hardwood resources, sustainable forestry practices, and production capabilities. Stops included Cherry River Lumber (Richwood), Meadow River Hardwood Lumber (Rainelle), and Laurel Creek Hardwoods (Richwood). In addition, buyers met with additional companies in one-on-one meetings before the site visits.

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Forestry

Canada invests in climate competitive jobs for young people

By Natural Resources Canada
Government of Canada
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

As youth across Canada are working toward their future, the Government of Canada is supporting their next steps by building more pathways to rewarding careers and skills development. The Government of Canada announced $30 million to create 900 employment and skills training opportunities over two years for youth across the country in the natural resource sectors, including energy, forestry, mining, earth sciences and clean technology. Through the Science and Technology Internship Program (STIP) – Green Jobs, employers can apply for funding to hire, train and mentor youth aged 15 to 30 for up to 12 months. These jobs provide hands-on experience to help young Canadians develop marketable skills and support Canada’s clean economy. Since 2017, STIP – Green Jobs has created more than 6,000 jobs and skills training opportunities for young people in all provinces and territories. On average, about 80 percent of youth found full-time employment after participating in the program. 

Backgrounder: Ten organizations have received funding to create jobs and training opportunities for youth in the natural resource sectors, including $2,805,000 to Project Learning Tree Canada

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Grow Your Forestry Career With One Application

Project Learning Tree Canada
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Interested in a career in forestry but don’t know where to start, or looking to grow in the field? If you are a Canadian or American between the ages of 18 and 30, apply to join PLT Canada’s free 2026 Green Mentor Cohort and start building your future in forestry today! …Not sure what your next step is? From resume tips to career guidance, Nic Weeks has got you covered. Register for PLT Canada’s Career Coaching and get the one-on-one support you need to move forward. …The interactive presentation Growing Your Career Pathway in Ontario’s Forest Sector explores the diverse and exciting job opportunities available in forestry now and in the future, where those jobs are in Ontario, and how you can land them! …Rooted for Success: Career Readiness 101: Transition from the classroom to a career in the forest and conservation sector! 

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Save Okanagan & Peachland Old Growth Forests & Water

Letter by Taryn Skalbania
Kelowna Capital News
April 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Do you know the Okanagan is home to some of the very last remnants of interior old growth fir and spruce forests, specifically Peachland’s watershed, near Glen Lake? Do you know Glen Lake is a major source of our community drinking water, as it joins Peachland Creek before supplying our brand-new $35M water treatment plant? …Tell your government, Peachland’s trees are not destined for mills, ships to Asia or a flailing forestry industry safety-net. Peachland watershed’s forests are worth more standing, they store 83 per cent more carbon than pine plantations and mono-culture conifer farms. Most importantly we rely on their free infrastructure services and natural ecosystem benefits. …Act now before your back country is compromised. Four ways to make a stand! Write, call, online submissions and a petition…

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NDP must lead on forests says MLA for Saanich North and the Islands

By Rob Botterell
Gulf Islands Driftwood
April 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Rob Botterell

“Talk and log” old growth, mill closures, drought, wildfires, lack of value-added products from second-growth forests and climate change have shaken the very foundations of the forest sector in our province. Key NDP forestry initiatives such as the Old Growth Strategic Review have stalled. Nor is the province any closer to protecting 30 per cent of the B.C. land base by 2030, implementing the biodiversity and ecosystem health framework, local watershed governance and a paradigm shift to a sustainable industry that protects workers and communities. Following the money tells the same story: the Ministry of Forests’ 2026 budget is $910 million, essentially unchanged from last year. No new money means no new effort to deliver on previous NDP forestry promises. …as the Green Caucus forests critic, I will continue to press for immediate implementation of the PFAC report, as well as full implementation of the Old Growth Strategic Review, 30X30, the biodiversity and ecosystem health framework, and local watershed governance.

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Wildfire strategy reshapes logging plans in Bragg Creek

By Izaiah Louis Reyes
Airdrie City View
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The widely discussed West Fraser forest management plan for West Bragg Creek and Moose Mountain has been updated to incorporate a new provincial wildfire mitigation program. West Fraser outlined the changes during its annual spring open house April 1 at the Cochrane RancheHouse, including a new supplementary harvest area in West Bragg Creek and a delayed timeline for Moose Mountain operations. The updates align with Alberta’s Community Hazardous Fuels Reduction (CHFR) program, introduced last year to reduce wildfire risk near vulnerable communities. “Working with forest companies, the program prioritizes the harvest of hazardous fuels within five kilometres of surrounding vulnerable communities,” the province said in an information package. “The CHFR program leverages existing forest tenure holders to adjust harvesting plans to make an immediate impact.” …“They’ve asked us as industry to prioritize our operations in that area,” said Tyler Steneker, woodlands manager for West Fraser Cochrane. 

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Watchdog’s report on controversial RCMP unit delayed due to lack of chairperson

By Chantelle Bellrichard
CBC News
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A years-long investigation into a special RCMP unit that polices protests against resource extraction in BC is finished but can’t be finalized because the RCMP’s oversight body has been without a chairperson for more than a year. The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) receives and oversees public complaints against the Mounties. It recently announced the completion of a systemic investigation into the Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG), which drew national attention in 2019. …It’s unclear why the CRCC has been without a chairperson since January 2025. …At the top level of the agency there is meant to be a chairperson and up to four other members. According to the CRCC, all of those positions are currently vacant. …The majority of complaints against C-IRG came in response to civil court injunction enforcements and arrests in relation to Wet’suwet’en-led opposition to Coastal GasLink pipeline and protests against old-growth logging in the Fairy Creek area.

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Wildfire-risk reduction harvesting in Mule Deer Winter Range near Alkali Lake largely compliant

By Tanner Senko, Communications Manager
BC Forest Practices Board
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

WILLIAMS LAKE – The Forest Practices Board has completed an investigation into wildfire risk reduction harvesting in wildlife habitat areas near Alkali Lake in the Cariboo, following a complaint that activities did not meet legal requirements. The board found that most activities met those requirements, with one administrative error resulting in two non-compliances. The board received a complaint in July 2024 alleging that harvesting in mule deer winter range and old-growth management areas did not meet legal requirements and commitments set out in forest plans. Investigators reviewed five cutblocks harvested since 2020 within these areas as part of wildfire risk reduction treatments. Four cutblocks met requirements. In one case, harvesting proceeded without a required exemption, resulting in non-compliance with both forest stewardship plan commitments and general wildlife measures. While the exemption was not obtained, the board observed that the work on the ground reduced wildfire risk and maintained mature forest cover important for mule deer winter habitat.

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First Recipients Announced for Community Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Program

By Forestry, Agriculture and Lands
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

The initial round of funding under the Community Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Program will help communities across the province reduce the risk of wildfire and better protect homes, critical infrastructure, and the environment around them. An investment of approximately $2.26 million will help 58 communities develop community wildfire resiliency plans and community-based wildfire prevention/mitigation projects. A list of successful applicants is available in the backgrounder below. Applications for the first round of funding were submitted to the newly formed Newfoundland and Labrador FireSmart Committee. A technical sub-committee reviewed the applications. Recommendations for funding were based on whether the proposed activity qualified for funding under the parameters of the program, the quality of the application, and the value of the proposed activity to reduce the risk of wildfire for that area/community.

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Trump’s Forest Service Reorganization: Timber Over Conservation

By Ethan Brooks
The Times News
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

The administrative architecture of America’s national forests is undergoing its most radical transformation in decades. In a series of swift moves designed to prioritize industrial output over conservation, the Trump administration has initiated a sweeping overhaul of the US Forest Service (USFS), relocating its headquarters and dismantling the regional oversight structures. …By moving the agency’s center of gravity from Washington, DC, to Salt Lake City, Utah, and shuttering nine regional offices, the administration is pivoting away from a centralized, science-driven conservation model toward a decentralized system focused on the immediate extraction of timber and wood products. For rural America, the impact is twofold. While the administration is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the timber industry and sawmill infrastructure, the move guts the scientific research and environmental safeguards that many rural communities rely on. This transition effectively replaces long-term ecological stewardship with a short-term commodity-driven mandate.

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How a dubious emergency timber directive is fast-tracking logging into 25 million acres of protected wilderness

By Dillon Osleger
High Country News
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

For the last 25 years, 58 million acres of American forest have had no new roads, no logging equipment, and no reason to appear on anyone’s industrial map. This year that is changing — and much faster than most people realize. The 2001 Roadless Rule has functioned as a safeguard for some of the most secluded and pristine lands in the Western US. …On June 23, 2025, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the intent to rescind the rule entirely. As of 2026, the process has moved into its most critical phase; the USDA has announced an imminent release of the draft environmental impact statement and a formal proposed rule this spring. This release triggers a final public comment period. Compounding this shift, on March 31, the USDA issued a formal reorganization order for the Forest Service. This structural overhaul, including the moving or closure of regional offices and science centers, is anticipated to accelerate the implementation of extraction orders.

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Illinois Forestry Expert on U.S. Forest Service Reorganization

Morning AgClips
April 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Chris Evans

URBANA, Ill. — Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a substantial reorganization of the Forest Service, moving its headquarters to Salt Lake City, Utah, and closing its existing regional offices. According to the announcement, the move is designed to move leadership “closer to the forests and communities it serves.” Chris Evans, forestry expert with University of Illinois Extension in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, explains the role of the Forest Service and how the change could affect public lands. …”Anytime there is a shift of this scale, there will be an adjustment period. I hope that all of the vital missions and services that the Forest Service provides will continue uninterrupted, but we will have to see how things shake out. For forests of Illinois, the research being conducted by the Forest Service’s Northern Research Station is incredibly important, as it looks at oak ecosystem sustainability and invasive species management…”

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Vanimo ideal for forestry downstream processing, official says

The National Papua New Guinea
April 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: International

©Wikipedia

PAPUA New Guinea Forest Authority (PNGFA) managing director John Mosoro says Vanimo is ideal for the development of forestry downstream processing. Mosoro said there was potential to expand shipping infrastructure to export processed timber. “The ban on round-log exports policy will be implemented by the time the processing facilities are built and able to export processed timber and non-timber forest products like paper, wood pellets which are high-density biomass fuel for energy production, etc) directly from Vanimo to international markets supported through the Vanimo Forestry SEZ, as well as supplies for local consumption,” he said. There are three sustainable forest management area (FMA) projects operating in Sandaun (West Sepik): Amanab 1 to 4 and Imonda FMA; Amanab 5 and 6 FMA; and, Aitape Lumi FMA. “These projects are operating within a 50-year lifespan subject to project reviews every five years and will support the sustainability of the timber supply to the processing facilities for export,” Mosoro said.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Chestnut Carbon Issues First U.S. Improved Forestry Management Credits With Verra’s Removals Tag

By Sasha Ranevska
Carbon Herald
April 7, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States

Chestnut Carbon announced that it has issued the first U.S.-based improved forestry management (IFM) credits with Verra’s removals tag that differentiates reductions and removals in IFM projects (VT0015). As shared in the announcement, the project has issued 95,909 new credits designated as carbon removal credits in the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program. Founded in 2022 by Kimmeridge, Chestnut Carbon develops and manages IFM projects that conserve and enhance biodiverse forest ecosystems through scientifically grounded, climate-smart forest management practices. Since its initial issuance, Chestnut has exclusively sold carbon removal credits from its IFM projects. These credits are issued solely for incremental CO2 sequestration that occurs from annual forest growth, materially reducing over crediting and headline risk. By successfully obtaining Verra’s new removals tag for its IFM project, Chestnut marks meaningful progress towards standardizing the identification of carbon removal credits.

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