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The Tree Frog Forestry News
July 8, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway
Hello early bird! We just want you to know that the news team is busy adding stories to this page. Be sure to check back at 9:00 am (PST) for the full line up of articles.
More than 40% of Canadian manufacturers weighing move to U.S., KPMG poll finds
By Daniel Johnson
The Globe and Mail
July 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States
A new survey shows trade tensions have some Canadian manufacturers deciding to move production south of the border or delay capital investments. KPMG Canada said that 42% of Canadian manufacturing companies indicated they have or are considering moving production to the US. Of those considering relocating, 77% expect to make the transition within the next two years. Anamika Gadia, KPMG partner, said domestic manufacturers have shown resilience over the last year, “but resilience certainly has its limits.”…“This survey clearly shows that manufacturers need to feel more comfortable,” she said. …The survey also found 57% of manufacturing firms have paused, reduced or cancelled capital investment projects. 36% said they have scaled back investments, 12% have paused their plans and nine per cent have cancelled planned spending. …The survey showed 80% of manufacturers were planning to maintain their Canadian headquarters, but 11% were planning to move their head office to the US within the next five years.
U.S. Sawmill Operators Continue Investments to Further Increase Production Capacity Despite Declining Home Starts by U.S. Homebuilders
By Zoltan van Heyningen
The US Lumber Coalition
July 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States
Despite a dramatic decline in housing starts since 2022 that worsened in 2024 due to the under-construction of new affordable housing by members of the NAHB, the US softwood lumber industry has continued to make investments to boost the domestic production. Since 2016, U.S. softwood lumber mills have added 8.7 bbf of production capacity. This commitment to American production has resulted in a level of lumber supply self-sufficiency not seen since the 1970s, with U.S. sawmills now supplying nearly 75% of the US market. Meanwhile, Canadian production capacity has declined… to below 19% this year. Non-Canadian imports are also trending downward. …“The US industry has been winning back market share from unfairly traded Canadian imports while increasing the total supply of lumber to U.S. market thanks to President Trump and his Administration,” stated Zoltan van Heyningen. …“The National Association of Homebuilders should stop its misguided advocacy for the importation of unfairly traded Canadian lumber.
US senators urge inclusion of hardwood lumber in US-China trade framework
Office of Shelley Capito
July 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International
Shelley Moore Capito
US Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Jeanne Shaheen led a bipartisan group of US Senators, in a letter urging US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to explicitly include American hardwood lumber within the recently established US-China Board of Trade… “ so that domestic lumber manufacturing is not undercut by China. …We believe that if the Board of Trade focuses on hardwood lumber, it can provide much needed economic relief for domestic lumber manufacturers and support communities that depend on a competitive American hardwood industry”. …“We request that USTR: explicitly include American hardwood lumber in the Board of Trade framework; include American hardwood lumber – not logs – in China’s $17 billion procurement commitment; and include enforceable compliance mechanisms with measurable targets specific to hardwood lumber and regularly review hardwood lumber purchases at the Board of Trade to ensure actual purchases are made”.
Washington state to bill Nippon Dynawave for chemical spill response
By Nick Morgan
The News Tribune
July 7, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West
The state will bill Nippon Dynawave for the costs environmental officials incurred responding to the Longview chemical spill, while a federal investigative board plans to release findings sooner than previously estimated. Some 37 days after the site’s white liquor tank collapsed, cleanup crews… removed the remaining chemicals inside. …The state Department of Ecology will issue what’s known as an order for reimbursement to cover the expenses the state made while responding to the spill. The agency is separately investigating whether the company violated any permits with Ecology, state laws or other federal requirements related to water quality, air quality or dangerous wastes. …The U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s investigation is expected to take longer than a state investigation, as the federal agency works to pinpoint exact causes to help the pulp and paper industry avoid future catastrophes. …Washington State is conducting its own investigation to determine whether any worker-safety laws were violated.
The 2026 Forest Products Forum will be held on September 15. Each year, FEA is proud to partner with the World Forestry Center’s signature timberland investing conference, CANOPY: Forests + Markets + Society. Industry-leading analysts from FEA and our guest speakers will provide their assessments of current market conditions in the areas of macroeconomics and housing, lumber, timber, trade, engineered lumber, and wood panels. Speaker Highlight: Thomas Mende, Chief Sales Officer, Binderholz Timber will provide a European perspective on North American markets. He will discuss why European producers are continuing to export to the weak North American market, and how long that is sustainable. What is the outlook for European sawntimber exports to North America over the next 2–5 years? Are supply constraints (bark beetles, regulations, timber availability) changing Europe’s production outlook? Join FEA’s leading analysts and industry experts for insights on macroeconomics, housing, lumber, timber, trade, engineered wood products, and panels.
Canada’s Forest Products sector is one of our country’s economic anchors, an industry that supports close to 200,000 jobs in communities across the country and accounted for $19.9B in real GDP in 2025. At a time when Canada is facing massive shared challenges — from intensifying wildfires to the need for affordable housing — we cannot afford to let this industry decline. The federal government has already recognized the challenge — a 45% tariff in the US and supply chain bottlenecks and regulatory duplication here at home. And with the recent Forest Sector Transformation Task Force Report, they’ve acknowledged the solution. Now we need them to act. We are not asking for new promises or new frameworks. We’re simply asking government to implement the commitments that are already on the table. And we’re asking you to help us get there. Email the Minister For Natural Resources and your Member of Parliament today! Let them know that by implementing the recommendations from the Task Force Report, they’re protecting one of the key sectors that underpin our entire economy.
‘We don’t want wood leaving this community’: Vanderhoof and Saik’uz First Nation call for forestry changes
By Hanna Petersen
CBC News
July 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West
Saik’uz First Nation and the District of Vanderhoof are calling for changes to how B.C.’s forests are managed. The two communities held a joint press conference on Tuesday calling for locally-harvested timber to stay in the region and for forests to be managed sustainably. Both Saik’uz First Nation Chief Priscilla Mueller and District of Vanderhoof Mayor Kevin Moutray said the region’s forests and forestry sector are facing a serious crisis. …The Saik’uz First Nation has spent several years developing a long-term land-use plan designed to restore forest health while maintaining a sustainable fibre supply for local mills and forestry workers in the region. “That work tells us that the remaining fibre supply is limited and must be managed carefully if we want healthy forests and a reliable forest economy into the future,” said Mueller. She said provincial forestry decisions continue to authorize harvesting levels that do not reflect the current conditions of the forests.
McGill study provides further evidence that aspen patches can mitigate wildfires
McGill University Newsroom
July 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East
Flavie Pelletier
Researchers at McGill University have confirmed that aspen play a key role in forest fire prevention and mitigation across Canada. Planting these trees near communities can reduce both the likelihood and severity of fires and limit how far they spread, the researchers said. “Aspen is not a 100 per cent effective fire deterrent, but compared with other species, it is a better choice to plant around communities or critical infrastructure,” said Flavie Pelletier, lead author and recent PhD graduate in Natural Resource Sciences. While individual aspen trees burn easily due to traits like thin bark, large aspen stands have the opposite effect, with bigger patches linked to lower fire severity. …Pelletier said that the team used previously unavailable remote-sensing data to do a large-scale analysis of how fires and aspen interact. …Because some forestry companies remove aspen to promote commercially valuable conifers, the findings could also influence forest management practices.
Forestry scientists stay upbeat in face of federal turmoil
By Robert Chaney
The Montana Free Press
July 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West
International ecology conference in Missoula focuses on problem-solving, both in the woods and the lab. The research featured at the event has major implications for Greater Yellowstone. The 15th annual North American Forest Ecology Workshop took place at the University of Montana University Center June 23-26 with 50 concurrent sessions, each featuring at least three experts displaying their latest work. “We went through the first six months of reign of terror, followed by the reign of chaos,” Washington Department of Natural Resources Forest Health Scientist Derek Churchill said of the Trump administration’s firings and resignations in early 2025, and the subsequent restructuring of U.S. Forest Service and Interior land-management leadership. “We just keep doing the work. A lot of research grants have been going dark, but we’ve still got legacy funding from others. There’s lots of new problems to solve. Forest ecosystems are very dynamic, and we love disturbance. We love studying how they change and adapt.”
Seven new forest fires confirmed in northeast region
By Darren MacDonald
CTV News
July 7, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East
The forest fire season in northeastern Ontario shows no sign of slowing down, with seven new fires reported Monday evening, bringing the region’s total to 39 active fires. In addition, Ontario Forest Fires said in its daily update that smoke from across the border is having an impact. “Smoke from active wildland fires in northern Québec is drifting into parts of the northeast region,” the organization said. …Of the 39 active wildland fires in the northeast region, six are not under control, two are being held, eight are under control and 23 are being observed.
Gold Mountain fire: Blaze continues to grow outside Ouray, but no new evacuations ordered
By Stina Sieg
Colorado Public Radio
July 7, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West
Outside the mountain town of Ouray, the Gold Mountain fire increased by several thousand acres since Monday, though the fire official tasked with keeping the public informed sounded cautiously optimistic in his Tuesday morning briefing. “We had a really productive day,” said Jeremy Dietz, operations section chief with Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 3. In a video posted on Facebook, he gestured to a map that showed the bulk of the fire’s footprint, mostly to the north and east of Ouray. “We got 3% containment yesterday, hoping to build on that.” The fire has grown to more than 31,000 acres, with more than 900 personnel working the blaze. Though Ouray has been spared by the flames, the fire has continued to grow through the high-alpine terrain to its north and east — home to farms, ranches and some rural subdivisions — since June 27.
Boise Foothills wildfire grows to 2000 acres, public asked to leave Ridge to Rivers Trail System
By Clark Corbin and Christina Lords
The Idaho Capital Sun
July 6, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West
Boise Fire Department officials asked the public to leave the popular Ridge to Rivers Trail System and the Bureau of Land Management issued a temporary closure of BLM-managed public lands and trails after a wildfire started in the Boise Foothills on Monday afternoon. Just after 2 p.m. Mountain time Monday, Boise Fire Department officials announced they were responding to a grass fire that started near the 1900 block of N. Claremont Drive. As Tuesday morning, the cause of the fire was unknown and under active investigation. The fire is burning in the Boise Foothills, about two miles northwest of Boise. …The U.S Wildland Fire Service – Great Basin is referring to the fire as the Claremont Fire. The fire has burned an estimated 2,500 acres as of Tuesday morning, the service reported. …According the press release, firefighters are also facing unique challenges within portions of the area’s Military Reserve.
Hello early bird! We just want you to know that the news team is busy adding stories to this page. Be sure to check back at 9:00 am (PST) for the full line up of articles.
A new survey shows trade tensions have some Canadian manufacturers deciding to move production south of the border or delay capital investments. KPMG Canada said that 42% of Canadian manufacturing companies indicated they have or are considering moving production to the US. Of those considering relocating, 77% expect to make the transition within the next two years. Anamika Gadia, KPMG partner, said domestic manufacturers have shown resilience over the last year, “but resilience certainly has its limits.”…“This survey clearly shows that manufacturers need to feel more comfortable,” she said. …The survey also found 57% of manufacturing firms have paused, reduced or cancelled capital investment projects. 36% said they have scaled back investments, 12% have paused their plans and nine per cent have cancelled planned spending. …The survey showed 80% of manufacturers were planning to maintain their Canadian headquarters, but 11% were planning to move their head office to the US within the next five years.
Canada’s Forest Products sector is one of our country’s economic anchors, an industry that supports close to 200,000 jobs in communities across the country and accounted for $19.9B in real GDP in 2025. At a time when Canada is facing massive shared challenges — from intensifying wildfires to the need for affordable housing — we cannot afford to let this industry decline. The federal government has already recognized the challenge — a 45% tariff in the US and supply chain bottlenecks and regulatory duplication here at home. And with the recent Forest Sector Transformation Task Force Report, they’ve acknowledged the solution. Now we need them to act. We are not asking for new promises or new frameworks. We’re simply asking government to implement the commitments that are already on the table. And we’re asking you to help us get there. Email the Minister For Natural Resources and your Member of Parliament today! Let them know that by implementing the recommendations from the Task Force Report, they’re protecting one of the key sectors that underpin our entire economy.
Boise Fire Department officials asked the public to leave the popular Ridge to Rivers Trail System and the Bureau of Land Management issued a temporary closure of BLM-managed public lands and trails after a wildfire started in the Boise Foothills on Monday afternoon. Just after 2 p.m. Mountain time Monday, Boise Fire Department officials announced they were responding to a grass fire that started near the 1900 block of N. Claremont Drive. As Tuesday morning, the cause of the fire was unknown and under active investigation. The fire is burning in the Boise Foothills, about two miles northwest of Boise. …The U.S Wildland Fire Service – Great Basin is referring to the fire as the Claremont Fire. The fire has burned an estimated 2,500 acres as of Tuesday morning, the service reported. …According the press release, firefighters are also facing unique challenges within portions of the area’s Military Reserve.