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The Tree Frog Forestry News
June 22, 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.
Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force Report: What Will it Mean for the Building Materials Industry
Supply-Build Canada
June 12, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada
The Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force report, Canada’s Transformed Forest Sector: Competitive Resilient Relevant, provides the government of Canada with a “playbook” to restore the competitiveness of Canada’s forest sector and strengthen its contribution to the national economy. How the Report Outlines the Current Situation of the Forestry Sector: The report assesses Canada’s forestry sector as declining in competitiveness. Despite possessing nearly 9% of the world’s forests Canada has experienced a reduction in lumber and pulp production over the past two decades, shrinking employment, mill closures, and reduced investment. For example, in Canada, between 2022 and February 2026, 23 sawmills closed, and more than 70 others have announced temporary curtailments. Softwood lumber production has fallen 42% since 2004. The report identifies several contributing factors to this reduction which includes U.S. duties and tariffs on softwood lumber, transportation and harvesting costs, regulatory complexities, and uncertainty surrounding long-term access to timber supply.
Forestry Innovation Investment 2025/26 Year in Review
BC Forestry Innovation Investment
June 19, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
Forestry Innovation Investment’s 2025/26 Year in Review is now available. It is a compilation of market development activities completed by FII and our many industry, association, government, academic and research partners over the past year. We are committed to a collaborative delivery approach, building on the strengths and shared resources that other organizations bring to this important work. The forest sector continues to face challenging market conditions and ongoing trade uncertainty. As we adapt to these pressures, diversification remains central to strengthening the sector. By expanding markets and making the most of B.C.’s forest resources, FII and its partners are supporting long-term resilience. This includes advancing wood use in B.C., supporting growth in mass timber and prefabricated construction, and pursuing opportunities across international markets. The report includes the range of work underway, and the milestones achieved over the past year.
Rayonier Advanced Materials Announces the Appointment of Daniel Krawczyk as CEO
By Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. (RYAM)
Businesswire
June 22, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East
Daniel Krawczyk
JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) announced today that the Board of Directors has appointed Daniel Krawczyk as CEO and President, effective immediately. He will also join the Company’s Board of Directors. …Mr. Krawczyk most recently served as President of Huber Engineered Materials, where he led the growth and operational transformation of a $1.3 billion global industrial and specialty chemicals portfolio. His prior experience spans CFO and senior executive roles in corporate development, strategy, and capital markets across both private and public companies. …The Board continues to actively evaluate a broad range of strategic alternatives with the assistance of Morgan Stanley. …Julie A. Dill, Non-Executive Chair of RYAM’s Board of Directors, stated, “Dan is a highly accomplished executive with a strong track record of strategic transformation, operational execution and value creation.
Forestry industry says Russian timber pushing out Australian products
By Sam Bradbrook
ABC News, Australia
June 21, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International
Richard Hyett
The timber industry says Russian wood is making it into Australia by exploiting loopholes in the country’s sanctions following the Ukraine war. Tariffs have been in place on Russian and Belarusian timber since April 2022, when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. But the Australian Forest Products Association has found Russian imports are coming to Australia by being rerouted through countries like China and Lithuania first. “If a product is manufactured in another country or substantially transformed, it avoids that tariff,” acting CEO Richard Hyett said. “Russian timber can go to China, be manufactured into LVL (laminated veneer lumber) and come to Australia and not attract the tariff, and we think that is wrong. …”Australia is facing a depressed market at the moment,” Mr Hyett said.
Richard Guy Bennett Sr., a pillar of the Idaho lumber industry, died at 92
The Idaho Statesman
June 22, 2026
Category: In Memoriam
Region: United States, US West
Richard Bennett
Richard Guy Bennett Sr., 92, a true pillar of the Idaho lumber industry and a beloved patriarch, passed away peacefully at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, on June 12, 2026. Born in Killam, Alberta, Canada on July 25, 1933, Richard spent his early years in Canada before the family relocated to Clarkston, Washington. His legendary journey in the timber industry began… in the early 1940s, his father secured a contract to manufacture ammunition boxes for the war effort. It soon became apparent that a dedicated facility was needed to support the increasing demand, and Bennett Box Factory was born. Over time, the operation expanded and evolved into a full-scale lumber mill. With Dick’s vision and leadership, the company continued to grow as he successfully negotiated the purchase of additional mills and timberlands, helping build one of the region’s most respected family-owned lumber businesses. …A funeral service will be held on Friday, June 26, 2026
BC Institute of Technology announces Breena Jackson as Interim Associate Dean, Industrial Construction
By Giselle LaCounte
British Columbia Institute of Technology
June 16, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West
Breena Jackson
The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is pleased to announce the appointment of Breena Jackson as Interim Associate Dean, Industrial Construction, in the School of Construction and the Environment. Breena begins her one-year interim role on July 6, 2026. Breena brings a strong combination of teaching experience, industry expertise, and a deep connection to applied trades education at BCIT. A member of the BCIT community since 2016, she has taught in the Cabinetmaking program and supported students through hands-on learning that reflects the realities of industry. …In addition to her teaching role, Breena has contributed to BCIT’s work in sustainable construction as a Mass Timber Project Manager. …BCIT also extends its sincere thanks to David Dunn for his leadership during this transition period and for his continued support of the School of Construction and the Environment.
DUBAI — More than 400 exhibitors from over 45 countries will gather in Dubai next week for the Dubai WoodShow 2026, an international trade exhibition focusing on the automation and digital supply chain technologies reshaping the global timber industry. The three-day event, running from 22nd to 24th June at the Dubai World Trade Centre, features over 600 international brands and five dedicated country pavilions. With the timber trade becoming increasingly shaped by supply chain shifts, evolving sourcing strategies, and the growing need for speed, visibility, and operational efficiency, this year’s edition of Dubai WoodShow places strong focus on AI, automation, smart logistics, and digital supply chain systems that are transforming how wood products are sourced, moved, and delivered across markets.
Building a greener timber future in Thailand with Swedish expertise
The Stockholm Enviormenty Institute
June 22, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International
The Wood Solution Thailand Forum, recently held in Bangkok, explored practical solutions for Thailand’s timber industry by connecting Swedish forestry expertise with the country’s forest sector. The forum was part of the Wood Solution Thailand Program, which brings together researchers, foresters, architects, investors, and policymakers from across Thailand and Sweden to build a sustainable timber construction ecosystem. …Speaking at the forum, H.E. Mrs. Arunrung Phothong Humphreys, Ambassador of Thailand to Sweden, explained why Sweden’s experience offers a powerful model. …The engagement phase is supporting “pioneer initiatives” across the full value chain, from forest management to construction, demonstrating practical wood-based solutions. The forum showcased more than ten such initiatives. One flagship model is the Phrae Sustainable Wood City initiative. Reflecting Phrae’s long association with teak, the project has already trained around 150 postgraduate students as future forestry, resource and environmental managers – and it is emerging as a potential model for nationwide development.
Canadian Forest Owners and Researchers at McGill University Launch First National Survey of Private Forests in Over 20 Years
By Sandra Bishop
Canadian Forest Owners
June 22, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada
OTTAWA, ON—Researchers at McGill University, in partnership with Canadian Forest Owners (CFO) and with support from MITACS Canada, are launching the first national survey of Canadian private forest owners in more than two decades. The survey aims to build a stronger evidence base to help governments better understand the role private forests play in Canada’s economy, environment and communities. The findings are expected to inform policy development and improve decision-making. CFO and McGill University researchers are working together to advance a national approach to private forest data. The project will gather information on forest area, condition and production potential, as well as insight into who owns and manages these lands, their objectives and their long-term stewardship plans. …Private forests are often managed over multiple generations, offering continuity of stewardship, patient capital and a long-term perspective. …The survey is intended to help close that information gap and improve understanding of Canada’s private forest sector.
B.C. environmental group’s ad campaign during World Cup puts spotlight on old-growth logging
By Tiffany Crawford
Vancouver Sun
June 21, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
If you were downtown in Vancouver on Thursday celebrating Canada’s big win at the World Cup you may have noticed several large billboards alerting visitors to one of B.C.’s controversial forest practices. Environmental group Sierra Club B.C. launched ads this month to coincide with the Cup in Vancouver to put the spotlight on logging of B.C.’s old-growth forest. The ads, which are online, on buildings, streaming in bars and restaurants, on TV and on billboards downtown and at SkyTrain stations, say an average of 100 soccer fields of old-growth forest in B.C. are still being clear-cut every day. This figure is from a 2025 report by the same group on the state of B.C.’s forests called Closer to the Brink. …B.C.’s Forest Ministry said in an emailed statement that there are 111,000 square kilometres of old forests and, of that, 89,000 are either protected, deferred or uneconomic to harvest, or 80 per cent of old-growth forest.
Millions in Forest ‘Enhancement’ Funds May Be Spurring More Logging
By Ben Parfitt
The Tyee
June 22, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West
British Columbians are subsidizing the province’s forest companies to the tune of tens of millions of dollars each year under a government program that defrays the cost of shipping logs from remote forests to distant mills. In 2023, logging companies received nearly $33 million in public funds to underwrite the costs of hauling “low-value” logs to wood pulp and pellet mills. …The subsidies are posted online by the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, or FESBC, an organization created and funded by the provincial government and that reports to Forests Minister Ravi Parmar. The society’s mandate includes “preventing and mitigating the impact of wildfires” and “improving habitat for wildlife.” But many FESBC funds simply underwrite the increasing costs of hauling logs. Those expenses have been marching upward as logging activities push farther into the hinterland. That has some questioning whether the funding is accelerating the logging of forests, rather than enhancing them.
Quebec town recognizes trees as living beings with rights
By Morgan Lowrie
Canadian Press in CBC News
June 21, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East
A small town west of Montreal has decided to officially recognize trees as living beings with rights of their own, in what an environmental organization describes as a first in Quebec and Canada. A resolution adopted by Terrasse-Vaudreuil city council on June 9 declares that trees are worthy of protection, “including the right to life, to natural growth, to integrity and to regeneration.” Mayor Michel Bourdeau says Quebec filmmaker André Desrochers inspired the community to take action. He said Desrochers’ film, called Des arbes et des arts convinced citizens that trees are living entities that breathe and communicate with each other through their root systems. …Bourdeau says the new resolution means the town will review its existing rules and bylaws to ensure that trees are protected or replaced if they must be cut down.
Victoria ended logging. Now it’s using Tasmania’s native forests
By Jessica Longbottom, Jonathan Miller and Jade Toomey
ABC News, Australia
June 22, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: International
It’s a freezing, foggy morning as the Searoad Mersey II docks at Melbourne Port. We’ve had a tip-off that the truck we’re looking for is on board. …Trees from Tasmania’s public forests are not meant to leave the island. But two years after Victoria banned logging in its own state forests, Four Corners has discovered there are Victorian sawmills now relying heavily on Tasmania for supply. In some cases, Victorian taxpayers are even subsidising the practice. …It’s clear this sawmill, in a state that’s banned native logging in public forests, has shifted its supply. …The state government told Four Corners no logs from public forests like these were leaving the island to be processed interstate. …The environmentalists reckon they’ve spent hundreds of hours at the Devonport ferry terminal, in the state’s north, watching logs leave the island.
Firefighters battling a wildfire near Lytton, B.C., say cooler temperatures and light winds helped overnight but that fire activity could increase throughout the day as temperatures climb. An update posted online Sunday by the BC Wildfire Service says crews overnight prioritized the protection and defence of structures near the Saw Creek wildfire burning south of Lytton. The report says firefighters and aircraft continue to focus on securing the perimeter of the communities near the fire. It says temperatures are expected to be between the mid-20s to low-30s on Sunday and relative humidity will trend lower, “meaning there is the potential for fire activity to increase throughout the day.” The latest estimate puts the size of the out-of-control fire at about seven square-kilometres, up slightly from Saturday. The wildfire has triggered evacuation orders and alerts in the area, affecting more than 230 properties, while also shutting down a more than 115-kilometre stretch of Highway 1.
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.
Forestry Innovation Investment’s 2025/26 Year in Review is now available. It is a compilation of market development activities completed by FII and our many industry, association, government, academic and research partners over the past year. We are committed to a collaborative delivery approach, building on the strengths and shared resources that other organizations bring to this important work. The forest sector continues to face challenging market conditions and ongoing trade uncertainty. As we adapt to these pressures, diversification remains central to strengthening the sector. By expanding markets and making the most of B.C.’s forest resources, FII and its partners are supporting long-term resilience. This includes advancing wood use in B.C., supporting growth in mass timber and prefabricated construction, and pursuing opportunities across international markets. The report includes the range of work underway, and the milestones achieved over the past year. 
OTTAWA, ON—Researchers at McGill University, in partnership with Canadian Forest Owners (CFO) and with support from MITACS Canada, are launching the first national survey of Canadian private forest owners in more than two decades. The survey aims to build a stronger evidence base to help governments better understand the role private forests play in Canada’s economy, environment and communities. The findings are expected to inform policy development and improve decision-making. CFO and McGill University researchers are working together to advance a national approach to private forest data. The project will gather information on forest area, condition and production potential, as well as insight into who owns and manages these lands, their objectives and their long-term stewardship plans. …Private forests are often managed over multiple generations, offering continuity of stewardship, patient capital and a long-term perspective. …The survey is intended to help close that information gap and improve understanding of Canada’s private forest sector.
British Columbians are subsidizing the province’s forest companies to the tune of tens of millions of dollars each year under a government program that defrays the cost of shipping logs from remote forests to distant mills. In 2023, logging companies received nearly $33 million in public funds to underwrite the costs of hauling “low-value” logs to wood pulp and pellet mills. …The subsidies are posted online by the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, or FESBC, an organization created and funded by the provincial government and that reports to Forests Minister Ravi Parmar. The society’s mandate includes “preventing and mitigating the impact of wildfires” and “improving habitat for wildlife.” But many FESBC funds simply underwrite the increasing costs of hauling logs. Those expenses have been marching upward as logging activities push farther into the hinterland. That has some questioning whether the funding is accelerating the logging of forests, rather than enhancing them.