Daily News for August 31, 2026

Today’s Takeaway

Tariffs are raising costs and disrupting markets on both sides of the border

The Tree Frog Forestry News
August 31, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway


Tariffs are raising costs and disrupting markets on both sides of the Canada-US border. In related news: a call for formal Buy Canadian procurement policy; Northeast loggers are adjusting to Finch Paper’s decision to stop producing pulp; and Japan’s housing starts rose for a fourth consecutive month. Meanwhile: BC Wood’s Global Buyers Mission is less than two weeks away; the Independent Lumber Manufacturers’ Association asks “Where’s The Fibre?” ahead of its Osoyoos convention; Northern Innovation Network is offering support to BC workers affected by forestry’s downturn; and the CelCo Conference’s early-bird deadline is today.

In Forestry news: an injunction aimed at preventing logging protests in BC’s Walbran Valley has been extended; BC’s forestry critic is calling for increased salvage of wildfire-damaged timber; scientists are breeding disease-resistant American elms; and funding uncertainty is threatening research in Pacific Northwest experimental forests. Meanwhile: UBC is helping forest-dependent communities explore bioenergy opportunities; new research suggests satellite observations may underestimate forest carbon accumulation; Washington’s Little Giant Fire needs more resources; crews make progress on Montana’s largest fire, and the wildfire in California’s Big Sur region has forced evacuations.

Finally, US tariffs could make toilet paper more expensive — and less soft.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

The US-Canada trade war in 5 charts

Nadine Yousif, Jessica Murphy, Jess Carr & Daniel Wainwright
BBC News
August 30, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The US and Canada appear no closer to resolving their ongoing trade dispute. Here are five charts to help break it all down.

  • The Royal Bank of Canada estimates that Ontario and Quebec are the most impacted by US sectoral tariffs. …Additional US tariffs on $20bn worth of Canadian goods are expected to impact all provinces in some way, though BC, Quebec and Ontario will feel the brunt.
  • Swing states in the cross hairs …The swing state of Ohio will be hardest hit, followed by Illinois and Pennsylvania.
  • From the lowest tariff rates to one with the pack… the average effective US tariff rate on Canada is now higher than Mexico’s, and is approaching the UK and Vietnam.
  • Canada’s exports are going elsewhere… Canada’s exports beyond the US have risen sharply since tariffs were introduced.
  • Fewer jobs and less disposable income… on both sides of the border, tariffs have hit jobs and disposable income.

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B.C. has talked buy Canadian. Now it’s clear we need a policy that says so

By Kiersten Enemark, Council of Canadian Innovators
The Vancouver Sun
August 28, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Kiersten Enemark

Since the U.S. began imposing tariffs of up to 50% on tens of billions of dollars of Canadian goods. …Forestry has been hit hardest: BC is Canada’s largest lumber producer, and roughly $6.7 billion in exports to the US in 2024 are now caught up in the new tariffs, on top of decades of softwood lumber duties. …Industry groups also flag a serious risk: even without new tariffs, rising trade tension could push American buyers, especially public-sector ones, toward domestic suppliers, squeezing Canadian companies out of U.S. contracts. Premier David Eby responded with urgency, directing Crown corporations and agencies last year to exclude U.S. suppliers from new contracts wherever possible, and then expanded that to existing contracts, too. It’s the right directive: use the province’s purchasing power to back Canadian business when it needs it most. …B.C. still has no legislation, regulation or formal procurement framework requiring public agencies to prioritize Canadian suppliers. [A Vancouver Sun subscription may be required for full story access]

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WTF? Interior Lumber Manufacturers’ Association Poses the Question Facing Canadian Forestry

By Ted Dergousoff
Independent Lumber Manufacturers’ Association
August 31, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Osoyoos, British Columbia — September 21–22, 2026 Every industry has its acronyms. Few, however, land quite like the one the Independent Lumber Manufacturers’ Association (ILMA) has chosen for its 2026 Annual Convention: WTF — Where’s The Fibre? It’s a cheeky title for a serious question. Fibre availability — the raw material that keeps sawmills running, communities employed, and Canada’s forest sector competitive — has become one of the defining challenges facing the industry. ILMA’s answer is to lean into the tension rather than tiptoe around it, gathering the people who can actually do something about the problem for two days of conversation, deal-making, and, yes, a little golf. The ILMA Annual Convention has built a reputation as one of Canada’s premier forestry networking events, and this year’s edition returns to Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos, located on the traditional territory of the Osoyoos Indian Band. The ILMA’s convention is intentionally curated — bringing together company owners and senior executives from across the sector alongside government representatives, First Nations leaders, suppliers, consultants, and forestry professionals.

See the full convention program here. Registration and conference information is available at www.ilma.com/convention

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Less than two weeks until the 23rd Annual Global Buyers Mission in Whistler, BC!

The BC Wood Specialties Group
August 31, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Two weeks until the 23rd Annual Global Buyers Mission in Whistler! At a time when trade barriers, transportation constraints, and rising operating costs are influencing how businesses plan and source, strong supplier–buyer relationships matter more than ever. GBM brings B.C.’s value-added wood manufacturers together with pre-qualified international buyers, distributors, and specifiers. From targeted B2B meetings and conversations on the tradeshow floor to networking receptions including the Women’s Networking Event, WoodTALKS seminars, and a few memorable Whistler moments along the way, GBM is designed to create connections that last well beyond the event. See you in Whistler, September 10-12!

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Build Your Own Future | Northern Innovation Network

Northern Innovation Network
August 31, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Build Your Own Future (BYOF) is a fully funded business startup program delivered by Northern Innovation Network for eligible individuals whose employment or livelihood has been affected by the forestry downturn, mill closures or curtailments, or tariffs. The program combines foundational business training, one-on-one coaching and mentorship, seven capacity-building workshops, and access to up to $5,000 in reimbursement funding for eligible business expenses. Participants can complete our 5-Day Foundational Business Bootcamp either in person or virtually, and the program is designed to support individuals who want to move from employment into self-employment by starting a contracting or service-based business.

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Northeastern Loggers Lose Major Wood Market in Pulp

By Matt Enright
Lancaster Farming News
August 28, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US East

The Finch paper manufacturer in New York said it will no longer produce its own wood pulp, leaving in the lurch the loggers and truckers who supplied the pulp materials. Finch will still produce paper but will buy pulp from another supplier… Oliver Pierson, the director of forestry for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, said Vermont’s forests are a key part of its economy, and there will be short- and long-term consequences from the change. “We have truckers and loggers whose predominant client had been Finch, and so they’re going to be in a very difficult situation,” he said. Forty percent of soft wood harvested in Vermont went to the Finch mill for pulp production, Pierson said. The loss of the soft wood market will also impact forest health, he added.  …The Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast is discussing potential solutions with officials in Vermont and New York. 

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Finance & Economics

What tariffs will really cost Canadians and Americans

By Michael Race
BBC News
August 28, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

As the dust settles in this tit-for-tat tariff row, what will be affected most on both sides of the border? …Construction materials such as steel, aluminium as well as lumber wood have had tariffs in place before the latest escalation, though Canada has now matched US rates on the metals at 50%. Carney has also imposed import taxes on several US wood products, such as plywood, and even screws used to fix timber together. That means building firms that import such materials will face higher costs and may choose to pass those on through higher prices – pushing up the cost of homes, for example. The Forest Products Association of Canada says tariffs would “raise costs on both sides of the border”, while on the US side, Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) urged Trump to make building materials exempt from his tariff agenda due to an “ongoing housing affordability crisis”.

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Japan Housing Starts Rise for 4th Month, Growth Slows

Trading Economics
August 30, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

Japan’s housing starts increased 8.2% year-on-year in July 2026, slowing significantly from an 18.6% surge in the previous month. Still, the latest reading marked the fourth consecutive month of growth, surpassing market expectations of 7.9% growth. Owner-occupied homes rose just 0.4% (vs 15.7% in June), while rental housing growth eased markedly (10.0% vs 24.6%). In the meantime, built-for-sale homes continued to grow solidly (14.6% vs 14.2%). At the same time, starts of two-by-four homes fell further (-8.5% vs -7.4%), while prefabricated housing starts dropped 6.9%, reversing a 13.7% gain in June.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Resilient by design: Timber performance in the face of disaster

By Mike Banta
The Construction Specifier
August 30, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Certain forces affecting the built environment are beyond human control. …At the same time, increasingly stringent fire- and life-safety requirements have raised expectations for structural systems performing under multiple hazard conditions. For decades, steel and concrete have been the default materials for meeting these demands. However, in recent years, timber construction has emerged as a viable engineered system capable of meeting prescribed wind-load criteria and code-required fire-resistance standards, offering construction professionals a viable solution for mitigating risk and protecting both buildings and occupants. …Heavy timber and mass timber can withstand extreme wind and fire through a combination of material properties and engineered design. Timber’s ductility allows it to absorb and distribute wind forces, while high-wind connectors, hold-downs, and continuous load paths help resist uplift and lateral loads during hurricanes. …Code-recognized fire-resistance design, appropriate member sizing, tested assemblies, and protective materials allow timber systems to meet rigorous life-safety requirements. 

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New Tariffs Could Make Toilet Paper More Expensive, Less Soft

By Andrew Moore, College of Natural Resources News
North Carolina State University
August 28, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

With the US imposing new tariffs on select Canadian exports, North Carolina State University experts warn that the escalating trade war could raise the price and reduce the quality of toilet paper and other tissue products. …Canadian NBSK is a critical raw material in global tissue manufacturing, accounting for roughly 15% to 30% of the fiber blend in premium bath tissue products and 50% to 65% in premium paper kitchen towels. Brazilian eucalyptus fiber makes up the remaining share. Gonzalez said the 50% tariff on Canadian NBSK could raise manufacturing costs for premium toilet tissue by 11% to 20%, while costs for premium paper kitchen towels could increase by 31% to 38%. …“If tissue producers choose to switch to Southern Bleached Softwood Kraft, the softness of premium tissue products will be compromised,” Jameel said. On the other hand, Gonzalez said the tariffs could create an opportunity to use more local fibers for tissue manufacturing, though they are less soft than northern softwood.

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Forestry

Province, First Nations move ahead on Thompson River forest landscape plan

By Tim Petruk
Castanet
August 30, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

©BC Govt

Work is moving ahead on a long-term forest management plan covering the Thompson River watershed following the completion of public engagement earlier this summer. The Thompson River Watersheds Forest Landscape Plan has entered the plan-development stage, with input gathered through open houses and an online survey now being considered as the province and area First Nations work on the draft. The plan is intended to guide future forest management across a large portion of the southern Interior, including decisions related to wildfire risk, watershed health, biodiversity, old growth, climate change and timber supply. Representatives from First Nations within the Secwépemc, Nlaka’pamux, Syilx and St’át’imc Nations are involved in the planning process alongside the province. …According to the project website, the next phase will focus on developing the plan using technical information, Indigenous knowledge and feedback received through the consultation process.

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Forestry critic Stamer pushes faster permits, more salvage logging after wildfires

By Michael Potestio
Castanet
August 30, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Forestry critic and B.C. Conservative MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson Ward Stamer wants to see the province salvage more wildfire-burned wood faster. He said that only about 5% of burned wood is logged on average in B.C. following a wildfire — a number he’s prefer to see rise to 25%. The former logger said he also wants to see cutting license issued faster, noting most burned trees are useless if not harvested within two years. …Stamer said once a trees dies, it begins deteriorating and each species does so at different rates. He said most burned trees that aren’t harvested within two years may only be good for low value chips, as opposed to other products such as plywood, veneer and saw logs. …Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar said the salvage rate is closer to eight to 10%. Parmar said the province is always trying to increase its salvage rate.

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Injunction aimed at Walbran Valley logging protests extended to 2028

By Roxanne Egan-Elliott
Victoria Times Colonist
August 30, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

A judge has extended a temporary injunction aimed at preventing old-growth logging protesters from blocking roads in the Walbran Valley. Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership was granted a one-year injunction last year that was set to expire on Sept. 13. The company was requesting an extension to the injunction, which prevents anyone with knowledge of the order from impeding access to roads or construction sites in the area. …Justice William Veenstra extended the injunction until Jan. 31, 2028, but declined to grant what would have essentially been an indefinite extension. Bill Jones, a Pacheedaht First Nation elder who opposed the extension request, was disappointed in the decision to grant an extension but appreciated that it was not made indefinite, his lawyer, Ben Isitt, said….The Pacheedaht First Nation issued a statement last year asking protesters to leave its territory in the Walbran Valley area, saying the blockade undermines the nation’s authority to govern its territory.

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A new generation of elm trees could be equipped to beat the disease that killed the parents

By Amanda Swinhart and Patrick Whittle
Associated Press
August 31, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

©TNRD

MONTPELIER, Vt. — The very disease that has decimated millions of American elms in the U.S. is now being used to bring the iconic trees back. In Vermont, Leila Wilson, a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service, is one of the scientists leading an effort to beat Dutch elm disease, which has killed tens of millions of elm trees over the last century. Scientists with the Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy Vermont spent the summer injecting 6,000 young elm trees with Dutch elm disease spores to test their resistance to the disease. The survivors will be sent to a breeding program with a goal of growing the genetic diversity of disease-tolerant elm trees. They will one day be used for restoration in forests, riverbanks and backyards. …The young elms were bred from a group of a few dozen trees in the Northeast that have survived Dutch elm disease…

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Research projects in the Pacific Northwest’s experimental forests face funding uncertainty

By Juliet Grable
Oregon Public Broadcasting
August 30, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

On a summer morning, Mark Schulze cranes his neck to inspect the canopies of several large trees in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest. Though the trunks are charred black, the branches near the crowns are still green. …This experimental forest straddles 1600 acres in the Willamette National Forest about 50 miles east of Eugene, Oregon. Schulze, who serves as the forest’s director, has lived onsite for 18 years. …The Lookout fire started on August 5 when lightning struck a tree on Lookout Mountain, near the experimental forest’s eastern edge. …The fire, though traumatic, presented an incredible opportunity to study the effects of a major disturbance on the forest ecosystem. …Now, some are worried that the Trump administration is putting this work in jeopardy. A reorganization of the Forest Service, reduced levels of staffing, and lapses in federal funding could affect decades of long-term research conducted here and elsewhere.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

A Year of Growth for University of British Columbia Forestry & Environmental Stewardship’s Combined Heat and Power Academy

By Forestry & Environmental Stewardship
University of British Columbia
August 28, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada West

Over the past year, the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Academy at the Alex Fraser Research Forest (AFRF) has welcomed participants from Indigenous, remote, and forest-dependent communities across Canada to explore a question that many communities are asking: how can local forest resources help build a more resilient energy future?  “Communities across Canada are looking for practical solutions that can strengthen local energy resilience while creating economic opportunities,” said Mustafa Onder Ersin, Project Manager of the CHP Academy Community Bioenergy Systems Training Program. “The CHP Academy was created to help communities explore those opportunities through hands-on learning, practical demonstrations, and knowledge sharing.” Hosted at the AFRF, managed by UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, the Academy provides a unique setting where participants can learn about renewable energy systems within an operational forestry environment.  

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Satellite observations underestimate widespread carbon accumulation in mature forests

BioEngineer
August 29, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States

For decades, mature forests have been treated as if their ability to store additional carbon gradually fades toward a biological ceiling. Once trees fill the available space and their canopies close, conventional satellite measurements often suggest that forest biomass changes very little. A new analysis, however, indicates that this apparent stability may be partly an illusion created by the way satellites observe forests. Across the conterminous United States, mature forests continue to accumulate carbon over large areas, but much of that growth is being missed by current satellite-derived biomass estimates. …The researchers compared several independent ways of detecting forest change, including satellite-derived biomass estimates, lidar observations, forest inventories and ecosystem models. …The contrast between the measurements was striking. Satellite estimates indicated that biomass in mature forests had undergone nearly neutral change over recent decades, implying little overall gain or loss. Forest inventories, by comparison, estimated that mature forests were accumulating about 102 teragrams of carbon each year. 

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The Cellulose Conference — Last 24 hours for Early Bird Rates

CelCo Cellulose Consulting
August 31, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Time is running out! The Cellulose Conference is fast approaching, and so is the end of our early bird pricing. Register today to secure the best rate before prices increase tomorrow. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with industry leaders, discover the latest innovations, and be part of the conversation shaping the future of cellulose. Join speakers from Numera Analytics, Lenzing, CCF Group, IKEA, Maersk, Roquette, Acuity Commodities, and more for a day of forward-looking analysis and strategic discussion. Early bird registration ends in just a few days, so secure your place now and take advantage of the discounted rate before it’s gone. Registrations are coming in every day. Check out the companies already registered by clicking HERE.

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Forest Fires

Fire activity in B.C.’s Interior will ‘likely occur’ until winter: BC Wildfire Service

By Jake Courtepatte
The Merritt Herald
August 28, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©BCWildfireService

BC Wildfire Service is warning Thompson-Nicola and Fraser Canyon residents that local wildfire activity will ‘likely occur’ until the winter this year. The Ainslee Creek wildfire, burning out of control since it was sparked in the area of Boston Bar on July 4, remains at almost 68,000 hectares with six evacuation alerts and two evacuation orders in the surrounding area. And despite a weekend forecast that includes up to 5mm of rain on Saturday, the province’s wildfire watchdog says that there is no “fire-ending” rain in the forecast at this time. “Fire activity will likely occur in the interior of the wildfire perimeter until winter due to the extreme drought conditions across most of the trees and soil this wildfire is burning in,” said BC Wildfire Service

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Little Giant Fire named top-priority wildfire in U.S., 150,000 acres burned

By Tim Hohl
My Northwest
August 28, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

©InciWeb

Washington — The Little Giant Fire is now the top-priority wildfire in the country, meaning requests for more crews and equipment can move closer to the front of the line. The fire is actively burning in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, located near the City of Plain. The fire, which started at the end of July, has burned approximately 150,000 acres. As many as 1,857 fire personnel have been assigned to the Little Giant Fire. The Washington Army National Guard is also assisting, securing the fire lines to help shield nearby structures from the fire. The fire threatens more than 6,000 structures. There’s a reason firefighters need the additional support and resources, according to Fire Behavior Analyst Kevin Montoya, as a historically dry winter left the forest ready to burn. The Little Giant Fire is burning in a heavily timbered area, making it one of the most difficult terrains in which to fight a fire.

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Firefighters make progress on Montana’s largest fire, scenic byway closed

By Jordan Hansen
The Daily Montanan
August 28, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

©InciWeb

Several large fires are burning in southwestern Montana, though cooler temperatures and precipitation have helped crews make progress on the blazes. Southwestern portions of the state have dealt with significant wildfire activity during the past month and several large fires are burning in Ravalli, Beaverhead and Granite counties. The approximately 33,000 acre Sand Creek fire is the state’s largest, burning about 7.5 miles southeast of Wisdom. The Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway is currently closed and firefighters are planning to make use of it as a shaded fire break, which a press release from fire managers said involves cutting some trees and leaving others. The shaded fire break will also serve as a control line between the Sand Creek Fire and the Bobcat Fire, an approximately 10,000-acre wildfire burning just miles away. The Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 1 is managing both blazes jointly.

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Fire in California’s Big Sur region doubles in size overnight, forcing evacuations

By Uwa Ede-Osifo
The Guardian
August 30, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

©InciWeb

A fire in California’s Big Sur region doubled in size overnight, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents, in a coastal region where firefighters have battled another blaze for weeks. The Plaskett fire, which sparked on Tuesday, had swept through more than 5,900 acres (2,400 hectares) in Monterey county as of Friday, and remained un-contained, according to Cal Fire. Its cause is under investigation. Fire authorities have deployed helicopters and air tankers to suppress the flames with targeted water drops, but the remote area’s steep terrain and scarce roads have hindered ground crews’ ability to access the fire. Meanwhile, to the north, the Timber fire continues to burn through more than 24,000 acres (9,700 hectares), as authorities have it under 21% containment. The blaze broke past certain containment lines. Smoke from the fire and cloud cover prevented officials from mapping the fire’s expansion overnight.

More details on this fire can be found on the Incident Information Website here

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