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The Tree Frog Forestry News
September 14, 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.
Let’s Put Into Practice All We Know About Wildfire
By Christine Gelowitz, CEO and Registrar
Forest Professionals BC
September 11, 2026
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada West
This past summer once again saw wildfires rip through the BC Interior resulting in lost homes and uprooted communities. As always, we’re left wondering why did this happen? Could it have been prevented? In the case of the Summerland fire, CBC reported that fuel management and prescribed burning work had been planned in some of the affected areas but had not been carried out. But the situation is more nuance than the reporting suggests. Considerable mitigation work had taken place around the community over the past two decades including fuel management treatments, ecological burns, and targeted grazing. The effectiveness of those efforts, along with other factors across the landscape and efforts of individual local residents, will no doubt be studied in detail in the months ahead. The impact of this wildfire does not mean mitigation failed. Quite the opposite; it suggests that preventative work matters, that FireSmart initiatives by homeowners are imperative, and that communities are safer because of it.
Forest Professionals BC partnered with BC Wildfire Service to work on building the professional capacity needed for modern wildfire management. We have established three wildfire-related areas of professional practice, developed competency standards, created targeted professional development, and introduced new licensing pathways to ensure that critical wildfire planning is carried out by regulated professionals who are knowledgeable, skilled, and accountable to the public.
What U.S. politicians are saying about the trade war with Canada
CBC News
September 13, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States
Chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton speaks with US Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego about the impact of the US-Canada trade war on the state of Arizona. Plus, Janet Mills, governor of Maine, talks about the trade war’s effect on her state. Then, a Michigan-based furniture business owner and an Ontario-based distillery owner describe what the tariffs have meant for their businesses. …The US president spoke about the state of relations with Canada this past weekend while on a trip to Ireland, saying… “Canada wants to make a deal very badly”. …But not all US- elected officials are on board with the president. Ruben Galgo, a Democratic senator from Arizona posted this past week saying Trump’s actions against Canada have made things more expensive for Americans. …Janet Mills is another Democratic governor said “what the president is saying and doing in recent months and years is not reflective of how we as a state feel about people of Canada.
Ottawa Must Fix the Rules to Create Certainty and Help Us Grow
By Derek Nighbor, Forest Products Association of Canada
The Hill Times
September 14, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada
Derek Nighbor
As we push through the current trade dispute with the United States and the geo-political uncertainty around us, it’s time to look inward with greater urgency. Canada has real operating, infrastructure, and productivity challenges and now is the time to be serious about fixing them. …For Canada’s forest products sector, the most immediate opportunities… come from fixing overlapping rules, making decisions faster, better coordinating federal and provincial processes, and creating a clearer path for private investment. At a time when the federal government is looking carefully at new programs to stabilize and strengthen our economy, regulatory efficiency needs to be a critical part of the budget season conversation. …The Forest Sector Transformation Task Force has done the work to provide a government with useful playbook. Its recommendations point to the importance of cost-competitive wood supply, modernization, timely approvals, stronger market access, reliable trade infrastructure, and better coordination.
Carney eyes ‘unique alliance’ with EU as Trump trade war strains Canada’s US ties
By Milena Walde
Politico.eu
September 14, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada
Mark Carney
OTTAWA — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Sunday that he is not seeking full EU membership but wants to forge much closer ties with the bloc, as he prepares to travel to Strasbourg amid an escalating trade war with the US. …Carney said. “What we are looking — and will begin discussions for — [is] a unique alliance with the European Union.” …Carney will address the European Parliament this week and attend Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech. His comments follow a Wall Street Journal report suggesting that he has floated making Canada an “associate member” of the EU — a novel status. Officials have discussed closer cooperation on critical minerals, trade, education and cultural exchanges, digital infrastructure and Arctic security. …Brussels, however, has yet to endorse Carney’s “associate member” idea, while parts of the existing EU-Canada trade agreement still await ratification in several member countries.
Industries point to gains, leverage under Trump’s Canadian tariffs
By Jeff Murdock and Tom Howell
The Washington Times
September 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States
President Trump’s tariffs on Canada are creating clear winners and uneasy allies, with steel and lumber producers embracing the protection while alcohol and dairy groups see the levies as a bargaining chip to push Ottawa to the negotiating table. Steel producers are the most vocal. …Beyond steel, the US lumber industry says Mr. Trump’s tariffs on Canadian wood have given it a boost. Domestic lumber producers are projected to add 2.5 billion board feet of capacity in the next two years. That translates to 1,667 more workers at the mills, 4,150 jobs in supplier industries and 3,100 jobs in surrounding communities, according to the U.S. Lumber Coalition. The coalition noted that Canada’s US market share plummeted from roughly 35% to 19% after first-term tariffs. …Yet these protections carry a price. Builders and manufacturers are paying more for steel and lumber. …While protective tariffs shield primary producers, they squeeze downstream industries caught in the crossfire.
Letter to Premier Eby regarding forestry at breaking point
David Haley RPF
September 11, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West
David Haley
Dear Premier Eby, this follows-up on the September 9 release of the letter stating that the forest industry is at a breaking point. This asks that you instruct BC Hydro to reach an Energy Purchase Agreement for the Howe Sound Pulp and Paper mill. While there are multiple obstacles to this proposal, establishing this as a pilot project would provide hope for the local forest industry on both sides of Howe Sound (and beyond), provide an outlet for the disposal of hog fuel from Dry Land Sorts and an outlet for other local material, thus avoiding landfill costs. It would support commercial thinning and fuel management in this area (BC Timber Sales, Woodlots BC and BC Community Forest Agreements) and support the general concept of natural asset management (Gibson local government). It would provide a quick source of energy, increasing the security and sovereignty of BC energy. It would also contribute to the doubling of electricity production as proposed by Prime Minister Carney. [END]
Clock ticking on effort to head off Howe Sound mill closure
By Derrick Penner
The Vancouver Sun
September 12, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West
The impending indefinite shutting of Domtar’s Howe Sound pulp mill on the Sunshine Coast risks touching off a domino effect of closures and job losses within the tightly integrated coastal forest industry. That raises the stakes for a last-minute effort to head the closure off. On Sept. 4, BC appointed high-profile negotiators to work with Domtar on the matter. If that effort fails, industry consultant David Elstone said more than the 400 jobs… would be at stake, because its operations are “integrated heavily” with the sawmills that provide raw materials. “If Howe Sound goes down, you’ll basically see the start of the implosion of the coastal forest industry.” …It would be the third major pulp mill curtailed this year. …Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar appointed former top civil servant Don Wright and former Canfor CEO Don Kayne as negotiators to iron out a possible resolution to keep the Howe Sound mill running. [to access the full story a Vancouver Sun subscription may be required]
Unifor members ratify the new Eastern Canada forestry pattern agreement
By Syndicat Unifor Québec
PR Newswire
September 14, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East
MONTREAL — Unifor members at the Domtar mills covered by the pattern bargaining in Eastern Canada’s forestry sector have voted in favour of the conciliator’s settlement recommendation put forward by the union earlier this week. This vote formally sets out the terms of the new pattern agreement, which will serve as a model for future negotiations in the pulp and paper, sawmill and forestry sectors and will ultimately affect some 14,000 Unifor members in Eastern Canada. The agreement comes at a particularly critical time for Canada’s forestry industry. …The vote [follows] three rounds of intense negotiations between Unifor and Domtar… Faced with an impasse at the negotiating table, the parties agreed to put the conciliator’s recommendation to a vote by the members. The union presented the contents of the recommendation to members at the three mills for a decision. Failure to reach an agreement would have resulted in an immediate labour dispute.
Regulators in Vermont have issued a waiver to permit biomass plants Ryegate Power and the McNeil Generating Station in Burlington to purchase low-grade wood that had been destined for a Glens Falls mill, Finch Paper, before it suddenly discontinued its pulpwood operation in July. Typically, per a condition in its permitting, Ryegate’s wood comes from harvests that are initially reviewed by Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists. “A temporary waiver of [Ryegate’s] harvesting policy requirements would allow wood that was intended for Finch to be sold to the Ryegate Power Station without otherwise required Department of Fish and Wildlife review and approval,” the Vermont Public Utilities Commission (PUC) order stated. According to testimony provided to the PUC, Finch purchased approximately 2,000 tons per week of softwood and hardwood from Vermont. It was the primary market for about 40% of the state’s pulp and nearly all its hemlock pulpwood.
US consumer sentiment receded for the second month in a row
The University of Michigan
September 12, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States
US Consumer sentiment receded less than 4 index points for the second consecutive month of decreases. Democrats and Republicans alike posted sizable declines, while independents were little changed from August. Year-ahead expectations for both personal finances and business conditions plunged. With a resurgence in fuel prices and trade tensions, consumers anticipate greater pressures on their pocketbooks to come. Five-year expected business conditions remained stable at readings well below their historical average, suggesting that consumers believe that emerging risks this month may not have further worsened the long-run outlook. Overall, sentiment is now 16% below February, prior to the start of the Iran conflict, and 13% lower than a year ago. Year-ahead inflation expectations jumped from 4.0% last month to 4.6% this month, the highest reading since June.
US diesel hits record $5.98 as Iran war drives up costs from milk to lumber
By James Nanzo
The Cool Down in Yahoo Finance!
September 13, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, International
AAA says the national average for diesel reached an unprecedented $5.98 per gallon on September 10, a new high for a fuel whose effects stretch well beyond filling stations. The increase is likely to reach people who never purchase diesel directly, showing up instead in the cost of everyday items and in higher home-heating expenses. More broadly, diesel is a key fuel for trucks and ships, and Grist described how rising diesel costs can feed into the prices of essentials including groceries and lumber. Compared with late February, when the United States and Israel went to war with Iran, AAA figures show diesel prices are about $2.31 higher. Grist also noted that the last major high point came in 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine helped send diesel to $5.82 per gallon. David Ortega at Michigan State University, explained how these increases typically move through the economy.
Code myths can create unnecessary design constraints. Let’s clear them up.
WoodWorks Alberta
September 14, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West
Join WoodWorks Alberta and GHL Consultants for practical Lunch & Learns exploring some of the most common code myths and design challenges in combustible construction. These sessions will look at how fire-safety objectives translate into code provisions, where common misconceptions can create unnecessary design constraints, and how to identify potential issues before they lead to costly redesigns or approval delays. Whether you’re new to combustible construction or looking to strengthen your code knowledge, you’ll come away with practical insights you can apply to your next project. Attendees will receive a certificate confirming participation in one hour of professional continuing education. Join us in Edmonton or Calgary later this month!
BC Wood – AGM Message from the Chairperson 2025-2026
By Kelly Marciniw, Chairperson, BC Wood Specialties Group
LinkedIn
September 14, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West
Kelly Marciniw
When I became Chairperson of BC Wood Specialities Group this past year, there were already glimmers of the challenging year we would have related to trade internationally, fibre access locally, and the steady squeeze of labour constraints. These challenging times are exactly why there is such strength in being a member of an industry association like BC Wood. BC Wood has historically been known as the go-to association for international market development. We have on-the-ground staff in Japan and Korea, and expertise in markets in other parts of Asia, Mexico, Europe, and the USA. We have also been proactive for years in growing British Columbia wood products’ market share in other parts of Canada like the Ontario high-end cottage market. This diversity of market expertise is a key strength now as the whole country is looking to diversify away from our southern neighbour. Part of our strength as a resilient economy is having numerous robust trade relationships. With BC Wood, we can look forward to expanding the value of forestry products sold within our own country and to the many countries globally that Canada enjoys friendly trade relations with.
Building wildfire resilience throughout B.C. — FireSmart funding applications open
By the Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
September 13, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Communities throughout British Columbia will have another opportunity to strengthen their wildfire resilience through the 2027 intake of the FireSmart Community Funding and Supports (FCFS) program. “This wildfire season reinforced that FireSmart works. We’re helping communities prepare for the 2027 wildfire season by engaging in active forest management, by building community resilience and by reducing the threat of wildfire,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. The FCFS program provides funding to local governments and First Nations to increase community resiliency by supporting the development and implementation of local wildfire-risk-reduction projects. The program is delivered by the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society and the Union of B.C. Municipalities, in partnership with the Ministry of Forests. “First Nations communities are disproportionately impacted by wildfire,” said Francyne Joe, executive director, First Nations’ Emergency Services Society. “FireSmart funding gives communities the tools to build their own capacity, in ways that fit their needs and priorities.”
Many not happy with plan to harvest trees in Spallumcheen’s Rose Swanson Mountain area
By Darren Handschuh
Castanet
September 11, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West
Glenn Tytenbeek isn’t just opposed to a plan to log parts of Spallumcheen’s Rose Swanson Mountain area, he is “vehemently opposed.” Tytenbeek was one of many people who attended an open house by the BC Timber Sales proposal which proposes to harvest up of 35.7 hectares of forest, spread over 15 smaller patches, ranging in size from one to 4.3-hectare openings. …Lisa Broughton was also opposed to the logging project. “I feel it is pure greed. Why should the rest of us have to suffer, the wildlife has to suffer and the forest being ravaged because of a company’s greed.” …“I actually don’t hear any concerns,” Warren Yablonski with the BCTS said about 45 minutes into the three-hour open house. “I hear people are okay with the plan.” …Yablonski noted the area has logged back on the 1950s as well. “That’s what created these old trails out there,” Yablonski said, adding hiking trails are logging trails from the 1950’s.
“It’s like a moonscape”: B.C. wildlife restoration experts on the challenges of recovering from increasingly intense wildfires
By Emily Joveski
My Cariboo Now
September 11, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West
Wildfire restoration expert Angela Kane says she knows the high toll of being displaced by wildfire. She is the CEO of the Secwepemcul’ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society (SRSS), an Indigenous-led wildfire recovery organization that formed after the devastating 2017 Elephant Hill fire that burned close to 200,000 hectares near Ashcroft, B.C. …Kane said the scale of the destruction is also surreal, as B.C. sees such intense wildfires happening more frequently due to climate change. Recalling her experience flying over the landscape burned by the Elephant Hill fire, Kane said she was stunned by the devastation. …Kane said the first task for the society’s restoration efforts is finding areas where the soil has not been badly damaged and working with First Nations to determine where and what to plant. …“We did 292 page report on the Elephant Hill Wildfire lessons Learned back in 2017, which outlined to the provincial government, as well as BC wildfire, calls to action and recommendations,” said Kane.
Rep. Zinke announces ‘landscape-scale’ management plan for the Blackfoot Valley
By Caroline Weiss
Montana Public Radio
September 11, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West
Before he leaves office, Rep. Ryan Zinke plans to ask Congress to protect Wilderness and recreation in the Blackfoot Valley. The “A River Runs Through It Act” looks to bring together decades of local conservation work to shape the future of 430,000 acres. The plan seeks to merge previous major conservation and recreation proposals in the area into one single landscape-scale approach, highlighting shared use. Zinke’s office says it would expand recreation and conserve public land and access, while allowing for forest restoration, timber harvests and reduction of wildfire risk. The plan proposes new trails and changes to some of the area’s Wilderness designations, including creating a new Wilderness area on Nevada Mountain. The “A River Runs Through It Act” is supported by a host of local residents, leaders and environmental, recreation and timber industry groups, who say it is an example of collaborative conservation.
Oregon approves $123M to cover part of 2026 wildfire costs
By Zach Urness
Statesman Journal
September 11, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West
Oregon lawmakers on Sept. 10 approved $123 million to help cover costs from a wildfire season that burned more acres than any year in modern history. The Oregon Legislature’s Joint Emergency Board agreed to allocate $122.8 million to cover costs of fighting blazes that have burned 2.5 million acres, largely in the central and eastern parts of the state. …The 20-member joint committee can allocate funding when the full Legislature isn’t in session. It sent $108 million to the Oregon Department of Forestry, which fights wildland fires, and $15 million to the Department of the State Fire Marshal, which normally works to protect homes from blazes. …While this season saw a record number of acres burned, surpassing the record previously set in 2024, the season still pales in comparison to the impact of the 2020 Labor Day Fires, which burned fewer acres but destroyed far more homes and infrastructure and took 11 lives.
As plan to repeal Roadless Rule advances, stakeholders skeptical Wisconsin will benefit
By Beatrice Lawrence
Wisconsin Public Radio
September 11, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East
The Trump administration announced a proposal last month to remove a Forest Service rule that protects millions of acres of National Forest land throughout the United States from commercial logging and road building. …The Forest Service argues the rule is preventing effective fire management in these areas, and that repealing it will offer land managers more flexibility. A 30-day public comment period is now open until Sept. 21. ENGOs across the Midwest want to extend that window. …The rule would loosen federal restrictions on logging activity in Roadless areas. But Henry Schienebeck, of the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association, said that demand for timber isn’t high enough to drive logging in those areas. “Right now we don’t see rescinding the roadless rule having an impact on our industry,” Schienebeck said. “Timber availability is there. We’ve got to have markets for it.” But, he said the situation is different out West.
Japan’s biomass energy boom threatens further deforestation in Indonesia
By Victoria Milko
The Associated Press in WSAV.com
September 13, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: International
ISLAMABAD — A surge in Indonesia’s wood pellet and chip production is driving a new wave of deforestation, threatening the vast archipelago’s remaining tropical forests, vital biodiversity hot spots and the land of Indigenous peoples, according to new satellite analysis from environmental nongovernmental organizations. …“The biomass industry has become a new driver of deforestation in Indonesia,” said Timer Manurung, of Indonesia-based organization Auriga Nusantara. “And most of the biomass product is for export, with Japan as the biggest destination.” As Japan’s demand for Indonesian wood pellets skyrockets in an effort to meet its own renewable energy goals, critics say continued subsidies and weak oversight of the supply chain are likely to allow continued razing of pristine Indonesian forests. …Environmentalists and scientists warn that continued rise in international demand coupled with weak domestic regulation will continue to accelerate deforestation.
Learning From the Land: Indigenous Knowledge, Forestry, and the Path to Reconciliation
BC Forest History Association
September 14, 2026
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: Canada West
The BC Forest History Association Speaker Series.Jordon Gabriel, from the Líl̓wat Nation will present: Learning From the Land: Indigenous Knowledge, Forestry, and the Path to Reconciliation. We will explore how Líl̓wat knowledge and contemporary forestry practices are being brought together through cultural burning, wildfire risk reduction, fuels management, community forestry, and collaborative stewardship. Our key takeaway is that reconciliation in forestry must prioritize Indigenous voices, knowledge, and authority in land stewardship to support healthier forests, safer communities, cultural continuity, employment, and responsibility to future generations. Líl̓wat Forestry Ventures Ltd. is a leading forestry management corporation within the Líl̓wat Nation in Mount Currie, British Columbia. Jordon Gabriel, from the Líl̓wat Nation, is one of the Forestry Technicians helping to ensure sustainable management of the Nation’s forests and the preservation of all cultural values for generations to come. Jordon worked with the BC Wildfire Services for 20 years.
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.
This past summer once again saw wildfires rip through the BC Interior resulting in lost homes and uprooted communities. As always, we’re left wondering why did this happen? Could it have been prevented? In the case of the Summerland fire, CBC reported that fuel management and prescribed burning work had been planned in some of the affected areas but had not been carried out. But the situation is more nuance than the reporting suggests. Considerable mitigation work had taken place around the community over the past two decades including fuel management treatments, ecological burns, and targeted grazing. The effectiveness of those efforts, along with other factors across the landscape and efforts of individual local residents, will no doubt be studied in detail in the months ahead. The impact of this wildfire does not mean mitigation failed. Quite the opposite; it suggests that preventative work matters, that FireSmart initiatives by homeowners are imperative, and that communities are safer because of it.
Chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton speaks with US Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego about the impact of the US-Canada trade war on the state of Arizona. Plus, Janet Mills, governor of Maine, talks about the trade war’s effect on her state. Then, a Michigan-based furniture business owner and an Ontario-based distillery owner describe what the tariffs have meant for their businesses. …The US president spoke about the state of relations with Canada this past weekend while on a trip to Ireland, saying… “Canada wants to make a deal very badly”. …But not all US- elected officials are on board with the president. Ruben Galgo, a Democratic senator from Arizona posted this past week saying Trump’s actions against Canada have made things more expensive for Americans. …Janet Mills is another Democratic governor said “what the president is saying and doing in recent months and years is not reflective of how we as a state feel about people of Canada. 
President Trump’s tariffs on Canada are creating clear winners and uneasy allies, with steel and lumber producers embracing the protection while alcohol and dairy groups see the levies as a bargaining chip to push Ottawa to the negotiating table. Steel producers are the most vocal. …Beyond steel, the US lumber industry says Mr. Trump’s tariffs on Canadian wood have given it a boost. Domestic lumber producers are projected to add 2.5 billion board feet of capacity in the next two years. That translates to 1,667 more workers at the mills, 4,150 jobs in supplier industries and 3,100 jobs in surrounding communities, according to the U.S. Lumber Coalition. The coalition noted that Canada’s US market share plummeted from roughly 35% to 19% after first-term tariffs. …Yet these protections carry a price. Builders and manufacturers are paying more for steel and lumber. …While protective tariffs shield primary producers, they squeeze downstream industries caught in the crossfire.
Regulators in Vermont have issued a waiver to permit biomass plants Ryegate Power and the McNeil Generating Station in Burlington to purchase low-grade wood that had been destined for a Glens Falls mill, Finch Paper, before it suddenly discontinued its pulpwood operation in July. Typically, per a condition in its permitting, Ryegate’s wood comes from harvests that are initially reviewed by Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists. “A temporary waiver of [Ryegate’s] harvesting policy requirements would allow wood that was intended for Finch to be sold to the Ryegate Power Station without otherwise required Department of Fish and Wildlife review and approval,” the Vermont Public Utilities Commission (PUC) order stated. According to testimony provided to the PUC, Finch purchased approximately 2,000 tons per week of softwood and hardwood from Vermont. It was the primary market for about 40% of the state’s pulp and nearly all its hemlock pulpwood.
AAA says the national average for diesel reached an unprecedented $5.98 per gallon on September 10, a new high for a fuel whose effects stretch well beyond filling stations. The increase is likely to reach people who never purchase diesel directly, showing up instead in the cost of everyday items and in higher home-heating expenses. More broadly, diesel is a key fuel for trucks and ships, and Grist described how rising diesel costs can feed into the prices of essentials including groceries and lumber. Compared with late February, when the United States and Israel went to war with Iran, AAA figures show diesel prices are about $2.31 higher. Grist also noted that the last major high point came in 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine helped send diesel to $5.82 per gallon. David Ortega at Michigan State University, explained how these increases typically move through the economy.
Communities throughout British Columbia will have another opportunity to strengthen their wildfire resilience through the 2027 intake of the FireSmart Community Funding and Supports (FCFS) program. “This wildfire season reinforced that FireSmart works. We’re helping communities prepare for the 2027 wildfire season by engaging in active forest management, by building community resilience and by reducing the threat of wildfire,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. The FCFS program provides funding to local governments and First Nations to increase community resiliency by supporting the development and implementation of local wildfire-risk-reduction projects. The program is delivered by the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society and the Union of B.C. Municipalities, in partnership with the Ministry of Forests. “First Nations communities are disproportionately impacted by wildfire,” said Francyne Joe, executive director, First Nations’ Emergency Services Society. “FireSmart funding gives communities the tools to build their own capacity, in ways that fit their needs and priorities.” 
Glenn Tytenbeek isn’t just opposed to a plan to log parts of Spallumcheen’s Rose Swanson Mountain area, he is “vehemently opposed.” Tytenbeek was one of many people who attended an open house by the BC Timber Sales proposal which proposes to harvest up of 35.7 hectares of forest, spread over 15 smaller patches, ranging in size from one to 4.3-hectare openings. …Lisa Broughton was also opposed to the logging project. “I feel it is pure greed. Why should the rest of us have to suffer, the wildlife has to suffer and the forest being ravaged because of a company’s greed.” …“I actually don’t hear any concerns,” Warren Yablonski with the BCTS said about 45 minutes into the three-hour open house. “I hear people are okay with the plan.” …Yablonski noted the area has logged back on the 1950s as well. “That’s what created these old trails out there,” Yablonski said, adding hiking trails are logging trails from the 1950’s.
Wildfire restoration expert Angela Kane says she knows the high toll of being displaced by wildfire. She is the CEO of the Secwepemcul’ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society (SRSS), an Indigenous-led wildfire recovery organization that formed after the devastating 2017 Elephant Hill fire that burned close to 200,000 hectares near Ashcroft, B.C. …Kane said the scale of the destruction is also surreal, as B.C. sees such intense wildfires happening more frequently due to climate change. Recalling her experience flying over the landscape burned by the Elephant Hill fire, Kane said she was stunned by the devastation. …Kane said the first task for the society’s restoration efforts is finding areas where the soil has not been badly damaged and working with First Nations to determine where and what to plant. …“We did 292 page report on the Elephant Hill Wildfire lessons Learned back in 2017, which outlined to the provincial government, as well as BC wildfire, calls to action and recommendations,” said Kane.
Oregon lawmakers on Sept. 10 approved $123 million to help cover costs from a wildfire season that burned more acres than any year in modern history. The Oregon Legislature’s Joint Emergency Board agreed to allocate $122.8 million to cover costs of fighting blazes that have burned 2.5 million acres, largely in the central and eastern parts of the state. …The 20-member joint committee can allocate funding when the full Legislature isn’t in session. It sent $108 million to the Oregon Department of Forestry, which fights wildland fires, and $15 million to the Department of the State Fire Marshal, which normally works to protect homes from blazes. …While this season saw a record number of acres burned, surpassing the record previously set in 2024, the season still pales in comparison to the impact of the 2020 Labor Day Fires, which burned fewer acres but destroyed far more homes and infrastructure and took 11 lives.
ISLAMABAD — A surge in Indonesia’s wood pellet and chip production is driving a new wave of deforestation, threatening the vast archipelago’s remaining tropical forests, vital biodiversity hot spots and the land of Indigenous peoples, according to new satellite analysis from environmental nongovernmental organizations. …“The biomass industry has become a new driver of deforestation in Indonesia,” said Timer Manurung, of Indonesia-based organization Auriga Nusantara. “And most of the biomass product is for export, with Japan as the biggest destination.” As Japan’s demand for Indonesian wood pellets skyrockets in an effort to meet its own renewable energy goals, critics say continued subsidies and weak oversight of the supply chain are likely to allow continued razing of pristine Indonesian forests. …Environmentalists and scientists warn that continued rise in international demand coupled with weak domestic regulation will continue to accelerate deforestation.
The BC Forest History Association Speaker Series. Jordon Gabriel, from the Líl̓wat Nation will present: Learning From the Land: Indigenous Knowledge, Forestry, and the Path to Reconciliation. We will explore how Líl̓wat knowledge and contemporary forestry practices are being brought together through cultural burning, wildfire risk reduction, fuels management, community forestry, and collaborative stewardship. Our key takeaway is that reconciliation in forestry must prioritize Indigenous voices, knowledge, and authority in land stewardship to support healthier forests, safer communities, cultural continuity, employment, and responsibility to future generations. Líl̓wat Forestry Ventures Ltd. is a leading forestry management corporation within the Líl̓wat Nation in Mount Currie, British Columbia. Jordon Gabriel, from the Líl̓wat Nation, is one of the Forestry Technicians helping to ensure sustainable management of the Nation’s forests and the preservation of all cultural values for generations to come. Jordon worked with the BC Wildfire Services for 20 years.