Daily News for July 06, 2026

Today’s Takeaway

US declines CUSMA renewal, setting the stage for annual trade reviews

The Tree Frog Forestry News
July 6, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway

The US declined to renew CUSMA, setting the stage for annual trade reviews while the agreement remains in force until 2036. In other Business news: Ottawa and BC sign a prosperity agreement that includes forest sector commitments; Canfor completed its acquisition of PinkWood; Nordic Veneer will close its Roseburg, Oregon operations; Mercer extends pulp mill shutdown in Rosenthal, Germany; and Alden Robbins died from his injuries in the May 15 Robbins Lumber explosion. Meanwhile: Kevin Mason says US housing will continue to face headwinds; the EPA tightens emissions rules for wood plants; and Europe’s paper industry is slowly eroding.

In Forestry news: FPAC’s Derek Nighbor opines on his new wood role and the importance of active forest management; Canada and Quebec reach agreement on caribou recovery; BC’s chief forester halves the AAC in the Kispiox TSA; Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz celebrates US’s 250th; and Utah professor says Congress should reinstate revoked land management plans. Meanwhile: BC is balancing the benefits of fire with the health risks of smoke; and wildfire updates from BC, Quebec, Colorado and Europe.

Finally, science, not paperwork, may become the best defence against Russian timber fraud.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Opinion / EdiTOADial

U.S. real disposable income turns negative, housing starts tumble

By Kevin Mason, Managing Director
ERA Forest Products Research
July 3, 2026
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: United States

Kevin Mason

The headline numbers coming out of the US continue to point to a robust economy, but the K-shaped bifurcation between income brackets is undeniable. The steady decline (and recent collapse) in real disposable income is concerning. There are many factors that contribute to an individual’s disposable income. Rising energy costs have been a big factor of late (gas prices predominantly), but disposable income was in decline far before its recent dip into negative territory. Inflation has outstripped wage growth in many parts of the private sector, with households often having to tap into savings and/or take on debt to support spending. Another challenge has been high interest rates, and that shows up in the housing market (as well as autos).

…After showing impressive resilience through the first four months of the year, US housing starts capitulated in May, slumping to a seasonally adjusted 1.18MM units (their lowest level since May 2020 at the onset of the pandemic). Single-family starts came in at 882,000, off by 2% m/m and 7% y/y, while multifamily activity was off by a whopping 40% m/m and 14% y/y at just 295,000. That adjusted multifamily number was the lowest reading since November 2024 and came as a shock after multis had decisively outperformed singles through the first four months of the year (averaging an adjusted 478,000 over that period).To round off a dismal month, home sales data for May gave little reason for optimism. Looking first at new home sales, May’s total of 580,000 (adjusted) was off 7% both m/m and y/y.

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Business & Politics

Derek Nighbor speaks to duel CEO role: FPAC and CWC

Canadian Forest Industries
July 6, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Derek Nighbor

On July 1, Derek Nighbor officially started his new role as the president and CEO of the Canadian Wood Council; while continuing his leadership role as the president and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC). Nighbor defines his role and future goals: FPAC and CWC have been working more closely together for several years. …with growing challenges on trade, mill closures, the need to build more affordable homes, and with the Carney government’s focus on building a more resilient economy, things have shifted greatly – and as an industry we needed to respond. …the CWC Board and I have made a commitment that we would do this for one year, then reassess to ensure the model is best for both organizations into the future. …the challenge is to help Canada … build more homes and infrastructure, build them faster, and use more Canadian wood where it makes sense.

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Trump isn’t extending CUSMA trade deal, so what happens now?

By Mike Crawley
CBC News
July 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The Trump administration surprised no one with its long-expected announcement Wednesday that the U.S. would not join Canada and Mexico in extending the free trade deal between the three countries. Where things go from here, however, with renegotiating the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement is anyone’s guess. One thing is certain: the deal remains in effect while the negotiations happen, as it doesn’t expire for another 10 years. The only circumstance that would change that is an official six-month notice of withdrawal, something Trump has stopped short of threatening to do. Domestic political concerns keep the White House from scrapping the trade agreement, according to Simon Lester, a trade expert at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He says CUSMA has broad support from Republicans in Congress, particularly those from agricultural states. …On paper, according to the text of CUSMA, the three sides could now enter a perpetual series of renegotiations every year.

Related coverage by:

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USMCA non-renewal deepens Canadian lumber uncertainty for US builders

By Liezel Once
Mortgage Professional America Magazine
July 1, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The Trump administration’s decision to forgo renewal of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on the July 1 deadline has opened a new front in the ongoing trade war — and one with direct consequences for US homebuilders and the mortgage professionals who serve them. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer confirmed on Wednesday that the three countries met virtually for the required joint review and that the US declined to extend the agreement in its current form. The USMCA remains in effect until 2036 but will now be subject to annual reviews that could force significant renegotiation of major sections of the treaty, a development that has rattled an already strained construction supply chain. …Canadian softwood lumber already carries a combined duty burden of 45%. That cost has steadily compressed builder margins even as new home demand remains sluggish and housing starts have declined every year since their 2021 peak.

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Canfor completes acquisition of Calgary-based PinkWood Ltd.

By Canfor Corporation
GlobeNewswire
July 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC — Canfor Corporation announced it has completed the acquisition of PinkWood Ltd, Western Canada’s largest I-joist facility based in Calgary, Alberta. The acquisition, announced on June 9, 2026, complements Canfor’s existing operations in Alberta and British Columbia “We’re excited to welcome the PinkWood operation, its management team and its employees to the Canfor family,” said Susan Yurkovich, President and CEO of Canfor. “The acquisition represents a strong strategic fit for both companies and supports the continued growth of Canfor’s value-added manufacturing capabilities.” PinkWood will retain its name and operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Canfor. The operation will add 120 employees, and 46 million linear feet of annual I-joist production capacity.

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Canada and British Columbia strike new cooperative prosperity partnership

By Office of the Prime Minister
The Government of Canada
July 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Prime Minister, Mark Carney, and the Premier of British Columbia, David Eby, signed the new Canada-British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement. …Both governments share a fundamental belief that this is the moment to leverage our domestic advantages to build a stronger Canada. To that end, British Columbia and Canada agree to pursue a series of actions that grow the BC and Canadian economies. …Canada and BC commit to concrete and practical measures to stabilise, transform and strengthen the sector. That work will include measures to modernise operations, support simplified and efficient access to fibre, attract investment, expand the use of wood in construction, grow value-added production, and diversify export markets, while ensuring environmental sustainability and responsible forest stewardship. This work will be carried out based broadly on the objectives of the Final Report of the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force, and Canada’s Action Plan to Transform Canada’s Forest Sector.

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Nordic Veneer to close Roseburg operations after more than 72 years

KCBY News 11
July 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US West

ROSEBURG, Ore. — Nordic Veneer Inc. announced Friday that it will permanently close its Roseburg-area operations, ending more than seven decades as a family-owned wood products manufacturer in Douglas County. The company said the decision follows years of challenges facing the timber industry, including limited wood supply, shifting market conditions, industry realignment and foreign competition. “After careful and difficult consideration, we have made the decision to close our operations,” owner Art Adams said in a statement. “Despite our team’s hard work, recent investments in efficiency, and deep commitment to this business, sustaining operations is no longer viable under current market conditions.” Founded in 1954 by Dick Adams and Norm Jacobsen, Nordic Veneer purchased the Perkins veneer plant in Dixonville in 1960. The company has remained under the ownership and leadership of the Adams family for four generations, producing veneer products and serving as a longtime employer in Douglas County.

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New Report Shows Why Europe’s Paper Industry Needs Attention Now

Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi)
July 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

Cepi’s 2025 Key Statistics Report highlights a European paper industry that is increasingly exposed to a slow and sustained erosion of its industrial base at a time when its contribution to Europe’s circular economy, climate goals, and strategic autonomy remains critical. Paper and board production declined by 1.6% in 2025, reaching 77.4 million tonnes, reflecting a continued correction after the post-pandemic surge rather than a return to stable growth. Market pulp, a strategic but relatively small proportion of the sector’s production, grew by 1.0%. Early signals from 2026 point to continued weakening, with output already down 2.4% in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2025. …The industry has been steadily losing production assets over the past three years, while import penetration reached a record 7.7% of EU consumption. Exports still represent more than 20% of production, but the EU trade balance has slightly diminished in 2025. …Without timely action, Europe risks a gradual loss of industrial capacity.

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Mercer to Extend Maintenance Shutdown at Rosenthal Pulp Mill in Germany

By Mercer International
PaperAge
July 2, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

GERMANY — Mercer International said that it will extend a maintenance shutdown at its German pulp mill, Mercer Rosenthal, to cover the entire month of September 2026. Originally, the shutdown was scheduled for two weeks. Mercer said that it is working with production, wood procurement, logistics, and pulp sales to coordinate this undertaking with customers and stakeholders. Mercer Rosenthal produces a variety of wood-based products such as kraft pulp, tall oil and lignin. The mill site also operates Thuringia’s largest biomass power plant. …The Rosenthal mill, with about 400 employees, produces 360,000 tonnes of kraft pulp (NBSK) annually for paper and tissue production. With a focus on the European market, the site also serves international demand.

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City of Thunder Bay gets no bids for former paper mill property

By Gary Rinne
Northern Ontario Business
July 3, 2026
Category: Business & Politics

The City of Thunder Bay has failed to find a party interested in paying nearly $2.4 million for the site of a former paper mill. Officials opened tenders on Tuesday for 550 Shipyard Road and a number of other properties it listed for sale due to accrued taxes. There were no bids for the brownfield site on the waterfront where a mill operated for nearly a century before being demolished. The minimum offer the city could accept was $2,351,000, which is the amount of owed taxes. The property formerly owned by Superior Fine Papers was purchased in 2019 by Alan Cheeseman, who operates Wilderness North just across the street. …In an interview earlier this month, he expressed frustration over his inability to reach some kind of accommodation with the city, but the city responded that it is committed to supporting redevelopment opportunities to the extent that legislation allows.

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In Memoriam

The co-owner of a Maine lumber mill has died of injuries from the mill fire and explosion

Associated Press in MyNorthwest
July 3, 2026
Category: In Memoriam
Region: United States, US East

PORTLAND, Maine — The co-owner of a Maine lumber mill has died from injuries he sustained during a fire and explosion at the facility, bringing to three the number of fatalities. Alden J. Robbins died Thursday from injures he suffered in the May 15 fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, according statements Friday from Maine Gov. Janet Mills and the Robbins family. …Two firefighters died from injures sustained while fighting the blaze. They were Searsmont Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Woodbury, 76; and Andrew Cross, 27, of the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department. Ten people were injured, including Robbins’ daughter Lily. …“Alden was the heart of our family in so many ways, and nothing mattered more to him than the people he loved,” his family said. …Mills said Robbins was a leader in Maine’s lumber industry for decades, “and a devoted steward of one of our state’s most storied businesses.” …Robbins Family shares statement regarding death of Alden Robbins.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tightens emissions rules for wood-products plants

The Lesprom Network
July 3, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

A new federal rule will tighten hazardous-air-pollutant standards for plywood and composite wood products plants, including dryers, presses, refiners and lumber kilns. The final rule is effective July 6, 2026. The rule will cover 219 existing major-source facilities, including 93 plywood and composite wood products facilities and 126 kiln-dried lumber facilities. Six new facilities are expected to become subject to the standards in the five years after the rule’s proposal. The standards will limit total hazardous air pollutants, including acetaldehyde, acrolein, formaldehyde, methanol, phenol and propionaldehyde. They will also set limits or work practices for mercury, hydrogen chloride, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxin/furan, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate and non-mercury hazardous-air-pollutant metals. The rule is expected to cut hazardous-air-pollutant emissions by 721 tons a year. …The rule is expected to require $121 million in total capital costs and $53.5 million in annualized costs, measured in 2024 dollars. Average annual compliance costs are estimated at $237,680 per facility.

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How the Softwood Lumber Board Will Capture 2.9 BBF of New Demand by 2035

The Softwood Lumber Board
July 3, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Since its founding, the Softwood Lumber Board has generated 16.7 BBF of incremental lumber demand. Now, the SLB is setting its sights higher: a new strategic plan targets 2.9 BBF of additional annual demand by 2035. Called “From Niche to Mainstream,” the plan builds on the SLB’s strong foundation in expanding lumber demand in the built environment by creating, defending, and implementing codes and standards; amplifying design and construction best practices; inspiring innovation in new performance applications; providing technical solutions to challenges for specifiers and contractors; and strengthening the value proposition for developers and investors. The pathway to 2.9 BBF aims for targeted growth across six construction segments where lumber can scale efficiently: multifamily 1–4 story, multifamily 5–8 story, commercial, office and banks, education, and warehouses. These segments offer the strongest combination of volume potential and achievable market-share gains—and the SLB and its funded programs are already making strong strides in these areas, paving the way for growth.

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Russian Fibre Runs Through ‘Certified’ Timber. This Lab Can Prove It

By Jason Ross
Wood Central Australia
July 6, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Richard Hyett

AUSTRALIA — Russian fibre still runs through timber sold on the Australian market, frequently accompanied by certification paperwork that cannot be legitimate because every Russian FSC and PEFC certificate was terminated when the war began. That is according to Source Certain, the forensic science company behind the DAFF-commissioned testing cited throughout the Senate’s sanctions inquiry, which has doubled down on its findings in a statement welcoming the committee’s recognition of scientific origin verification. “Source Certain can confirm that it continues to detect Russian fibre in products at its service locations around the world, including in Australia,” the company said. “This timber fibre frequently enters the market accompanied by supply chain documentation and due diligence indicating the product is traceable to a sustainable source certified under third-party certification schemes.” That paperwork, on the company’s account, cannot be genuine. …The answer, on the company’s telling, is chemistry alongside the paperwork rather than instead of it.

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Urine and Ash as Sustainable Sources for Green Ammonia and Calcium Phosphate Fertilizers

By Akshatha Chandrashekar
Saarland University in MDPI Sustainability Foundation
June 24, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Saarbruecken, Germany — Urine and ash are two prominent waste materials produced globally and in considerable amounts each year. Both contain substances that are so far de facto lost or may even pose a threat to the environment. Urine from industrial-scale farming, for instance, is responsible for significant pollution of soil and groundwater with nitrogen and phosphorous, yet N and P are also high-demand substances in agriculture and industry. Similarly, ash is rich in several metal ions, but is still usually disposed of in a landfill. Using a sequence of simple yet effective biological and chemical processes, it may be possible to convert these two unwanted materials into “green” ammonia and calcium phosphate, both valuable high-demand substances with numerous applications… Eventually, and after considering some of the logistics of the process … this “urinash process” may be upscaled to effectively reduce waste by turning it into renewed value…

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European Leaders in Timber Construction Create Global Alliance – Science and Timber Construction Alliance

Forest Brief
July 3, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

A new international alliance Science and Timber Construction Alliance (SITCA) is aimed at accelerating the use of timber in construction. The initiative is coordinated by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis — IIASA. Among the founders of the alliance are binderholz, EGGER, Stora Enso, WIEHAG, Hilti, Austrian Federal Forests — ÖBf, and IIASA. The first additional industrial participant has already become HASSLACHER Group. Unlike many industry initiatives that primarily focus on promotion or lobbying, SITCA positions itself as a scientific platform. Its mission is not just to promote timber as a building material but to form an evidence base regarding its role in reducing emissions, carbon storage, sustainable forest management, and the development of modern wooden structures. …The composition of the alliance participants shows that SITCA covers almost the entire value creation chain in the forestry sector — from forest owners and scientists to manufacturers of structural timber and construction technologies.

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Forestry

Man­aging Canada’s Forests Is How We Pro­tect Canada’s Forests

By Derek Nighbor, Forest Products Association of Canada
National Post Press Reader
July 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

Derek Nighbor

Cana­dians care deeply about our forests. They’re part of who we are, giv­ing us clean air, stor­ing car­bon, and provid­ing places to work, live, gather, and enjoy. While Canada’s forest industry is facing ser­i­ous mar­ket and trade-related chal­lenges, the forests them­selves are also under real pres­sure. Wild­fires are get­ting worse. Drought, pests, dis­ease, and chan­ging weather are affect­ing forest health. Com­munit­ies are facing greater risk. At the same time, Canada needs more homes, stronger sup­ply chains, lower-emis­sion mater­i­als, and good jobs in the regions that have long helped build this coun­try. These things are con­nec­ted, and so are the solu­tions. Canada’s forest products sec­tor is an eco­nomic anchor, rooted in hun­dreds of com­munit­ies across the coun­try. The forest industry is more than a mill — it sup­ports con­tract­ors, truck­ers, rail and port work­ers, local busi­nesses, muni­cipal ser­vices, and fam­il­ies. When a mill is strong, the whole com­munity feels it. 

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B.C. reduces allowable annual cut for the Kispiox timber supply area

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
July 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

BC’s chief forester has set the new allowable annual cut (AAC), the maximum amount of timber that can be harvested each year, for the Kispiox timber supply area (TSA) in the Skeena region. The new AAC is 496,000 cubic metres, a nearly 50% reduction from the previous AAC. Although the AAC has decreased, it is approximately 39% higher than the average annual harvest between 2019 and 2023, which was 356,378 cubic metres. …The TSA overlaps the territory of the Gitxsan Nation, Gitanyow Nation, Lake Babine Nation, Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha Nation, Kitselas First Nation, Wet’suwet’en Nation, and Witset First Nation. …The Kispiox TSA also partially overlaps with the Nass Wildlife Area and the Nass Area, as defined in the Nisga’a Treaty. The determination aligns with legislation defined in the Nisga’a Treaty and considers interests identified by First Nations, including the management of cedar, old forests, wildlife habitat and wildlife tree retention.

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Woodlots Weekly – Woodlots BC Joins Canadian Forest Owners

Woodlots BC
July 3, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

There is strength in working together, and that’s why Woodlots BC has joined Canadian Forest Owners (CFO). As the national voice for approximately 480,000 private forest owners, CFO brings provincial organizations together to advocate for policies and programs that support sustainable forest management, healthy rural communities, and a strong forest economy. By joining CFO, Woodlots BC will help ensure the perspectives of British Columbia’s woodlot owners are reflected in federal discussions while benefiting from collaboration with like-minded organizations across Canada. …Woodlots BC members have access to Canadian Forest Owners’ exclusive group insurance program, designed specifically for private forest owners. Through our partnership with BrokerLink, the program offers coverage options that have traditionally been difficult to obtain, including forest damage insurance and vacant land liability coverage. …Private forest owners across Canada are invited to participate in the first national survey of private forest owners in more than 20 years.

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Canada and Quebec reach an agreement for the recovery and protection of caribou

By Environment and Climate Change Canada
The Government of Canada
June 30, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

MONTRÉAL — Ministers Julie Dabrusin and Pascale Déry announced they have reached an agreement for the recovery and protection of caribou in Quebec. This agreement includes funding of $25 million over five years from the Government of Canada. This funding will be in addition to the Government of Quebec’s investments totalling $59.5 million for 2024-–2028 to support the deployment of conservation measures. …Canada and Quebec intend to consult and involve Quebec’s Indigenous communities in implementing actions for the recovery of the species, which include, in particular: Habitat management… Population management… and Participation of Indigenous communities in understanding the species, including monitoring and managing populations, implementing habitat management, projects for increasing knowledge, developing and distributing tools to raise awareness, and knowledge-sharing workshops. In addition, the Government of Canada also committed $15 million over five years to Quebec’s Indigenous communities for the recovery of caribou or its habitat in Quebec.

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Celebrating our nation’s 250th anniversary and the forests that sustained it

By Tom Schultz
The US Department of Agriculture
July 2, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Tom Schultz

This July 4 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As I reflect on the significance of this day, I’m reminded of how deeply the Forest Service is rooted in our nation’s history. Every ring in a tree holds a chapter of the people who cared for this land long before our national forests and grasslands were established. When the Forest Service was created in 1905, it was tasked with protecting the nation’s forests and watersheds. Its mission centered on ensuring a sustainable supply of timber and clean water for the country, guided by the principle of serving “the greatest good for the greatest number in the long run.”  Today, America’s national forests and grasslands continue to touch the lives of every American. I want to thank you for your commitment to caring for the land and serving people—your work is something to be proud of on this historic Fourth of July. 

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Congress is setting our entire public land planning landscape ablaze

By John Ruple, SJ. Quinney College of Law, Utah
The Salt Lake Tribune
July 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

John Ruple

Decades ago, Congress told the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to prepare management plans for the lands charged to their care. Agencies spent years developing and then updating those plans. …But this Congress couldn’t palate some of those compromises, and instead of telling the BLM and Forest Service to fix specific plan provisions, Congress did what none before had done, it set fire to the offending plans. But it’s much worse than that. In using the Congressional Review Act to repeal individual plans, Congress inadvertently set ablaze the entire public land planning landscape. …Law professors from across the country told Congress that demolishing land management plans would spawn massively disruptive litigation. …Sadly, those predictions came true June 24 when environmentalists in Oregon filed suit to stop a logging project. …Reasonable people can disagree about how best to manage our public lands, but burning down the rules makes the problem worse, not better.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

German govt adopts law to restrict support for biomass electricity generation

By Tanya Ivanova
Renewables Now
July 3, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

The German government has approved a draft law designed to limit the support for electricity generation from woody biomass, aiming the meet the EU requirements. As a result, certain categories of wood will be excluded from subsidisation under Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), such as saw logs, veneer logs, other industrial-grade roundwood and stumps and roots harvested from forests. Electricity generation from these types of wood, however, may still receive support if it is necessary to safeguard Germany’s energy security or if local industry is unable to use the forestry biomass in ways that deliver greater economic and environmental value than energy production. Under the proposed law, industrial wood residues will remain eligible for financing.

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Health & Safety

Balancing Ecological Benefits of Fire with the Health Risks of Smoke in Modern Forest Management

By Stephanie Cleland and Jason Fisher
BC Forest Professional Magazine
June 29, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

Across BC, significant wildfires have become an annual occurrence, underscoring the need for forest management practices to reduce long-term wildfire risk. While activities such as prescribed burning are beneficial for fuel management, both wildfire and prescribed fires produce smoke that can pose significant risks to human health. Notably, the impacts of smoke often extend beyond areas directly affected by fire, as smoke can travel significant distances, exposing communities both near and far from the fires. While the health risks specific to prescribed fire smoke remain understudied, the impacts of wildfire smoke on human health are becoming more widely understood. Substantial evidence has linked short-term exposure, over periods of days or weeks, to an increased risk of mortality and a range of acute health effects, including respiratory issues such as asthma exacerbations, cardiovascular events, and impacts on cognitive function. Emerging evidence also suggests that repeated or prolonged exposure may contribute to reduced lung function, increased risk of chronic disease, and premature mortality.

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Tick Safety in the Woods: Understanding Alpha-gal Syndrome and Other Risks of Tick Bites

By Debbie Nichols, Alpha-gal Foundation
Forest Resources Association
July 2, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US East

©TickEncounter

One of the fastest-growing threats to outdoor workers is surprisingly small: ticks. Over the last few decades, tick populations have expanded broadly across much of the United States. Ticks can transmit many pathogens that cause Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, and other serious illnesses, and left untreated, symptoms can escalate and lead to significant health complications. …Clinicians and researchers have also seen a rise in a different type of tick-related condition that does not cause infection, but instead triggers an allergic response. This unique condition is known as alpha-gal syndrome. Alpha-gal syndrome, or AGS, is an allergy to galactose-ɑ-1,3-galactose, a sugar commonly known as alpha-gal that is found in all mammals except for humans and some primates. Within weeks or months following a tick bite, a person can develop a potentially life-threatening reaction to anything containing the alpha-gal sugar, including beef, pork, and other mammalian products. 

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Forest Fires

Brunswick Creek wildfire balloons to 1,200 hectares, forcing evacuations near Boston Bar, B.C.

By Shaurya Kshatri
CBC News
July 5, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

©BC Wildfire Service

An aggressive wildfire burning near Boston Bar, B.C., has grown sharply and has forced evacuation orders and alerts in some communities in the Fraser Canyon. The Brunswick Creek wildfire has grown from about 100 hectares on Saturday to more than 1,200 hectares, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. It is now listed as a wildfire of note — the only fire categorized as such in the province. The wildfire service uses that category for fires that are creating an increased level of public interest and to make response information easier to find. Officials detected the Brunswick Creek fire on July 2 burning near the community of Boston Bar, along Highway 1. It is believed to have been sparked by human activity. The Fraser Valley Regional District has issued an evacuation order for the entire community of North Bend and the surrounding area extending north along Chaumox Road, affecting about 146 properties.

Additional coverage in the Vancouver Sun by Tiffany Crawford: Evacuation order issued for out-of-control wildfire near Boston Bar

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Quebec imports firefighters from across Canada as wildfire activity intensifies

By Abby McLaughlin
The Montreal Gazette
July 3, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada East

©SOPFEU FaceBook

Quebec is bringing in more than 100 firefighters from other provinces as crews battle 195 active forest fires across the province. SOPFEU, Quebec’s forest fire prevention and firefighting organization, announced Friday 63 firefighters from British Columbia were expected to arrive that day. Another 21 firefighters from New Brunswick and 17 from Prince Edward Island are scheduled to arrive Saturday. The reinforcements will support the 640 Quebec forest firefighters and auxiliary combatants already deployed in the field. According to SOPFEU, 195 fires were burning across Quebec as of Friday, including 13 in the province’s intensive protection zone — the more populated part of the province where fires are actively fought because they pose a potential risk to communities, infrastructure or economic activity. SOPFEU said many of the fires are burning deep underground, making them more difficult to extinguish.

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Aspen Acres fire grows by 13,000 acres, Bishop Castle still standing

By Katie Langford
The Denver Post
July 4, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

©TheBishopCastle

Wildfires continued burning across Colorado on Saturday, consuming another 41 square miles as firefighters continue facing hot, dry conditions over the Fourth of July weekend. “It’s going to be a very active day today,” Toby Cook, operations section chief on the Ferris fire near Dolores, said in a Saturday morning update. “I’m sure we’ll see a lot of fire behavior again today, it’s just the weather conditions we’re given right now.” The popular tourist attraction Bishop Castle in Rye is still standing, Alaska Complex Incident Management Team spokesperson Al Nash said Saturday afternoon. Fire officials said on Friday the flames from the Aspen Acres fire had come within 200 yards of the hand-built stone structure. Nash said he hopes to have a photo of the building to share soon. …Thousands of Coloradans remain under mandatory evacuation orders and the fires have destroyed an estimated 200 homes.

Additional coverage in the Associated Press: Wildfire southwest of Denver forces thousands to evacuate and destroys more than 160 structures

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Wildfires devastate forests in Europe as temperatures rise again

ABC News, Australia
July 5, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Hundreds of firefighters have been battling forest infernos in heatwave-scarred Europe, as temperatures are set to rise again on Sunday, local time. The latest wildfires have already devastated more than 17,000 hectares of land across France, Spain and Portugal where temperatures in some places are forecast to reach 40C. Authorities registered thousands of excess deaths during one of Europe’s worst heatwaves in June, and with more extreme weather on the way. In Spain, a fire near the north-eastern Costa Brava coast burned more than 2,200 hectares in two days. …In France, nearly 600 firefighters have been mobilised to contain a wildfire that has burned more than 1,000 hectares on a mountainside at Trevillach, about 36 kilometres east of Perpignan. …In Greece, a fast-moving wildfire broke out Saturday evening, local time, near the suburbs of Thessaloniki, the country’s second largest city.

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Forest History & Archives

FATHER OF FORESTRY: Midstate man’s legacy felt throughout Pennsylvania’s woodlands

By Kaylee Lindenmuth
ABC 27 News
July 5, 2026
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: US East

Joseph Rothrock

McVEYTOWN, Pa. — The forested hills of central Pennsylvania may seem like a given in 2026. Seth Cassell, Pennsylvania’s state forester said, “I’m the 17th person to hold this position but it all started with Dr. [Joseph] Rothrock and all that he meant to the forestry community in Pennsylvania and establishing forestry as a profession and a program within state government”. He showed the remnants of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp in Elizabethville as an example of the benefits of properly-maintained woodlands along the banks of a creek once dammed for drinking water.Pennsylvania has enjoyed and, in much of the state — especially the Pennsylvania Wilds region — continues to enjoy abundant, stunning forests. That was quickly changing for the worse in the 1800’s as Joseph Rothrock was growing up in western Mifflin County. The industrial revolution was taking hold and forests were eyed for fuel, resources, and more.

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