Daily News for March 19, 2026

Today’s Takeaway

B.C. forestry crisis deepens as policy pressures and job losses mount

The Tree Frog Forestry News
March 19, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway

BC forestry crisis deepens as policy pressures and job losses mount. In related news: US Trade Representative Greer says Canada is lagging behind in talks; Trump’s child labour probe is called a pretext for new tariffs; and Unifor says Quebec’s forest industry should shift to value-added. Meanwhile: Domtar restarts its Arkansas sawmill; the US Fed pauses rate reductions; and US building material prices continue to rise.

In Forestry/Climate news: Canada’s climate plan is said to be at risk and carbon pricing is key; Canada released a National Freshwater Science Agenda; BC Timber Sales prepares cut blocks near Penticton; ENGOs host water and climate forum in Kelowna; study says Idaho can’t afford to manage more federal lands; a Montana lawsuit claims a thinning project may harm whitebark pine; and the deadline to comment on the plan to increase logging in Oregon is Monday.

Finally, your voice matters—a forestry coalition is asking for British Columbians to weigh in.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

Here are Canada’s biggest points of leverage in tariff and trade talks with the U.S.

By Mike Crawley
CBC News
March 19, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

While Canada’s economy is far more reliant on exports to the US than vice versa, Canadian negotiators have crucial ammunition in their efforts to land a trade deal that reduces or eliminates tariffs imposed by US President Trump. …Canada’s attempts to negotiate relief from Trump’s tariffs on such exports as steel, aluminum, automobiles and softwood lumber are now wrapped into fresh talks on renewing the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). …Barry Appleton, says Canada needs to shift its strategy by exerting its leverage as a crucial U.S. customer. …Inu Manak, says the US needs Canadian natural resources to achieve the industrial policy goals set out by the US administration. …Canada is among the top sources of foreign direct investment in the U.S., largely as a result of decisions by pension funds. …The US has repeatedly emphasized the importance of steady access to a reliable supply of critical minerals.

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Greer says U.S. trade talks with Canada lagging behind those with Mexico

By Kelly Geraldine Malone
The Canadian Press in BNN Bloomberg
March 18, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Trade talks with Canada ahead of the mandatory review of the continental trade pact are lagging behind those with Mexico, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Wednesday. …“We’re having talks separately with Canada, but we’ve moved along with Mexico,” Greer said. “Canada is behind on this.” Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc met with Greer on March 6, days after the Trump administration announced it was officially beginning negotiations with Mexico. The meeting was seen by some as a sign of a thaw in Canada-US relations. …But no announcement of formal negotiations with Canada has emerged from the Trump administration since that meeting took place. …Greer has complained that Canadians maintain barriers that make it difficult to hold bilateral trade talks, citing provincial bans on US alcohol. …Greer also has floated the idea of abandoning the trade pact in favour of two separate bilateral agreements with America’s closest neighbours.

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‘The fix is in’: Trump’s latest tariff tactic shocks Washington trade watchers

By Tracy Moran
The National Post
March 18, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Trade watchers say they are shocked at the latest tactic being used by the US to shore up its tariff wall against Canada after a legal setback last month. US Trade Representative (USTR) launched investigations into 60 economies under Section 301(b) of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 to determine whether they have failed to impose or enforce bans on imports produced with forced labour. But critics in the Washington beltway say the 301 probes are basically a “show trial” and that the verdict is sure to go against trading partners such as Canada. Canada is being grouped together with China and dozens of other countries for these investigations. The probes will examine whether Ottawa’s forced-labour rules and framework… are sufficient for screening goods produced by child or forced labour. …“This has nothing to do with forced labour,” said Inu Manak, at the Council on Foreign Relations. …He thinks the administration is constructing a pretext to defend the tariffs it’s already planning.

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Employment statistics highlight still-tough times in B.C.’s forestry sector

By Derrick Penner
Vancouver Sun
March 19, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Last year was hard on workers in some industries within B.C.’s resource sector, particularly forestry, and 2026 doesn’t look like it’s starting much better. Statistics Canada’s February labour force survey, the report that tracks overall unemployment, tracked job losses in both the natural resources and manufacturing sectors for both the previous month and for the 12 months since the same month in 2025. Natural resources … had a year-over-year loss of 9,300 jobs from February 2025 to February 2026. The manufacturing classification, which includes lumber production, had a year-over-year loss of 12,200, according to StatCan. StatCan’s … survey of employment and payroll counted at least 1,200 job losses in forestry, which include logging and supporting jobs, and at least 800 job losses in sawmills between December 2024 and December 2025. …“The worst was probably in the fourth quarter (of 2025) when the full bite of the duties hit, and then the (U.S.) tariffs,” said industry consultant Russ Taylor. “That’s when we saw a lot more of the jobs falling off.”

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B.C.’s forestry crisis goes beyond U.S. tariffs

By Jock Finlayson & Ken Peacock
Business in Vancouver
March 19, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Jock Finlayson

Ken Peacock

The economic crisis gripping B.C.’s forest industry shows no signs of easing. As the landlord and owner of the vast majority of forested land in the province as well as the regulator that largely determines how the industry operates, the provincial government is in the firing line as mills close and thousands of jobs disappear in logging, wood products manufacturing, and pulp and paper production. Whenever questions arise about the calamity unfolding in forestry, Premier David Eby and his hapless Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar are quick to finger U.S. tariffs as the culprit. In reality, the unprecedented downturn in B.C.’s forestry sector has three main causes. American tariffs are one of them. Unfortunately, history teaches that there is little B.C. can do to influence the course of U.S. trade policy. The other two factors pummeling the industry are primarily “home-grown” problems that reflect decisions made in Victoria: A stunning decline in the supply of fibre; and the emergence—over time—of an increasingly complex, costly, and ever-changing regulatory environment. Together, these trends have made B.C. a virtual “no-go” zone in which to deploy capital across all parts of the forest industry supply chain.

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Daniel Cloutier advocates for members at Forestry Communities Forum

By Véronique Figliuzzi
Unifor Canada
March 18, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

Daniel Cloutier

On March 11, Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier addressed more than 150 leaders gathered at the Forestry Communities Forum organized by the “Fédération québécoise des municipalités”, bringing forward the voice of the workers who sustain the forestry sector in every region of Quebec. At a time marked by mill closures, layoffs and growing uncertainty, he stressed the need for a decisive shift toward higher value-added production and highlighted the importance of developing the Canadian domestic market to help offset the loss of access to the U.S. market. He also reminded participants that working conditions in the forestry sector … are the result of negotiations led by unions that defend the interests of working people, and the gains achieved through these struggles benefit unionized and non-unionized workers alike. …Unifor maintains that Quebec’s forestry sector is ready for a genuine industrial policy, one that is built in an inclusive way and that integrates the voice and concerns of workers.

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Domtar’s Glenwood, Arkansas sawmill to restart operations

By Michael Hibben
Talk Business & Politics
March 18, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

The Domtar Glenwood sawmill, which employed more than 100 people and temporarily shut down in October, says it will be resuming operations in the coming weeks. The company announced Wednesday that it will restart the sawmill. In September, Domtar cited market factors like a surplus of lumber, low prices and high interest rates in its decision to cease operations. …“The restart reflects recent improvements and the opportunity to support current customer needs. Operations will ramp up in a measured and phased approach over the next few weeks to ensure safe, reliable performance and alignment with current demand. Throughout the restart process, our focus will remain on operating safely and supporting our employees, customers and communities while managing our assets in a responsible way.” Company spokesperson Tammy Waters said “We started bringing a few employees back last week who are looking at the equipment that had been idled since then,” Waters said. 

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Finance & Economics

Building Material Price Growth Remains Entrenched Above 3%

By Jesse Wade
NAHB Eye on Housing
March 18, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Residential building material price growth accelerated in February after slowing a month prior, according to the latest Producer Price Index release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since the BLS collects pricing data during the week of the 13th, these figures were finalized before the onset of the conflict in Iran. The Producer Price Index for final demand increased 0.7% in February, after rising 0.5% in January. The index for final demand services rose 0.5% in February, while the index for final demand goods rose 1.1% over the month. The monthly increase in the index for final demand goods was the largest since it rose 1.6% back in August of 2023. The price index for inputs to new residential construction rose 0.7% in February and was up 3.4% from last year. The price of goods used in new residential construction was up 1.1% over the month and 3.0% from last year, while the price of services was up 0.1% over the month and up 4.2% from last year.

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Holding Pattern Continues for the Fed

By Robert Dietz, Chief Economist
NAHB Eye on Housing
March 18, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The Fed continued its current pause for rate reductions at the conclusion of the March meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, the central bank’s monetary policy body. The Fed held the short-term federal funds rate at a top rate of 3.75%, the level set in December of last year. This marked the second policy pause since the Fed resumed easing in September of 2025. Characterizing current economic conditions, the Fed stated that “uncertainty about the economic outlook remains elevated.” …NAHB had forecasted two additional rate cuts for 2026, based on the expectation of modest easing of inflation and a cool labor market. However, consistent with market expectations, our forecast will reduce this to just one rate cut for 2026 due to higher inflation pressure related to headline issues, including increased oil prices due to the Iran war. A longer conflict will have a relatively greater impact on the delay for future Fed rate cuts.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Architect Caroline Inglis navigates Passive House targets and embodied carbon limits in Vancouver’s new community centre

Passive House Canada
March 12, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

A new mass timber community centre rising in Vancouver’s Marpole neighbourhood is a showpiece of a number of progressive goals shaping public architecture in Canada today. The building is designed to meet high performance Passive House standards, ambitious embodied carbon reductions, and reach high levels of accessibility standards, while also responding to the needs of community members who will use the facility every day. ….The Marpole Community Centre is the first new community centre commissioned by the city in about a decade. The project combines Passive House certification, LEED Gold targets, a 40 percent embodied carbon reduction goal, and Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification. Landing these impressive targets, while keeping the community at the heart of the project has come with trade-offs but also amazing learning opportunities, said Inglis, who will be sharing more about this project at the upcoming Passive House Canada Conference in May.

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PCL takes home two Toronto Construction Association Awards

ReNewCanada
March 18, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada East

PCL Constructors Canada Inc. (Toronto) earned a pair of awards at the Toronto Construction Association’s (TCA) Best of the Best Awards. Presented at the TCA’s 158th Annual General Meeting, PCL was awarded Project Achievement Awards for the Kingsway College Senior School Phase 2 renovation and George Brown Polytechnic’s Limberlost Place. Creating a new era for George Brown Polytechnic students and faculty, Limberlost Place exemplifies what’s possible through collaboration, out-of-the-box thinking and a shared commitment to building a resilient future. The 10-storey mass timber, net-zero educational facility integrates first-of-its-kind solutions including the cross-laminated timber (CLT) slab band structural system and North America’s largest mass timber columns spanning three storeys. Early engagement from the entire team during the preconstruction phase was crucial to design development and determining constructability.

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Top-Down Construction, Mass Timber, and Nanotechnology Reshape Building

By Mick Cornett
Urban Land Institute
March 18, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

AUSTIN, Texas — Four ULI panelists took to a stage in Austin, Texas, recently to discuss techniques that are already available to the industry, even if adoption is slower than necessary. …During the panel, Daniel Esparza, principal of Easton, Maryland–based TGE Group, explained a method of construction in which the roof and all floors of a high-rise building are built no more than 6 feet off the ground and then moved into place. The safety features of this approach are obvious. …Lisa Podesto—director of mass timber and sustainable construction innovation for Aptos, California–based Swinerton—highlighted mass timber construction and the benefits that can make these prefabricated products stronger than concrete and steel on a per ton basis. …Chris Bishop, president of the National Concrete Refinement Institute, said nanotechnology, in which nanoparticles are added to concrete mix to provide strength and durability, is not new to the concrete industry, is gaining more attention.

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Colorado Commissioners adopt wildfire code, table decision on other building codes

By Clayton Chaney
The Pagosa Springs Sun
March 18, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

COLORADO — The Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) unanimously voted to table its decision on adopting eight new building-related codes. Those are the 2024 editions of international codes, including the residential code, building code, energy and conservation code, mechanical code, fuel and gas code, existing building code, property maintenance code, and the swimming pool and spa code. During the meeting, the BoCC also considered, and unanimously approved, Resolution 2026-27, adopting the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC), along with amendments to snow load requirements for manufactured structures. …Commissioner John Ranson described them as an “unfunded mandate,” adding, “there’s no two-ways about it.” He mentioned that in conversations with local builders, many are preparing for these codes to make construction costs go up.

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TreeFree Diaper Core with AI-Orderability via AIO-TFX Rail Announced by GreenCore Solutions

GreenCore Solutions Corp.
Cision Newswire
March 19, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

TORONTO, PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico and PARIS – GreenCore Solutions Corp. (GSC) today announced global availability of TreeFree Core — a zero-tree-fiber, non-lignocellulosic absorbent diaper core — now shipping with AI-Orderability (AIO) integrated via the AIO-TFX Rail. Private-label diaper converters who source TreeFree Core receive, at no additional cost, the infrastructure that makes their finished diapers visible and purchasable by AI-driven retail procurement systems operating today. …TreeFree Core eliminates wood fiber entirely. Its Advanced Synthetic Matrix (ASM) construction — non-lignocellulosic, zero tree fiber, SGS France Class B tested (Registry 43777) — carries EUDR Scope: NOT_APPLICABLE as a verified, machine-readable compliance determination. No forest-risk commodity. No due diligence obligation. No TRACES-NT requirement.

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Forestry

Canada releases the National Freshwater Science Agenda to guide priorities over the next 10 years

By Environment and Climate Change Canada
Cision Newswire
March 19, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada

GATINEAU, QC — Today, during Canada Water Week, the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, is announcing the release of the National Freshwater Science Agenda, which aims to better align freshwater science and research efforts across Canada. The Science Agenda is the result of over two years of engagement efforts led by Environment and Climate Change Canada with input from more than 800 science experts, Knowledge Holders, experts, and science users across governments and sectors, Indigenous organizations, and Canada’s freshwater science community. It is grounded in Western science and Indigenous Knowledge and reflects the diverse scientific needs and perspectives that are relevant to partners and stakeholders across the country. It outlines interconnected themes including bridging, braiding, and weaving Indigenous science and Knowledge; water availability; land‑use stressors and water pollution; ecosystem resilience and biodiversity; socio‑ecological considerations; and economic research.

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Sicamous endorses Forestry is a Solution to help root the industry

By Heather Black
The Salmon Arm Observer
March 18, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) was barking up the right tree with the District of Sicamous, with council officially endorsing its Forestry is a Solution initiative. The request came to the March 11 council meeting, explaining the program that launched on Jan. 20 is a province-wide initiative led by a coalition of community leaders, workers and industry advocates to support forestry in light of new challenges. COFI president and CEO Kim Haakstad said in a letter, “the sector currently faces significant headwinds from global competition, challenging operating conditions, and damaging U.S. trade actions. We believe that by working together, we can show the provincial government that forestry provides the solutions for B.C.’s most urgent challenges.” …The initiative’s goal is to get 5,000 signatures to show support of having government action on those points, with Sicamous council unanimously onboard.

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Tla’amin set to reclaim forest stewardship with $80M logging licence deal: ‘A generational opportunity’

By Abby Francis
IndigiNews
March 18, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Steven Hofer & hegus John Hackett

Tla’amin Nation is set to take back control over a large piece of its territory, after signing a deal to take over Western Forest Products’ licence to log more than 1,540 square kilometres of forest in their homelands. The nation agreed to buy Western’s tree-farm license for the massive parcel … for $80 million on Feb. 19. The license for the Stillwater Forest Operation covers a vast majority of forest in the qathet (Powell River) area, where Tla’amin is located. The lands themselves are not being returned to Tla’amin; tree-farm licenses are granted by the “B.C.” government to allow companies to harvest on “Crown” lands, typically over 25-year terms. But Tla’amin Hegus (Chief) John Hackett said the ability to steward his people’s land is a major step forward. “This acquisition brings another 43 per cent of Tla’amin territory back under our stewardship and control,” Hackett said in a statement.

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siwɬkʷ Water and Climate Forum to take place in Kelowna

By Yashvika Grover
Penticton Western News
March 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Okanagan Nation Alliance is hosting a two-day water and climate forum in honour of World Water Day on March 23 and 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Delta Grand Okanagan Resort. In partnership with Okanagan Similkameen Watershed Collaborative Leadership Table (CLT), the alliance is bringing together Indigenous leaders, local government representatives, researchers, scientists, regional and international water experts and community partners to advocate for climate-resilient governance and collaborative watershed stewardship. ​The forum will teach participants about the importance of watersheds and how to build resilience amid rising risks from wildfires, drought and ecosystem stress.​ …“Our forests are burning, our waters are drying, and the time to act is now — the siwɬkʷ Water and Climate Forum is a call to protect our watersheds and ensure that there is cold, clean flowing water for all living things – now and for future generations,” reads the release.

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BC Timber Sales wants to create 500 hectares for logging east of Penticton

By Brennan Phillips
The Penticton Western News
March 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

BC Timber Sales is bringing forward an application to establish 17 new cut blocks on Crown land east of Okanagan Falls and Penticton. The application is being brought to the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen on March 19 for support, as the proposed cut blocks are located within the boundaries of the Okanagan Falls electoral area. The 17 cut blocks total 494.7 hectares, and the proposal would also see road construction and road deactivation. The rehabilitation process for the roads would include tree replanting. The land is in an RDOS-designated resource area, and a staff report says the proposed cutblocks fall within watercourse development permit areas and “important ecosystem areas.” The advisory planning committee for Okanagan Falls gave its support to the application at its March 9 meeting, while requesting that any approval be subject to a full environmental assessment.

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One minute for the future of BC forestry

Forestry is a Solution
March 19, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

BC’s forest sector is at a crossroads. While the industry faces significant challenges, we know that when given the right conditions to thrive, forestry is a solution for the biggest issues facing our province today:

  • A Solution for Housing: Providing the renewable, low-carbon wood products needed to build affordable homes and infrastructure.
  • A Solution for Wildfire Risk: Reducing fuel loads that drive catastrophic wildfires through active forest management.
  • A Solution for Communities: Supporting family-sustaining jobs and resilient local economies across the province.

Your Voice Matters — The Forestry is a Solution website gives you a direct line to Victoria. Add your name to the petition and send an automated letter to your local MLA, urging them to take practical steps to stabilize and strengthen our sector. Help Us Reach 5,000 Signatures — More than 1,300 British Columbians have already stepped up. We are working to reach 5,000 signatures by April to ensure the voice of the forest sector cannot be ignored.

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A New Look for Community Forestry in Logan Lake

Logan Lake Community Forest
March 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Logan Lake, B.C. – The Logan Lake Community Forest (LLCF) has unveiled a refreshed brand, website, and film that highlight its commitment to the stewardship of local forests, through indigenous collaboration, supporting what makes the communities of the Logan Lake area strong: the people, the land, and our future. …[The] redesigned website that provides clear information about forest management activities, current projects, and the local benefits of community forestry in the Logan Lake area. … The film, launched in collaboration with the BC Community Forest Association provides a look at the planning and treatment activities of the LLCF specific to wildfire risk reduction, and the enhancement of trails and wildlife habitat, and is part of a broader provincial-wide storytelling initiative showcasing community forests across British Columbia.

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Further proof is coming: Idaho can’t afford a federal lands grab

By Bryan Clark
Idaho Statesman
March 18, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

This week, we have yet another reminder that Idaho can’t possibly afford to take over or manage federal lands. A forthcoming study, which will be published Friday, provides the most recent reliable estimates of exactly how much Idaho would lose if it were to take over federal lands. The study, which was commissioned by Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Idaho Business for the Outdoors, the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, and the Idaho Wildlife Federation, was performed by Peterson and Associates, which has long been a go-to source for economic analysis of this type in Idaho. While the full results won’t be released until Friday, the top-line figures are stark. Idaho would lose $837.7 million directly, in the form of spending by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and other federal agencies, as well as Payment in Lieu of Taxes and Secure Rural Schools payments. That’s nearly 16% of Idaho’s general fund budget.

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Lawsuit claims Forest Service project will harm whitebark pine near Yellowstone

By Darrell Ehrlick
The Daily Montanan
March 17, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Three organizations and an individual are suing the Gardiner District of the Custer Gallatin National Forest — for a plan they say hurts the already-endangered whitebark pine tree while ignoring lynx and grizzly habitat, and relying on unproven studies. The groups say the federal government is ignoring its rules and seems to be disregarding its own maps of protected lynx area in an effort to preserve the rare whitebark pine trees, despite admitting in its own documents that the efforts to preserve the trees could actually harm them. The lawsuit … centers on logging north of Yellowstone National Park. A technique, called “daylight thinning,” which involves removing trees near a whitebark pine, is not backed by scientific research according to the court documents, and the organizations point out that the Forest Service admits that in the process of thinning, it could actually wind up killing some of the whitebark pine trees. 

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How to weigh in on BLM’s plans to quadruple logging in Oregon’s forests

By April Ehrlich
Oregon Public Broadcasting
March 18, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

You have until Monday to provide input on the Trump administration’s plan to dramatically increase logging in western Oregon forests. Last month, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced its plans to quadruple the amount of logging that could happen in the forests it manages. Specifically, the agency aims to revise management plans for areas designated as O&C Lands, named after the Oregon and California Railroad company that once owned them. BLM is eyeing 2.5 million acres of forests spanning 17 counties across Oregon. They include mature and old-growth forests treasured by recreationists, hunters, conservationists and tourism businesses who now worry about Oregon’s remaining old trees that are on the chopping block. Timber industry representatives welcomed the news, celebrating a potential return to 20th-century logging levels that once supported rural economies.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Carney climate plan at risk as Canadian oil companies stress need to boost production

By Amanda Stephenson
Reuters
March 18, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

A key plank of Canadian Prime Minister Carney’s climate plan will likely miss its target implementation date, industry sources said, raising new doubts about Canada meeting its environmental goals in the face of higher oil prices and uncertain US trade policy. Carney, a former UN ​climate envoy, committed last fall to negotiating a stronger industrial carbon pricing policy with Alberta by April 1. He is counting on a strengthened pollution pricing scheme to keep ‌Canada’s emission reduction targets on track after rolling back many of his predecessor Trudeau’s climate policies to restore friendlier relations with the oil-and-gas producing province and prioritize economic growth. Two industry sources say these negotiations have been challenging, and that no deal will be struck by the April 1 deadline because large oil sands companies are pushing back on parts of the federal proposal. …Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson has acknowledged there may be a slight delay.

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Urgent fixes to Canada’s industrial carbon pricing systems needed to protect billions in clean investment

By Chris Severson-Baker, Executive Director
The Pembina Institute
March 17, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

With the April 1, 2026, deadline for the Alberta-Ottawa memorandum of understanding fast approaching, leading climate policy experts are calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to restore the strength and integrity of Canada’s industrial carbon pricing system to increase competitiveness and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The joint letter warns that recent changes to Canada’s climate policy framework undermine the country’s ability to tackle pollution, protect people from climate change and continue progress on legislated climate targets. As other measures have been weakened, paused or outright scrapped, strong, credible industrial carbon pricing systems play an even more decisive role in determining whether Canada can meaningfully reduce industrial emissions and remain competitive in a low-carbon global economy. Industrial carbon pricing… is widely agreed to be the most efficient road to industrial decarbonization and for that reason it is key to Canadian industry competitiveness.

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Health & Safety

Spring safety updates: New WorkSafe Magazine, MSI prevention, crane safety, and more

WorkSafeBC
March 18, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada West

The Tree Frog Forestry News encourages readers to check out the WorkSafeBC Spring 2026 issue of WorkSafe Magazine. The lead story has a strong focus on preventing “struck-by” incidents and improving safety around mobile equipment. It highlights how B.C. forest-product operations are redesigning worksites with engineered controls—such as barriers, walkways, and traffic systems—to better separate workers from moving equipment. Additional features include practical tools to help employers assess and control struck-by risks, along with guidance on roadside work planning and traffic management. The issue also tackles hearing safety, cautioning that personal audio devices are not a substitute for approved hearing protection. WorkSafeBC updates round out the edition, including a refreshed commercial fishing safety guide, clarified rules for reporting tips and gratuities, and progress on asbestos licensing and certification programs. Together, the issue emphasizes proactive planning, clear controls, and shared responsibility as key to safer workplaces across B.C.

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