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The Tree Frog Forestry News
September 28, 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.
Canada trade war adds challenge in tight Senate races
By Justine McDaniel
Enews.latimes
September 28, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States
WASHINGTON — President Trump’s trade war with Canada could intensify the headwinds Republicans are navigating ahead of the November midterms, with its effects poised to reverberate in northern battleground states with crucial Senate races. …The escalating beef with Canada stands to heighten voters’ economic worries and add to the GOP’s political challenge in dead-heat races, analysts said. …Trump’s new import bans on some Canadian goods are set to begin next week, a response to retaliatory tariffs Canada levied earlier this month. …Five of the nine states most likely to decide Senate control border Canada — Alaska, Ohio, Michigan, New Hampshire and Maine. Two more, Texas and Iowa, also do substantial trade with Canada. …“What’s weighing on the top of people’s minds is this general affordability crisis … and they realize that tariffs are another factor that is impacting affordability.”
U.S. and China target wood products for more favorable tariff treatment
Lesprom Network
September 27, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International
U.S. hardwood log exporters could receive more favorable access to China after the two countries reached consensus on recommendations for more favorable tariff treatment covering $30 billion of non-sensitive goods in each direction. U.S. logs and wood products are among the goods identified for more favorable treatment, while the recommendations do not establish that lower tariffs have already taken effect. …The tariff recommendations were developed through the U.S.-China Board of Trade, chartered during the two countries’ May 2026 summit in Beijing. The White House fact sheet did not specify the tariff rates that would apply to logs and wood products or when any changes would take effect. The recommendations therefore provide a framework for possible tariff reductions rather than an immediate reduction in duties on U.S. forest products entering China. …China agreed in November 2025 to resume purchases of U.S. hardwood and softwood logs under a trade agreement with the United States.
Hardwood Hardship: Kentucky’s lumber industry looks for relief
By Erin Kelly
Spectrum News 1
September 25, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US East
Washington, D.C. — A steep decline in hardwood exports, the growing popularity of man-made wood alternatives and surging fuel prices have been battering the American hardwood lumber industry. In Kentucky, 78 wood industry facilities, mostly sawmills, have closed in the last four years, according to the University of Kentucky Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. The U.S. relationship with China has been a major source of the industry’s problems and a focus of proposals to address them. China once bought about half of U.S. hardwood exports, according to the Hardwood Federation. Then, eight years ago, President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on imports from China, and China retaliated with tariffs on hardwood and other American imports. The reciprocal tariffs were eventually rolled back, but China’s purchases of American hardwood never returned to their previous levels. …advocates are pushing for lawmakers to pass legislation for $12 billion in agriculture relief, including $200 million for the hardwood industry.
FRA Highlights Sharp Rise in Diesel Costs and Impacts on Logging and Trucking Businesses
Forest Resources Association
September 25, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States
Diesel prices have surged to levels that are creating significant cost pressures for logging and log-hauling businesses, which depend on heavy-duty trucks and fuel-intensive operations. As fuel costs climb, the expense of moving raw forest products rises with every mile, tightening margins and straining contractors who already operate on thin financial footing. These increases ripple through the entire supply chain, affecting delivered wood costs and operational predictability. As FRA President Tim O’Hara notes, “Rising diesel prices are creating real challenges for logging and hauling businesses, and mills have been working with contractors to ease some of that burden. It’s a strong reminder that our wood supply chain succeeds when every link supports the other.” The analysis underscores the need for short-term relief measures to stabilize costs and support the sector during this period of volatility.
European sawn timber prices held broadly stable through August, but the calm is unlikely to last
By Tuomo Neuvonen and Cat Vitale
RISI Fastmarkets
September 28, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International
European sawn timber prices held broadly stable through August, but market participants say the calm is unlikely to last, reporting “an emerging shift.” One European trader said that while Nordic mills claim stock is low, “in reality stock is high and offers are appearing in the market, pointing to a coming price decrease.” Some producers see the recent stable price situation as a partial win, helping them keep their heads above water, saying that increased costs and lack of demand have created a difficult situation. However, comments were also heard that despite producers’ need for stable prices, the quiet market is putting the pressure on, with increased competition seen especially in spot markets. Shortfalls against housebuilding targets have also become the norm across regions.
Burgess-Lane Memorial Lecture: The Future of Sustainable Timber Buildings
By the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship
The University of British Columbia
September 28, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West
Philipp Dietsch
Join us for the 2026 UBC Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship Burgess-Lane Memorial Lecture, featuring Professor Philipp Dietsch of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany. Drawing on research and international experience, Professor Dietsch will explore the opportunities and challenges shaping the next generation of timber construction, from emerging engineered wood products and resource-efficient structures to durability, reuse, and design for disassembly. He will examine how innovation, sound engineering, moisture-safe construction, and high-quality execution can support a resilient and responsible future for mass timber. The lecture will conclude with an audience Q&A. Following the lecture program, guests are invited to continue the conversation at a research showcase and reception.
Carney’s Push to Fund Industry Imperils Canada’s Nature Promises
By Sarah Cox
The Tyee
September 28, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada
The Mark Carney government has been open-handed this year when it comes to funding major projects in BC that it deems to be in the national interest. The government promised $3.9 billion for the North Coast Transmission Line… It invested $500 million to expand the Red Chris gold and copper mine and pledged financial support for the $10-billion Roberts Bank port expansion. …A Canadian scientist and a University of BC professor say the federal government’s funds and perks are subsidizing the destruction of nature, contravening Canada’s global biodiversity commitments “Biodiversity again loses out,” Justina Ray, president and senior scientist for Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, said. Ray and Jessica Dempsey, a University of BC professor who studies the political economy of biodiversity loss, both said Prime Minister Mark Carney’s investment summit in Toronto last week underscores that the government’s priority is to facilitate resource extraction, despite the toll on nature.
Union of BC Muncipalities backs Williams Lake call for increased dead wood salvage, expedited permitting
Williams Lake Tribune
September 25, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
A resolution by the City of Williams Lake calling for increased support for dead wood salvage and expedited permitting in fire-impacted forests was endorsed by delegates at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Convention. …The resolution urges the Province to establish a new pricing model for fire-killed timber and implement a streamlined permitting process that would allow salvage permits to be issued within 90 days. The proposal responds to concerns … that current pricing and permitting frameworks make recovery of fire-killed fibre uneconomical and unnecessarily delayed. …While attending UBCM, city representatives renewed an invitation for the premier and key cabinet ministers to visit Williams Lake and meet with forestry producers, workers, Indigenous leaders, and local governments. …Instead of a conference format, the city has proposed a regional forestry tour in 2027 allowing provincial leaders to visit project sites, meet industry leaders and innovators, and gain firsthand insight into the sector.
New Forest Act developed in Grand Forks presented to the province
By Yashvika Grover
The Vernon Morning Star
September 27, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar and Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Randene Neill were recently introduced to the New Forest Act by the Boundary Forest Watershed Stewardship Society. Jennifer Houghton, campaign director for the New Forest Act presented the framework to the ministers and senior-level government staff on Sept. 9. She said that they were highly receptive during the presentation, asking questions and productively discussing the framework at hand. “What mattered to us was getting the proposal directly in front of the people responsible for these files and being able to explain how it differs from what government is currently proposing. We wanted them to see that this is a serious, incredible alternative to the current forestry system.” The act … came together through the help of scientists, leaders, Indigenous communities, retired foresters, and residents. It opposes the current government framework by prioritizing ecological balance over timber flow in all forestry activity.
Re: UBCM endorses Nanaimo call to ban raw log exports, Sept. 23. I find it amazing that the coast has reduced itself to exporting raw logs because all the processing is gone. There has been a free-for-all in the logging industry for years. Sustainability, in its present form, is a joke. Allocation in cubic meters and planting in units. “3 for 1” is the mantra. Time was never dealt into the model. We have over-harvested, trying to balance the books, for too many years. On a sliding scale of volume in each unit, it always was doomed to collapse. A 4 foot fir has more volume than a 18 inch fir. …If the government is to make a change, private timber must be dealt into the mix. …All old growth must be curtailed because once it is gone, IT IS GONE FOREVER! Remember truck loggers will haul anything, even those hayrack loads of pecker poles.
Council of Forest Industries announces the 2026 Forestry Scholarship recipients
Council of Forest Industries
September 25, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
Vancouver, B.C. – The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2026 Forestry Scholarships, recognizing students pursuing careers across British Columbia’s forest sector. Since 2007, COFI’s annual scholarship program has supported students entering professional, technical and skilled trades careers connected to forestry. This year’s recipients will each receive $2,000 toward post-secondary studies at institutions across British Columbia.
Woodlot producer forced to downsize, sell to U.S. after Nackawic mill stopped taking his wood
By Ian Curran
CBC News
September 28, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East
NEW BRUNSWICK — Ken Thomas has been harvesting lumber from forests in Stanley for over 32 years. …But these days, he’s consumed with the thought of what to do next, when he pulls these 20-foot logs out of the forest and looks for a buyer, now that his longtime purchaser is pulling out of the game — at least temporarily. Earlier this month, the AV Nackawic mill announced it will temporarily shut down at the end of October. The mill owner, AV Group, had already stopped purchasing wood in August. …If the Nackawic mill closes permanently, there will be about 257,000 hectares of Crown land licensed to AV Group that will be up for grabs. …In the meantime, while the province decides the next steps for the licence, Herron has allowed the mixed hardwood cut and grown for the Nackawic mill to be exempt from regulations keeping it in the province.
Dropping roadless rule means disaster for public lands
By David Reid, Sierra Club
The Asheville Citizen Times
September 27, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East
NORTH CAROLINA — A few weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released the draft environmental impact statement for its plan to open the remaining pristine roadless areas of our national forests to mining, logging and road building. Pushed by anti-public lands corporate and industry interests, this raid on the lands that belong to all Americans raises the alarm about the ability to pass an irreplaceable resource down to future generations. …The release of the draft environmental impact statement opened a 30-day public comment period with a now-past deadline of midnight Sept. 21 – less than half the traditional 60- to 90-day comment period traditionally provided for proposed actions of this magnitude. Conservation organizations and others are formally requesting an extension, but past behavior shows the current administration is not interested in what you or I think. That’s why it is vital to raise your voice in support of the Roadless Rule before Oct. 6.
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.
WASHINGTON — President Trump’s trade war with Canada could intensify the headwinds Republicans are navigating ahead of the November midterms, with its effects poised to reverberate in northern battleground states with crucial Senate races. …The escalating beef with Canada stands to heighten voters’ economic worries and add to the GOP’s political challenge in dead-heat races, analysts said. …Trump’s new import bans on some Canadian goods are set to begin next week, a response to retaliatory tariffs Canada levied earlier this month. …Five of the nine states most likely to decide Senate control border Canada — Alaska, Ohio, Michigan, New Hampshire and Maine. Two more, Texas and Iowa, also do substantial trade with Canada. …“What’s weighing on the top of people’s minds is this general affordability crisis … and they realize that tariffs are another factor that is impacting affordability.”
Washington, D.C. — 
Diesel prices have surged to levels that are creating significant cost pressures for logging and log-hauling businesses, which depend on heavy-duty trucks and fuel-intensive operations. As fuel costs climb, the expense of moving raw forest products rises with every mile, tightening margins and straining contractors who already operate on thin financial footing. These increases ripple through the entire supply chain, affecting delivered wood costs and operational predictability. As FRA President Tim O’Hara notes, “Rising diesel prices are creating real challenges for logging and hauling businesses, and mills have been working with contractors to ease some of that burden. It’s a strong reminder that our wood supply chain succeeds when every link supports the other.” The analysis underscores the need for short-term relief measures to stabilize costs and support the sector during this period of volatility. 
The Mark Carney government has been open-handed this year when it comes to funding major projects in BC that it deems to be in the national interest. The government promised $3.9 billion for the North Coast Transmission Line… It invested $500 million to expand the Red Chris gold and copper mine and pledged financial support for the $10-billion Roberts Bank port expansion. …A Canadian scientist and a University of BC professor say the federal government’s funds and perks are subsidizing the destruction of nature, contravening Canada’s global biodiversity commitments “Biodiversity again loses out,” Justina Ray, president and senior scientist for Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, said. Ray and Jessica Dempsey, a University of BC professor who studies the political economy of biodiversity loss, both said Prime Minister Mark Carney’s investment summit in Toronto last week underscores that the government’s priority is to facilitate resource extraction, despite the toll on nature.
Re: 
NEW BRUNSWICK — Ken Thomas has been harvesting lumber from forests in Stanley for over 32 years. …But these days, he’s consumed with the thought of what to do next, when he pulls these 20-foot logs out of the forest and looks for a buyer, now that his longtime purchaser is pulling out of the game — at least temporarily. Earlier this month, the AV Nackawic mill announced it will temporarily shut down at the end of October. The mill owner, AV Group, had already stopped purchasing wood in August. …If the Nackawic mill closes permanently, there will be about 257,000 hectares of Crown land licensed to AV Group that will be up for grabs. …In the meantime, while the province decides the next steps for the licence, Herron has allowed the mixed hardwood cut and grown for the Nackawic mill to be exempt from regulations keeping it in the province.
NORTH CAROLINA — A few weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released the draft environmental impact statement for its plan to open the remaining pristine roadless areas of our national forests to mining, logging and road building. Pushed by anti-public lands corporate and industry interests, this raid on the lands that belong to all Americans raises the alarm about the ability to pass an irreplaceable resource down to future generations. …The release of the draft environmental impact statement opened a 30-day public comment period with a now-past deadline of midnight Sept. 21 – less than half the traditional 60- to 90-day comment period traditionally provided for proposed actions of this magnitude. Conservation organizations and others are formally requesting an extension, but past behavior shows the current administration is not interested in what you or I think. That’s why it is vital to raise your voice in support of the Roadless Rule before Oct. 6.