Both Interfor and Conifex narrow Q1 losses as lumber markets showed signs of improvement. In related news: Canada invests $12M in BC’s forest sector, which BC’s Ravi Parmar calls a step in the right direction, and John Brink says is an insult; Domtar says it’s open to selling its Maniwaki, Quebec sawmill; and the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement is already helping NZ sawmills. Meanwhile: Nova Scotia supports wood-heat conversions; Louisiana House approves legislation for wood pellet manufacturing; Louisiana Tech’s mass-timber research centre is progressing; and dust from International Paper’s Port Wentworth lime kiln raises public concern.
In Forestry news: Ontario’s reorg is clamping down on conservation authorities; the US Forest Service is investing $80M in Forest Legacy projects; Washington state released its Forest Heath Highlights Report; and a feature on North Carolina’s historic ‘cradle of forestry’ site. Meanwhile: Ontario officials warn of changing-conditions ahead of long weekend.
Finally, International Pulp Week wraps up with our convention overview and links to all 11 speaker summaries — and with the long weekend ahead, the Frogs will be back Tuesday.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
International Pulp Week brought together global market pulp leaders for two days of presentations, market intelligence, and industry dialogue hosted by the Pulp and Paper Products Council. Tim Brown, vice president with PPPC opens and introduced the program before before handing the sessions to day one speaker and moderator Kevin Mason of ERA Forest Products Research, and day two moderator Kelly McNamara of Numera Analytics. Now in its 21st year, IPW remains the premier annual gathering for the market pulp sector — drawing producers, end-users, analysts, and suppliers from across the value chain for a concentrated look at the forces shaping global markets. This year’s program covered an unusually wide range of territory, from geopolitics and macroeconomics to fibre performance, specialty cellulose, bleaching chemicals, carbon capture, and a comprehensive market outlook. 
Canadian lumber mills are curtailing production, absorbing historic losses, and in some cases closing permanently – all while American competitors operate with a built-in margin advantage engineered by US tariff policy, according to wood market analyst Russ Taylor. …The practical effect is a marketplace that strongly favours US producers. Insulated from import costs, American mills are generating margins that Canadian suppliers cannot access. “The only region really making any money is the US because they’ve got what I call a huge subsidy that they’ve put on importers,” Taylor said. “So they’re gaining the margins that importers aren’t getting.” Those margins have also given US producers room to manoeuvre aggressively on pricing, further cornering their Canadian competitors. “The US mills… know that the Canadians don’t have margins – or they have break-even at best,” Taylor said. Despite the pressure, many Canadian mills have held on far longer than Taylor anticipated. 
BURNABY, BC — Interfor Corporation recorded a net loss in Q1’26 of $63.3 million, compared to a net loss of $104.6 million in Q4’25 and a net loss of $35.1 million in Q1’25. Adjusted EBITDA was $30.7 million on sales of $643.2 million in Q1’26 versus an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $29.2 million on sales of $600.6 million in Q4’25 and Adjusted EBITDA of $48.6 million on sales of $735.5 million in Q1’25. Highlights include: Lumber production of 856 million board feet was up 103 million board feet versus the preceding quarter driven primarily by higher operating rates at the U.S. Northwest and B.C. operations. Q4’25 production was impacted by temporary production curtailments in response to weak market conditions. Due to weak market conditions and other factors, Interfor indefinitely curtailed operations at its Ear Falls, Ontario sawmill in Q1’26 and at its Nairn and Gogama, Ontario sawmills in April 2026.
VANCOUVER, BC — Conifex Timber reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. EBITDA was negative $7.7 million for the quarter compared to EBITDA of negative $12.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 and positive EBITDA of $4.9 million in the first quarter of 2025. Net loss was $9.4 million for the quarter versus a net loss of $11.4 million in the previous quarter and net income of $0.6 million in the first quarter of 2025. In March 2026, Conifex Mackenzie Forest Products, entered into a $19 million secured term loan with the Business Development Bank of Canada under the Softwood Lumber Guarantee Program… to support working capital and operations. In early February 2026, Conifex resumed sawmill operations at the Mackenzie Mill under a two-shift configuration following an extended period of single-shift operation. …The Power Plant continued to operate on its normal schedule.
Two cutblocks proposed for Revelstoke’s Mount MacPherson are prompting Wildsight Revelstoke to engage B.C.’s lumber licensee about minimizing logging in that forest. Following a commenting period last year, BC Timber Sales (BCTS) is putting the two cutblocks, No. 52065 and No. 52066, up for sale… Combined, they cover 19.4 hectares of old- and second-growth forest. BCTS is currently welcoming applications for timber sales licences to harvest forest in these lots, as well as applications for road permits… Wildsight Revelstoke will meet a local BCTS representative this month to discuss the two proposed cutblocks, part of a larger conversation about several logging operations pitched by industry for north of town. …Ahead of its meeting with BCTS, Wildsight has been visiting Cutblocks 52065 and 52066 to appraise the towering cedar-hemlock trees and moisture-rich riparian habitats there. Black Press Media visited one of them with Wildsight Revelstoke board members Arnoul Mateo and Fabien Stocco.
While Ontario has seen a much slower start to the wildfire season compared to last year, officials are warning people heading into the May long weekend that conditions can quickly change. There have been 22 wildfires confirmed in the province since the season began April 1, compared to 68 fires this time last year, said Alison Bezubiak, a fire information officer with Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services in the northwest region. “The 10-year average for this date is 56, so we are below last year and the 10-year average in terms of total number of fires confirmed,” she told CBC News Thursday morning. One small fire, measuring 0.1 hectares, is being held in the Kenora district near Grassy Narrows First Nation as of Thursday. However, forest fire danger ratings range throughout the region, with the Fort Frances area seeing extreme hazard levels, according to the province’s interactive forest fire map.
The amalgamation of Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into nine regional bodies is expected to take effect in early 2027. A new directive from Environment Minister Todd McCarthy orders conservation authorities to halt any major decision-making processes, such as changing staffing structures or purchasing property, in the meantime. After a meeting between Environment Ministry officials and conservation authority staff on May 6, 2026, one public servant told The Narwhal, “The province has essentially handcuffed conservation authorities.” …A leaked document and a recording of an internal conversation between Ministry of Environment officials and conservation authority officials for this story. …In the recording, ministry officials are heard assuring attendees that they were happy to keep working with conservation authority staff, and that the government remains committed to preserving drinking water protections. But the officials repeatedly said things are still being figured out. They acknowledged the lack of answers was “not terribly reassuring” and “anxiety producing, probably” for conservation authorities. 
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources released its annual Forest Health Highlights report on Monday following a 2025 survey season defined by a period of unprecedented structural and administrative challenges. The joint aerial detection survey (ADS) flown by DNR and USDA Forest Service (USFS) staff covered 16.5 million acres of forested land across Washington, accounting for roughly 75% of the 22 million forested acres in the state and the first time since 2021 that a full survey was not completed. …The 2025 ADS recorded some level of tree mortality, defoliation, crown damage, or foliar disease on approximately 391,000 acres – a decrease of more than 150,000 acres from 2024, but certain to be an undercount given limitations of the 2025 survey.
NOVA SCOTIA — The Province continues to support the forestry sector by making wood heat and building materials a priority in public buildings. A request for proposals issued Thursday, May 14, will see five buildings converted to heating systems that use local wood products. “We are seizing an opportunity to prioritize a local product from our forestry sector that also makes our province more self-reliant and energy secure,” said Public Works Minister Fred Tilley. “By using more local wood products, we are creating jobs, growing our economy and creating a brighter future for Nova Scotia.” …This is the first major project under the government’s wood initiative announced in July 2025. The deadline for submissions is June 24. Using wood products aligns with the Nova Scotia Loyal program, reduces reliance on imports and enhances export markets. It also supports the forestry sector, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps the province move to a low-carbon economy.
The Louisiana House of Representatives on May 13 voted unanimously to approve a bill that aims to benefit the state’s wood pellet manufacturing industry. Also on May 13, the bill reported favorably out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs. The legislation now awaits action from the Louisiana Senate. The bill, HB 670, was introduced in late February by state Rep. Charles Owen and amended twice as it moved through House committees. It aims to benefit the state’s wood pellet manufacturing industry by streamlining permitting, developing a skilled workforce and facilitating the efficient transportation and export of wood pellets. The bill, as amended, allows Louisiana Economic Development, a cabinet-level agency focused on business growth, to support the recruitment, retention, and expansion of wood pellet manufacturing facilities in this state within existing statutory authority and subject to the availability of funds. 
The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation provides that, except as otherwise determined by WorkSafeBC, an employer must ensure no worker is exposed to a substance exceeding the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) prescribed by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Twice a year, the ACGIH publishes a list of substances for which they have set new or revised TLVs. When WorkSafeBC adopts the new or revised ACGIH TLVs as regulatory exposure limits for chemical substances, these exposure limits are referred to as B.C. Exposure Limits (ELs). An EL is the maximum allowed airborne concentration for a chemical substance for which it is believed that nearly all workers may be exposed over a working lifetime and experience no adverse health effects. ELs may be set out as an 8-hour time-weighted average concentration, a 15-minute short-term exposure limit, or a ceiling limit.
Residents and long-weekend travellers are encouraged to plan, be prepared and stay safe this Victoria Day long weekend as fire prohibitions take effect in parts of B.C. Most new wildfires at this time of year are preventable. People are asked to take precautions with any fire use, stay up to date on current wildfire activity, check for road closures, evacuation alerts and orders, and pay attention to weather conditions. Know the campfire restrictions wherever you are: Category 2 and 3 open fire prohibitions are in place throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre, Coastal Fire Centre, Kamloops Fire Centre and parts of the Prince George Fire Centre and Northwest Fire Centre. Effective Friday, May 15, 2026, noon, the Category 1 campfire prohibition will be rescinded throughout the Coastal Fire Centre. 
GEORGIA — Residents of a Port Wentworth neighborhood believe chemical dust from a nearby International Paper mill is causing health concerns and property damage. Many residents reported shared health symptoms, including sinus issues, burning eyes and coughing. Despite resident complaints and visible white powder on cars and homes, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has not found the mill in violation of its permits. …The Savannah Morning News collected dust scraped off of one resident’s car about 700 feet from the mill and sent it to third-party lab Eurofins for testing. Eurofins stated that most of the sample was likely calcium carbonate, a white to tan odorless powder, a major component of lime mud. The International Paper mill generates lime mud, according to its operating permit. …The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) confirmed that the dust contained calcium, and narrowed down the likely culprit to the mill’s lime kiln.