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The Tree Frog Forestry News
March 25, 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.
B.C. pushes for ‘long-term softwood lumber deal’ as U.S. group praises tariffs
CBC News
March 24, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States
B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar is in Ottawa pushing the federal government to prioritize a softwood lumber deal with the US. That’s as a US lumber lobby group praises the Trump administration for reducing ‘harmful’ Canadian imports with the use of tariffs.
B.C. mulls plan to weaken DRIPA, in secret document shared with First Nations leaders
By Alessia Passafiume
The Canadian Press in Business in Vancouver
March 24, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West
David Eby
OTTAWA — BC Premier David Eby is considering amendments that would weaken the province’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, after two recent court decisions siding with First Nations under the law’s current wording. Amendments proposed in a confidential letter and document sent to some First Nations leaders in BC on Monday say the government is looking to change the wording to promise “ongoing processes” to align “select” legislation with the bill, known as DRIPA. The current wording of the “Purpose of the Act” section says it is “to affirm the application of the Declaration to the laws of British Columbia.” First Nations leaders, along with more than 130 civil society organizations including the B.C. Federation of Labour, have called on Eby to leave the bill alone. …The province is hosting a briefing about the proposed changes with First Nations leaders on Wednesday, asking for feedback by 4 p.m. Friday.
Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre kicks off program support for startup companies in forestry sector
Northern Ontario Business
March 24, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East
The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NOIC), in partnership with the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) and the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE), is pleased to announce the launch of its first accelerator program under The Boreal Springboard. This initiative, inaugurated in fall 2025, is designed to strengthen and diversify northwestern Ontario’s forestry sector by supporting the commercialization of innovative forest-based solutions. The accelerator is a 12-week, intensive program that delivers targeted investment of resources and supports into innovative early-stage companies. Participating companies are advancing new forest-based products and technologies that add value to the region’s abundant and sustainably managed forest resources. This value creation may be achieved through improved efficiencies for the operations of established incumbents in the sector, or through the development of new products, markets, and applications that build out around our core capacities, regional fibre supply, and residual streams.
Five Alabama startups join new forestry accelerator
March 25, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East
ALABAMA — Five forestry companies from the Southeast make up the inaugural cohort of the Alabama Forestry Accelerator. The accelerator aims to increase technology and business innovation in the forestry industry. Forestry in Alabama generates an estimated $36 billion in annual economic impact, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce. The state ranks fourth in lumber production and second in pulp and paper production. The Alabama Forestry Accelerator is hosted in Dothan’s Wiregrass Innovation Center, in partnership with HudsonAlpha Wiregrass. …The five companies making up the inaugural class are:
Chonex, of Baldwin County, converts agricultural and industry byproducts into biofertilizers.
Contreras Forestry, in Birmingham, is building on reforestation and utility forestry operations.
Druid, based in North Carolina, developed a smart camera system that monitors plant health.
Shellulose, in Auburn, creates a biodegradable alternative to plastics from forestry waste.
TreeTracker, of Starkville, Mississippi, provides a mobile, web-based forest management platform.
West Fraser asks Escambia for tax break as sawmill plans expansion
By Mollye Barrows
Pensacola News Journal
March 25, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East
PENSACOLA, Florida — West Fraser is requesting a tax break from Escambia County as the lumber company prepares for a planned expansion at its McDavid sawmill. Escambia County staff prepared a draft ordinance proposing the Canadian-based lumber company receive a 70% ad valorem tax exemption for a period of five years. …West Fraser applied for an EDATE for the assessed value of certain improvements. If the exemption is granted… over the next five years, the estimate of the taxable value lost to the county if the exemption is granted is $70,252,000 improvements to real property. In 2023, the board adopted a resolution supporting West Fraser’s expansion and agreed to consider the lumber company’s EDATE application when it was submitted. The county is scheduled to vote March 26 at its board meeting on scheduling a public hearing to consider establishing an EDATE for West Fraser.
Domtar to idle East Alabama fluff pulp mill, affecting 285 jobs
By William Thornton
All Alabama
March 24, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East
COOSA PINES, Alabama — Pulp and tissue company Domtar announced it will indefinitely idle operations at its Coosa Pines fluff pulp mill in May. The decision will impact 285 employees, the company said. The mill on the Coosa River in Talladega County began operating in 1950 as a joint venture between Kimberly-Clark and newspaper publishers. For several years, it produced newsprint for publishers, mostly in the Southeast. It has an estimated annual economic impact of $569 million. “The Coosa Pines mill has been challenged by difficult market conditions, as well as its aged assets, resulting in high costs of maintaining and operating the facility, underscoring the need for this strategic decision,” Domtar said in a statement. Domtar said it will conduct a “safe and orderly wind-down of production” at the plant, and will support employees “through career transition resources, benefits guidance, and open communications during this period.
Another Bad Housing Idea -The mortgage bankers lobby wants a credit check race to the bottom.
By the Editorial Board
The Wall Street Journal
March 24, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States
The Trump Administration is scavenging for ideas to lower costs for home-buyers. One idea being considered is to ease credit checks for loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—that is, backed by taxpayers. Americans saw a version of this policy two decades ago, and it didn’t end well. Mortgage rates have dropped in the last year, but many Americans still can’t afford to buy a home. Enter the Mortgage Bankers Association, which is lobbying the Administration to let lenders underwrite mortgages based on a single credit report. The outfit says this would reduce borrower costs. Maybe, but taxpayers may pay a bigger price later if this results in more defaults. The Federal Housing Finance Agency currently requires lenders to pull three credit reports. …The real reason lenders want to eliminate the tri-merge requirement is so they can make more loans to borrowers with poor credit. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]
New Hampshire Senate bill gives preferences to US lumber in state-funded building projects
By Adam Sexton
WMUR9
March 24, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East
CONCORD, New Hampshire — A bill moving forward at the State House aims to address a decades-old discrepancy in how wood strength is rated. New Hampshire lawmakers approved Senate Bill 529, which gives preference to US-harvest lumber. The bill requires state-funded building projects to include design specifications for US-sourced spruce-pine-fir. …In the early 1990s, the U.S. and Canada developed separate systems to rate the strength of framing lumber. Canadian lumber is labeled SPF, while American lumber is labeled SPFs. SPFs ended up with a lower design strength value, even though the wood used on both sides of the border is nearly identical. …Over time, the difference in design specifications has given Canadian lumber a competitive advantage, putting Hampshire lumber at a disadvantage. While lawmakers can’t change international industry standards, they can influence how the state purchases lumber for its own construction projects.
Modus Studio awarded grant to develop laminated wood storm shelter prototype
By Dylan Sherman
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette
March 24, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US East
Jason Wright
Fayetteville-based Modus Studio has landed a $258,000 grant to help develop a storm shelter prototype built with laminated wood. The architecture, interior and fabrication studio said in a news release that the funding will help it design a shelter that meets ICC 500 standards for a Federal Emergency Management Agency safe room. Jason Wright, a partner at the studio, said the project started as an Arkansas conversation. “We have the forests. We have the manufacturers. We have school districts required by code to build storm shelters,” he said. “If we can validate (cross-laminated timber) for this application here, it opens a responsible, scalable pathway not just for our state, but for tornado-prone communities across the country.” Modus has been designing FEMA-compliant safe rooms for Arkansas, and other multipurpose storm shelters across the U.S.
Islands Trust has lost sight of its original purpose
By Priya Puri, Shauna Doll and Chris Genovali
Victoria Times Colonist
March 24, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
A commentary by two forest ecologists who lead Raincoast Conservation Foundation’s Forest Conservation Program, and Raincoast’s executive director, who is a Southern Gulf Islands resident. The Islands Trust recently invited public input to help update its Trust Policy Statement, a document that guides how land-use decisions are made across the Trust Area in the Salish Sea. While the draft includes some overdue updates, it drifts from its mandate of environmental protection and fails to connect words in a policy document to decisions on the ground. To work properly, the Trust Policy Statement must clearly show how the Islands Trust will carry out its environmental protection mandate. The Islands Trust is a unique form of government. When it was established 50 years ago, its role was clear: to prevent unrestrained growth and development in the Trust Area of the Gulf Islands. The legislation recognized that the islands’ natural environment and rural character were fragile and irreplaceable.
New website, film launched to highlight Logan Lake Community Forest
By Kristen Holliday
Castanet
March 24, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West
A new website and film showcasing wildfire mitigation efforts have been launched by the Logan Lake Community Forest. New branding has been launched alongside the release of a movie that delves into the community forest and its role in wildfire risk reduction and recreation. In a news release, Randy Spyksma, general manager for Logan Lake Community Forest, said the new, refreshed branding “better reflects who we are today and where we are going.” “It is a visual highlight of our commitment to responsible forest stewardship while supporting the long-term sustainability of our community.” …“Our film speaks to the heart of what we do as a community forest and allows us to share this work through storytelling,” Spyksma said.
As public blasts ‘weakened’ land protection laws, Nova Scotia government says tweaks coming
By Taryn Grant
CBC News
March 23, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East
NOVA SCOTIA — Last month, Finance Minister John Lohr tabled the Financial Measures Act, an omnibus bill that amends 20 pieces of legislation. Among them are amendments to the Community Easements Act and Conservation Easements Act, creating two ways for property owners to undo easements on their land. Two weeks after tabling the bill, Lohr told reporters the government is working on adjustments to the easements clauses. …After criticism that new legislation weakens land protection laws, the provincial government says it will make revisions, but it’s not detailing what the changes will look like. …Woodlot owner Ron Melchiore called the bill’s amendments “an abomination” that would destroy his vision for his land. Melchiore also took issue with changes to the Forests Act that would remove a tax break for woodlands if they’re being used as a registered carbon sink and not for active forestry.
New Mexico — The Cibola National Forest will begin work on two major projects restricting visitor use and public access to the over 140 acres along the Sandia Crest area through fall of 2027. USFS officials will work to remove hazard fuels and hazard tree removal in conjunction with vegetation thinning treatments around the Sandia Crest and New Mexico Highway 536 to promote forest health and resilience, as well as to limit threats to the vast antenna arrays on top of the Crest which are essential to local television and emergency communications, according to plan details reviewed by the Route 66 Independent. Repeated outbreaks of insects and disease on the Sandia Mountains have contributed to a high number of dead trees on the mountain, officials shared. “High fuel-loading around the Crest presents significant risks to critical infrastructure that could be damaged or destroyed in the event of a high-severity wildfire,” they said in a statement.
When we look at a finished wood panel, an architectural surface, or a designed space, we see only the final result. Behind it lies a story that normally remains invisible: years of responsible forest management, technical expertise accumulated in the field, coordinated work with local communities and territories, and systems that ensure traceability, transparency and accountability. In 2026, that full story became visible. Novopan achieved the first FSC Project Certification in Ecuador, as well as FSC Verified Ecosystem Services Impact for restoration or enhancement of areas of importance for recreation and/or tourism, consolidating a certified chain that runs from the forest to the final product. It is one of the first experiences of its kind in the Andean region, demonstrating that FSC standards can be applied comprehensively — from the forest to the completed project. Since 2023, Novopan has held FSC Forest Management and FSC Chain of Custody certification.
Wood goes Europe – The new app of the domestic forestry and timber industry
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Austria
March 25, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: International
AUSTRIA — Why we all live from the forest is shown by the new app “Wood goes Europe.” The forestry associations of Upper Austria and Salzburg present this comprehensive app about the domestic forestry and timber industry, in which Torrent and Avalanche Control as well as the Protective Forest Center also participated as project partners. The app launches as a pilot project as part of the European Capital of Culture 2024 in Bad Ischl. It aims to bring the forest ecosystem closer to visitors of the Capital of Culture and the Salzkammergut region. The app is intended to make the services of the domestic forestry and timber industry and the forest accessible to everyone. …Through augmented reality (AR), some forest functions can even be brought into your living room. To activate the ARfunctions, you simply need to choose an avatar.
Forest Service crews respond to two wildfires in western North Carolina
By US Forest Service
US Department of Agriculture
March 24, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US East
Asheville, N.C. – USDA Forest Service firefighters are currently responding to two wildfires in western North Carolina: the Poplar Fire on the Appalachian Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest and the lightning-caused Tarkiln Ridge Fire on the Tusquitee Ranger District of Nantahala National Forest. The nearly 100-acre Poplar Fire is located north of Poplar, North Carolina, along the east side of NC-197 in Mitchell County. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The fire is burning in an area heavily affected by Hurricane Helene, where an extensive number of downed trees are contributing to increased wildfire intensity and risk. …The Tarkiln Ridge Fire is burning in rugged terrain northwest of Hayesville, North Carolina, in Clay County near Fires Creek. Crews first responded to the fire on Monday, March 23, in an area that was previously identified as a future prescribed fire unit for hazardous fuels reduction.
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.
PENSACOLA, Florida — West Fraser is requesting a tax break from Escambia County as the lumber company prepares for a planned expansion at its McDavid sawmill. Escambia County staff prepared a draft ordinance proposing the Canadian-based lumber company receive a 70% ad valorem tax exemption for a period of five years. …West Fraser applied for an EDATE for the assessed value of certain improvements. If the exemption is granted… over the next five years, the estimate of the taxable value lost to the county if the exemption is granted is $70,252,000 improvements to real property. In 2023, the board adopted a resolution supporting West Fraser’s expansion and agreed to consider the lumber company’s EDATE application when it was submitted. The county is scheduled to vote March 26 at its board meeting on scheduling a public hearing to consider establishing an EDATE for West Fraser. 
The Trump Administration is scavenging for ideas to lower costs for home-buyers. One idea being considered is to ease credit checks for loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—that is, backed by taxpayers. Americans saw a version of this policy two decades ago, and it didn’t end well. Mortgage rates have dropped in the last year, but many Americans still can’t afford to buy a home. Enter the Mortgage Bankers Association, which is lobbying the Administration to let lenders underwrite mortgages based on a single credit report. The outfit says this would reduce borrower costs. Maybe, but taxpayers may pay a bigger price later if this results in more defaults. The Federal Housing Finance Agency currently requires lenders to pull three credit reports. …The real reason lenders want to eliminate the tri-merge requirement is so they can make more loans to borrowers with poor credit. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]
CONCORD, New Hampshire — A bill moving forward at the State House aims to address a decades-old discrepancy in how wood strength is rated. New Hampshire lawmakers approved Senate Bill 529, which gives preference to US-harvest lumber. The bill requires state-funded building projects to include design specifications for US-sourced spruce-pine-fir. …In the early 1990s, the U.S. and Canada developed separate systems to rate the strength of framing lumber. Canadian lumber is labeled SPF, while American lumber is labeled SPFs. SPFs ended up with a lower design strength value, even though the wood used on both sides of the border is nearly identical. …Over time, the difference in design specifications has given Canadian lumber a competitive advantage, putting Hampshire lumber at a disadvantage. While lawmakers can’t change international industry standards, they can influence how the state purchases lumber for its own construction projects.
A commentary by two forest ecologists who lead Raincoast Conservation Foundation’s Forest Conservation Program, and Raincoast’s executive director, who is a Southern Gulf Islands resident. The Islands Trust recently invited public input to help update its Trust Policy Statement, a document that guides how land-use decisions are made across the Trust Area in the Salish Sea. While the draft includes some overdue updates, it drifts from its mandate of environmental protection and fails to connect words in a policy document to decisions on the ground. To work properly, the Trust Policy Statement must clearly show how the Islands Trust will carry out its environmental protection mandate. The Islands Trust is a unique form of government. When it was established 50 years ago, its role was clear: to prevent unrestrained growth and development in the Trust Area of the Gulf Islands. The legislation recognized that the islands’ natural environment and rural character were fragile and irreplaceable.
A new website and film showcasing wildfire mitigation efforts have been launched by the Logan Lake Community Forest. New branding has been launched alongside the release of a movie that delves into the community forest and its role in wildfire risk reduction and recreation. In a news release, Randy Spyksma, general manager for Logan Lake Community Forest, said the new, refreshed branding “better reflects who we are today and where we are going.” “It is a visual highlight of our commitment to responsible forest stewardship while supporting the long-term sustainability of our community.” …“Our film speaks to the heart of what we do as a community forest and allows us to share this work through storytelling,” Spyksma said.
