Daily News for August 13, 2026

Today’s Takeaway

Thank you for visiting the Tree Frog Forestry News

The Tree Frog Forestry News
August 13, 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.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

Canada, U.S. not yet ready to make tariff deal, Canada unsatisfied with latest U.S. offer: sources

By Darren Major and Kate McKenna
CBC News
August 12, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

As the clock ticks toward U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff deadline, Canada and the U.S. aren’t at a point where a tariff deal can be reached — and Canadian officials are not satisfied with the latest U.S. offer, according to two sources with knowledge of the trade talks. According to sources on both sides of the border, the Americans offered a new proposal on Tuesday which would lower some of the sectoral tariffs but not to the degree that the Canadian side would like to see. CBC News is not naming the sources because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Negotiators have been going back and forth in recent weeks in an effort to reach some sort of deal before Aug. 19, which is when Trump has promised a 50 per cent levy on hundreds of Canadian goods in addition to the sectoral tariffs already in place.

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Premier David Eby’s statement following visit with wildfire evacuees, responders

By The Office of the Premier
Government of British Columbia
August 12, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Premier David Eby’s statement after speaking in Penticton with evacuees, local leaders and emergency personnel responding to wildfires: Today, I met with people whose lives have been turned upside down by these wildfires. I listened to families forced to leave their homes with little warning. I heard from people waiting anxiously for news about whether they have anything left to return to. And I spoke with business owners worried about their employees and their future. I also met with local mayors, First Nations leadership, firefighters, emergency personnel and community organizations helping people through an incredibly difficult time. The message I heard was clear: These have been devastating days, but people are facing them with strength, determination and a deep commitment to supporting their neighbours. To everyone who has been evacuated, who is under alert, who has lost property or who is living with uncertainty right now: know that you are not facing this alone. 

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Finance & Economics

Western Forest Products reports Q2, 2026 net income of $10.5M

Western Forest Products Inc.
August 13, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada West

VANCOUVER, BC — Western Forest Products reported their second quarter, 2026 result. Q2, 2026 revenue was $239.6 million, compared to $201.5 million in Q1, 2026, and $289.1 million in the second quarter of 2025. …Adjusted EBITDA of $0.4 million in the second quarter of 2026, as compared to $0.5 million in the same period last year. Adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2026 included a $2.3 million expense related to share-based compensation due to a 20% increase in the Company’s share price, compared to a $0.3 million expense in the same period last year. Net income was $10.5 million in the second quarter of 2026, as compared to a net loss of $17.4 million for the same period last year. Results in the second quarter of 2026 included a $31.3 million property insurance recovery from our Columbia Vista sawmill. …Both the North American Japanese lumber markets are expected to be relatively stable through most of the third quarter of 2026.

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Why Are Lumber Prices Staying Strong Despite Slowing Housing Demand?

ResourceWise Forest Products Blog
August 12, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

While North American softwood lumber consumption has declined in 2026, prices have remained surprisingly resilient due to constrained supply, reduced production, and persistent structural demand for housing despite ongoing affordability challenges. …On one hand, builders continue to face affordability concerns, elevated mortgage rates, and cautious consumers. On the other hand, lumber prices have generally strengthened throughout 2026, despite year-over-year declines in consumption. Here’s what the latest market indicators are telling us. …The U.S. housing market continues to balance between long-term demand for new homes and short-term economic pressures. …These trends suggest that, while housing demand hasn’t disappeared, the market is adapting to economic realities rather than expanding uniformly. …Although North American lumber consumption has declined year over year, production has also contracted. Reduced output across both the United States and Canada has helped keep supply relatively tight, supporting pricing across many lumber grades.

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Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) reports Q2, 2026 net loss of $33M

Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. (RYAM)
August 4, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, US East

Rayonier Advanced Materials reported results for its second quarter ended June 27, 2026. Net loss and loss from continuing operations for the quarter ended June 27, 2026 were each $33 million, inclusive of a $13 million non-cash asset impairment. Net loss and loss from continuing operations for the same prior year quarter were $363 million and $366 million, respectively, each inclusive of a $337 million non-cash deferred tax asset write-off. …“I am excited to join RYAM at a pivotal time for the Company,” said Daniel M. Krawczyk, President and CEO. …“Our second-quarter results were ahead of expectations and showed strong sequential improvement, reflecting both the value of our Cellulose Specialties products and the benefits of ongoing operational improvements.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

UBC-developed ‘wood foam’ enters production as Indigenous-led pilot plant opens in Vancouver

By Lou Bosshart
The University of British Columbia
August 12, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Inside a new facility in Vancouver, wood fibre is transformed into a block of lightweight “wood foam.” Dr. Feng Jiang first developed the material in his laboratory at the University of British Columbia. For Reg Ogen, president and CEO of Yinka Dene Economic Development Limited Partnership (YLP) and a leader of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, it signals a shift in the Canadian bioeconomy: a new economic relationship between Indigenous communities and the forests they have stewarded for generations. Millions of tonnes of plastic foam packaging end up in landfills each year, where they can persist for more than 500 years. This new facility aims to change that. By transforming wood waste resulting from logging or forest fires—material that might otherwise be burned or discarded—into biodegradable packaging and insulation, the partnership is turning a costly liability for the forestry sector into a high-value, sustainable product.

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EU waste packaging rules: Why small businesses are worried

By Nik Martin
DW.com
August 12, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

The EU has introduced new rules targeting packaging waste and “forever chemicals.” Although the changes will be phased in slowly, some small sellers have already paused shipments due to the additional red tape. In a drive to cut waste and improve public health, new European Union rules take effect on Wednesday, banning high levels of PFAS “forever chemicals” in packaging. Under the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), any new packaging products entering the market will now have to meet tighter standards if designed to come into contact with food. PFAS have been linked to increased risks of certain cancers and other health conditions. …PFAS are used to make paper and cardboard packaging both grease- and water-resistant. The new rules are in addition to curbs on bisphenol A (BPA) in food-contact materials, which took effect across the EU last month.

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Forestry

B.C. may transfer Crown land to Vancouver Island First Nations

By Catherine Urquhart & Amy Judd
Global News
August 11, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

New documents show that more than 300,000 acres of land could be transferred to Vancouver Island First Nations, which are currently finalizing treaties. Approximately 30 parcels of Crown land would be given to five First Nations, which are located from Parksville to Victoria. The list includes Hatley Castle, Royal Roads University, waterfront in Victoria, property next to the legislature, Discovery Island Provincial Park and Sooke Mountain Provincial Park. “This is a betrayal of our core democracy here in British Columbia,” Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay said. …Lawyer Geoffrey Moyse spent decades advising the province on Aboriginal law. “There was no requirement to renegotiate the Douglas Treaties, so I think this was a political decision,” he said. Some concerns state that transferred lands would essentially become private property with no legal requirement to preserve public access or adhere to existing zoning.

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Record drought threatens future of New Brunswick’s balsam firs

By Danielle McCreadie
CBC News
August 13, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Anthony Taylor

Balsam fir trees in New Brunswick are turning red and dying after last summer’s record-breaking drought, raising concerns about the future of the provincial tree. University of New Brunswick forestry researcher Prof. Anthony Taylor says he has been hearing from woodlot owners and seeing the damage firsthand, as the crisp evergreen trees — favoured for Christmas trees — slowly turn red, dry out, and die. He said the pattern is consistent with what he has observed following other hot, dry summers. …Taylor has been studying the effects of climate change on New Brunswick’s forests for years. He says similar balsam fir die-offs followed unusually hot, dry summers in 1986 and 2018. …Taylor said seeing the red trees this year is a “double-edged sword.” While they support his research, he said they are also a visible sign of the negative impact a changing climate is having on New Brunswick’s provincial tree. 

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Gov. Gianforte Highlights Timber Industry, Manufacturing, Forest Management in Western Montana

Montana Governor’s Office
August 12, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Greg Gianforte & Jalon Miller

MISSOULA, Montana – Governor Greg Gianforte continued his 56 County Tour, traveling across western Montana to meet with job creators. …Starting off in Lincoln County, Gov. Gianforte toured Meadowlark Log Homes in Libby… a family-owned business that manufactures pre-assembled structural systems for custom log homes with lumber from Lincoln County. …Next, traveling to Sanders County, the governor visited Thompson River Lumber in Thompson Falls… the second-largest employer in Sanders County, Thompson River Lumber harvests from private landowners, the Montana Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and processes five different species of timber. …In Mineral County, the governor recognized White Horse Forestry for its forest management services and partnerships with agencies to harvest timber, clear land, and provide wildland firefighter training.

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