Mercer International, Clearwater Paper and Rayonier Inc. reported Q1, 2025 net losses. In related news: BC-based Cedar Valley Holdings will close in June; Millar Western is temporarily curtailing its BC and Alberta pulp mills; and Smurfit Westrock announced capacity reductions in the US and Germany. In other Business news: Drax abandons AGM due to protests—says pellet production is up; and advice for Prime Minister Carney courtesy of BC’s Premier Eby and the BC Real Estate industry.
In Climate Change news: Canada’s supreme court will not intervene in an Ontario climate case; BC admits its climate goals are out of reach; and the US is suing four states over their GHG reduction laws. In Forestry news: BC invests to address invasive plants; a BC First Nation acquires Interfor forest tenure; new research on how logging impacted Australia’s native forests; and California’s insurance industry wants reforms to prevent massive wildfires.
Finally, Harvard is building a new conference centre – and it’s made entirely of wood.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
NEW YORK, NY — Mercer International reported first quarter 2025 Operating EBITDA of $47.1 million, a decrease from $63.6 million in the same quarter of 2024 and $99.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, net loss was $22.3 million compared to $16.7 million in the first quarter of 2024 and net income of $16.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2024. Mr. Juan Carlos Bueno, Chief Executive Officer, stated: “There was continued strength in pulp markets and an improving lumber pricing environment in the first quarter of 2025. However, our operating results in the quarter were negatively impacted by annual planned maintenance downtime at our Celgar mill and the impact of the weaker dollar against the euro.
Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted in the first quarter by 0.3%, with imported goods being a large contributor to the decline as the suppliers prepared for President Trump’s tariff proposals once he took office. NAHB estimates this should even out in the second quarter. Other economic data of note are inflation, which is still elevated but creeping downward, and the unemployment rate, which remains low but may edge up among economic uncertainty. …NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz hasn’t hit the panic button yet. And I still think that we don’t know what President Trump’s economy really is yet. It’s been policy by sledgehammer, and now they’re going to start putting the pieces back together.” NAHB Senior Officers and staff continue to actively engage with lawmakers on this and other policies, including a special BUILD-PAC Capital Club event this week featuring an interview with Sen. Tim Sheehy.
Drax Group plc on May 1 
With the Southern Interior’s hottest months just around the corner, FortisBC is putting important safety measures into place to help protect communities and its electricity system against wildfires, which includes adding extra precautions that could result in power outages. To further enhance its wildfire safety practices, FortisBC has introduced a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) policy, a new precautionary measure where electricity is proactively shut off in selected areas in advance of extreme weather. FortisBC is advising its customers to be prepared for these potential outages that help reduce potential ignition sources. …According to FortisBC, customers should always be prepared to be without electricity for at least 72 hours, especially during wildfire season.
People are asked to use caution over the next several days as a combination of warm, dry conditions and strong winds in much of southern B.C. are adding to elevated wildfire danger. The BC Wildfire Service urges people to postpone any open burning until the windy conditions pass and to use extra caution when camping in the backcountry. “We are expecting active weather in the coming days that could set the stage for dangerous wildfire conditions across the province,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “This is the time of year when we’re at the most risk for human-caused wildfires in B.C., most of which are entirely preventable.” People planning to have campfires should do so safely, following any local prohibitions.
May is Invasive Species Action Month and 33 organizations throughout BC will be able to continue their work fighting invasive plants, due in part to a funding boost. …Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests said “No one person, group, agency or government can effectively control invasive plant species alone, and collaboration is critical to everyone’s success. The work these groups do is crucial in our fight to ensure BC’s environments remain healthy and vibrant.” …Nearly $3 million will go toward groups, such as regional invasive species committees, local governments, environmental groups, researchers and the Invasive Species Council of BC, to continue collaboration and support of invasive plant programs and management actions. …Gail Wallin, executive director, Invasive Species Council of British Columbia said, “Invasive plants are estimated to cost us over $2 billion in losses annually.”
Firefighters from Fort St. John and the B.C. Wildfire Service were battling a blaze that prompted evacuations late Thursday, the city said. The fire is in the Fish Creek Community Forest on the northern outskirts of the city. …The wildfire service website indicates the out-of-control blaze was discovered Thursday and spanned an estimated 0.56 square kilometres — about four times the size of Granville Island in Vancouver — as of 7:32 p.m. The suspected cause of the fire is human activity. The fire is one of nearly two dozen active across BC on Thursday, as the provincial government warned that a combination of warm, dry conditions and strong winds would raise the fire risk in southern parts of B.C. It’s one of two blazes classified as burning out of control, the other being a 1.85-square-kilometre blaze that began as two separate fires about 30 kilometres southwest of Dawson Creek, which is south of Fort St. John.