Uncertainty reigns as Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ on tariffs arrives this afternoon. In related coverage:
- Telegraph-Journal: New Brunswick considers reducing stumpage fees
- Financial Post: A reality check on Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ beefs
- USA Today: GOP to join Dems in opposing fentanyl-related tariffs on Canada
- Truck LoggerBC Magazine: Surviving Trump’s tariffs—it will be a long time before we have a new normal
In other Business news: COFI’s new study on BC’s forest sector competitiveness and sustainability; the TLA’s Bob Brash remains hopeful—hands the reigns off to new Executive Director Peter Lister; and the Canadian Wood Council’s latest Environmental Product Declarations.
In Forestry/Wildfire news: Alberta ENGOs warns of logging impacts on caribou herds; Oregon NGOs celebrate old-growth logging victory; California wildfires threaten world’s oldest trees; a documentary on BC’s worst wildfire seasons; and Out on A Limb—a new series on First Nation-led innovation in forest management.
Finally, the BC Council of Forest Industries’ AGM starts tonight. Check here for daily updates.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
Well, 2025 will prove to be an interesting year ahead. …Provincially there are some glimmers of hope for some directional changes to the current trajectory of BC’s forest sector through the appointment of an energized and determined Minister of Forests. At the recent TLA convention, there also seemed to be acknowledgment that the need for change was recognized with the Premier and Minister. …The government’s forestry mandate appears to be granted for firm actions, even more so with our obvious need for more self-reliance as a country. But muddying the background is the reality that anything that needs to be accomplished must be done within the spectre of massive provincial deficits and a hiring freeze. Where to start?
Democrats in the U.S. Senate are moving forward on a resolution to block sweeping tariffs targeting Canada as President Donald Trump presses Republican lawmakers to continue backing his trade agenda. Sen. Tim Kaine plans to force a vote on Trump’s use of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, also called IEEPA, to declare an emergency over fentanyl trafficking to hit Canada with devastating duties. “The president has justified the imposition of these tariffs on, in my view, a made-up emergency,” Kaine said Tuesday. U.S. government data shows the volume of fentanyl seized at the northern border is tiny. The Annual Threat Assessment report, released last week, does not mention Canada in its section on illicit drugs and fentanyl. The vote will test whether Republican senators continue to back Trump’s tariffs on Canada — tariffs that, according to polling, are not supported by most Americans.
The United States is scheduled to unveil reciprocal tariffs on a wide array of trading partners, including Canada. Dubbed “Liberation Day” by Donald Trump, the measures are meant to even things out with those who, in Trump’s eyes, have unfairly taken advantage of the US with tariffs and other non-tariff barriers. …Aside from steel, aluminum and autos, which are already facing separate tariffs, here are the issues the U.S. has singled out as problematic in their trade with Canada that could factor in to the Liberation Day announcement, and what economists and trade officials have to say about them. What Trump says: He has lumped his anger about dairy and lumber tariffs together, threatening to act immediately on unfair treatment by Canada. He also said the U.S. does not need any Canadian lumber. Reality Check: There is far from enough lumber produced in the U.S. to meet building demand.
The Arizona House of Representatives recently passed out of the House, a wildfire insurance risk modeling bill, designed to reduce homeowner insurance cancellations, and help residents in wildfire prone regions to obtain homeowners’ insurance. Sponsored by District 7 Representative Dave Marshal, the bill would reduce the insurance companies practice of “blanket” cancellations of homeowner insurance. The key element of the legislation would cause the insurance companies to apply a wildfire risk modeling assessment on “individual” properties rather than the “blanket” assessments practice of entire neighborhoods… Property owners who want a cozy home in a small canyon surrounded by dense brush and low-level trees are at great risk of losing insurance coverage and losing their home to fire.
The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is pleased to announce the release of five new Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for Canadian softwood lumber, oriented strand board (OSB), plywood, trusses, and prefabricated wood I-joists. These EPDs provide comprehensive, transparent environmental data on the potential impacts associated with the cradle-to-gate life cycle stages of these essential wood products. Developed as regionalized, industry-wide business-to-business (B2B) Type III declarations, the EPDs comply with the highest international standards, including ISO 21930, ISO 14025, ISO 14040, ISO 14044, the governing product category rules, and ASTM General Program Instructions for Type III EPDs. This ensures credible, third-party verified environmental impact data, supporting designers, builders, and policymakers in making informed, sustainable material choices. The EPDs are available for download from the Canadian Wood Council’s 
Conservation groups are warning that a proposed Alberta government plan for a sub-region in west-central Alberta would wipe out two caribou populations if implemented. The draft plan for the Upper Smoky sub-region would enable the U.S.-based timber company Weyerhaeuser to entirely clearcut the last winter range forests… A Caribou Task Force, made up of Indigenous groups, industry, municipalities, various user groups and interest groups, had been established to advise the Alberta government on Upper Smoky sub-regional planning. These multi-stakeholder conversations were held from 2019 to 2021; however, none of the task force’s recommendations related to caribou conservation and recovery were reflected in the report. Public engagement runs until June 25 
There is still plenty of snow around, but today, April 1, marks the first day of the fire season. That means Ontario’s 
Over the last five years the forest carbon market in North America has experienced a period of rapid expansion, with a surge in dealmaking and heightened interest from institutional investors. In recent months, major corporations have signed high-profile offtake agreements for forest carbon credits, with the latest focus being on high quality-sequestration projects. At the same time, the uptake of Improved Forest Management (IFM) projects has grown, with over 1 million acres of IFM projects added in 2023 and 2024, reflecting the growing recognition of sustainable forestry as a viable tool for emissions removal and reduction. The rise in corporate demand for nature-based solutions, coupled with compliance frameworks including California’s cap-and-trade and emerging cap-and-invest systems, are reshaping the market landscape. Investors, timberland managers, and carbon project developers are competing in an increasingly competitive and innovative space.