The pending heat wave hitting Canada and the US northeast is called a public health threat and an economic blow. As the heat wave approaches: wildfires grow in Atlantic Canada; 7,000 are evacuated in New Mexico; high winds impact the Los Angeles wildfire; and a new call for the US Federal Emergency Management Agency to include wildfire smoke as major disaster. Meanwhile: Donald White wins WPAC’s Safety Hero award, and Ontario has a new Associate Minister of Forests.
In Business news: the US Lacey Act leaves wood importers exposed; Paper Excellence complies with Canada’s international fight against child labour; Williams Lake council focuses on the future of Atlantic Power; California debates adding new biomass facilities; and Maine prepares for a future without its iconic pines.
Finally, a survey on BC’s Value-added Accelerators and an interview Rachel Pollard—Executive Director, Forest Sector Transformation.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
To the extent areas of increased climate risk may be reflected in pockets of repriced real estate in the US, those pockets have the potential to infect other areas of our financial system. After all, it was foreclosures in Las Vegas, Phoenix, and a handful of other locations that led to a cascade of global effects in 2008. …If we wanted to steadily, prudently reduce risks to homeowners in America that are being caused by out-of-date building codes, inadequate land-use policies, and under-capitalized insurers, one possible area to examine would be the rules that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac use to screen the mortgages they agree to guarantee. Using this power wisely has the potential to affect much of the housing market, because these Government Sponsored Enterprises support about 70 percent of the mortgage market, according to the National Association of Realtors.
In order to better understand the needs of businesses in the value-added sector, the Ministry of Forests has developed a short survey to gather information regarding value-added manufacturing fibre needs to support developing fibre related solutions .This survey shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes to complete and can be done anonymously.
Those who commit offences that harm wildlife and fish, including illegal hunting and angling, will soon face higher fines. The new fine amounts better reflect the serious nature of these offences and recognize the importance of wildlife to everyone living in British Columbia. Fines under the Wildlife Act and its regulations have not been substantially updated in more than two decades. Effective June 18, 2024, the new fines for violation tickets range from $345 to $1,495, a significant increase from the current range of $115 to $575. …Violations of the Wildlife Act can have negative impacts on fish and wildlife and the habitats they rely on to survive and thrive. Other offences include: unlawful trapping, hunting and angling; hunting without a licence; operating a motor vehicle in an area where motor vehicles are prohibited; damage to wildlife habitat; and illegal trafficking of wildlife.
The federal government and companies that produce materials for the construction industry can play a significant role in helping to reduce the amount of carbon that is emitted each year. That’s the bottom line in a report from the Buy Clean Industry Alliance, a coalition of industry associations, think-tanks and labour and environmental groups which includes the Cement Association of Canada and Aluminum Association of Canada. The report, called Building Success: 
According to the National Integrated Heat Health Information System, more than 76.7 million Americans are facing heat-related warnings on Tuesday. In its Tuesday morning update, the National Weather Service said the heat wave is expected to persist across “the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and the Northeast through the next few days,” with temperatures hitting the upper-to-mid 90s across most of the region. The actual impact of the heatwave could be even more severe with the Weather Prediction Center warning that some areas could see a heat index—a metric showing how hot the weather really feels—of between 100 degrees and 105 degrees. …While the Midwest region is expected to take the brunt of the heatwave on Tuesday, cities in the Northeast will also face extreme temperatures that will rise over the next few days. 
On January 1, 2024, Canada’s Parliament passed the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act. This important piece of legislation is a vital response to global concerns about the prevalence of forced and child labour worldwide and helps Canada – and Canadian businesses – meet international treaty obligations, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. As part of the Act, all Canadian businesses over a certain size must submit a report to the federal Minister of Public Safety by May 31 each year, detailing the steps taken to ensure that their business supply chains are free of forced labour or child labour. As part of the Paper Excellence Group, Domtar Corporation and its subsidiaries, which includes Resolute Forest Products, and Paper Excellence Canada Investments Corporation recently submitted their first 
RUIDOSO, N.M. — Residents of a village in southern New Mexico were ordered to flee their homes without taking time to grab any belongings due to fast-moving wildfires. “GO NOW: Do not attempt to gather belongings or protect your home. Evacuate immediately,” officials with Ruidoso, a village home to 7,000 people, said on its website and in social media posts at about 7 p.m. Monday. Public Service Company of New Mexico shut off power to part of the village due to the fire, which was estimated at about 21.7 square miles (56 square kilometers) with zero percent containment, forestry and village officials said Tuesday morning. The state forestry division said multiple structures were threatened and a number have been lost. A portion of U.S. Highway 70 was closed south of the village.