Daily News for September 19, 2025

Today’s Takeaway

Canada launches consultations on North American trade pact, makes concessions on some US lumber duties

The Tree Frog Forestry News
September 19, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway

Canada launched consultations on the North American trade pact, made concessions on some US lumber duties. In related news: Prime Minister Carney announced partnership with Mexico; what to expect in the CUSMA review; the US amended its 2023 softwood duty review; and lumber duties fail to prop up prices. In other Business news: La-kwa sa muqw Forestry pursues legal action to end Steelworkers strike; Sweden’s Billerud will cut 650 jobs amid weak European demand; tariffs put Milwaukee’s record-breaking mass timber skyscraper on hold; and Air New Zealand opens a landmark timber-arch hangar.

In Forestry/Climate news: the US National Academy of Sciences rebuffs EPA’s climate findings; new research adds to wildfire’s health-threat impact; Mosaic Forest Management released findings from its public feedback survey; US researchers developed a genomic model to forecast forest futures; mixed-species forests are not always more drought resilient; and a $10M gift secures protection of Maine’s Barnard Forest.

Finally, Derek Nighbor: From decline to growth: getting Canadian forestry’s swagger back.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Opinion / EdiTOADial

From decline to growth: Getting Canadian forestry’s swagger back

By Derek Nighbor, FPAC President and CEO
The Hub
September 19, 2025
Category: Opinion / EdiTOADial
Region: Canada

Derek Nighbor

Canada’s forest-dependent communities are at a critical point. Rising global demand creates an opportunity to bring more Canadian wood products to the world, while simultaneously growing jobs, building more homes, and reducing fire risks here at home. But as the Canadian economy faces significant upheaval and needs to transform, the industry and its 200,000 employees can’t do it alone. The current trade environment is volatile. Increased duties on softwood lumber exports to the US and related trade uncertainty threaten Canadian forestry’s ability to deliver at scale. …Securing the best possible outcome at the Canada-US negotiating table is job one. Exports remain the foundation of the sector and the livelihood of forest-dependent communities. Concurrent to that, we need the federal government to focus on the policy levers we can control.

The Canadian government can act now by implementing three priorities: Designating domestic wood as a strategic material in its Build Canada Homes recommendations prioritizes made-in-Canada forest products in federal housing projects to reduce emissions, accelerate build times, and support rural and northern job creation. …By strengthening competition and accountability among carriers and growing investment in trade corridors, Canada can markedly improve supply chain performance for all economic sectors. …Improving competitiveness through smarter regulation—a new approach that leverages provincial systems, reduces duplication, focuses on outcomes, and will make Canada a destination for more strategic investment in infrastructure and people. …Despite the challenging headwinds and uncertainty that abound, Canadian forestry sees a path forward to transformation and growth. That path must be anchored in a new partnership with the federal government—one that stabilizes the sector, creates greater certainty and predictability in regulation, and allows us to bring more innovative, sustainably-sourced, Made in Canada wood products to Canada and the world.

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Business & Politics

Canada to launch CUSMA consultations after U.S. ambassador says bigger deal not in the cards

By Ashley Burke
CBC News
September 17, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Canada is expected to announce it’s launching formal consultations on the North American trade pact within the next week, after the Trump administration kicked off its own review and the US ambassador said a larger deal is “not going to happen” soon. Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s office said the government is expected to imminently post an official notice seeking the public’s comments and feedback about the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). In preparation for the review, “Canada will be engaging with Canadian industry leaders, provinces and territories and Indigenous partners,” LeBlanc’s office said. The US announced Tuesday it’s formally starting consultations to evaluate the agreement’s results over the past five years. …The formal negotiations to review CUSMA could begin in early 2026. …The prime minister and several ministers are headed to Mexico… an effort to shore up support ahead of the CUSMA review.

In related coverage:

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Canada Ends Fight Against Some US Lumber Duties, Seeking Wider Deal

By Thomas Seal
Bloomberg in the Financial Post
September 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Canada withdrew challenges against some import taxes the US levied against softwood lumber in what the government called a “strategic choice,” as Prime Minister Carney seeks a trade deal with President Trump. The government has revoked two separate claims disputing US anti-dumping duties on softwood lumber based on trading between June 2017 and December 2019, according to Canada’s Global Affairs department. “Canada has made this decision in close consultation with Canadian industry, provinces and key partners, and it reflects a strategic choice to maximize long-term interests and prospects for a negotiated resolution with the US,” John Babcock said. …The move follows a pattern of Carney’s government trying to remove so-called trade irritants in pursuit of a wider settlement with the Trump administration, which has erected tariffs against key Canadian industries like steel and autos, as well as a 35% “emergency” tariff against other goods if they aren’t compliant with the US-Mexico-Canada trade deal. 

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La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership takes legal action to end months-long strike by the United Steelworkers Local 1-1937

La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership
September 17, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Campbell River, British Columbia: La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership (LKSM) has been working to bring closure to the strike, which began on June 6, 2025, in a way that supports strong, positive, and enduring relationships between First Nations and other participants in the forestry sector in their territories and allows everyone to move forward together. Despite LKSM’s repeated efforts to achieve a negotiated resolution—including multiple applications for mediation and requests for special government intervention, the USW has continued to refuse both direct bargaining and third-party mediation. This now leaves legal action as the only available recourse to advance the interests of all parties and communities affected by the dispute. …This situation has left LKSM with no other option than to pursue a legal remedy that will remove this impediment to progress and enable resumption of negotiations.

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Part of Canfor’s pulp mill property reclassified after assessment appeal

By Bob Mackin
The Prince George Citizen
September 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

A 20-acre parcel of the 303-acre Canfor Pulp mill property in Prince George has been re-classified as light industry by the Property Assessment Appeal Board. Canfor leased the parcel to Arbios Biotech Canada Limited Partnership to build a demonstration plant to convert wood waste and woody biomass into bio oil. In the 2023 taxation year, the Assessor of Area 26 deemed it a major industry property. A central issue of Canfor’s appeal was whether bio-oil meets the definition of a chemical. A lawyer for the Assessor argued that the facility is similar to plants classified as major industrial. Canfor argued the facility has similarities to plants like those that produce wood pellets, which are classified as light industry. Panel chair Robert Wickett and panel member Fiona Anderson found, in their Sept. 11 decision, that the facility should be reclassified.

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‘A lot of moving parts’ to Northern Pulp cleanup, says environment minister

By Michael Gorman
The Globe and Mail
September 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

Tim Halman

If Nova Scotia’s environment minister has information about the cleanup process for the property where the Northern Pulp mill once operated, including what it could cost and who might be responsible for the work, he wasn’t sharing the details with reporters on Thursday. “When the time is right, we’ll have more to say to Nova Scotians,” Tim Halman said. Northern Pulp is winding down its business, as the owner of the shuttered mill in Pictou County works through a multi-year creditor protection process. That process, which includes selling off assets, calls for the company to put $15 million toward a closure plan. Recent court filings, however, have raised questions about whether even that amount of money will be available, and there’s a suggestion that Northern Pulp could even file for bankruptcy. Halman could not say what that would mean for the cleanup of the property at Abercrombie Point, which also once included a chemical plant.

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Quebec MLA booted from cabinet quits party, says she has lost faith in leader Legault

The Canadian Press in Global News
September 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Maïté Blanchette Vézina

QUÉBEC – A member of the Coalition Avenir Québec recently booted from cabinet has resigned from the party and says she no longer has faith in Premier François Legault. Maïté Blanchette Vézina says she will sit as an Independent and says Legault should reconsider his future as leader of the CAQ, adding that his policies have neglected Quebec’s regions. Her departure is the latest controversy to hit Legault and his party, both of which are deeply unpopular with electors one year away from the provincial election. Blanchette Vézina was elected in 2022 in the riding of Rimouski and was the natural resources and forestry minister until eight days ago. She had struggled steering a bill to protect the forestry industry but which triggered blockades from Indigenous people who said the legislation threatened their way of life.

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US Releases Amended Final Results of 2023 Antidumping Duty Administrative Review

The US Department of Commerce
September 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

The US Department of Commerce is amending the final results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain softwood lumber products from Canada to correct certain ministerial and typographical errors. The period of review is January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023. …On August 5 and 6, 2025, we received timely-filed ministerial error allegations from Canfor and West Fraser, the mandatory respondents in this administrative review. …In the Final Results, we made certain revisions to our preliminary results calculations for Canfor. …In doing so, the calculation of the weighted-average dumping margin for Canfor changes from 35.53% to 35.47%. Additionally, we are also amending the rate for the companies not selected for individual examination in this review, based on the weighted- average dumping margins calculated for the mandatory respondents,from 20.56% to 20.53%.

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Billerud to cut 650 jobs due to the weakened market conditions in Europe

Billerud.com
September 18, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

Billerud has decided to launch a cost saving program targeting annualized savings of SEK 800 million. The planned cost savings will affect Billerud’s European operations and Group functions globally and will include reduction of up to 650 positions. Due to the weakened market conditions in Europe, Billerud has decided to launch a cost saving program targeting annualized savings of SEK 800 million. …The measures will focus on reducing fixed costs through strict cost prioritization, streamlined ways of working and personnel reductions across all functions and locations in Billerud’s Region Europe and Group functions. The plans involve a potential reduction of up to 650 positions. Local negotiations with the unions will begin shortly. “In this challenging market situation for the European paper and packaging industry… we are taking proactive measure to reduce our cost base even further and strengthen Billerud’s long-term competitiveness and profitability,” says Ivar Vatne CEO. 

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Finance & Economics

Lumber Duties Fail to Stop Price Slump as Housing Demand Falters

By Ilena Peng
Bloomberg News in the Financial Post
September 19, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

When the Trump administration more than doubled import fees on Canadian softwood lumber earlier this year, the goal was to support domestic prices and boost US production. Instead, prices have plunged, and mills on both sides of the border are scaling back. A benchmark for the commodity mostly used in construction has plunged 18% since an August peak to the lowest in seven months, driven by sluggish homebuilding activity and a glut of inventory. The drop shows how protectionist measures aren’t always enough to protect domestic industries from broader market dynamics at a time when high interest rates and elevated costs are squeezing consumers and weighing on their confidence, dampening demand for new homes. …“The US producers were looking for more of a price bump from the duties, and they didn’t get one,” said Brooks Mendell, at Forisk Consulting. “The interpretation of that is, well, the demand isn’t there.” 

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Programs to help advance your career in the lumber and sawmill sector

By Linh Tran
British Columbia Institute of Technology
September 17, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

The BCIT School of Construction and the Environment offers two Associate Certificate programs designed to support workforce development in the North American lumber and sawmill sector: Industrial Wood Processing (IWP) & and Business of Sawmilling (BOS). The programs were developed in collaboration with industry experts to equip professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to advance their careers while meeting the evolving demands of the sector. Both programs are delivered online, on a part-time basis, and over 12 months. The programs are designed to allow working professionals to gain practical, job-relevant skills through formal education while balancing their workplace responsibilities.

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First-of-its-kind mass timber prefab housing system uses locally sourced wood in B.C.

Journal of Commerce
September 19, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

FORT ST. JAMES, B.C. – Nak’azdli Development Corp. (NDC) is set to unveil its inaugural Timber House next month — a prefabricated home that uses stud lumber from local sawmills and an innovative panel construction system by local forestry startup Deadwood Innovations. “There has been a lot of emphasis recently on fast-tracking mass timber construction for large-scale buildings in large urban centres, but very little focus on supporting regional housing, tailored to the specific needs of remote and rural communities,” said Owen Miller, Deadwood Innovations CEO and co-founder, in a statement. …Both NDC and Deadwood Innovations developed a thermochemical process that takes aspen and other low-quality timber unsuitable for sawmilling and transforms it into durable, high-quality lumber. To advance their projects, the partners are working with the University of Northern British Columbia’s Wood Innovation Research Lab in the School of Engineering through a program co-ordinated by Mitacs.

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Tariffs put record-breaking mass timber Milwaukee skyscraper project on hold

By Stephen Cohn
WISN 12 News
September 18, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

MILWAUKEE — Plans for a record-breaking skyscraper in downtown Milwaukee are on hold due to tariffs and inflation, the project’s developers said Thursday. The 31-story complex at Edison and State streets would bring more than 350 units and retail space, according to development firm Neutral. Called “The Edison,” it is on track to be the tallest mass timber building in North America. But in a statement on Thursday, the developers said “recent tariffs and broader inflation have materially increased key input hard costs,” forcing them to temporarily pause the project. “Our focus remains on delivering a resilient, exceptional building for Milwaukee,” said Neutral CEO Nate Helbach. Officials said the foundation of the project is complete after a groundbreaking in the spring. A timeline to resume construction has not yet been determined. [END]

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Air New Zealand unveils Hangar 4: Landmark aircraft maintenance facility in Auckland

Air New Zealand
September 19, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Air New Zealand has unveiled Hangar 4, a state-of-the-art aircraft maintenance facility that represents one of the airline’s most significant infrastructure investments. …Designed to serve the next 50 years of aviation, the new facility positions Air New Zealand at the forefront of modern fleet maintenance as it prepares for the arrival of next-generation aircraft. At 10,000 square metres, 35 metres high and 98 metres wide, Hangar 4’s scale allows Air New Zealand engineers to service a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner and two Airbus A320/A321s simultaneously, supported by an additional 5000 square metres of specialist workshops and engineering spaces. Hangar 4 … is the largest single-span timber arch aircraft hangar in the southern hemisphere. Timber was chosen for its lighter weight, ability to be sourced sustainably – from plantations in Nelson and Wodonga – and for its performance in a coastal environment. …Prefabricated trusses, each weighing 38 tonnes, were built in 25-metre sections, assembled on site and lifted into place…

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Forestry

Wildfire risk will continue into fall

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
September 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

People should continue to use caution and take steps to be prepared by staying up to date on current conditions, following fire prohibitions and being Firesmart, as the risk of wildfire is expected to continue into fall. The BC Wildfire Service’s fall seasonal outlook forecasts ongoing wildfire risk for much of the province, especially in the Cariboo and southwestern Interior. Convective thunderstorms typically decrease as fall approaches; however, despite a lower likelihood of wildfires due to lightning, human-caused wildfires remain a risk. Until the southern coast shifts to a stormier fall-like pattern and the Prince George and Kamloops fire centres receive substantial rainfall, the wildfire danger ratings will continue to be elevated. As a result of the late summer’s record-breaking heat wave, combined with ongoing drought, people in B.C. are encouraged to be prepared for the risk of wildfire this fall.

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Fundraising effort to buy waterfront in Desolation Sound on now

By Tanya Hill
The Powell River Peak
September 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Boaters, kayakers and other outdoor enthusiasts have less than two weeks to raise funds to purchase Prideaux Haven, 100-acres of waterfront in Desolation Sound, so it can be added to the marine provincial park. …The parks foundation has a fundraising goal of $2,500,000 and with approximately $1.1 million left to raise, thanks to a matching commitment from the Wilson 5 Foundation. …BC Parks Foundation chief executive officer Andy Day explained, “there is this parcel of private land and then there’s Crown land. People will notice a lot of that land is now being logged.” The Peak reported last November that residents in Okeover were concerned about Mosaic Forest Management constructing logging roads in a residential neighbourhood. Currently, logging is taking place on a slope near Crowther Road, which is adjacent to another popular destination for kayakers and boaters, Okeover Arm Provincial Park, which feeds into Desolation Sound.

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Mosaic to explore solutions after recreation feedback survey

By Marc Kitteringham
North Island Gazette
September 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Mosaic Forest Management has clearly heard that communities value their outdoor access. After receiving what the company calls an “overwhelming” response to a survey, they will be moving forward with next steps on improving its recreation program. The survey garnered 7,600 responses in 23 days. “What we heard was clear. Communities value access to the outdoors and want more and better opportunities to do so,” said Mosaic’s CEO Duncan Davies (see report titled Public Perspectives on Recreational Access to Mosaic’s Forests). …Mosaic will next be engaging with an external consultant to explore solutions “that address existing issues and better utilize the recreational potential across the land base, while balancing recreation with safety, operational realities, and environmental protection,” Mosaic says. That will include engagement with First Nations, users, and community members. Discussions will also take place with local and provincial governments to address challenges that private forest landowners cannot resolve independently.

Press Release by Mosaic Forest Management: Mosaic Releases Survey Findings, Announces Next Steps for Recreation Program

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Using only genomics and a one-time tree count, a new model can accurately predict a forest’s future

By University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Phys.Org
September 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

One of the great challenges of ecology is to understand the factors that maintain, or undermine, diversity in ecosystems, researchers write in a new report in the journal Science. The researchers detail their development of a new model that—using a tree census and genomic data collected from multiple species in a forest—can predict future fluctuations in the relative abundance of those species. “Losing one species, when there are few to begin with, could result in a less productive forest and potentially one that doesn’t support as many small plants or animals,” said James Lutz, a professor of forest ecology at Utah State University. But predicting future changes in species abundance is a formidable task. …Instead of collecting decades of data from a single forest the team sought to find a more streamlined approach, collecting genomic data from about 100 individuals of each of eight species of trees…

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Importance of Firebreaks for Wildfire Prevention

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
September 19, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Installing firebreaks is a critical step landowners can take to help slow or stop the spread of wildfires, according to Justin Mallett, consultant forester for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Keeping it in the Family (KIITF) Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Program. “Firebreaks remove or restrict the fuels a wildfire needs to burn,” Mallett said. “Essentially, you are removing one side of the fire triangle. By doing so, you also make it easier for wildland firefighters to refresh and strengthen the lines to stop a fire quickly.” For landowners who are creating firebreaks for the first time, Mallett recommends starting with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Arkansas Practice Specification. The specifications are required for landowners participating in an NRCS cost-share program, but they are also a valuable resource for others.

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$10M MathWorks gift powers Appalachian Mountain Club’s permanent protection of Barnard Forest in Maine

The Piscataquis Observer
September 16, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

PISCATAQUIS COUNTY, Maine — The Appalachian Mountain Club announced that it has completed the acquisition of the Barnard Forest in Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness thanks to a transformative $10 million gift from MathWorks, a developer of mathematical computing software. This acquisition secures nearly 29,000 acres of globally significant habitat and marks a major milestone in the Appalachian Mountain Club’s landmark Maine Woods Initiative which now totals 127,710 acres. The gift from MathWorks enabled the organization to finalize its purchase of the Barnard Forest from The Conservation Fund and The Malone Family Land Preservation Foundation, accelerating conservation outcomes in one of the most ecologically important landscapes in the eastern US. …The property will be managed to Forest  Stewardship Council standards, with plans to rebuild older forest conditions and expand carbon stocking, which is an integral part of the organization’s broader climate strategy.

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Mixing tree species does not always make forests more drought-resilient

By University of Freiburg
EurekAlert!
September 18, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Increasing tree species diversity is widely suggested as a way to help forests withstand climate change – especially prolonged droughts. But a new international study led by the University of Freiburg, published in Global Change Biology, shows that simply mixing more tree species does not always boost forests’ resilience to drought. In fact, the effects of diversity on tree growth can shift from beneficial to negative as droughts drag on. Drawing on tree ring data from the world’s largest network of tree diversity experiments, researchers found that diverse forests can initially support better tree growth during single-year droughts. However, as droughts persist longer within a year or extend over consecutive years, these positive effects can turn negative depending on local conditions. In some cases, mixing tree species strengthened forest resilience; in others, it increased stress and competition for water. …Building resilient forests will thus require not just more species, but carefully selected combinations and adaptive management. 

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

National Academy of Sciences rebuffs Trump EPA’s effort to undo regulations fighting climate change

By Michael Phillis and Seth Borenstein
The Associated Press
September 17, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States

WASHINGTON — Evidence that climate change harms public health is “beyond scientific dispute,” the independent National Academy of Sciences said in response to the Trump administration’s efforts to revoke a landmark U.S. government finding to that effect that underpins key environmental regulations. The NAS, a non-governmental nonprofit set up to advise the government on science, said human activity is releasing greenhouse gases that are warming the planet, increasing extreme temperatures and changing the oceans, all dangerous developments for the health and welfare of the United States public. Evidence to that effect has only grown stronger since 2009, the group said. In July, the Trump administration proposed revoking what’s known as the 2009 “endangerment” finding, the concept that climate change is a threat. Overturning it could pave the way for cutting a range of rules that limit pollution from cars, power plants and other sources.

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Health & Safety

Wildfire smoke is an insidious and growing public health threat

By Justine Calma
The Verge
September 18, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States

Wildfire smoke is the air quality nightmare of our generation, eating away at previous gains made by cracking down on industrial emissions and tailpipe pollution. Constant exposure to smoke is becoming a chronic threat even in places that historically haven’t had many wildfires. …All that smoke is projected to lead to tens of thousands more premature deaths in the coming years, according to a pair of eye-opening research papers published today in the journal Nature. …“Increasing wildfire smoke is a lived experience now for most people around the US,” Marshall Burke, a professor at Stanford University and a co-author of one of the papers, said. “Growing wildfire smoke is a much larger health risk than we might have understood previously.” …This new study just adds to the mountains of research that shows climate change absolutely threatens public health. “Our results provide some of the strongest evidence that a warming climate endangers the health of US citizens,” Burke says.

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