Former NDP premier Glen Clark says the cumulative impact of NDP’s land use changes has been devastating. In other Business news: Simpson Strong-Tie acquires Calculated Structural Designs; three North American construction trends; and Canadian and US housing market updates. Meanwhile, news on Forest Products EXPO 2025; US WoodWorks’ events; and the BC Community Forests conference.
In Forestry/Climate news: a federal judge says Canada waited too long to protect the spotted owl; from Hawaii to BC—wildfires create challenges for telecoms; NRCan supports forest restoration in Ontario; Massachusetts’ new climate plan involves more forest conservation; and New Mexico evolves its forest management to create resilience to fire.
Finally, a new online tool measuring a neighbourhood’s wealth according to its trees.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
The first interest rate cut from the Bank of Canada in more than four years will not be enough to help most prospective homebuyers feeling sidelined by high borrowing costs, new polling suggests. The Ipsos poll conducted after the Bank of Canada’s 25-basis-point rate cut on June 5 shows pessimism about housing affordability persists. The central bank’s policy rate is a key input into housing costs, affecting both the size of mortgage Canadians can qualify for and the amount they pay on a monthly basis. Just over six in 10 respondents (63%) to the polls said they’ll remain on the sidelines. …Though the Bank of Canada kicked off its easing cycle last week and suggested there could be more interest rate cuts in the cards this year, rates remain at elevated levels. …The Bank of Canada’s next interest rate decision is set for July 24.
Kamloops, BC – The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) continues to accept applications to fund forest enhancement projects, year-round. In the Provincial Government’s Budget 2024, FESBC was entrusted with $60 million in funding; $20 million to be allocated each year over the next three years. Projects to receive funding are those whose primary goal is wildfire risk reduction, enhanced wood fibre utilization, or both, while also achieving additional benefits such as wildlife habitat enhancement, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from utilizing wood fibre, improving recreational opportunities, and rehabilitating forests. “FESBC has played a pivotal role in our work to support a strong and sustainable forest sector by supporting projects that focus on better fibre utilization and wildfire risk reduction, helping to slow or stop the spread of wildfires by removing fuel from forests and also getting more fibre into the hands of the forestry sector,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests.
Mackenzie, British Columbia – Traditional lands of the Tse’khene People of the McLeod Lake Indian Band. The BC Community Forest Association (BCCFA) will gather in Mackenzie, BC for its annual conference from June 11-13th. This event will bring together experts and representatives from across the province to discuss topics important to community forestry and local resiliency. This year’s host, the McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest (MLMCF), is welcoming delegates to their northern town for a unique learning experience. “We look forward to being hosted by Mackenzie MacLeod Lake Community Forest and getting together with folks who are passionate about community forestry in BC. We hope delegates will join us with an open heart and mind, and be ready to contribute to our discussions and celebrations”, said Randy Spyksma, BCCFA President. …The 2024 Conference and AGM will be an event to remember, with one full day of the programming dedicated to outdoor field tours and recreational networking.
Natural Resources Canada announced two investments through the 
About two dozen projects aimed at saving imperiled fish and amphibians are getting a share of $10 million, the first round of grants to come out of Oregon’s landmark agreement on managing private forest lands. For years, conservationists and timber industry groups debated how to protect fish, frogs and salamanders while also logging trees on 10 million acres of privately owned lands. They came to an agreement called the Private Forest Accord, signed by former Gov. Kate Brown in 2022. As part of the agreement, the state would pool money into a grant program for habitat conservation projects around the state. This year, about $10 million were awarded to 25 projects. …In addition, the Private Forest Accord ushered in logging regulations to protect sensitive fish and other aquatic species including increased stream buffers and leaving more trees behind when logging on steep slopes.
Summers keep getting hotter, and the consequences are impossible to miss. …One driving force behind these projections are the alternating Pacific Ocean climate patterns known as El Niño and La Niña, which can create huge shifts in temperature and precipitation across the North and South American continents. After almost a year of El Niño, La Niña is expected to take the reins sometime during the upcoming summer months. As climate change cooks the planet and the Pacific shifts between these two cyclical forces, experts say the conditions could be ripe for more extreme weather events. “We’ve always had this pattern of El Niño, La Niña. Now it’s happening on top of a warmer world,” said Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at Berkeley Earth, an environmental data science nonprofit. “We need to be ready for the types of extremes that have not been tested in the past.”
