Daily News for July 09, 2025

Today’s Takeaway

Cascades to shutter Niagara Falls, NY, mill, affecting 123 workers

The Tree Frog Forestry News
July 9, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway

Cascades will permanently close its Niagara Falls, New York, corrugated medium facility, affecting 123 workers. In related news: Newfoundland’s Corner Brook pulp mill faces contamination claim; the US Hardwood Forestry Fund winds down after 35 years; and the US moves forward on trade cases targeting hardwood plywood from China et al. Meanwhile, Trump has pushed his tariff deadline to August 1; the Bank of America warns tariffs could raise US homebuilding costs; Oregon researchers say wood outperforms plastic in healthcare settings; and Ireland launches a new timber construction R&D strategy.

In Forestry/Wildfire news: BC’s fire season is quieter than past years but risks persist; BC Timber Sales proposes logging and fire mitigation near Nelson; Montana advances a forest conservation deal with Green Diamond; New Zealand supports Manitoba’s wildfire efforts; Spain reports progress on the Paüls wildfire, and France battles a fire near Marseille. Meanwhile: Canada’s wood pellet industry conference touts biomass for a low-carbon future; while David Suzuki says the fight against climate change is lost.

Finally, could support-exoskeletons reduce forestry’s injury rate? Texas researchers say yes.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

Newfoundland’s Richard Dewey takes on Corner Brook pulp mill over Deer Lake contamination

By Diane Crocker
The Telegram
July 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

ST. JOHNS, Newfoundland — St. John’s lawyer Bob Buckingham is not sure how an investigation into the illegal burial of hazardous and contaminated materials in Deer Lake will take place, but he’s giving all the credit for it happening to one man. Buckingham represents Richard Dewey, a resident of Deer Lake who, for more than a decade, has worked to bring attention to three separate environmental issues in the town: the burial of the hazardous and contaminated materials, pollution of the town’s drinking water and property damage caused by seepage from the Humber Canal. …Dewey made a complaint to the provincial government claiming that creosote-contaminated soil was trucked from beneath the penstocks on the Humber Canal and buried near the town’s water supply, and that creosote-soaked penstocks were dumped at the closed town landfill.

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US Makes Affirmative Preliminary Determination in Trade Cases on Hardwood and Decorative Plywood from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam

By Wiley Rein LLP
PR Newswire
July 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

WASHINGTON — In a victory for US producers of hardwood and decorative plywood (HWDP), the US International Trade Commission (ITC) found that there is a reasonable indication that imports from China, Indonesia, and Vietnam are materially injuring the US HWDP industry. The Commission’s vote comes in response to petitions filed on behalf of the Coalition for Fair Trade in Hardwood Plywood. …The cases allege that unfairly dumped and subsidized imports of Chinese, Indonesian, and Vietnamese HWDP are injuring the domestic industry and threaten the industry with further injury. …The ITC’s affirmative preliminary injury determination paves the way for Commerce to move forward with its investigations. Unless extended, Commerce is expected to issue its preliminary CVD determination in August 2025 and its preliminary AD determination in October 2025. If Commerce also reaches affirmative preliminary determinations in these cases, provisional AD and CVD duties will be collected from importers based on the preliminary margins calculated.

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Hardwood Forestry Fund voluntarily dissolves operations; passes ‘torch’ with final distribution of $190,000

By Larry Adams
Woodworking Network
July 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

After funding 5 million seedlings for 289 projects, in 38 states and 4 foreign countries, the Hardwood Forestry Fund (HFF) has decided to voluntarily dissolve its operations.  The Board announced its final distribution of $190,000 to the Arbor Day Foundation and One Tree Planted to implement Hardwood Tree plantings in line with the HFF’s mission and goals. The Hardwood Forestry Fund promoted hardwood timber growth, management, education, and environmentally sound uses of renewable forest resources by providing grant funding to partnering organizations. …The HFF was formed in 1990 by members of the Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association, which eventually became the Decorative Hardwoods Association. …During its 35 years of operation, the HFF funded projects that used seedling planting, direct seeding, and forest management techniques to promote natural regeneration and create sustainable forests on suitable and quality public sites. 

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Cascades announces the permanent closure of its Niagara Falls corrugated medium manufacturing operations

Cascades Inc.
Cision Newswire
July 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US East

KINGSEY FALLS, QC – Cascades Inc. announces that its corrugated medium manufacturing facility in Niagara Falls, NY will be permanently closed as part of the optimization of the Company’s packaging production platform. Production will end no later than September 3, 2025. This announcement aligns with the Company’s commitment to support strategic growth by focusing on profitability and customer service levels. The Niagara Falls production site has an annual production capacity of 200,000 short tons. A second machine at this facility was closed in 2023. “This is a difficult decision, but one that is an essential part of our focus on optimizing the performance of our Packaging sector,” said Jean-David Tardif, Executive Vice-President, Packaging. “The future growth momentum for Cascades and our customers is very promising, and we are well positioned to capitalize on opportunities for strategic and sustainable growth,” he added. Cascades would like to sincerely thank the 123 employees that are directly impacted by this decision…

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Finance & Economics

Confused about where things stand with Trump’s tariffs? Here’s a handy primer

By Scott Horsley
NPR – National Public Radio
July 9, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

This week was supposed to mark the deadline for other countries to strike trade deals with the US — or face tariffs of up to 49% on the goods they sell in the United States. President Trump is still threatening sky-high import taxes, but he has pushed back the effective date to Aug. 1, sowing even more uncertainty. Here’s an update on where Trump’s tariff policy stands, from which tariffs he has in place to which countries are currently affected. A 10% tariff applies to just about everything the US imports. …Higher tariffs on tap for other countries — maybe. …China already has a higher tariff after tit-for-tat retaliations. …The European Union could also face stiffer tariffs. …Mexico and Canada face special scrutiny. …The U.K. and Vietnam are the only two countries with deals in place. …Separate tariffs apply to steel, aluminum and autos. …But tariffs also face a legal challenge.

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Tariffs to push new home construction costs up 3% by year-end, Bank of America warns

By Candyd Mendoza
Mortgage Professional America Magazine
July 8, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The cost of building a new home in the US could rise by 3% by the end of 2025, driven by tariff pressures, according to a new report from Bank of America. The bank reports that despite price growth slowing since its pandemic-era peak, new home prices remain elevated relative to income. Average prices jumped from $371,100 in Q2 2020 to $525,100 in Q4 2022. …While the average size of US homes has declined by 12% over the last decade, the cost of building materials has continued to climb. “We estimate the value of content in an average US new single-family home was $102k in 2024,” the report said. “We estimate the bill of materials to build a house has increased at a 3.6% CAGR from $23K in 1982, consistently outpacing overall inflation over the last 40+ years.” …One of the key drivers of rising construction costs is tariffs.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Using mass timber could elevate wood in hospital construction

University of Oregon
July 8, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: US West

University of Oregon researchers hope to make wood — often overlooked in health care facilities — more commonplace in those settings. Exposed wood, they’ve found, can resist microbial growth after a brief wetting. During the study, wood samples tested lower for levels of bacterial abundance than an empty plastic enclosure used as a control. “People generally think of wood as unhygienic in a medical setting,” said assistant professor Mark Fretz, co-director of the UO’s Institute for Health in the Built Environment and principal investigator for the study. “But wood actually transfers microbes at a lower rate than other less porous materials such as stainless steel.” Numerous studies support those properties of wood. A UO-led research team including scientists from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego and Portland State University wanted to explore what happens when wood gets wet and then dries. 

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Ireland’s Minister Healy-Rae launches new report on timber construction research needs

By Michael Healy-Rae, Minister for Forestry
The Government of Ireland
July 8, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

GALWAY, Ireland — Minister of State with responsibility for Forestry, Michael Healy-Rae, announced a new report “Research and Development Needs for Timber in Construction in Ireland”. The report forms part of the work carried out by the Interdepartmental & Industry Working Group on Timber in Construction, which aims to increase the use of wood in construction while maximising the use of Irish-grown timber. The Minister also visited the facilities in the University of Galway and saw firsthand the research in timber currently taking place. Emphasising the role of research in driving low-carbon construction, Minister Healy-Rae said: “With the construction sector seeking more sustainable alternatives, it is vital we recognise the role our forests can play in shaping the future of our built environment. The report… sets out priority research and development actions to support greater use of timber in construction, sustainable building and carbon reduction.

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Forestry

BC Timber Sales plans logging, wildfire mitigation in Bonnington area

By Bill Metcalfe
The Nelson Star
July 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

NELSON, BC — BC Timber Sales is talking to residents about logging and wildfire protection planned for the Falls Creek watershed in the Bonnington area. In a June 6 letter to residents posted on social media, Mark Tallman, planning forester for BCTS, said the agency is beginning a community watershed planning process that will include local residents. …Will BCTS have already decided which trees will be cut before the watershed plan is created? …A Ministry of Forests spokesperson said potential cut blocks have not yet been mapped. “The project is being designed to use early engagement with interested parties to help guide BCTS planning around forest harvesting, road construction, and wildfire risk reduction.” …An initial draft of the watershed forest plan is expected to be completed by “early winter 2026” and the “timing of the timber sale is anticipated to be around 2028-29 at the earliest.

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B.C. not out of the woods yet as quieter fire season smoulders on

By Mark Page
Comox Valley Record
July 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

As the summer rolls on and the province heats up, B.C. is in a better position in terms of wildfires than in either of the past two years, according to a July 8 update from the BC Wildfire Service. So far this year, there have been 514 wildfire starts in B.C., but only 71 active fires as of July 8. By this date in 2024, there had been 422 starts, but 149 were active, and a province-wide campfire ban went into effect on July 12. Both years had a similar amount burned. The previous year, 2023, was the worst in B.C.’s fire season history. Officials noted that as the summer progresses, dry lightning events can become more frequent, resulting in an increased number of fires. …Taylor Colman, a fire information officer for the BC Wildfire Service appeared alongside Forests Minister Ravi Parmar to present the update to the media in Fort St. John at a BC Wildfire Service parattack base.

Additional coverage from the Canadian Press: B.C. Wildfire Service expecting more fires with forecast thunderstorms: minister 

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Northland lawmakers urge for better forest management in Canada

By T Kaldahl
Norther News Now
July 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Northland congressmen are pushing for stronger forest management practices in Canada. Representatives Tom Tiffany of Northwest Wisconsin and Pete Stauber of Northeast Minnesota were included on the letter sent to Canada’s ambassador Kirsten Hillman urging better management of forests to help with wildfire risk. In the letter, the lawmakers wrote: “As I’m sure you know, this is not the first year Canadian wildfire smoke has been an issue. …While we know a key driver of this issue has been a lack of active forest management, we’ve also seen things like arson as another way multiple large wildfires have ignited in Canada. With all the technology that we have at our disposal, both in preventing and fighting wildfires, this worrisome trend can be reversed if proper action is taken.” …The letter asked the ambassador to address the issue with key Canadian agencies, such as the Canadian Forest Service.

Letter to Ambassador Hillman

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Fish, Wildlife and Parks Approves Next Phase of Project to Conserve Timber Forests in Northwest Montana

By Tristan Scott
The Flathead Beacon
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) completed its review of a proposal to permanently protect 53,000 acres of private timberland in Flathead and Lincoln counties, recommending the state purchase a conservation easement that would keep the working forest in timber production while guaranteeing year-round public access and preserving wildlife habitat. The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission is scheduled to vote on the proposal on Aug. 21 in Helena. …In total, the project would encompass 85,752 acres of private timberland owned by Green Diamond Resource Company. The first phase of the project… received final approval in December. The new easement would encompass forestlands in the Cabinet Mountains between Kalispell and Libby. …If approved, Green Diamond would maintain ownership of the land under an easement owned by FWP [allowing them to] sustainably harvest wood, preclude development, protect important wildlife habitat and associated key landscape connectivity, and provide permanent free public access to the easement lands.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

‘It’s too late’: David Suzuki says the fight against climate change is lost

By David Legree
iPolitics.ca
July 8, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, International

David Suzuki

“Public concern in the late 1980s was right at the top and we had the first international conference on the atmosphere in 1988, where there were over 40 governments, environmentalists, scientists, private sector people. At the end, they said global warming represented a threat to humanity, second only to global nuclear war. If the world had followed the conclusions from that conference, we would not have the problem we face today and we would have saved trillions of dollars and millions of lives. Now, it is too late. I’ve never said this before to the media, but it’s too late. I say that because I go by science and Johan Rockström, the Swedish scientist who heads the Potsdam Institute, has defined nine planetary boundaries. …As long as humans, like any other animal, live within those nine constraints, we can do it forever, and that includes the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.”

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Exciting Line-up: Biomass for a Low-Carbon Future

Wood Pellet Association of Canada
July 9, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada

The Wood Pellet Association of Canada will host the largest gathering of the Canadian wood pellet industry. Biomass and wood pellets play a key role in ensuring Canada has renewable and responsible energy. Join us in Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 23-24, 2025.

Sessions include:

  • Bioheat Opportunities for Canada
    Explore the potential of bioheat in the Canadian context. Case studies highlight how locally sourced biomass can replace fuels and create local jobs.
  • One on One: Powering the Net-Negative Transition
    Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage will be presented by Ørsted. Unpack the key ingredients for success, from feedstock and infrastructure to policy and public trust.
  • Inside the Smoulder—How to Detect, Prevent, and Survive Self-Heating in Biomass Storage
    Panel experts will dive into the mechanics of self-heating and offer guidance for operators, engineers, and executives alike. Learn about the cultural shifts required to strengthen safety outcomes to save your operation from a costly incident.

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Health & Safety

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Ontario reaches tentative agreement to end labour disruption

WSIB Ontario
July 5, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada East

TORONTO – The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced a tentative agreement has been reached with the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU). The organization looks forward to welcoming back its full team within 24 hours of a successful ratification vote. …As normal service resumes, people can continue to log in to the WSIB’s website anytime, 24/7 to: Report an injury or illness; Submit documents for an existing claim; See claim, payment, and health benefit information in real time; Register a new business; and Access clearances. “We thank Ontarians for the patience they’ve shown us during the labour disruption,” said Jeff Lang, President and CEO. …The WSIB provides workplace injury and illness insurance to more than 5.3 million people in more than 300,000 workplaces across Ontario. 

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Exoskeletons may help curb high injury and fatality rates in forestry

Safety and Health Magazine
July 8, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US East

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Forestry workers could benefit from the use of exoskeletons that support their back and upper limbs, results of a study show. Researchers from Texas A&M University and Oregon State University used sensors on 10 forestry workers to determine what type of exoskeleton may help them. The workers, along with 12 other foresters, completed a survey that assessed how much they knew about exoskeletons, their level of acceptance, and their perceived barriers and risks of using the technology. The results indicated that the workers experienced musculoskeletal pain in the neck, shoulders, lower back, wrists/forearms, knees, legs and feet/ankles. “This finding suggests that back-support and upper-limb support exoskeletons may be suitable to the forestry industry,” study co-author Jeong Ho “Jay” Kim, an associate professor at Texas A&M, said. “Forestry is vitally important but its workers pay a high price, with an injury rate that is 40% higher than the average.”

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Forest Fires

New Zealand to send seven specialist personnel to support wildfire response in Canada

By Fire and Emergency Portal
Government of New Zealand
July 9, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, International

A seven-person specialist team from New Zealand will depart to Canada Wednesday to support with the response to severe wildfires. The team will be situated in Manitoba where there are over 80 active wildfires resulting in more than 20,000 people being evacuated from their homes. This deployment comes as a result of a formal request received from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre and consists of an Incident Commander, Operations Sections Chief, Planning Sections Chief, Logistics Section Chief, Safety Officer and two Division Supervisors. They will provide crucial management and coordination support to the on-the-ground firefighting teams in Manitoba.  The team is highly skilled and includes career and volunteer Fire and Emergency personnel as well as one specialist from the forestry sector. A much larger second deployment of firefighters from Fire and Emergency, the forestry sector and Department of Conservation is set to join the team in Canada next week. 

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Firefighters see ‘favorable progress’ in Paüls wildfire as 18,000 remain confined

Catalan News
July 8, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

© femturisme.cat

Catalonia, Spain — Firefighters on Tuesday evening reported “favorable progress” regarding the wildfire burning since Monday in Paüls (Baix Ebre county, southern Catalonia), which has forced 18,000 people from several municipalities to shelter in place. The arrival of the sea breeze changed the fire’s behavior, and the firefighters have achieved their key priority: preventing the flames from entering Ports Natural Park. Their current goal is to stabilize the fire – which has affected about 3,200 hectares – between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. …Fire department inspector Francesc Xavier Boya also explained that the afternoon brought challenges when a wildfire in central Catalonia broke out, forcing resources to be redirected to the new emergency. “We couldn’t afford to face tomorrow with two large fires, so the strategy was to allocate whatever was needed to the new fire,” the inspector explained. …The affected forested area is full of ravines and valleys, making access very challenging.

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Marseille fire forces hundreds to evacuate, destroys homes and grounds flights

By Jon Henley and Sam Jones
The Guardian
July 8, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Bruno Retailleau

A fast-moving wildfire on the outskirts of France’s second-largest city, Marseille, has destroyed homes and forced hundreds of people to evacuate, as a heatwave and dangerous fire conditions grip the Mediterranean. Interior minister Bruno Retailleau said the fire around Marseille could be contained overnight if the gale-force winds fanning the flames weaken, as expected. So far, 400 people had been evacuated, around a dozen houses destroyed and 63 others damaged, Retailleau said. …“But there are all the reasons to think we are headed towards a summer of high risk.” Local media reported that the cause appeared to have been a vehicle that caught fire on the A552 motorway. …City hall said 720 firefighters, including dozens from neighbouring departments, were battling the blaze with 220 emergency vehicles, helped by helicopters and water-bombing planes. About 350 hectares of land had been consumed by late afternoon.

Additional coverage from the BBC: More than 100 hurt as efforts to contain Marseille wildfire continue

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