With San Industries seeking financial restructuring, David Elstone asks—does this BC trend have an ending? In related news: Weyerhaeuser secures tax break on mill upgrade; JD Irving reduces output at Saint John paper mill; Green Bay Packaging to upgrade its Arkansas paper mill; Billerud invests in its Michigan paperboard mills; and Metsä is closing its plywood mill in Finland. Meanwhile: Stella-Jones releases first ever EPD for utility poles; Unifor says Canada must transform its forest sector; and a BC startup focuses on aspen.
In Forestry news: the European Union agrees to delay its deforestation law, but won’t water it down; the US Forest Service announced a new forest monitoring policy; a BC research group speaks to economic implications of wildfires; drones offer new view of wildfire risks; and ENGO’s lose appeal to defer forest thinning in California.
Finally, Fungi, or a lack thereof, could explain why trees fail to adapt to climate change.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
As industries increasingly adopt sustainability considerations across their value chains, the importance of environmental product declarations (EPD) cannot be overstated. By systematically assessing the environmental impacts of a product from cradle to grave, businesses can gain valuable insight into their supply chain, pinpoint areas for improvement, and make informed strategic decisions that align with both regulatory requirements and customer expectations. As stakeholders increasingly demand accountability and verifiable environmental performance, embracing EPDs becomes a cornerstone of a forward-thinking and resilient sustainability strategy.
The list of British Columbia forest product companies in financial trouble grows. San Industries and associated companies have 
Ever since it was barely re-elected, the BC NDP government has promised a renewed focus on growing the economy, creating jobs and generating new sources of revenue. So it is perhaps surprising to hear that since the election, no cabinet ministers, nor the premier himself, have responded to requests to sit down and hear out a series of increasingly urgent concerns from the province’s top business leaders. …None of the ministers responsible for economic growth have responded to a meeting request from the so-called “G7” of B.C.’s business community — [which includes]… the Council of Forest Industries. …The groups issued a letter calling on all parties to prioritize the “deeply concerning” deterioration of the B.C. economy. …“Forestry has shed over 10,000 direct jobs in just four years and hundreds of millions of dollars of lost investment.
The Lane County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve a property tax exemption for Weyerhaeuser’s planned improvements to its Cottage Grove sawmill, a move officials say will help secure high-paying jobs in the region while ensuring the timber company remains competitive. Weyerhauser, a Seattle-based timber company, applied for the exemption to delay paying taxes on a planned $120 million upgrade to the sawmill, which it says currently employs 225 people. Under the agreement, Weyerhaeuser will save $7.2 million in property taxes over five years, but the company must make a 10% “community benefit payment,” which will be shared by the South Lane School District and the Cottage Grove Community Medical Center Foundation. Additionally, state law mandates Weyerhaeuser pay supplemental fees to the school district in the fourth and fifth years of the exemption.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced a new policy for monitoring national forests and grasslands. The policy aligns monitoring, partnerships, and information-sharing efforts to help land managers monitor changes related to climate change and other stressors affecting National Forest System lands and make timely, informed, science-based decisions within staffing and budget constraints. This policy is an important step in implementing the agency’s 2012 planning rule, which requires the agency use monitoring to inform adaptive management. The Forest Service monitors national forests and grasslands to gauge progress toward forest restoration, the effects of disturbance and climate on forests — such as the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires, drought and floods — and to help people understand how forests are changing through time.
Minnesota Forest Industries, an association representing the state’s major forest products companies, has been awarded a Telly Award for a TV commercial it created in partnership with Hubbard Broadcasting. Titled “Trees absorb carbon, forest products store it,” the 30-second ad received a Silver Telly Award in the category of “Public Service & PSA – Local TV.” The Telly Awards honor excellence in video and television across all screens and receive more than 13,000 entries globally. The MFI spot features a scientist exclaiming “Eureka!” as she discovers “a solar-powered machine that removes carbon from the Earth’s atmosphere and transforms it into items humans use every day. A tree!” The award-winning ad can be seen at: 