Daily News for May 01, 2025

Today’s Takeaway

Navigating Trump’s trade war amid supply chain disruptions

Tree Frog Forestry News
May 1, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway

Kevin Lynch opines on how Canada can best navigate Trump’s trade war—as supply chain disruptions loom. In related news: BC’s forest industry seeks action on trade; Ontario’s premier plans to protect forestry; US Kitchen Cabinet manufacturers urge tariff action; and the US Lumber Coalition says Canada wants to avoid liability. Meanwhile: Northern Pulp seeks another extension of creditor protection; International Paper reports Q1, 2025 loss; and Builders FirstSource released its Social Responsibility report.

In other news: Ontario announced $6.8M for workplace safety; BC streamlines permitting for renewable-energy projects; Colorado lawmakers advocate for forestry-worker reinstatements; and Washington state launches thinning project near Mount Pilchuck. Meanwhile, registration is open for Boston’s Mass Timber+ Conference; and the latest from BC’s First Nations Forestry Council.

Finally, a guitar-shaped mass-timber airport terminal is set to be built in Macon, Georgia.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

Navigating the Fog of Trump’s Trade War

By Kevin Lynch, former Canadian Deputy Minister of Finance
National Newswatch
April 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Kevin Lynch

We are in a global crisis, once again. This time the cause is an attack on the global trading system by the US President. …Where this trade war ultimately takes us is unknowable at this moment, but what is clear is that the postwar global system of liberalized trade and rules-based international commerce has been demolished at the whim of the President. A system built over 70 years was left in tatters in less than 70 minutes. …Shortly we will begin to know more about how the global economy responds to these tariffs, their impacts on prices and costs and supply chains, and the uncertainty they have caused for firms, workers, consumers and investors. The chaos unleashed by Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs in all likelihood means we are headed towards stalled growth if not an outright recession. …Canada cannot afford a business-as-usual agenda in a world turned upside down. 

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Canada Seeks to Avoid Accountability from Unfair Trading in Softwood Lumber

The US Lumber Coalition
PR Newswire
April 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Ongoing unfair trade practices by Canada’s lumber industry remain extremely harmful to US producers, workers, and their forest-dependent communities. Following recent confirmation by the Department of Commerce that those unfair practices have worsened, Canada now seeks to avoid accountability under US trade laws that could result in the Canadian industry paying additional duties of $1.3 billion based on 2023 alone. “Canada’s solution to a problem of its own making is to ask the US Administration for a bailout while seeking to avoid liability for the unfair trade practices,” stated Zoltan van Heyningen. “Canada and its US allies are attempting to use US border tax revenues paid by the very Canadian exporters as a handout to themselves and as a payoff to the US industry to drop its longstanding trade case against them.” …Andrew Miller, Owner of Stimson Lumber said, “this would spell disaster for US lumber producers, US lumber supply chains, and US workers.”

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Plenty of fun planned for Interior Logging Association’s 67th annual AGM and convention

Interior Logging Association
Castanet
April 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

KAMLOOPS, BC — There will be a forest of possibilities in Kamloops this weekend when Interior Logging Association hosts its 67th annual general meeting and convention. The family friendly event is free and open to the public, and it promises a plethora of fun on Friday (May 2) and Saturday (May 3) at the Powwow Grounds. It serves as a celebration of the forest industry and a showcase of its future. …The event will feature the second annual Big Truck Show and Shine, as well as a new tree falling competition that will be held virtually. Operators will compete against one another in a virtual logging simulator provided by Inland Truck & Equipment. …On the business side of things inside Coast Kamloops Hotel and Conference Centre, is BC Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar’s keynote address.

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BC business groups seek ‘drastic’ action on trade, tariffs following election

By Graeme Wood
Business in Vancouver
April 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Kim Haakstad

BC business groups are calling on the new federal government to cut red tape, boost innovation and diversify trade as tariff pressures mount. Their wish list for the new federal government includes mandates for Canadian-made materials in capital projects, expanded tax credits and harmonized rules across provinces. “We need something drastic,” said Andrew Wynn-Williams, of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters. He said Canadian manufacturing is in a “crisis” after U.S. tariffs — both implemented and threatened — compounded already low rates of productivity in the sector. …Meanwhile, BC Council of Forest Industries CEO Kim Haakstad said the province’s competitiveness is in decline and new tariffs will only add fuel to the longstanding softwood lumber dispute with the US. …“[Prime Minister Carney] has a big capital spending plan, but we don’t have details on how wood is built into that,” said Haakstad, who suggested the feds tie funding for housing to such “wood-first” policies.

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Premier Ford shares photo-op from Ontario Forest Industries Association

By Premier Doug Ford
LinkedIn
April 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

It was great to speak with the Ontario Forest Industries Association last night about our plan to protect our forestry sector and the tens of thousands of people it employs in the face of President Trump’s tariffs.

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Northern Pulp mill seeks another extension to prepare for potential sale

By Sean Mott
CTV News
April 29, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

NOVA SCOTIA — The Northern Pulp mill, which has been under creditor protection after it shut down more than four years ago, is seeking its second extension on a stay of proceedings this year. Northern Pulp announced it filed documents requesting the extension under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement until July 18. The company had previously requested an extension until early May, which Minister of Natural Resources Tory Rushton said the provincial government would approve. “The company will use this time to further advance preparations for a potential sale of its assets, should a new mill not be feasible,” the company said. “Additionally, Northern Pulp will continue discussions with various stakeholders and rights holders regarding the feasibility of establishing a new bioproducts hub in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.” The company previously said designing and building the bioproducts hub could cost more than $2.5 billion. …The hearing for the extension request is scheduled for Friday.

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The last boats without crippling tariffs from China are arriving. The countdown to shortages and higher prices has begun

By Vanessa Yurkevich
CNN Business
May 1, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

New York — Some of the last cargo ships carrying Chinese goods without crippling tariffs are arriving at US ports. Come next week, that will change. Cargo on ships from China loaded after April 9 will carry with them the 145% tariff President Donald Trump slapped on goods from that nation last month. Next week there will be fewer ships carrying less cargo. For many importers, it is too expensive to do business with China. Yet China is still one of America’s most important trading partners. It’s where we get most of our clothes, footwear, electronics and microchips, which power appliances, thermostats and anything else that beeps. …Forty-five percent of supply chain leaders expect they’ll pass the higher cost from tariffs down to their customers, according to a new survey by Gartner, a corporate research firm. …With fewer cargo ships expected at US ports, local economies will suffer immediately, Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles said.

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American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance urges strong action in Section 232 investigation

By American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance
GlobeNewswire
April 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON, DC — The American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance (AKCA) recently submitted formal comments as part of the Section 232 investigation on Timber, Lumber and Derivatives (including cabinets). Unfairly traded cabinet imports many of them sold at prices that are often over 60% below that of the domestic market are flooding into the US. …“American cabinet manufacturing plants cannot compete with foreign countries flooding the market with unfairly traded cabinets which has resulted in an estimated $6.5 billion in lost revenue to the domestic industry over the last five years,” remarked Perry Miller, President of Kountry Wood Products. “Foreign imports primarily from Cambodia, Malaysia, Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam that are heavily subsidized are destroying American cabinet jobs. …“The domestic cabinet industry is on the brink of collapse. “We are asking for a Section 232 tariff of at least 60%, to level the playing field and stop the cheating as we seek to protect over 250,000 American jobs.”

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Builders FirstSource Releases 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility Report

By Builders FirstSource
Business Wire
April 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

IRVING, Texas — Builders FirstSource announced that it has published its 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report, highlighting how the Company aligns and advances sustainability within its business strategy to deliver value for its customers, team members, and stakeholders. …Highlights from the 2025 CSR report include: Delivered an industry-leading total recordable incident rate of 1.39, a year-over-year reduction of 10%, meeting our 10% annual goal >60% of the Company’s facilities were accident-free in 2024. …~89% of the Company’s wood is from Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified vendors >7.5 million trees saved since 2019 through sales of the Company’s more efficient manufactured products. …We continued to provide innovative products and solutions allowing our customers to operate more sustainably. Our safety-always mindset is a core value embedded in our culture and operations,” said Peter Jackson, CEO.

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Finance & Economics

Remodeling Market Poised for Growth as the Age of Owner-Occupied Homes Increases

National Association of Home Builders
May 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

To kick off National Home Remodeling Month in May, which promotes the benefits of hiring a professional remodeler, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has highlighted recent data from the American Community Survey (ACS) that shows almost half of the owner-occupied homes in the U.S. were built before 1980 and have a median age of 41 years. The aging housing stock, combined with insufficient new home inventory, indicates the remodeling market is poised for future growth. The U.S. owner-occupied housing stock has aged rapidly, particularly since the Great Recession, as ACS data analyzed by NAHB shows that around 48% of the housing stock dates back to the 1980s and earlier. The median age of owner-occupied homes climbed to 41 years in 2023, up from 31 years in 2005.

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US Housing’s Share of the Economy Grows Higher to Start the Year

By Jesse Wade
NAHB Eye on Housing
May 1, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Housing’s share of the economy grew to 16.4% in the first quarter of 2025, according to the advance estimate of GDP produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This is the highest reading since the third quarter of 2022 and is up 0.2 percentage points from the fourth quarter of 2024. The more cyclical home building and remodeling component – residential fixed investment (RFI) – was 4.1% of GDP, up from 4.0% in the previous quarter. The second component – housing services – was 12.3% of GDP, up from 12.2% in the previous quarter. The graph below stacks the nominal shares for housing services and RFI, resulting in housing’s total share of the economy. …In the first quarter, RFI added 5 basis points to the headline GDP growth rate, marking the second straight quarter of positive contributions.

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Prices up, confidence down after 100 days of Trump 2.0

By Rod Sweet
Global Construction Review
April 30, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Tuesday marked the 100th day of President Trump’s second term in office and there are signs of stress and jitters in the US construction industry, with rising prices, falling confidence, and a sharp uptick in abandoned projects. “Lumber and metals prices shot up in March, while contractors’ inboxes are bulging with ‘Dear Valued Customer’ letters announcing further increases for many products,” said Ken Simonson, chief economist at AGC. “Rapid-fire changes in tariffs threaten to drive prices higher for many essential construction goods,” he added. The price of materials and services used in nonresidential construction rose 0.4% in March, the third monthly increase in a row, AGC said. It was the first time since September 2023 that input prices had risen for three consecutive months, and comes after more than a year of stable or falling prices, Simonson said. …Within the 0.4% hike, lumber and plywood rose 2.7%.

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International Paper reports Q1, 2025 net loss of $105 million

By International Paper
PR Newswire
April 30, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, US East

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — International Paper reported first quarter 2025 net earnings (loss) of $(105) million and adjusted operating earnings (non-GAAP) of $101 million. First quarter net sales were $5.9 billion in 2025 and $4.6 billion in 2024. First quarter net earnings includes a pre-tax charge of $271 million for accelerated depreciation and restructuring charges related to the previously announced closure of the Company’s Red River containerboard mill in Campti, Louisiana. …Andy Silvernail, Chief Executive Officer said., “This year’s first quarter results reflect higher sales and earnings, primarily driven by the DS Smith acquisition, sales price increases, and cost out”. “We also made good progress on growing our market position in our North American packaging business. Overall market demand, however, was softer than anticipated in both of our regions. 

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Updated Design Values for Hem-Fir (N) Dimension Lumber in the Canadian and U.S. Markets

Canadian Wood Council
April 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

The Canadian Wood Council is pleased to share the latest updates from the National Lumber Grades Authority (NLGA) regarding the design values for Hem-Fir (N) dimension lumber, effective April 1, 2025. These updates reflect a routine reassessment of strength and stiffness properties, ensuring Hem-Fir (N) continues to meet structural performance expectations. Builders, designers, and engineers can expect:

  • Minimal practical impact on most applications
  • Consistent performance, with design values closely aligned with previous standards for most applications
  • No effect on existing construction built under previous building codes

The revised values are included in the NLGA Standard Grading Rules for Canadian Lumber ,CSA O86 – Engineering Design in Wood, and the National Design Specification® (NDS®) Supplement for Wood Construction. For detailed design value changes, affected grades, and implementation guidance, consult the FAQ document for Canada or the USA.

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Hemp a viable insulation material says BC developer

By Grant Cameron
Journal of Commerce
April 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

KELOWNA — Developer Wilden Group used hemp to insulate a five-bedroom, 3.5-bathroom, net-zero-ready home in a master-planned community near Kelowna. …CEO Karin Eger-Blenk wanted to test the use of hemp as an insulation material because it lowers the carbon footprint of a structure. …A high-performance, carbon-negative material, hemp boosts thermal efficiency, enhances soundproofing, and improves indoor air quality. Unlike traditional insulation, it is non-allergenic, low in VOCs, and free from synthetic toxins. …However, the use of hemp for insulation posed some practical challenges, and there was a learning curve due to the unfamiliar properties of the hemp batts, notes Eger-Blenk. …“For the Kelowna home, the hemp was about $3 more per square foot of wall compared to fibreglass. Using fibreglass would have been $10,000 cheaper.

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Welcome to the first fire-resistant neighborhood. Now what about the rest of California?

By Ben Christopher
CALmatters
April 30, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

The homes in the half-built subdivision look a lot like all the others nestled up against the parched, shrubby hills of Escondido, north San Diego County. But look a little closer. The gutters and vents are enclosed in a thin, wire mesh. Each window is double-paned, the glass tempered to withstand the heat of a wildfire, the stucco around the shutters resistant to flame. The privacy fences, a suburban staple, look like wood, but are actually brown-tinted steel. Every foundation sits behind a moat of gravel. Developer KB Home is marketing Dixon Trail as the first purpose-built “wildfire resilient neighborhood” in the US. The next time fire rips through the chaparral in surrounding hills this cluster of homes is being built to keep the flames at the subdivision’s edge. …The California Wildfire Mitigation Program is funding half a dozen neighborhood-wide retrofits in fire-prone corners of the state.

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Mass Timber+ 2025 Offsite Construction Conference

Mass Timber+ Offsite Construction Conference
May 1, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Hynes Convention Center, Boston, October 28 – 30, 2025

Mass Timber+ is where wood-based offsite construction’s suppliers, buyers and specifiers meet to explore opportunities, exchange ideas and introduce technologies to move this industry forward. Formerly known as IWBC, our conference has evolved to encompass a wider range of topics under a universally recognized brand. Mass Timber+ focuses on sustainable building practices, featuring all aspects of wood-based offsite construction, with a primary focus on mass timber and hybrid solutions.

  • The west already has a major mass timber event; now, the east will have its own flagship event!
  • Eastern Mass Timber activity has eclipsed that of the west. According to WoodWorks, 48% of current projects in design are on the east coast, as opposed to 21% on the west coast.
  • The east is set for a rapid ramp-up in production capacity. Major expansions in manufacturing capacity are already underway. 
  • Continued Partnership with WoodWorks: With WoodWorks co-producing and promoting Mass Timber+ we will attract higher level architects, engineers, contractors and developers.

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Macon using mass timber for guitar-shaped airport. Why it matters.

By Margaret Walker
Macon Telegraph
May 1, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

The new guitar-shaped airport terminal set to be built at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport is going to be built from wood, with over 70% of which will be locally sourced from Georgia. Using mass timber is a stylistic choice with sustainability benefits that also fosters the engagement between urban development and the local forestry industry, according to Chris Nardone, lead architect with Passero Associates. … Nardone said Chuck Leavell, multi-Grammy Award winner and now tree farmer, was part of the inspiration to use wood. …The birds-eye view of the terminal will be of the guitar, while the ground-level view will look like piano keys. … The terminal at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport will be built primarily from Southern Yellow Pines, Nardone said, most of which probably will come from privately owned land as 90% of Georgia’s forests are privately owned, according to Matt Hestad, senior vice president for the Georgia Forestry Foundation.

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Forestry

B.C. failing to protect 81% of critical habitat for at-risk species: government docs

By Ainslie Cruickshank
The Narwhal
April 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

More than 80 per cent of the critical habitat for at-risk species in B.C. fails to meet federal protection standards, according to a government briefing document. The document was included in a transition binder compiled for B.C. Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill. Close to 300 species in B.C. are listed under the federal Species At Risk Act… Critical habitat … has been identified in federal recovery plans for 107 of those species, according to the briefing document. Combined, it amounts to 31.3 million hectares — an area about 10 times the size of Vancouver Island. According to the document, the B.C. government provides “special management” of more than 34.5 million hectares of habitat for at-risk species. But not all of this area is considered “critical habitat” and not all meets legal federal protection standards, the document says. The provincial government, for instance, allows commercial logging in some special management areas.

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More timber harvesting environmental folly

Letter by Peter Rutland
The Cowichan Valley Citizen
April 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

NORTH COWICHAN, BC — We read with horror the Cowichan Citizen’s April 26, 2025 article about the mayors of North Cowichan and Nanaimo urging timber-harvesting hikes to boost jobs, and reap revenues to help fund our failing municipal infrastructures. This is environmental folly at its best. …Cutting more trees — including rare species and vanishing old growth — just to feed our struggling sawmills and paper mills is simply reckless short-term thinking. It also pumps pressure to resume logging our precious municipal forest reserve, against community wishes, for meagre returns compared to preservation-based carbon-credit cash yet to be chased. Please disregard our mayors’ desperate request.

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Forestry Council April Newsletter

BC First Nations Forestry Council
April 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

In this month’s newsletter features these headlines and more:

  • Letter from the CEO – The 2025 BC First Nations Forestry Conference took place last week. The theme, “Everything is Connected,” came to life in powerful and meaningful ways throughout our time together.
  • First Nations Forestry Awards of Excellence – Collaboration Award – Simpcw First Nation; Change Maker Award – ISKUM Investments; Revitalization Award – Kwiakah First Nation; and Innovation Award – Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd.
  • First Nations Tenure Toolkit & Coalition Development – The priorities and key themes identified during caucus day discussions—including the potential formation of a First Nations Tenure Coalition—are being carefully reviewed and compiled to help guide our policy work for the upcoming year. 
  • The Value-Added breakout session – highlighted the transformative potential of Indigenous-led innovation in British Columbia’s forest sector.
  • 2025 Youth Conference – Over 50 Exhibitors provided hands-on demonstrations of forestry sector activities for the 107 youth to try out. 
  • Program Partner of the Year – Mosaic Forest Management

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Jeff Hurd joins Colorado Representatives advocating to reinstate thousands of forestry workers

By Robbie Patla
KJCT8
April 30, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  – Colorado representatives wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to reinstate around 3,000 U.S. Forest Service staff who hold a red card. Staff with a red card are qualified to support wildfire prevention. Representatives Jeff Hurd, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, Diana DeGette, and Brittany Pettersen were joined by Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper. … “They said they weren’t gonna let any firefighters go and thousands of people with red cards have been let go,” said Bennet. “We are going to push, continue to push, continue to push, to make sure that they understand how counterproductive that is and how damaging that is.” Third Congressional District Congressman Jeff Hurd said these layoffs still happened despite President Trump’s determination to protect firefighters. …Representatives urge Secretary Rollins to restore these workers without delay.

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Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service Continue Forest Restoration Partnership near Mount Pilchuck

By Department of Natural Resources
Washington State Government
April 29, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources recently began a multi-faceted forest restoration project across approximately 150 acres of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near Verlot. The Pilchuck Restoration Project is led by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Federal Lands Program under the agency’s Good Neighbor Authority agreement with the USDA Forest Service. Established in 2014, the GNA allows DNR to leverage its resources with federal and local partners to perform a variety of restoration activities on federal lands. Operators are following a carefully designed prescription focused on thinning out the small-diameter, younger trees that, due to past management practices, are overcrowding tree stands to the detriment of the larger, older trees.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

B.C. streamlines permitting for renewable-energy projects

By Ministry of Energy and Climate Solutions
Government of British Columbia
April 30, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Province is taking action to speed up permitting for renewable-energy projects to meet growing demand for clean power, address climate change and secure energy independence for British Columbians in the face of unprecedented trade threats. Government introduced the renewable energy projects (streamlined permitting) act to the legislative assembly on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. If passed, the act will expand the authority of the BC Energy Regulator (BCER) to oversee renewable-energy projects, building on the Province’s investments to generate the clean power needed to create a healthier environment and sustainable future for British Columbians. …Under the renewable energy projects (streamlined permitting) act, a renewable or clean resource means biomass, biogas, geothermal heat, hydro, solar, ocean, wind or any other clean-energy resource.

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Applications open for the Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy Program

By the Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
April 30, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy Program (IFBP) collaborates with Indigenous partners across the province to promote community resilience within an increasingly competitive global forest sector. The program offers funding that supports Indigenous partners to lead the development of a forest bioeconomy. Growing B.C.’s forest bioeconomy will result in economic, social and environmental benefits for Indigenous communities across the province. Eligible projects include innovative or value-added wood products, use of residual fibre left over from conventional forestry processes, or the development of non-timber forest products (e.g., berries, flora, bark). Program funding is provided entirely outside of accommodation agreements. The Indigenous Forest Bioeconomy Program is accepting applications for the 2025/2026 fiscal year. Applications will be accepted until 4:30 pm on May 16, 2025.

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Health & Safety

Funding Announced to Protect Workers from Invisible Health Hazards

By Workplace Safety North
Wawa News
April 30, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada East

During the 27th annual Mining Health and Safety Conference at Science North, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced $6.78 million in funding to protect people in Ontario’s natural resources sectors. In a strategic, province-wide collaboration, the WSIB has partnered with Workplace Safety North (WSN) and the Institute for Work and Health (IWH) to lead a proactive campaign aimed at enhancing hygiene monitoring practices and reducing exposure to harmful workplace hazards. “This partnership will help create lasting change in Ontario’s natural resources sector and provide people confidence that they’re working in healthy and safe environments each day they come in to work,” says Janine Dyck, Chief Service Excellence Officer at the WSIB. Spearheaded by WSN, the initiative focuses on high-risk sectors like mining and forestry, where workers continue to face some of the highest rates of occupational illness fatalities in Ontario.

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Forest Fires

Wildfire spreads around Jerusalem as Israel asks Italy, Greece for help

By Rina Bassist
AL – Monitor
April 30, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Israel asked Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy and Croatia to help extinguish major wildfires that broke out Wednesday morning in several locations near Jerusalem and along Highway 1 leading to the city as communities along the road were instructed to evacuate. At least one man suspected of involvement in igniting the fires was arrested, according to Israeli broadcaster Kan, which reported that the suspect is now detained at the Oz police station in east Jerusalem. Israel police did not confirm or give any details on what started the fires. …Foreign Minister Gideon Saar asked his counterparts in the four countries to send firefighting airplanes and helicopters to Israel, including supertankers. Ynet reported that Greece and Italy are sending supertankers and that the Palestinian Authority offered to send firefighters, though Israel has not yet responded to the offer. International aid is expected to arrive Thursday morning.

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