COP30’s focus on a fossil fuel phase-out may have doomed progress on deforestation roadmap. In related news: Canada stays the course with net zero future; and ENGOs say a wide tapestry of climate actions still remain. In Forestry news: the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation bans herbicide use in Northern BC; the US Forest Service honours its Native American heritage; and BC responds to reports of chronic wasting disease in deer.
In Business news: two US senators introduce The Sawmill Act to help local mills grow; Ottawa’s pending softwood package linked to the BC-Alberta pipeline fight; Northern Ontario’s forest industry seeks market diversification; and Fannie Mae anticipates some improvement in US housing starts in 2026. Meanwhile: Monadnock Paper Mills appoints Andrew Manns as CEO.
Finally, RONA joins DoorDash to offer on-demand delivery for home improvement projects.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
A First Nation in north-central B.C. says it is banning the use of herbicides across all of its territory, which includes Prince George and the Robson Valley. The Lheidli T’enneh First Nation says the ban is being put into place because of the negative impacts herbicides, and glyphosate in particular, have had on the environment and wildlife for which they are stewards. “It is our duty to disallow toxic chemicals in our territory that reduce biodiversity and have negative impacts on our members’ health, wellbeing and the environment where we exercise our living rights and traditions,” Lheidli T’enneh Elected Chief Dolleen Logan said in a statement. She also says the nation expects both government and private industry workers operating in the region to adhere to the ban. It was not immediately clear if the ban would also apply to private and municipal property. More details coming Tuesday morning.
The Province is responding to a potential case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a male white-tailed deer harvested east of Enderby. CWD is an infectious and fatal disease affecting species in the cervid family, such as deer, elk, moose and caribou. Initial testing by the provincial animal health laboratory detected prions (which are abnormal proteins) that may indicate CWD in the deer sample. The sample has been submitted to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for further testing, as the CFIA is Canada’s authority for confirming CWD. Results are expected by early December. The hunter who submitted the sample has been notified of the potential detection. The Province will update the public if the CFIA confirms the sample to be positive for CWD. This is the first potential detection in the Okanagan and the first identified outside B.C.’s existing CWD management zone in the Kootenay region.
BELÉM, Brazil
WorkSafeBC is holding a virtual public hearing on