Daily News for July 10, 2025

Today’s Takeaway

Six US lawmakers call on Ottawa to curb wildfire smoke, improve forest management

The Tree Frog Forestry News
July 10, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway

Six Republican lawmakers asked Ottawa to curb wildfire smoke impacting their states, claim Canada’s lack of ‘active forest management’ is to blame. In related news: Canadian experts push back on US claims; BC Wildfire crews are assisting with the Hope Fire in Washington, the Yukon looks to bioenergy to reduce fire risk; and the fire emergency in Marseille, France is under control. In other Forestry news: Parks Canada and BC invest in ecological connectivity; and Hydro-Quebec uses AI to reduce power outages caused by trees.

In Business news: US homebuilders say the housing crisis trumps imported lumber as a national security risk; CNN says tariffs are finally starting to impact prices; UK softwood traders report strong Q2 demand; and investments in European forests are on the rise. Meanwhile; COFI’s Kim Haakstad is named to BC influential leaders list; Ontario announced funding for five biomass projects; and Oregon and Idaho timber sales are on the rise.

Finally, a new study confirms FSC certification contributes to increased forest cover.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

US Homebuilders comment on new tariff deadline, pending Section 232 lumber tariffs

The National Association of Home Builders
July 10, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

President Trump has announced he will extend the pause on reciprocal tariffs for another three weeks until Aug. 1 and impose a 50% tariff on copper. …The US imports nearly half of its copper. …The timeline for enactment of the copper tariffs is still unclear, but the market has already begun to respond with record-high prices. …Separately, the administration previously launched a Section 232 investigation focusing on whether lumber imports constitute a threat to national security. NAHB strongly disputes this notion and we filed comments underscoring that housing is a critical component of national security. …“Our housing crisis is a bigger threat to national security than imported lumber or timber,” NAHB’s letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated. “Lumber from Canada simply does not present the same national security threat as oil from the Middle East or steel, aluminum, rare earth minerals, or advanced computing chips from China.”

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Kim Haakstad, BC Council of Forest Industries CEO, named to BIV BC 500 list

By Council of Forest Industries (via LinkedIn)
Business in Vancouver
June 30, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Congratulations to COFI’s President & CEO, Kim Haakstad, on being named to BIV’s BC 500 list recognizing influential leaders shaping British Columbia’s future! Haakstad was selected for her leadership in advocating for a competitive, sustainable, and inclusive forest sector that supports jobs, communities, and climate solutions across B.C. With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of business and government, Haakstad’s work reflects COFI’s commitment to the long-term success of forestry in our province. She has over 20 years of experience at the intersection of business and government. She leads advocacy for BC’s forest sector, emphasizing sustainable forestry, Indigenous reconciliation and economic growth. Haakstad also serves on non-profit and innovation boards, reflecting her commitment to community and forward-thinking leadership. 

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Finance & Economics

Prices are now starting to rise because of tariffs. Economists say this is just the beginning

By Alicia Wallace
CNN Business
July 10, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Economists, researchers and analysts have warned that President Trump’s tariffs on most goods will deliver a taxing blow to consumers via higher prices. However, recent months’ economic data has shown that overall inflation has remained fairly tame. Trump touts the positive economic reports as signs that tariffs are working. However, the chorus of concern is growing: Prices are moving higher, and economists say this is just the beginning. Here’s a look at the mechanisms behind why price hikes, and hotter inflation, are a slow burn: Tariffs have been applied in a staggered manner; …Trade policy and tariffs are in flux; …Shipping takes time; …Domestic supply chains take time, too; …Inventories were loaded up before tariffs hit; …Some costs are being eaten; …Businesses are hesitant to pass on higher prices; …Awareness of goods prices is lower in summer than fall and winter; …Economic data is often lagged; …Inflation indices are comprehensive.

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Forests attract billions as timber becomes Europe’s new green asset

Interior Daily
July 10, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

Timber and forestry investment is gaining ground in Europe, as private equity increasingly shifts towards climate-aligned strategies. A recent EY report highlights growing momentum behind timber and forestry funds, previously seen as niche, now positioned as core components of sustainability-focused portfolios. Despite global private equity fundraising falling to $680 billion in 2024, the lowest since 2015, investors are favouring fewer, larger deals. Europe is leading in sustainable asset allocation, with over half of all new fund launches in Article 8 and 9 categories under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, according to Morningstar. Timber and forestry funds attracted $8.4 billion in 2024, slightly down from 2023 but above the five-year average. These funds often deliver double-digit internal rates of return, with top-performing vintages exceeding 16 percent.

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UK Softwood Update: June sees cracks in structural softwood demand

By Stephen Powney
The Timber Trades Journal
July 10, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

UK softwood traders enjoyed a period of strong trading through the first two months of Q2, supported by a rise in demand gaining momentum through both April and May. This followed on from a stable Q1 when imports increased by just under 2% against the same period in 2024. Since the beginning of this year, a number of Nordic producers were short of spruce logs for structural grades, and in many cases switched to pine. That move had a knock-on effect on the amount of redwood available for production at some mills. With good demand and some shortages, Q2 prices moved upwards, not only to the UK but other markets in Europe and the US as well. However, the UK merchants adopted a more sceptical and cautious approach. Many held back from making longer-term commitments on the forward market to ensure the recovery and stability in the market was sustainable.

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Is mass timber worth the risk? ‘It’s a birch of a problem’

By Peter Caulfield
The Journal of Commerce
July 9, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Although mass timber is widely praised for speedy, low-carbon construction, not everyone has boarded that train yet. Many people in construction still believe the risks of using mass timber outweigh the benefits. To shed some light on the subject, Urbanarium and the UBC School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture recently sponsored a debate in Vancouver on the proposition: “Mass timber is not worth the risk(s).” On the pro side (not worth the risk) were Adam Rysanek, an associate professor at SALA, and Graham Brewster, the senior director of development at Wesgroup Properties. On the con side were Shawn Keyes, the executive director of WoodWorks BC, and now VP strategic growth and development at Intelligent City, and Jana Foit, a principal and higher education practice lead in the Vancouver studio of Perkins&Will. …“Everybody came in wanting mass timber to work. What they heard were practical arguments that showed that it’s not that easy.”

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Forestry

Wisconsin and Minnesota Republicans call on Canada to curb wildfire smoke

By Kelly Malone
The Canadian Press in CTV News
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States

Six Republican lawmakers have sent a letter to Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador, calling for action on the wildfires sending smoke billowing across the international border into their states. Representatives Tom Tiffany, Brad Finstad, Tom Emmer, Michelle Fischbach, Glenn Grothman and Pete Stauber of Wisconsin and Minnesota said their constituents are coping with suffocating smoke from Canadian wildfires. “We would like to know how your government plans on mitigating wildfires and the smoke that makes its way south,” the letter said. The lawmakers said successive years of wildfires in Canada have undermined air quality in their states and robbed Americans of their ability to enjoy the summer. They pointed to forest management and arson as possible factors behind the fires. They did not mention climate change. …Canadian officials warned last month that this year’s wildfire season could shape up to be the second-worst on record… although the threat appears to have eased somewhat recently.

Related coverage in:

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What’s with the white stuff? Why the Northwest Territories has so much tree fluff this summer

By Natalie Pressman
CBC News
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Floating fluff? Summer snow? Cotton balls? If you’ve been noticing more of that white stuff floating around the N.W.T. this summer, you’re not alone. “One thing I noticed is a buildup of that stuff in my yard,” Yellowknifer Justin Grandjambe said. “When it’s windy it kind of gathers in corners and stuff … almost looks like a little bit of snow.” Turns out, that fluff is from trees dispelling their seeds. It’s a stress response from the poplars, aspen and willows reacting to the dry conditions from the past few years, according to the N.W.T.’s department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC). Within each fluff ball is a bunch of tiny seeds. The department’s experts couldn’t say how much more “fluff” there is this year compared to other years. That’s something that might also vary depending on where in the territory you’re looking.

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Wildfires scorched hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest, so what happens to those ecosystems after the flames die down?

By Stephanie Massicotte
CBC Radio
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Host Stephanie Massicotte speaks with an expert from the University of Saskatchewan about how long it takes forests to grow back, and whether people should step in to help. [Listen to the segment from Saskatoon Morning here]

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Cowichan River flow to be reduced with dry weather ahead

My Cowichan Valley Now
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Flow at the Cowichan River will be reduced again with the lake at 48 per cent full. Brian Houle, environmental manager at Domtar’s Crofton pulp mill, says a meeting with regulators of the watershed on July 7 led to an agreement to reduce flow from seven cubic metres per second (cms) to 5.5. “Given the summer 2025 drought conditions in Cowichan Lake, careful watershed management decisions need to be made,” reads a news release from Houle. “Today’s water levels are not dissimilar to 2023, when several factors resulted in a fish kill event in the upper Cowichan River and pumping of lake to river was needed for extended period of 36 days in the fall.” In May, the flow was reduced to seven cms and Houle said the plan was to hold that rate through July and August. In 2023, the river flow was reduced to 4.5 cms in May. Houle says keeping it at seven this year was intended to reduce impacts on fish.

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Parks Canada and British Columbia invest more than $8 M to improve ecological connectivity

By Parks Canada
Cision Newswire
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

KELOWNA, BC—Parks Canada announced $5.3 million in federal funding to support an agreement to advance ecological corridor projects, nature conservation and Indigenous stewardship in British Columbia. The Honourable Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, announced that the Province of British Columbia is contributing an additional $3 million, further strengthening this collaborative effort to improve ecological connectivity. …With support from both governments, the Stewardship of Ecological Corridors in British Columbia initiative focuses on identifying, planning, and acting to improve movement of wild species through ecological corridors — linkages that connect natural habitats, including protected and conserved areas. Ecological corridors provide biodiversity and human well-being benefits and are vital for the long-term health of ecosystems.

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Next stage of engagement begins on Heritage Conservation Act improvements

By the Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

In partnership with the First Nations Leadership Council, the Province is moving forward to the next stage of consultation and engagement on modernizing the Heritage Conservation Act. The act, which regulates the protection, management and conservation of cultural and heritage sites in B.C., was last substantively updated in 1996. “The Heritage Conservation Act is how we protect important cultural and archeological sites in B.C., but the current system doesn’t work well for people, and it doesn’t fully reflect our shared values or commitments,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “As we embark on this important engagement, I am committed to ensuring our collective work will lead to a system that will support faster permitting, better planning and more meaningful discussions with people, communities, industry and First Nations.” The project is a multi-year collaborative effort, mandated in 2021 and co-developed through the Joint Working Group on First Nations Heritage Conservation…

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Hydro-Québec using AI to reduce power outages caused by trees

By Charlotte Lepage
CBC News
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada East

Montreal’s tree-lined streets are one of the city’s greatest assets — they clean the air, add bursts of green to the scenery and help push the concrete background. But when storms hit, those trees clash with the urban landscape and are a major cause of power outages. That’s why Hydro-Québec is now using new technologies to find a way for trees to coexist with its power lines. “We’re trying to make a digital twin of the network to see if there are interactions between the tree and the network,” said Étienne Langdeau, director of vegetation management for Hydro-Québec. Artificial intelligence then measures the trees before and after a weather event, like a windstorm, to see which branches broke. The algorithm uses this information to get better at predicting which branches are most likely to snap. In turn, technicians can preemptively cut these branches before they become a problem.

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Going digital – Brushing paint aside for digital tree-marking methods

By Elizabeth Munding
USDA US Forest Service
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

With a paint can in hand, a forester walks step by step through the dense Arizona ponderosa pine forest, marking trees with distinctive orange streaks. The forester is part of a timber-marking crew assessing if each tree should stay or go during harvest, per a prescription from the Forest Service silviculturist. Trees to remain receive the orange marking; the others will be harvested. Timber-marking crews cover thousands of acres of Forest Service lands each year, prepping critical thinning projects to reduce the number of trees and move forest lands toward a condition less vulnerable to catastrophic wildfire. With this laborious operation, many began to ask: Couldn’t there be a more efficient way of marking trees?

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Bureau of Land Management to offer up to 54 million board feet of timber in western Oregon

By Samantha Ducker
US Bureau of Land Management
July 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

PORTLAND, Ore – The Bureau of Land Management will offer several timber sales in July, totaling about 54 million board feet to be harvested from nearly 1,900 public acres across Western Oregon. Timber produced by these sales will provide critical supplies for construction and other industries, and support jobs across local economies. “More than 20% of BLM-managed lands are forest and woodland ecosystems. The BLM ensures the health and resilience of these public forest lands as well as the availability of traditional forest products, such as timber,” said BLM OR/WA State Director Barry Bushue. “Timber sales help to improve, maintain, and restore forest health, water quality, and fish and wildlife habitat and to reduce wildfire risk.”bThe Roseburg District will offer two sales near Oakland in Douglas County, the Mean Mustard timber sale (2.2 million board feet, 132 public acres); and the Sternbreaker timber sale 6.9 million board feet, 247 public acres). 

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The Bureau of Land Management to sell Shoshone County timberlands

Coeur d’Alene Press
July 8, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

MULLAN, Idaho — The Bureau of Land Management is offering the Gentle Annie Timber Sale, totaling approximately 493,000 board feet, for commercial thinning on 100 acres near Mullan, east of Kellogg in Shoshone County. The harvested timber will supply critical materials for construction and other industries, supporting jobs across Idaho’s Panhandle. This thinning project will remove dead and downed wood caused by insects and disease, leaving an average of 55 trees per acre. The result: a healthier, more fire-resilient forest. “We’re excited to continue our work in the Mullan Urban Interface and hope this timber sale will help reduce the town’s risk of catastrophic wildland fire,” said BLM District Manager Kurt Pindel. “We’ll also be limiting the spread of insects and disease within the timber stand, as well as harvesting some merchantable timber for the local economy.” 

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The right mix and planting pattern of trees enhance forest productivity and services

EurekAlert! Press Release
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

A new paper published in Nature Communications reveals how the way tree species are arranged in a forest can help optimise ecosystem functioning and productivity. The study was conducted using empirical field data combined with advanced computer models and simulations by researchers at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig University, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). The researchers simulated virtual forests with multiple arrangements of tree species, such as block and mini-block designs, plantings in single and double lines, and fully random distributions. These simulations incorporated real data from the BEF-China (Biodiversity-Ecosystem Functioning) experiment, including tree growth models (based on field inventories), litterfall collections, and decomposition rate measurements. This data allowed the researchers to model the effect of spatial arrangement on ecosystem functions, such as tree productivity, nitrogen, and carbon cycling.

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Organized Crime in The Amazon: A Growing Threat to the World’s Greatest Tropical Rainforest

By Charles (Chip) Barber
World Resources Institute
July 9, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Brazil once again leads the world in the loss of primary tropical forests. New data shows the country accounted for 42% of global primary rainforest loss in 2024, largely due to widespread fires throughout the nation and in neighboring Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. The 2024 spike in Amazon forest loss was due in large part to one of the worst fire seasons on record. But what’s often missed is the fact that recent fires in tropical primary forests are by no means a “natural” disaster. Rather, the conflagration represents a perfect storm of climate change-induced environmental conditions, governance failures and unchecked, organized criminality. Fires in the Amazon are largely started by arson and related criminal activity accompanying agriculture, logging, mining and road building. In fact, a recent survey of government data concluded that 91% of forest loss in the Brazilian Amazon is linked to illegal activity like land-clearing for agriculture and artisanal mining, often orchestrated by well-structured international criminal enterprises.

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New study confirms Forest Stewardship Council certification contributes to maintaining and increasing forest cover

Forest Stewardship Council
July 7, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

A new study in The Journal of Cleaner Production confirms that Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification contributes to maintaining and increasing forest cover, especially in lower-middle income countries. These findings reinforce the conclusions of previous research and provide insights on adapting regional certification strategies to increase sustainable forest management. The study investigated the critical role of FSC certification in promoting sustainable forest management and mitigating deforestation across diverse economic and climatic contexts. Using dynamic panel data model and Generalized Method of Moments estimations on 70 countries from 2000 – 2021, the researchers examined forest cover as a measure for impact of FSC certification. Results indicate that FSC certification contributes to maintaining and increasing forest cover across diverse economic and climatic contexts. This positive impact is most strongly observed in lower-middle income countries. Scaling up certification and integrating it into national policies could benefit countries of this economic category. 

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Bioenergy research project tackles wildfire risk in Watson Lake

By Jake Howarth
Yukon News
July 9, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada West

Yukon — Researchers with the Canadian Forest Service are exploring how forest fuel biomass from high-fire-risk areas around Watson Lake could be transformed into local energy, potentially reducing wildfire risk while providing sustainable power for remote Yukon communities. The multi-year project is part of a collaborative national research effort to assess the feasibility of linking wildfire mitigation with local bioenergy solutions. “We have to work with the community because we really want to use real-world data, real-world experience to determine if can we effectively apply this,” said Natural Resources Canada researcher Nicolas Mansuy. Researchers previously assessed biomass availability across Canada and found that nearly all 276 northern and remote communities facing wildfire risks could replace fossil fuels with local bioenergy. …Watson Lake emerged as a top candidate due to its dense forest fuels and strategic location, Mansuy said. 

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Funding announced for several biomass projects

By Gerald Tracey
The Eganville Leader
July 9, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, Canada East

Five Eastern Ontario companies – three of them in Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke – will receive just over $9.1 in government funding under the Forest Biomass Program to create new products and expand markets for existing products produced from low quality forest products. The announcement was made Monday morning by MPP Kevin Holland, the Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products at one of two Killaloe Wood Products sites in Bonnechere Valley Township, south of Eganville, where landscaping mulch and other biomass products are processed… “These investments support good paying jobs, drive local growth and encourage innovation,” he said. “But today isn’t just about numbers on a page. Behind every dollar are businesses right here in Eganville and in Whitney that form the backbone of our local economy. The forestry sector is the cornerstone of the economic ecosystem that supports every corner of the riding.”

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Forest Fires

BC Wildfire assists on Washington State fire

The Times Chronicle
July 8, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, United States

The BC Wildfire Service said Tuesday (July 8) afternoon it’s aware of the wildfire in Washington State 16 km southwest of Northport and is assisting in fire suppression. The location is south of Highway 3 between Christina Lake and Trail, and is being referred to as the “Hope Fire”. The fire was first reported at approximately 1:15 p.m. was estimated later in the afternoon to be 600 acres (243 hectares) in size. BC Wildfire said in a social media post that the US Department of Natural Resources is responding and have resources on-site. BC Wildfire has also deployed airtankers to support wildfire suppression efforts. “At this time there is no threat to the Canada-US border,” it said. Stevens County Emergency Management has announced Level 3 (LEAVE NOW) evacuation orders in the area of Three Pines Youth Camp, according to a statement from Stevens County Emergency Management.

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Smoke clears in the Kootenays as U.S. wildfire grows

By Sheri Regnier
Nelson Star
July 9, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

Wildfire smoke from just across the U.S. border is drifting into southern B.C., prompting a Level 1 activation of the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). As of Wednesday night, the Hope Fire had grown to 3,500 acres with zero per cent containment, burning 11.4 miles southwest of Northport, Washington. Wednesday morning, the regional district issued an update on the Hope (USA) Fire. According to the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB), as forecasted, favourable weather conditions last night resulted in shifting winds that blew the fire back onto itself and away from the Canada/US border. The United States has put considerable resources on the now 3,200-acre fire. For current information on the Hope Fire, residents are advised to consult U.S. agency sources, such as inciweb.wildfire

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French warned of high-risk summer for wildfires as Marseille blaze contained

By Jon Henley
The Guardian
July 9, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

More than 15,000 residents of Marseille confined to their homes have been allowed out after a wildfire on the outskirts of France’s second city was brought under control, but officials have warned the country faces an exceptionally high-risk summer. Fanned by gale-force winds and kindled by parched vegetation, several fires have burned swathes of southern France in recent days, including Tuesday’s just north of the port city. The weather service has said the weeks ahead could be critical. “The fire is receding, but with a blaze this severe, over this big an area, it’s clear there may be fresh flare-ups, flames can jump, embers can reignite,” the prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, Georges-François Leclerc, said on Wednesday.

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