The dangerous fire weather is being fueled by gusty winds, high temperatures and low humidity. In related news: Canfor and Parks Canada reduce wildfire risk in Jasper; low wages spell trouble for US firefighter recruitment; wildfire warnings in Texas and Nebraska; and two national forests are closed in New Mexico.
In other news: US forest plan stirs debate over what counts as old trees; BC seeks feedback on Caribou Protection Plan; and a two-part series on Asian biomass expansion. Meanwhile, the BC First Nations Forestry Council seeks new CEO; BC Wood’s Global Buyers Mission is set for Sept 8-10; and mass timber design scholarships courtesy of the SLB.
Finally, a graphic on the relationship between managed forests and better carbon storage.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor
Canfor was selected by Parks Canada through a competitive bid process to undertake a large-scale mechanical fuel reduction program on Pyramid Bench in Jasper National Park over winter 2018 – 2019. The project was designed to reduce the risk of severe wildfire impacting the town of Jasper, which had increased substantially due to the recent mountain pine beetle outbreak in the surrounding forest. The program demonstrated that mechanical harvesting can be successfully used as a tool to reduce forest fuels in environmentally sensitive locations with high recreational use adjacent to communities.
The 
The 19th Annual GBM is fast approaching, and we are happy to announce that this September 8-10, we will invite international buyers and specifiers to meet our Canadian suppliers in Whistler for our first live meeting since 2019. We expect new buyers again this year, with the help of our very own overseas staff and the continued assistance of the federal International Trade Commissioner Service and the provincial Trade & Investment Representatives abroad. Registration from the specifiers community is expected to surpass our last live WoodTALKS @ the GBM Program. For those of you whose business will benefit by access to this influential sector, call us to see how you can participate with your company presentation. To apply for booth space or to inquire about registration, email 
For years, residents of West Kootenay have campaigned to have an important landscape on Kootenay Lake, included in the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy. But now, a portion of this locally cherished area is slated to be logged. Logging activities were set to begin last week when a group of protesters blocked the Salisbury Forest Service road near Argenta. This logging is slated to begin during the start of the nesting and migratory bird season. Migratory birds and their nests are protected under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act. …Cooper Creek Cedar must delay logging until at least after the nesting period, and allow time for a resolution of the conflict that will spell the fate of this important forest that connects mountains to the shores of Kootenay Lake.
In partnership with First Nations, the B.C. government is making changes to hunting regulations to support reconciliation and improve wildlife stewardship and habitat conservation. The changes affect the hunting of elk, moose, mountain sheep, bighorn sheep and mountain goat, and are the outcome of provincial regulation changes that occur every two years. …These decisions were informed by extensive engagement with the public, First Nations, the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia and the BC Wildlife Federation. The hunting regulation changes in northeastern B.C. are an interim measure and part of broader actions to improve wildlife stewardship, uphold Treaty rights and enhance habitat conservation. The Province, regional First Nations and affected stakeholders will continue to work together to develop an approach to wildlife co-management that improves shared understanding and management of the wildlife resources in a manner consistent with the Together for Wildlife strategy.
There are exciting possibilities in the world of forest biomass and the products that can be made from them. Ian Dunn, president and CEO of the Ontario Forest Industries Association gave a presentation during the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association conference on April 28 that focused on both the OFIA and provincial forests as well as some of the new opportunities available to the sector with the advances of new technology and businesses. “Forest products are gaining a lot of attention right now globally,” Dunn said. Dunn noted that provinces such as B.C. and Alberta, typically seen as the leaders of the forestry sector in Canada, have been struggling in the sector in recent years, from the devastation of the mountain pine beetle to major forest fires. Dunn notes major companies in those provinces have begun looking to Ontario and making acquisitions, which he calls a positive signal for the industry.
BILLINGS, Montana — President Joe Biden’s order to protect the nation’s oldest forests against climate change, wildfires and other problems devastating vast woodlands is raising a simple yet vexing question: When does a forest grow old? Millions of acres are potentially on the line — federal land that could eventually get new protections or remain open to logging as the administration decides which trees to count under Biden’s order covering “old growth” and “mature” forests. …Experts say there’s no simple formula to determine what’s old: Growth rates among different tree types vary greatly — and even within species. Any definitions for old-growth or mature trees adopted by the Biden’s administration are “going to be subjective,” said Mark Ashton, at the Yale School of the Environment. …That’s likely to complicate Biden’s efforts to protect older forests as part of his climate change fight, with key pieces 
In 2021, Japan and South Korea imported a combined 6 million metric tons of wood pellets for what proponents claim is carbon-neutral energy. Large subsidies for biomass have led Japan to import massive amounts of wood pellets from Vietnam and Canada; two pellet giants, Drax and Enviva, are now eyeing Japan for growth, even as the country may be cooling to the industry. South Korea imports most of its pellets from Vietnamese acacia plantations, which environmentalists fear may eventually pressure natural forests; South Korea wants to grow its native production tenfold, including logging areas with high conservation value. Vietnam may soon follow Japan and South Korea’s path as it phases out coal, and experts fear all this could add massive pressure on Southeast Asian forests, which are already among the most endangered in the world. This is part two of a two part series on the Asian biomass expansion. Part one can be found 
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico — More than 5,000 firefighters battled multiple wildland blazes in dry, windy weather across the Southwest on Thursday, including a fire that has destroyed dozens of structures in west Texas and another that’s picking up steam again in New Mexico. Evacuation orders remained in place for residents near the wildfires in Texas, Colorado and New Mexico. High winds prevented officials from sending aircraft to drop retardant or water in many places. Dangerous fire weather fueled by gusty winds, high temperatures and extremely low humidity was predicted to continue through Friday — especially in New Mexico, where the largest U.S. wildfire has burned for more than a month and the governor expects the number of structures destroyed will exceed 1,000. …However, the Forestry Service said a new weather pattern by the weekend is expected to usher in cooler temperatures and moisture.
