Daily News for October 06, 2025

Today’s Takeaway

Deal reached to save Ontario’s Kapuskasing Paper Mill from closure

The Tree Frog Forestry News
October 6, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway

Federal and Provincial governments have agreed to support Ontario’s Kapuskasing Paper Mill, averting its closure. In related news: Carney and Trump meet tomorrow to talk trade and tariffs; Derek Nighbor says Canada needs an outcomes-based regulatory framework; the Decorative Hardwoods industry wants Section 232 tariffs broadened; while the Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance and New Brunswick lumber producers voiced their concern and displeasure. Meanwhile: the Forest Enhancement Society of BC is looking for new projects; and Erik Wilson joins PLIB as Executive VP.

In Forestry news: BC and ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation reach decision-making agreement; rescinding the roadless rule may threaten Virginia and Ohio’s national forests; a forester pushes back on Washington’s buffer rule for non-fish streams; Oregon’s Douglas firs face unprecedented dieback; and California’s Garnet Fire may have sterilized the soil. Meanwhile: agri-food companies say the EU deforestation law delay will endanger forests.

Finally; Forested Future – a documentary on US hardwood forests is premiering this Fall.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

Policy-driven growth is possible: Improving competitiveness through smarter regulation

By Derek Nighbor, Forest Products Association of Canada
National Post
October 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada


Canada must do everything it can to strengthen itself. To control the controllable. That starts with committing to an outcomes-based regulatory framework that upholds Canada’s trusted reputation with international customers. In Canada, over 90 per cent of forestry takes place on lands managed by the provinces. Forest management planning at the provincial level involves rigorous consideration of ecosystem values, Indigenous and non-Indigenous community-based consultations and balancing local needs with economic, social and environmental benefits. In recent years, the federal government has overlapped multiple regulations and frequently intervened in provincially approved forest management plans. This has chilled strategic investments and has been a productivity and competitiveness killer, driving more investment south of the border. The adverse impacts of increased costs and regulatory duplication and delays on top of market challenges, have been immense. …Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet mandate calls for innovative governance to boost productivity, reduce trade barriers and attract private investment. 

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Carney to meet Trump next week, potential movement on steel and aluminum tariffs expected

By Stephanie Ha and Judy Trinh
CTV News
October 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to head to Washington early next week to meet with US. President Trump. …Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, Industry Minister Melanie Joly and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc will accompany Carney. This latest visit comes as Canadian and U.S. officials try to reach a deal on punishing American tariffs, and as a review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement gets underway. …Over the summer, the U.S. hiked its tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50%, with Canada imposing a 25% counter-tariff on U.S. steel and aluminum. …The source says next week’s meeting follows weeks of groundwork by LeBlanc, Canadian Ambassador to the US Kirsten Hillman and Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Sabia, with the team being aware the discussions could go sideways.

In related coverage:

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Statement by the Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance on the U.S. Section 232 Tariffs on Canadian Softwood Lumber

By Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance
BC Lumber Trade Council
October 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance (CLTA) issued the following statement. …Luc Theriault, President, Wood Products at Domtar and Co-Chair of the Canadian Lumber Trade Alliance, said “The U.S. government’s decision to impose a further 10% tariff – on top of existing duties of 35% – is disappointing. These measures unjustly punish Canadian producers, while also driving up costs for our neighbors in the US.” …“Canadian lumber does not pose a national security risk to the United States. Our industry directly supports 200,000 jobs and sustains over 300 forest-dependent communities across Canada. We will continue to work closely with the Government of Canada to defend against these unfortunate trade actions and to safeguard Canadian forestry jobs.” …In its recent Section 232 proclamation, the US signaled a willingness to pursue negotiations. The Canadian industry is ready to engage. It is essential that the Government of Canada match this commitment and play an active role in defending our industry.

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Pushed by Trump, Canada enters a new era of economic nationalism

By Mark Rendell
The Globe and Mail
October 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Mark Carney

As trade negotiations with the United States sputtered over the summer, Prime Minister Mark Carney started talking about a new, domestically oriented solution for Canada’s tariff-battered industries. …On the surface, this looks like a suite of emergency measures to help companies bridge a temporary loss of demand similar to those announced as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. Taken together, however, it represents a more fundamental shift in Canada’s political economy. If key Canadian industries can’t sell into the US market, the argument goes, perhaps the government can cultivate domestic markets to pick up the slack. …In effect, US President Trump’s America First economic vision is pushing Canada to follow suit. …And it unveiled a new “Buy Canadian” procurement policy for steel and lumber. …Derek Nighbor, of the Forest Products Association of Canada, said there’s an incremental opportunity to sell more lumber in Canada. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

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New Brunswick softwood lumber industry braces for hit from Donald Trump’s latest tariffs

By Jordan Gill
CBC News
October 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Companies reliant on New Brunswick’s softwood lumber industry are bracing for hard times after US President Trump announced new tariffs on Sept. 30. …In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt pleaded for the federal government to make softwood lumber tariffs a top priority. “In some communities in New Brunswick, one in every 11 workers depends directly on forest products,” Holt wrote. …Ron Marcolin, the New Brunswick vice-president with Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, said the latest tariffs and duties are a big deal in a long-running drama over softwood lumber.  …While New Brunswick may largely rely on the American market, Marcolin said Americans also rely on New Brunswick’s products. …”The thing is, too, they realize their product is inferior. Their softwood lumber is not as good as a Canadian stick of lumber.”

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Deal reached to save northern Ontario paper mill from closure

By Dan Bertrand
CTV News
October 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

ONTARIO — Upper levels of government have reached funding agreements to support the Town of Kapuskasing’s Paper Mill, averting a planned closure and providing what local leaders are calling “a critical step” toward securing the region’s economic future. Kap Paper announced the newfound support in a social media post on Friday evening. “Next week, we’ll be working out the details for a restart plan,” the post said, adding that updates would be shared “as soon as everything is confirmed.” Kapuskasing Mayor Dave Plourde, called the deal a “critical step forward for Kapuskasing and the entire region,” in a statement posted to the town’s social media page. …“We now have a second chance – a window of opportunity to come together, calmly and deliberately, to build a plan for modernization and long-term competitiveness,” said Plourde …“Today, I am pleased to confirm that both the federal and provincial governments have agreed to provide support.”

In related coverage:

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Decorative hardwoods industry urges Trump to expand products under section 232 tariffs proposal

By Larry Adams
The Woodworking Network
October 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Oct. 1, 2025, nine presidents and CEOs representing American manufacturers of hardwood plywood, engineered wood flooring, and hardwood veneer asked President Trump to add their products to the recently announced Section 232 tariffs on wood products. The current 232 tariff proposal focuses on cabinets, vanities, lumber, upholstered furniture, and other products. Section 232 tariffs are trade restrictions, such as import duties, that the President of the United States can impose on goods that are found to threaten national security. According to the group of companies, more than 100,000 American manufacturing jobs are threatened by the “flood of dumped and subsidized decorative hardwood product imports from outside of North America.” The group pointed to the news that Roseburg Forest Products had closed its last hardwood plywood mill and exited the hardwood plywood market as a result of these imports, which the company said dominate 80% of the U.S. market.

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Erik Wilson Joins Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau as Executive Vice President

Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau
October 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

Erik Wilson

FEDERAL WAY, Washington – The Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB) has hired Erik Wilson as their new Executive Vice President. In this newly established leadership role, Erik will be working closely with PLIB President Jeff Fantozzi and the Board of Directors and staff directors to drive PLIB’s strategic objectives and reinforce relationships with its stakeholders, regulatory agencies, and industry partners. His responsibilities will also include staff development, brand enhancement both domestically and internationally, and the expansion of LIBs educational programs. “Appointing Erik to the EVP role accomplishes an important milestone in PLIB’s strategic and succession plans,” said PLIB President Jeff Fantozzi. His integrity and wide-ranging industry experience brings valuable depth and expertise to our already exceptional team. We are extremely excited about this new chapter in PLIB’s evolution.”

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Finance & Economics

Trump has his eye on Canadian forestry stocks. You should, too

By David Berman
The Globe and Mail
October 3, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

It’s hard to find anything good to say about Canadian forestry stocks right now. Some of the biggest names in the sector have been on a downward slide for the past three years. … But the onslaught of grim news has highlighted some bargains. …Okay, the definition of attractive rests on an assumption that risk-averse investors might not want to embrace just yet: Despite Mr. Trump’s bluster, the US still needs Canadian lumber in a big way to feed its lumber-intensive home construction industry. Says who? The National Association of Home Builders, for one. …Some analysts believe that US forestry companies will struggle to replace Canadian softwood. Ben Isaacson, at Bank of Nova Scotia, estimates that US producers would have to build 50 new mills to become fully independent of Canadian lumber. Just two companies build the specialized equipment required in mills. They would struggle to supply even two mills a year. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

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Trump urges Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to jumpstart stalled homebuilding

By Liezel Once
Mortgage Professional America Magazine
October 6, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

President Donald Trump has reignited debate over the nation’s housing shortage, calling on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to spur a wave of new home construction. Trump accused large homebuilders of “sitting on 2 million empty lots, a record,” and likened their behavior to OPEC’s control of oil prices. …“I’m asking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to get Big Homebuilders going and, by so doing, help restore the American Dream!” The president’s comments come as housing inventory has rebounded from historic lows in 2022, but builders continue to face limited incentives to ramp up construction. …Since taking office, Trump has made housing a central policy focus, including an executive order for emergency price relief and a campaign to pressure the Federal Reserve for lower rates. …Despite Trump’s calls, the mechanics of how Fannie and Freddie might spur more homebuilding remain unclear. 

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Forestry

Hikers can be citizen scientists in photo project documenting forest regrowth in Jasper

By Maggie Kirk
CBC News
October 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

©GeoReach

As visitors at Old Fort Point look out at the mosaic of burnt patches of forest from the Jasper wildfire, they see a vastly different landscape than they would have before July 2024. But that same barren view looks strikingly similar to photos taken in the early 1900s. Now, as the Jasper landscape begins to regenerate in the wake of last year’s massive wildfire, hikers can participate in a citizen science project to help document the area’s rebirth. …Parks Canada and the University of Waterloo have teamed up to crowdsource photos from three locations on the hike …they installed three cellphone stands, each with a cradle for the camera, along the popular 3.8-kilometre hike, which starts just east of the Jasper townsite. Visitors will take a photo, then scan the QR code to directly upload a photo, or visit the GeoReach website to share their photo with researchers

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Down a Forgotten River

By Larry Lynn
The Tyee
October 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Chemainus River reveals its secrets in strange and unexpected ways. For years, I have wandered the forests near my North Cowichan home in search of the last few ancient trees, finding a few nice specimens here and there. In the heavily logged, 5,000-hectare Municipal Forest Reserve — popularly known as the Six Mountains, an hour north of Victoria — they are as elusive as the last rhinos of Sumatra. With a bit of luck, I hope my persistence may yet pay off. I don’t know it at the time, but my quest will launch me on a journey from the river’s headwaters to its mouth in pursuit of questions fundamental to the Chemainus and its future. How have human activities like industrial logging shaped the river, its watershed, and its salmon? …In my search for answers, I will discover modern challenges that bedevil other B.C. coastal rivers.

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Province, ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation reach milestone in forest stewardship agreement

By Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
October 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation and the Province are one step closer to a joint decision-making agreement that will support predictable harvesting, job creation and sustainable forestry operations on the north Island. “The best way to move fibre is by working together and that is what we are accomplishing with the ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “I am optimistic that this draft agreement will create good-paying jobs and help us in our efforts to provide stability and certainty for our coastal forestry sector, as we deal with Donald Trump’s attack on our forestry sector.” ʼNa̱mǥis First Nation and the Province have developed a first-of-its-kind draft Section 7 joint decision-making agreement for the forestry sector under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act) and Forest Range and Practices Act. 

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Forest Enhancement Society of BC is accepting expressions of interest for projects

Forest Enhancement Society of BC
October 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) is accepting expressions of interest (EOI) for projects to assist the Province of British Columbia in advancing the environmental and resource stewardship of British Columbia’s forests. These projects must occur on provincial crown land and support one or more of the core purposes of the Society, which include:

  • Preventing and mitigating the impact of wildfires;
  • Improving damaged or low value forests;
  • Improving habitat for wildlife;
  • Supporting the use of fibre from damaged and low value forests; and
  • Treating forests to improve the management of greenhouse gases.

“We are asking for Expressions of Interest from proponents with ideas for innovative investments in B.C.s’ forests. We want to work with proponents to help strengthen these proposals, secure approvals from government, identify opportunities to collaborate with like minded organizations and ensure longer-term impact.” -Jason Fisher, Registered Professional Forester and Executive Director of FESBC.

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Forestry at University of New Brunswick: A century on, deep roots and new growth come together so that innovation, opportunity and sustainability can blossom

By Kayla Cormier
University of New Brunswick
October 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

The University of New Brunswick’s faculty of forestry and environmental management (ForEM) is an “old growth” tree, with over a hundred rings to show its age. Since its first graduating class in 1910, it continues growing out in new directions in an ever-changing landscape. As the climate crisis intensifies and industries evolve, the faculty is at the forefront of a sector undergoing rapid transformation. With cutting-edge technology, a growing demand for skilled professionals and a commitment to sustainability, ForEM grads are shaping the future of forestry. Over the next decade, New Brunswick’s forestry sector is anticipating a significant wave of job openings—as many as 3,200—as seasoned professionals retire and transition out of the workforce. “Our graduates are entering a workforce that’s hungry for their skills,” said Dr. Michelle Gray, ForEM dean and associate professor. “We’re seeing unprecedented demand for professionals who understand both the science and the technology driving modern forestry…”

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Outcry as Trump plots more roads and logging in US forests: ‘You can almost hear the chainsaws’

By Oliver Milman
The Guardian
October 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

VIRGINIA — Today, this site in George Washington national forest, along with other near-pristine forests across the US that amount to 58m acres, equivalent to the size of the UK, could soon see chainsaws whir and logging trucks rumble through them amid a push by Donald Trump to raze these ecosystems for timber. The Trump administration has said it will rescind Clinton’s roadless rule, more than two decades after its introduction appeared to mark the end of the bitter battle between environmentalists and loggers over the future of America’s best remaining woodland. …Yet advocates of the roadless rule argue these areas should not be viewed as mere sources of timber, pointing to their crucial ecological role in protecting and filtering the streams and rivers that provide clean drinking water to millions of Americans. …The American Forest Resource Council called the roadless rule removal “a long-overdue correction”.

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Wqwhington’s stream buffer rule: Big economic impact, little environmental evidence

By Jacob Vail, Hampton Family Forests
The Cascadia Daily News
October 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Jacob Vail

I work for a local forest products company and in this line of work, it can feel like we live and breathe forest policy. …Unfortunately, major changes to forest policy have recently been proposed without adequate analysis or justification. The state Forest Practices Board is currently grappling with an ongoing debate surrounding the regulation of non-fish perennial streams, essentially streams without fish that flow year-round. The Washington Department of Ecology is proposing a new rule that would create additional tree buffers on these streams, taking another 200,000 acres of private forestland out of timber production. If passed, this rule would reduce harvests on private lands by 4–8%. …Washington’s private forestlands are already sustaining salmon habitat and clean water, and there’s no evidence current temperatures are harming fish or that the new rule will improve fish recovery. The Forest Practices Board should restart the adaptive management process to determine the best path forward.

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Oregon’s Douglas fir trees in crisis with widespread, ‘unprecedented’ dieback

By Zach Urness
The Register-Guard
October 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Drought and insects have killed an unprecedented number of Oregon’s Douglas fir trees during the last decade, costing billions in timber value, damaging infrastructure and ramping up wildfire danger. Beginning in 2015 and accelerating with the 2021 heat dome, roughly 635,000 acres of forest have been impacted by what’s known as Douglas fir “dieback” in southwest Oregon and the Willamette Valley. “It’s hitting trees of all sizes, but it’s hitting larger and older trees the hardest,” Max Bennett, a retired forest researcher with Oregon State University, told members of the Oregon Legislature on Sept. 30. “What we’re seeing now is unprecedented.” The dieback has led to $1.1 billion in lost timber value, $500 million in potential road hazard costs and created a tinderbox of forest fuel capable of spawning the West’s most destructive wildfires, a group of foresters and researchers told the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water.

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‘All the trees are dead’: An ancient California forest has been wiped out

By Julie Johnson
The San Francisco Chronicle
October 5, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Roughly 500 years ago in California’s High Sierra, pine cones dropped to the ground and a cycle began. …Half a millennia later, US Forest Service scientists began testing strategies to save these now ancient and massive trees in the little-known area east of Fresno called the Teakettle Experimental Forest. They had plans to light a huge prescribed burn to clear overgrowth next year.  But then the Garnet Fire ignited and scorched all 3,000 federally protected acres on its path through the Sierra National Forest. …Scott Scherbinski, a biologist at the Climate & Wildfire Institute, said “It will be a start-over event for this forest.” …Malcolm North, a Forest Service ecologist said…fires with less intensity can be beneficial in California’s fire-adapted landscapes, but the Garnet Fire, when it burned through in September, may have killed most trees and sterilized the ground — making it unlikely the forest can rebound without intervention. [to access the full story a San Francisco Chronicle subscription is required]

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Forested Future – a Documentary on U.S. Hardwood Forests Premiering This Fall!

By Michael Snow
Miller Wood Trade Publications
October 6, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

For the last two years, the American Hardwood Export Council has worked with noted environmental journalist and author of A Trillion Trees, Fred Pearce, to tell the story of hardwood forests and the people who depend on them. This project, Forested Future, has just been officially selected to be a part of the BARQ Architectural Film Festival in Barcelona this November and will be made available to the public shortly after! The website for the film is www.forestedfuture.film where you can watch the trailer. Forested Future is a feature-length documentary examining our complex relationship with forests and the inherent bond we have with trees. The film follows characters whose lives and sense of identity are inseparable from the hardwood forests in which they live and work. This project has the chance to tell the story of our forests, and our industry, to an audience never before reached.

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27th annual wildfire academy begins next week at Camp Swift

Texas A&M Forest Service – Texas A&M University
October 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

The 27th annual Capital Area Interagency Wildfire and Incident Management Academy begins at the Camp Swift National Guard Facility in Bastrop, Texas, next week. The academy will take place Oct. 7-20, 2025. Each year, federal, state, local and private firefighters travel from across the state and nation to attend the academy to continue their education and earn National Wildfire Coordinating Group training qualifications. This academy is one of two Texas Interagency Wildfire and Incident Management Academies, which aim to enhance wildland firefighters’ knowledge, utilizing National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards, while promoting safe and cost-effective operations. …Academy partners include the Texas Army National Guard, Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Department of Emergency Management, Federal Bureau of Prisons and Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System.

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Nestle, others warn EU law delays are endangering forests worldwide

By Virginia Furness
Reuters in Trading View
October 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

Major agri-food companies including Nestle, Ferrero and Olam Agri have warned that European Union delays to its anti-deforestation law are endangering forests worldwide. The EU last month proposed delaying the launch of its anti-deforestation law for a second time, citing concerns about the readiness of information-technology systems needed to support the law. The delay could postpone the ban on imports of commodities such as palm oil linked to forest destruction for another year. The law faces major opposition from industry and EU trade partners such as the United States and Brazil. EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall said last week the delay was not linked to U.S. concerns about the policy. …Contrary to the EU’s aim of simplifying rules for business, any changes at this stage would introduce uncertainty, annoy shareholders and risk the rules being watered down further, the companies said. The EU deforestation law was due to take effect on December 30.

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