Daily News for September 04, 2025

Today’s Takeaway

Interfor to curtail lumber production; Domtar to suspend Quebec mill

The Tree Frog Forestry News
September 4, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway

Citing market conditions, Interfor announced plans to reduce is lumber production by 12% across all regions. In related news: Domtar will temporarily close its sawmill in Maniwaki, Quebec; Canada seeks trade panel review of US lumber duty decision; Greif completes sale of Ohio containerboard business; and desptite challenges—Drax should retain UK support. Meanwhile: lumber futures fell again; and Russian lumber exports remain weak.

In Forestry news: the USDA invests $8M in timber production and forest health; Nanaimo Regional District purchases marsh land from Mosaic Forest Management; and Nova Scotia is no longer disclosing glyphosate spray locations. In Wildfire news: the BC Cariboo District issues an evacuation order; Whistler’s fire danger hits extreme; Ontario’s cottage country fires are a different kind of beast; and Spain and Portugal fires overwhelm firefighting resources.

Finally, from bustling lumber mill to ghost town — Lake Michigan’s buried history.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

Interfor Announces Lumber Production Curtailments Across All Regions of North America

Interfor Corporation
September 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

BURNABY, BC — Interfor Corporation announced plans to reduce its lumber production by approximately 145 million board feet between September and December of 2025, representing approximately 12% of its normal operating stance. The temporary curtailments will be through a combination of reduced operating hours, prolonged holiday breaks, reconfigured shifting schedules and extended maintenance shut-downs. The curtailments are expected to impact all of Interfor’s operating regions, with both the Canadian and US operations expected to reduce their production levels by approximately 12% each. The curtailments are in response to persistently weak market conditions and ongoing economic uncertainty. The Company will continue to monitor market conditions across all of its operations and adjust its production plans accordingly. [END]

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Canada seeks review of softwood lumber product decision under USMCA, filing shows

By Susan Heavey and Maiya Keidan
Reuters
September 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

WASHINGTON – Canada’s government joined the Canadian lumber industry in seeking a trade panel review over certain softwood lumber products from Canada under the USMCA, according to a U.S. government notice posted online on Monday. The two requests were filed with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Association following the departments July 29 decision following its investigation into the matter, the notices posted to the Federal Register said.

[END]

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Domtar to suspend operations at Maniwaki, Quebec sawmill in October

CBC News
September 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

MANIWAKI, Quebec — The Domtar sawmill in Maniwaki, Quebec, will temporarily close again next month. The company, which acquired the mill when it bought Resolute Forest Products in 2023, confirmed Wednesday to Radio-Canada that the indefinite closure will begin Oct. 10. It cited difficult market conditions and US softwood lumber duties, which rose to more than 35 per cent last month. About 120 workers at the mill lost their jobs in a previous closure that started in December 2024. The mill reopened for about 50 hours a week at the start of June. About 3,800 people lived in the western Quebec community as of the 2021 census. [END]

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Greif Completes Sale of Containerboard Business

Greif Inc.
September 2, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

DELAWARE, Ohio — Greif announced it has completed the previously announced sale of its containerboard business to Packaging Corporation of America. …“This transaction unlocks immediate value for our shareholders and allows Greif to deliver stronger and more consistent earnings power, enhances our capital efficiency, and accelerates debt reduction.” said Ole Rosgaard, President and CEO of Greif. As a result of this divestment, Greif is also adjusting its 2025 full-year guidance. …The revised guidance, which comprises only continuing operations for the full fiscal year 2025, is $507 million to $517 million of Adjusted EBITDA.

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Finance & Economics

Lumber Prices Are in Free Fall

By Ryan Dezember
The Wall Street Journal
September 3, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures fell again Wednesday, dropping to their lowest prices since last autumn. …Futures for September delivery shed $6 or about 1.1%, to end at $524 per thousand board feet. Futures have now declined 18 of the past 22 trading sessions. The selloff—about 25% over the past month—is reminiscent of the wild trading in lumber during the Covid-19 pandemic [but this time] …the continuing gyrations have been driven by trade policy. Lumber buyers stocked up ahead of a big increase in the duties levied on Canadian imports. …President Trump’s threats for additional tariffs on imported wood added incentive to hoard lumber. …The $54 difference in price between lumber futures for delivery this month and those for November in midday trading was well above the cost of warehousing wood for two months and a sign that traders’ demand outlook is bleak, Stinson Dean said. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]

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Russian lumber consumption rises 16% in July despite 14% construction drop

Lesprom Network
September 3, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

Despite the ongoing decline in construction activity in Russia, domestic demand for lumber increased in July. The volume of apparent lumber consumption in the country rose by 16% in July compared to the same period last year, while construction decreased by 14%. Prices for key lumber categories in July remained at the previous month’s level. …On export markets, Russian exporters faced mixed dynamics. In July, the volume of lumber exports from Russia increased by 18% compared to June, but shipments were 13% lower than a year earlier. China remains a key destination for Russian suppliers, but Russian exporters are facing growing competition from Belarusian companies offering lower prices. The situation for Russian exporters is further complicated by a general decrease in China’s lumber purchases due to the ongoing crisis in its construction sector. Lumber exports from Russia to Japan remain weak: shipment volumes dropped by 19% year-over-year.

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Forestry

Regional District of Nanaimo plans $30M purchase of Hamilton Marsh south of Qualicum Beach

Parksville Qualicum Beach News
September 2, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Regional District of Nanaimo and Mosaic Forest Management have signed a conditional contract of purchase and sale for approximately 360 hectares of land known as Hamilton Marsh. An offer of $30 million was accepted. The sale is anticipated to be completed by March 31, 2026 if all conditions of the purchase and sale contract are met. To acquire the lands as regional parkland and conservation area, the RDN needs to secure a minimum of $7.5 million in funding through other partners. Owned by Island Timberlands and managed under Mosaic Forest Management, the Hamilton Marsh site is located south of the Town of Qualicum Beach… “We recognize the importance of Hamilton Marsh to the community, which is why we’ve entered into a conditional purchase agreement — a key step that enables the Regional District to begin working with potential funding partners toward permanent conservation of the area,” said D’Arcy Henderson, Senior Vice President, Timberlands and Chief Operating Officer, Mosaic Forest Management 

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Activists question why Nova Scotia no longer disclosing glyphosate spray locations

By Luke Ettinger
CBC News
September 4, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Activists are pushing for more information about where aerial spraying of glyphosate is happening after the Nova Scotia government has stopped releasing the locations for spraying of the herbicide by forestry companies. However the forestry sector says the use of the herbicide gets unfair attention, and identifying the locations draws protesters who block access to woodlots.  Glyphosate is used by some woodlot owners to …reduce competition for more profitable softwood species… Previously, the provincial government provided premises identification (PID) numbers for where aerial sprays were approved. That didn’t happen when four approvals for spraying were issued in August. “We don’t have to tell everyone where these PIDs are, because it attracts people who don’t know the full story about forest management to show up roadblock your private woodlot, and prevent you from managing it as you see fit,” said Todd Burgess, executive director of Forest Nova Scotia. 

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A wildfire in southern Ontario burns differently. Here’s why

By Rebecca Gao
The Narwhal
September 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Air quality warnings are becoming a feature of Ontario summers, but for most, the source has felt far away. As southern Ontarians stayed indoors … under air quality warnings this summer, fires closer to home ignited. In July and August, the province experienced a number of wildfires in places including the Kawarthas, a couple hours northeast of Toronto, and near the town of Huntsville, in the cottage country region of Muskoka. Farther north, First Nations communities like the Pikangikum First Nation and North Spirit Lake First Nation were evacuated due to wildfires and smoke… How do wildfires in southern Ontario stack up to the massive fires farther north, and what can be done? Here’s what you need to know. …fires in southern Ontario are different for two main reasons: the forest type and the many, many people here.

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US Department of Agriculture Announces Forest Health Resilience Projects to Improve Timber Production

The US Department of Agriculture
September 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing more than $8 million for five new projects to reduce wildfire risk, protect water quality, and improve forest health across the nation. This expands President Trump’s mission to improve the lives of American families, support rural communities, and expand domestic timber production. Today’s announcement builds on Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins’ commitment to wildfire preparedness and President Donald J. Trump’s vision to safeguard American families. USDA and its agencies are working together to take action to protect people, communities, and the natural resources on which this country depends. The Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership Program is a collaborative effort between USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Forest Service to work across public-private boundaries and at a landscape scale. The $8 million investment in new projects is in addition to $32 million for 24 existing three-year-long Joint Chiefs’ projects.

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Ireland’s next forestry programme must ensure that planting is ‘economically viable’

By Kathleen O’Sullivan
AgriLand Ireland
September 3, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

IRELAND — The next forestry programme must “ensure that forestry as a land use option is economically viable and competitive, while satisfying environmental requirements”, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA). IFA president Francie Gorman has said that forestry is a “strategically important sector that has a key role to play in achieving climate change targets”. …Ireland’s largest forestry and timber body, Forest Industries Ireland (FII) has highlighted the “huge opportunity” for farmers “to take advantage of afforestation grant schemes” during a meeting with the IFA this week. FII highlighted the need for more farmers to consider planting forestry on their land amid rapid growth in global demand for timber products, driving up the value of future forestry harvests. “The Irish timber industry has the potential to significantly grow as many countries move towards net zero carbon targets and focus on sustainable building materials such as timber.”

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Drax juggles two problems: pellets and unpopularity

By Camilla Palladino
The Financial Times
September 3, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Investors in Drax have a problem. Shares in the company that produces 10% of the UK’s renewable power plunged last week after the Financial Conduct Authority launched a probe into its financial reports. The investigation centres on whether the company had misrepresented the origin of the biomass pellets it burns to create electricity. …But even assuming Drax does what it says it does, it has a second problem. Its business model, reliant on burning imported sustainable biomass to generate power, is inherently controversial. Net zero supporters don’t think Drax is sustainable enough, fearing that forestry companies might classify more wood as rubbish if selling waste pellets became lucrative. …Drax may not be easy to like, but it does make up an important part of the UK energy system. …So far, politicians have walked a line, extending support but cutting its size.

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Climate change fuelled wildfires of ‘unprecedented intensity’ in Spain and Portugal, experts say

By Rosie Frost
Euronews
September 4, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Researchers warn that simultaneous fires across Europe are overwhelming firefighting resources. Climate change made weather that fuelled Portugal and Spain’s deadly wildfires this summer around 40 times more likely, new research has found. Blazes in the Iberian Peninsula broke out at the end of July. Fuelled by temperatures above 40°C and strong winds, the flames spread extremely rapidly. The area burned by these wildfires has now broken records across Spain and Portugal. A new super rapid scientific analysis by World Weather Attribution (WWA) has found that these hot, dry and windy conditions were made more likely and more intense by human-caused climate change. Dr Clair Barnes, researcher for the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, warns that the “astonishing” size of these fires is a “sign of what is to come” with hotter, drier, more flammable conditions becoming more severe with climate change.

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Health & Safety

Construction safety improving in BC despite high-profile incidents

By Jami Makan
Business in Vancouver
September 3, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada, Canada West

There are fewer injuries and deaths occurring on B.C. construction sites compared to previous years and decades, although much work remains to ensure worker safety. “Struck by’s,” “falls from” and “trips and slips” are among the most common incidents on job sites, and major events like Kelowna’s deadly crane collapse in 2021 highlight the risks that accompany modern construction. Work-related death claims in the construction sector totalled 31 in 2020, 29 in 2021, 54 in 2022, 39 in 2023 and 25 in 2024, according to data provided by WorkSafeBC. …Dave Baspaly, president of the Council of Construction Associations (COCA), which represents all major construction associations in BC said… the industry’s improved safety record is a result of more training, stricter enforcement of WorkSafeBC rules, and a culture of compliance where non-adherence is not tolerated. He emphasizes that proactive measures, like rigorous inspections and coordinated site management, are making construction sites safer.

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Forest Fires

B.C. wildfire closes Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt

By Simon Little
Global News
September 3, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

@BC Wildfire Service

The Coquihalla Highway was closed in both directions between Hope, B.C., and Merritt on Wednesday due to wildfire activity. The BC Wildfire Service said the Mine Creek fire is threatening the highway and that the Ministry of Transportation had closed the route at its recommendation. The fire, which is burning about 44 km northeast of Hope, was last measured at 483 hectares in size, and is classified as out of control. It was first spotted on Monday, and officials believe it was sparked by lightning. The wildfire service has deployed structure protection units to protect critical infrastructure in the area, and is attacking the fire with bombers and helicopters.

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After summer of clear skies, smoke blankets Lower Mainland — with more to come

By Simon Little
Global News
September 3, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

It’s been a summer of blue skies for British Columbia’s Lower Mainland, but that’s changed with a wave of wildfire smoke rolling into the region. The Metro Vancouver Regional District has issued an air quality advisory for Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley due to elevated levels of fine particulate matter causing hazy conditions across the region. At a Wednesday briefing, B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said conditions were expected to worsen, with much of Southern B.C. to be affected in the days to come. “We should expect to see wildfire smoke come south in the days ahead. Weather forecasters are saying that the smoke is going to be a major factor in the next 24 to 72 hours,” Parmar said. “There are already reports of smoke hitting communities. We do expect more smoke to arrive in the central and southern interior tonight or tomorrow, and reach Abbotsford and the coast by Friday.”

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Whistler’s fire danger hits extreme as massive fires rage north of the resort

By Braden Dupuis
Pique News Magazine
September 3, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada West

@BCWildfire Service

The Bastion Peak fire at Lillooet Lake is still listed at 20 hectares, according to an update from the BC Wildfire Service. “The fire was active Sept. 2, with moderate downslope growth and some upslope growth. Moving forward, crews will be working to prevent further growth downslope, and to contain the fire on the flanks where it is safe to do so,” the update reads. “Higher, inaccessible portions of this fire will continue to be active until weather conditions change. Heavy helicopters will continue to bucket on active flanks as required. Heavy equipment has been brought in to open the Green River Forest Service Road – crews will work to keep the fire from crossing this road. To the east there is a burn scar from 2020, which may slow down potential growth in that direction.” The two fires in the Elaho Valley, northwest of Whistler, are being left for now due to terrain.

Related coverage in the Vancouver Sun, by the Canadian Press: Helicopter with B.C. wildfire crew makes forced landing near Pemberton 

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Large wildfire in B.C.’s Cariboo region sparks evacuation order

By Akshay Kulkarni
CBC News
September 2, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada West

An evacuation order has been issued due to a large wildfire in B.C.’s Cariboo region, covering 150 parcels of land and multiple First Nations reserves. The Ulkatcho First Nation and the Cariboo Regional District issued the evacuation order for a swath of properties east of Tweedsmuir Park and just north of Anahim Lake on Tuesday afternoon. Evacuees have been told to head east via Highway 20 and head to Williams Lake, about 320 kilometres northeast of Vancouver as the crow flies. The Beef Trail Creek wildfire covers an area of about 60 square kilometres as of Tuesday night, nearly 15 times the size of Stanley Park in Vancouver. Mikhail Elsay, a fire information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, said the fire’s size is expected to increase in the days ahead amid hot conditions in the Cariboo area.

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Forest History & Archives

From bustling lumber mill to ghost town: New cruise unearths Lake Michigan’s buried history

By Lindsay Moore
Michigan Live
September 4, 2025
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: United States, US East

SAUGATUCK, Michigan — The folklore goes that there’s an entire town buried beneath the sand dunes of Saugatuck, dubbed “Michigan’s Pompeii.” Do you need to see it to believe it? This new cruise through history will lead you back in time, 150 years ago to the day, to when the town of Singapore was no more. The new event, Cruise Through History – A Singapore Ghost Story, will bring passengers along the Kalamazoo River to hear the lumber legend. …The story begins 189 years ago when Singapore was established and the first mill went up three years later. By 1869, sawmills crowded the Kalamazoo River. The town of Singapore boasted a population of several hundred and was looking to become one of the “grand cities of the west.” The bustling lumber town made a name for itself after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, when the Singapore sawmills supplied much of the wood used to rebuild the city. 

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