Sector-specific trade agreements give way to broader negotiations, as Canada and US prepare for mid-January free-trade talks. In related news: Canada invests in Sault Ste. Marie’s port; BC invests to support wood product diversification; Western Forest secures government support for its Chemainus mill; Maine firms get access to $32M in federal grants; Domtar receives air permit in North Carolina; Mercer pursues carbon capture in Alberta; and Suzano expands fluff pulp production Brazil. Meanwhile: US lumber capacity remains flat; and the Softwood Lumber Board generates incremental demand.
In Forestry news: the Rainforest Action Network resigns from Forest Steward Council; a BC judge rules on Stanley Park logging approvals; Alberta considers lifting hunting ban on grizzlies; a US lawsuit challenges change to environmental reviews on public land; and US West leaders express concern over Trump’s wildfire mitigation cuts.
Finally, biologists find a new species of pumpkin toadlet in Brazil’s cloud forests. And Monday is our last news day before the Xmas break.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor