At 32 storeys, North America’s tallest mass timber building is coming to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2024. In related news: the aesthetic and architectural appeal of wood; and a mass timber design course for manufacturing and assembly. In Business news: US Senators blame conservation plan for Hampton sawmill closure; US building material prices tick up at year-end after plummeting in 2023; and Fastmarkets predictions for housing and lumber in 2024.

In forestry news: the Council of Canadians takes aim at BC forest laws; Quebec is urged to publish its caribou protection plan; Oregon State University says short rotations maximize carbon storage; and ENGOs file lawsuit against logging and thinning plans in Montana. Meanwhile: an NRCan researcher says Canada should be on high alert for the 2024 wildfire season, and insurance lessons abound courtesy of a 20-year old BC Okanagan fire.

Finally, building guitars from old window frames, barns and river bottom logs.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor