The UN State of the World’s Forests 2024 report says deforestation is slowing, forests are under pressure from climate-related stressors and forest product demand is increasing. In other news: a California sawmill proposal sparks public pushback; US paper and packaging shipments are on the rise; Michigan Tech promotes mass timber construction; and the University of Cambridge celebrates carbon negative housing.

In Forestry/Wildfire news: lightning and record heat fuelled wildfires across the West—resulting in ‘states of emergency‘ and evacuations in British Columbia; Alberta; Oregon, California and Utah. Meanwhile: wildfire smoke looms in Alberta; Ontario’s top forest sector diseases in 2023; forest restoration efforts pay off in Arizona; and a California wildfire burns a carbon offset project area.

Finally, David Elstone opines on wildfire risk and the need to rethink forest conservation.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor