Canadian shippers fear a strike by railworkers that would halt freight traffic and clog ports. In related news: Wisconsin’s Besse Forest Products closes permanently; pushback on Georgia’s Telfair Forest Products expansion plan; and Boise Cascade and BlueLinx report positive earnings. Meanwhile: the Softwood Lumber Board announced new funding for mass timber; FSC expressed concern over bamboo supply chains; Paper Excellence appointed Luc Theriault President of Wood Products; and lumber dealer leader Walter Foxworth died August 2 at 89.

In Wildfire news: a firefighter died fighting the Jasper Alberta wildfire, as evacuees get first look at damage; two perspectives on Park fires and who/what’s to blame; boreal forests said to emit carbon long after they burn; and wildfire updates from Manning Park and Princeton, BC; Alberta, Washington, Oregon, and California. Meanwhile: ENGOs push New Brunswick to triple protected areas; and an Oregon study may help northern forests weather climate change.

Finally, wildfire smoke could interfere with the safety of surgeries, a new US study warns.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor