After nearly half century, Earth Day (this Sunday)—celebrated by more than 192 countries—is considered the world’s largest secular holiday. In related news: the USDA says urban America is losing 36 million trees a year; and the New York Times features the importance of intact forest landscapes in the Amazon.

Companies in the news include:

• West Fraser CEO Ted Seraphim to retire in 2019, Ray Ferris to take the helm
• Pinnacle pellets secures longterm contract with a Japanese conglomerate
• Unifor calls for federal action on behalf of five Canadian paper mills
• Corner Brook Pulp and Paper re: US tariffs and changing contractors

In Wood Product news: a manufacturing glitch is blamed for the CLT panel failure in Oregon; a six-storey wood frame construction fire burns in Saskatchewan; and the University of Northern BC is recognized for heating its building with wood pellets.  

Finally, Penn State forestry and nursing students team up for a real-world forest trauma exercise.

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor