Although the US-China trade war has the Globe and Mail’s Barrie McKenna seeing good and bad; global trade of softwood lumber is reported at an all-time-high; and US consumption is forecast to reach record-highs by 2030. Interestingly, non-residential construction is forecast to grow at the fastest rate; Ontario’s tall wood bill is back on the table; and Portland is considering CLT for its International Airport expansion.

The US Congress passed a Bill that includes a major overhaul for wildfire funding. The massive spending Bill also revives funding for rural communities whose economies relied on federal timber harvesting; and upholds protections for the Tongass National Forest.

Finally: the neutrality of wood pellets; the carbon benefits of forest management; the impact of climate change on forests; the carbon footprint of paper; and how many trees does it take to cool the planet?

–Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog Editor