NEWS

Late on August 18, President Trump announced a pause on the 50% tariffs on products from Canada that included hardwood plywood and softwood veneer. The new tariffs, targeting dozens of products, were set to go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Wednesday, August 19. Trump stated that he would pause the tariffs for three days, citing a upcoming deal between the U.S. and Canada.

How long did it take ancient forests to recover from the last period of global warming?

Answer: Ancient forests took 100,000 years to recover from the last period of global warming. Fossils in Wyoming helped scientists piece together what happened. 

PHOTO © JESSICA DAVILA, USFS

A recent article in Mother Jones notes that the northern spotted owl is in trouble again, despite years of federal protection that have come at a high cost to the Northwest timber industry and workers. Now, federal officials are considering killing barred owls, which are outcompeting the spotted owls. Expect infighting and strange bedfellows in this debate.

Invasive insects, drought, and disease are the "stacked stressors" killing Wisconsin's oak trees. Many oak trees are declining or dying because of spongy moth infestations and drought. Tornadoes and violent storms have compounded the problem, damaging thousands of trees and making them more vulnerable to deadly oak wilt.

Eagle Woodworking surveyed 500 U.S. construction and trades professionals, a mix of contractors, tradespeople, project managers, and builders, to understand where the skilled-labor shortage is hitting hardest and what it's doing to the work. At the top of the list are carpenters and woodworkers. The consequence is a decline in the quality of the work.