EDITOR’S MESSAGE
Dear Readers,
It’s been a while. Too long in fact. After a longer-than-planned pause since early April, the Forest Business Network newsletter is 100% back in action and now officially called Forest Business News.
(As is custom in our newsletter, be sure to scroll down the page to see all the week’s news in all its glory — in the categories that matter to you.)
For our 25th anniversary, we felt the need to use this pause to shake things up. A lot has happened in the forest products world while we’ve been quiet. However, we’ve been busy behind the scenes making sure this newsletter returns stronger, sharper, and more connected than before.
The big news: we’ve moved to Substack.
It’s a new home and a real upgrade for our community. We’re now hosting the newsletter on Substack so we can provide:
A direct line to you in more places. Find the newsletter in…
your email inbox,
your Substack feed, and/or
linked to from our social media channels each week.
Easy sharing. Love an issue? Forward it or share it with a click. The more people in our network, the stronger the forest community and the better our forest economy.
Comments and conversation. You can now reply, comment, and be part of the discussion right alongside the newsletter.
A full archive. Every past and future issue lives in one searchable place, so you can catch up anytime and easily explore news and topics that interest you.
A fresh start. Our rhythm returns now with news, insights, opportunities, ideas, and stories from across the forest products supply chain.
Thank you for sticking with us through the silence. Your patience means everything, and we can’t wait to get back to work for you. Here’s to new beginnings, and to the forests and businesses that sustain us all.
See you in your inbox, and now... so many other places online.
C. Craig Rawlings
Editor, Forest Business News
Chairman, International Mass Timber Conference
Connect with me on LinkedIn
See me at the International Mass Timber Conference
SPONSOR OF THE WEEK
Mass Timber's Biggest Gathering Returns March 16–19
The International Mass Timber Conference & Expo returns to the Oregon Convention Center March 16–19, 2027 — and this year, the show is bigger! The event has expanded to a full four days, with more time on the expo floor, more sessions, and more opportunities to connect with the 3,000+ professionals who attend from across the forest, manufacturing, design, development, and construction industries.
New for 2027:
The Tech Hub, an immersive new feature in the Exhibit Hall where leading technology providers showcase the tools, software, and innovations driving the industry forward.
Free Boot Camp, the Mass Timber Boot Camp (your 101 training) is now included with a Full or Wednesday-Only pass at no extra cost.
Tours for everyone, Mass Timber Building Tour tickets can now be purchased on their own, no attendee pass required.
A new mobile app, landing this fall, build your agenda and connect with fellow attendees and exhibitors immediately after download!
FEATURED ARTICLE
HUD’s 24-month mass timber modular project goes after the cost driver: shipping the modules
HUD is funding a 24-month Washington State University project to redesign modular housing modules around transport and fast site assembly. Shipping is the design constraint.
A 2023 Journal of Building Engineering review of 2009–2021 modular CLT projects suggests faster construction timelines, but logistics choices still decide feasibility.
LEARN MORE
BIOMASS
UMaine researchers turn wood into eco-friendly cooler foam
LEARN MORE
U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities awards $5.5M to accelerate wood fiber market
LEARN MORE
Dakota Biochar converts slash piles into biochar for farms while keeping a fire truck on standby
LEARN MORE
Biochar offers new path for Helene recovery
LEARN MORE
State of Vermont issues waiver for Finch wood
LEARN MORE
EMPLOYMENT
Regional Director
Nashville, TN Metro Area
LEARN MORE
Forester 2
Missoula, Montana
LEARN MORE
Looking to Hire?
Submit your request to post a free forest industry employment listing.
EVENTS
AWC NFPA 241: Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations
September 24 | Webinar
LEARN MORE
2026 Timber Market Analysis Class
September 30 | Webinar
LEARN MORE
2026 North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAWLA) Traders Market
November 4–6 | Anaheim, CA
LEARN MORE
North American Biochar Conference
November 16–18 | New Orleans, LA
LEARN MORE
International Mass Timber Conference & Expo
March 16–19, 2027 (Tuesday thru Friday) | Portland, Oregon • USA
LEARN MORE
Promote Your Event
Submit your request to post a free forest industry event listing.
FORESTRY
From the Rolling Stones to the Tree Farm: An Incredible movie and Journey of Chuck Leavell
LEARN MORE
Stimson Completes Final Montana Easement, Placing Entire Timber Base Under Conservation Protection
LEARN MORE
A factory dumped 12,000 tonnes of orange peels in a forest; 15 years later, scientists found something unexpected
LEARN MORE
RBC Purchases Carbon Credits from Chestnut Improved Forest Management Project
LEARN MORE
U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities launches Forest Catalyst Network
LEARN MORE
J Shar Timber Harvesting brings tethered logging to Western Montana
LEARN MORE
MARKETS
Lignin resin delivers flame retardancy without formaldehyde
LEARN MORE
Strong by Form’s Timber Slab Matches Steel at 80% Less Weight
LEARN MORE
Forest Business Accelerator selects 2026 cohort of forest economy innovators
LEARN MORE
MASS TIMBER
Data centers are eating up steel. Developers are now looking at timber
LEARN MORE
HUD’s 24-month mass timber modular project goes after the cost driver: shipping the modules
LEARN MORE
DLR Group–designed mass timber student housing project nears completion in Ohio
LEARN MORE
See how mass timber could help Canada build its way out of a housing crisis
LEARN MORE
Locally Densified Timber Strengthens CLT With Wood
LEARN MORE
Toronto’s Wood Tower Nears Top-Out Without a Single Weld
LEARN MORE
Stefano Boeri Architetti Wins Competition for Timber Affordable Housing in Ibiza
LEARN MORE
Researchers identify mass timber solution to Canada’s housing crunch
LEARN MORE
Mortenson Advances Mass Timber Construction With Zero-Carbon University Facility
LEARN MORE
MILL NEWS
Major expansion of Ashland, Maine sawmill announced
LEARN MORE
Lumber company invests $7.4M to reopen Virginia sawmill
LEARN MORE
Colorado’s largest sawmill may close
LEARN MORE
Sawmill revival aims to reduce wildfire risk in Sierra Nevada
LEARN MORE
St. Regis, Montana mill featured in series about forest management
LEARN MORE
U.S. sawmill expansions emerge
LEARN MORE
WOOD CONSTRUCTION
No Wood Construction news at this time
WOOD PELLETS
New Brunswick coal-fired generating station switching to wood pellets
LEARN MORE
2 pellet mill plants offered for sale in Missouri
LEARN MORE
USDA: US wood pellet exports top 1.08 million metric tons in July
LEARN MORE