by Working Forest | Apr 6, 2026 | Construction, Markets And Economics, News
The spring homebuying season is the year’s most important window for lumber demand — and the 2026 edition is already under pressure. Mortgage rates climbed to a six-month high of 6.38 percent in the week ending March 27, driven by the Iran war’s...
by Working Forest | Apr 5, 2026 | News, Markets And Economics, Trade And Policy
The forest products industry was already navigating tariff headwinds and soft demand when the world changed on February 28, 2026. US-led military strikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury triggered the swift near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz — and with it, the...
by Working Forest | Apr 5, 2026 | News, Construction, First Nations
The Bay Mills Indian Community has secured $50,000 in state funding to begin planning a mass timber long-term care facility in Brimley, Michigan — becoming the only Upper Peninsula project selected in the inaugural cohort of Michigan’s new Mass Timber Catalyst...
by Working Forest | Mar 29, 2026 | News, Construction, Trade And Policy
New Hampshire lawmakers are advancing a bill that would require state-funded construction projects to specify American-sourced lumber — putting New Hampshire lumber producers ahead of Canadian competitors when the state builds. Senate Bill 529, which passed the Senate...
by Working Forest | Mar 29, 2026 | News, Mill Operations, Trade And Policy
The federal government is placing a $115.2 million bet on timber production as the solution to two converging crises: a shortage of domestic sawmill capacity and a surge in catastrophic wildfires on national forest lands. On March 23, 2026, the USDA announced...
by Working Forest | Mar 29, 2026 | News, Sustainability And Carbon, Trade And Policy
A conservation easement covering more than 22,000 acres of Idaho timberland between Mount Spokane and Spirit Lake has permanently barred the land from residential and commercial development — while keeping the saws running. The deal, announced in late March 2026, is...
