Wood Fiber Users Maintain Production with Cautious Optimism in Q1

Wood Fiber Users Maintain Production with Cautious Optimism in Q1 ATHENS, GEORGIA – March 19, 2026 – The Forisk Wood Fiber Review (FWFR) reports flat U.S. weighted average pricing for roundwood and chips (combined) in Q1 2026, down 5% from Q1 2025. The same prices in Canada were up 1% for the quarter and down 1% year-over-year. Softwood roundwood prices were flat or up slightly in all U.S. regions as buyers resumed production following a slow Q4. Residual chip prices were flat or slightly down in most U.S. regions with reduced demand following 2025 pulp mill closures. British Columbia softwood roundwood prices fell 4% in Q1 due to increased chip availability, allowing buyers to be more selective. Hardwood roundwood prices were flat in E. Ontario/Quebec. Delivered softwood chip prices were up 4% in BC as pulp mills started rebuilding inventories. Alberta and E. Ontario/Quebec saw flat chip pricing in Q1. According to Chris King, Product Manager of the FWFR, “Following the closure of Domtar’s Crofton mill and several ongoing curtailments, many expect barged BC chip imports from the U.S. to slow this year as the region adapts to reduced demand.” U.S. softwood roundwood prices rose 1% in the U.S. Southeast and Northeast in Q1 after both regions saw a decrease in Q4 2025. Prices rose 2% in the South Central region with renewed annual contracts and were flat in other regions. Softwood residual chip prices were down 2% in the Southeast and Northeast, down 1% in the Northwest, up 1% in South Central, and flat in the Lake States. Hardwood roundwood prices were up 5% in the Southeast and down 3% in the South Central region, both reversing Q4 directions. All other regions were flat. Hardwood residual chip prices were down 1% and 2% in the Northeast and Southeast, respectively, and flat in other regions. Brooks Mendell, CEO of Forisk Consulting, commented on PNW markets, “Regulations related to housing, immigration, zoning, tariffs, and permitting inject uncertainty and instability into housing markets, reducing demand for building products and, as a result, affecting log markets.” Many reported a “cautious optimism” in Q1, but markets still face these challenges along with potential impacts from the U.S./Iran conflict. Wood fiber costs account for over half of total pulp manufacturing costs worldwide. The Forisk Wood Fiber Review includes prices and market commentary for all major North American regions, providing essential data for anyone that needs to track pulpwood, wood chips, and biomass prices in the world’s largest and most dynamic wood fiber markets. The FWFR provides updates on softwood and hardwood prices for major markets in North America. Prices are reported for wood delivered to consuming plants as a range and average. Each report also updates U.S. and Canada trade statistics for lumber, logs, wood pellets, wood chips and pulp. For more information or to subscribe to the Forisk Wood Fiber Review, contact: Nick DiLuzio, ndiluzio@forisk.com, 770-725-8447.  About Forisk Consulting: Forisk delivers forecasts and analysis of forest industry markets and timberland investments. Firms participate in Forisk’s research program by subscribing to the Forisk Research Quarterly (FRQ), Forisk Wood Fiber Review, or the North American Forest Industry Capacity Database; supporting benchmarking studies related to forest operations and mill capacities; and attending educational workshops.   Forisk Consulting | www.forisk.com

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Last Chance: Save $75 on Applied Forest Finance Class!

Join Us Live and Learn from the Best - Early Bird Pricing Ends Tomorrow at 11:59 PM!

Early-Bird Discount Ends Tomorrow for  Forisk's Applied Forest Finance Class! Class Held via Live Webinar on March 31, 2026 Register Online! Taught Once Per Year Forisk's Applied Forest Finance Class, taught by Brooks Mendell, details the step-by-step financial analysis required to answer key investment and forest management questions. Attendees will learn how to identify, value, and rank timber and forestry investments. Attendees will receive a digital copy of the Forest Finance Simplified and the Aunt Fanny Learns Forestry book, as well as electronic course materials. Attendees will also receive Excel models for reinforcing and applying the concepts learned during the course. This class is held via live webinar, and the recording will be made available to registered attendees afterwards. Discounts Register by TOMORROW, March 17th, to get the early registration discount and save $75! The discounted rate is available until 11:59pm eastern time. Firms that subscribe to Forisk's research receive an additional 10% discount on their employees' registration fees. This includes the FRQ, the Wood Fiber Review, and the Mill Capacity Database. College students are also eligible to receive a 10% discount. Email Jessica Hood for the subscriber promo code BEFORE registering online! Continuing Ed Credit Attendees can earn 6.0 CE hours for the following: CFE (Forestry) GA CLE / MTH (Logger / Georgia Master Timber Harvester) GA Real Estate/Appraisal Those wishing to receive CE credits in other states or with other agencies will receive a certificate of completion so they can apply to receive reciprocal credits of their choosing. The webinar will be recorded for online viewing afterwards, however we can only offer CE credits to the people who attend the live event. Key Topics in this Course  Common mistakes and how to correct them Financial criteria: ranking investment options Discount rates: estimating risk Testing for how forest carbon affects management and returns Marginal analysis: when does forest management pay? Case study: when do we clearcut for pulpwood versus manage for sawtimber? Case study: maximizing financial returns from existing stands Click here to view the full agenda

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Forisk Research Release: Mill Closings Outpace Openings in North America

North American Mill Project Updates, Q1 2026

Forisk Research Release, March 2026 Mill Closings Outpace Openings in North America Each quarter, Forisk Consulting compiles data on mill activity through its ongoing tracking of wood-using facilities as part of Forisk’s North American Mill Capacity Database, a database of over 2,350 wood-using mills in North America. Mill updates are published in each quarter in the Forisk Research Quarterly (FRQ). This release provides a summary of mill investment activity from the 2026 Q1 edition of the FRQ.   Industry Closures Outpace Openings in Late 2025 – Early 2026 Southern U.S. sawmill closures in late 2025 included IndusTREE’s sawmill in Alexander City, AL; Mackeys Ferry Sawmill in Roper, NC; West Fraser in Augusta, GA; and Domtar in Glenwood, AR. Harrigan Lumber in Monroeville, AL and Interfor in Dequincy, LA also reduced production in late 2025. The Twin Mill Pallet mill started in January 2026 in Maysville, GA. Sawmill capacity reductions in Western Canada included the closures of Western FP Chemainus and West Fraser 100 Mile House and declines from Sinclar Group and Interfor. Closures in Eastern Canada included Interfor Ear Falls and Domtar Outardes, with GreenFirst Forest Products also idling. Canadian pulp mill closures continued in late 2025 as White Birch Papers confirmed the permanent closure of its F.F. Soucy mill in Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec. The mill, which specialized in newsprint production, idled in mid-2025. Domtar Crofton in British Columbia closed permanently in December 2025 citing poor pricing for pulp and lack of access to affordable fiber in British Columbia. In the structural panels sector, Roseburg closed the Weed, California veneer plant and announced that the company would consolidate production at the recently upgraded Oregon facilities. Arbec indefinitely idled the OSB mill in Amos, Quebec. West Fraser announced that it would indefinitely curtail the OSB mill in High Level, Alberta in the spring of 2026. West Fraser also stated that the OSB production line idled in Cordele, Georgia in 2023 would remain so indefinitely.   Steves & Sons is commissioning the door skin plant in Athens, GA as of February 2026. Mergers and Strategic Acquisitions Rayonier and PotlatchDeltic merged at the end of January 2026. The company will trade initially as Rayonier with the final name to be decided later in Q1 2026. The merger includes seven PotlatchDeltic plants, such as sawmills in Warren, Ola, and Waldo, AR.   Chinook Forest Partners closed on the purchase of South Coast Lumber, which included a sawmill, a veneer plant, and a plywood facility in Brookings, OR.   International Paper completed the sale of its Global Cellulose Fibers business to American Industrial Partners (AIP) in January 2026. The sale included Port Wentworth, GA; Riegelwood, NC; Columbus, MS; Oglethorpe, GA; Franklin, VA; and New Bern, NC in the U.S. South and Grande Prairie, AB in Canada. International Paper also announced that it will spin off a publicly traded company for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa business over the next 12-15 months. International Paper will include only the North American business once the spinoff is complete. New Investments and Projects on the Horizon PCA announced that it will shut down the No. 2 paper machine and kraft pulping facilities at the Wallula, Washington mill by the end of Q1 2026. It will continue to operate its No. 3 paper machine and recycled pulping facilities.   Hampton Affiliates broke ground on the Fairfax, SC mill in November 2025. The company plans to commission the mill at the end of 2026 and start operating in early 2027. The owner of Dupont Pine Products plans to restart the former Hood sawmill in Metcalfe, GA at a lower capacity than the original mill. Two new OSB mills are scheduled for completion this year (2026) in the Southern U.S. Huber Shuqualak in Mississippi is hiring and should be running by Q2 or Q3. Kronospan Eastaboga also plans to startup this year in Alabama. The new OSB mill planned by Peak Renewables for Enterprise, Alabama is on hold.   Atlas Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper will discontinue newsprint operations in Ontario in Q1 2026. The mill will operate as a single-line softwood kraft mill afterwards. Domtar plans to close the Ignace sawmill in Ontario in early 2026. About the Mill Capacity Database: Forisk’s North American Mill Capacity Database provides forest industry stakeholders with detailed capacity, ownership, and wood-use data for wood-using mills across North America. The database supports strategic planning, competitive benchmarking, investment analysis, and supply chain assessment. For more information, visit www.forisk.com or contact Nick DiLuzio at ndiluzio@forisk.com.   Forisk Consulting | www.forisk.com

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Don’t Miss the Early Bird Rate for Applied Forest Finance Class

Discount Ends Next Week

Forisk's Applied Forest Finance Class  is in 3 Weeks! No travel required! Class held via live webinar on March 31, 2026. Early registration discount ends next Tuesday! Registration closes on March 30th. Register Online What is Forest Finance? Forest finance is the language and analysis of managing forest resources as investments. In forestry, financial analysis supports investment decisions such as the optimal rotation, silvicultural strategies, and the buying and selling of timberlands. Forisk's Applied Forest Finance Class class details the step-by-step financial analysis required to answer key investment and forest management questions. Attendees will receive electronic course materials and digital copies of the Forest Finance Simplified book and the Aunt Fanny Learns Forestry book. Can't attend live? No problem! We'll send the recording to all registered students afterwards. Key Topics in this Course  Common mistakes and how to correct them Financial criteria: ranking investment options Discount rates: estimating risk Testing for how forest carbon affects management and returns Marginal analysis: when does forest management pay? Case study: when do we clearcut for pulpwood versus manage for sawtimber? Case study: maximizing financial returns from existing stands Click here to view the full agenda. Register by next Tuesday, March 17th, to save $75 with the early registration discount! Continuing Ed Credit This class qualifies for 6.0 continuing education hours for CFE (Forestry), Georgia CLE / MTH (Logger / Georgia Master Timber Harvester), and Georgia Real Estate/Appraisal. Please Note: This event will be recorded for online viewing afterwards, however we can only offer Continuing Education Credits to the people who attend the live webinar. Subscriber Discount Organizations that subscribe to Forisk's research products receive a 10% discount on their employees' registration fees. This includes the FRQ, the Wood Fiber Review, and the Mill Capacity Database. College students also receive 10% off. Email Jessica at jhood@forisk.com for the promo code BEFORE registering online!

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