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USDA Tailors Grants for Certain “At Risk” Mills on Federal Land
Breaking News. NHLA has received a Breaking News Alert from the Hardwood Federation. On November 17, USDA announced that it would allocate $12.5 million in grants to assist, among others, certain facilities that purchase and process byproducts from restoration projects taking place on federal land. The agency makes clear that it is restricting eligibility to […]
Thanksgiving is Inflation’s Latest Victim
You’ll have to dig a little deeper in your pockets for the holidays this year. The average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving meal for ten is $64.05, up from the 2021 average of $53.31. The American Farm Bureau Federation has released its yearly survey on the cost of Thanksgiving and found that the price of […]
Rail Service Act and Year-End Tax Breaks
Here’s the latest from our friends at the Hardwood Federation. Wisconsin Senator Introduces Reliable Rail Service Act On September 27, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Reliable Rail Service Act, a bill to help untangle supply chain bottlenecks plaguing the hardwood industry and other shippers around the country. The bill aims to codify requirements […]
Prepare to Pay More for Your Christmas Tree This Year
The Real Christmas Tree Board reports that the cost of live Christmas trees will increase this year due to inflation. Like many agriculture businesses, tree farms face skyrocketing production costs, including paying more for labor, shipping, fuel, seed, and fertilizer. In August, the Real Christmas Tree Board polled 55 wholesale growers of Christmas trees, who […]
Bipartisan Senate Posse Pushes Ag Exports
Here’s the latest from the Hardwood Federation… Bipartisan Senate Posse Pushes Ag Exports On September 23, Senators Angus King (I-ME), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports (CREAATE) Act of 2022, which would double funding for USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP) […]
Negotiators Derail a Major Transportation Strike
Here’s the latest “Cheat Sheet” from our friends at the Hardwood Federation. Negotiators Derail Threat of Major Transportation Strike On the heels of yet another unsettling inflation report released on Tuesday, the hardwood sector and broader business community dodged a bullet Wednesday night when railway carriers and unions reached a tentative labor deal, avoiding a […]
China Tariffs, Budget Plans From Congress, and Old Growth Forests
Here’s the latest update from our friends at the Hardwood Federation. USTR Extends China Tariffs Pending More Review On September 2, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that Section 301 tariffs on China would continue, pending further review of the trade sanctions, which cover various types of flooring, plywood, and mouldings. In May 2022, […]
Earn CFE Credits With NHLA Inspector Training School!
Great news! The National Hardwood Lumber Association is working in partnership with the Society of American Foresters (SAF) to offer students of the NHLA Inspector Training School an opportunity to earn Continuing Forestry Education (CFE) credits. CFE is a mainstay of SAF’s Certified Forester (CF) program, the most established forester credentialing program in the world. […]
Improve Your Accuracy – Empower Your Lumber Inspector and CREW!
By: Dana Spessert, NHLA Chief inspector Knowledge is Power. Hardwood Lumber Inspectors have a significant responsibility in grading hardwood lumber. They must not only determine the grade but also ensure that all limitations are not exceeded. This month I would like to point out some areas that can improve the lumber inspector’s accuracy and the […]
Inflation Reduction Act Moves Forward
The latest update from our friends at the Hardwood Federation focuses on the “Inflation Reduction Act.” On Sunday, Senate Democrats passed the newly named Inflation Reduction Act by a vote of 51-50, with Vice-President Harris serving as the tie-breaking vote. While numerous amendments were offered by Republican Senators in a process known as “vote a […]
How the “Inflation Reduction Act” Affects the Hardwood Lumber Industry
The latest update from our friends at the Hardwood Federation focuses on the “Inflation Reduction Act” While the House has been on recess this week, Democratic senators have been racing to pass the latest version of the “Build Back Better” agenda along party lines, this time in the form of $485 billion in new spending […]
Congress to Break in August
U.S. Representatives and Senators will be in their home states for the traditional August recess break, starting next week through Labor Day. If you see your federal officials at a public or private event, here are four key messages you can deliver to support the Hardwood Federation’s efforts at the federal level: Grow Markets for […]
House Lawmakers Pivot to FY 2023 Spending Bills
Our friends at the Hardwood Federation have an update for us on Spending Bills for 2023. The legislative “sausage making” process kicks into high gear when Congress exercises its “powers of the purse.” During the annual “appropriations” process, federal lawmakers carry out their most basic duty, which is to fund the annual budgets of the […]
Ocean Shipping Reform Bill Crosses the Finish Line
Our friends at the Hardwood Federation just released the following breaking news. Less than one year after having introduced the “Ocean Shipping Reform Act” (OSRA), on Monday night Congress passed important legislation that will address export bottlenecks at our nation’s ports, handing a victory to the hardwood industry, which has sent nearly 200 letters to […]
Rules Corner Clarification on Side Bend
– Dana Spessert, NHLA Chief Inspector This month, I would like to take the opportunity to discuss an all too recurring subject: SIDE BEND. Side bend is mainly created by poor sawing practices and logs with growth stresses. The drying process aggravates side bend through shrinkage at different rates within the boards. When sawing a […]
NHLA Board of Managers Announces Appointment of Executive Director
The Board of Managers of the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dallin Brooks as the organization’s Executive Director. Since June of last year, the Search Committee has been on a quest to find the right Executive Director to help NHLA reach its full potential. “With the help of […]
Rules Corner
The 2023 version of the NHLA Rules Book with the Rules changes that were voted on in November of 2021 will be produced later this year and distributed to our members before the end of 2022. The approved 2023 Rules changes were listed and discussed in last month’s Rules Corner, but this month I want […]
Graduation of the 197th Class at NHLA Inspector Training School
The National Hardwood Lumber Association celebrated the graduation of the 197th class of the Inspector Training School on March 4, 2022. Twelve students received the certificate of completion. Dana Spessert, NHLA Chief Inspector and ITS Dean of Education, welcomed and thanked the families, friends, and employers who supported the students during their time away from […]
Quick updates from the Hardwood Federation!
The Hardwood Federation sent us some quick updates on what they are doing to advocate for you. Check it out! What’s Congress up to this week? Congress has left Washington and gone home for a week-long “work period” in the various states. Unfinished business includes finalizing spending bills to fund all the federal agencies for […]
The Rules Ballots Have Been Counted and the Results are in!
Every four years, NHLA accepts proposals for changing the NHLA Hardwood Lumber Grading Rules. Step one of the process; the NHLA Rules Committee meets to discuss all proposals and decides which proposals to put forward to the membership. Step two; the membership then has the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the proposals at the […]