The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (the Service) is proposing to list the alligator snapping turtle as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act with a Section 4(d) rule to tailor “take” prohibitions. This proposal is one of many recently proposed species listings that provide exceptions in the 4(d) rule for forest management activities…
On November 24, 2021, the United States Department of Commerce announced anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber producers, by doubling tariffs to 17.9% on their imports, more than twice the previously imposed rate of 8.9%. The actions were the final determination in the second administrative review of softwood lumber imports from Canada. The…
After years of muddied waters, the Trump Administration’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule, offered clarity and definition of what a “navigable water” is to the issue of Waters of the United States (WOTUS) and the Clean Water Act (CWA), brought relief to forest landowners, farmers, small businesses and others. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and…
Family-owned and operated businesses face several challenges when transitioning to the next generation of ownership, including navigating the tax code. As recent jobs reports indicate, the economy remains on delicate footing, and at a time when many families and private forestry businesses are still struggling with disaster recovery and flat stumpage prices, several proposals put…
Due to nationwide labor shortages in all workforces, the cap on H-2B temporary labor visas was reached on September 30, marking it the earliest point in time that the first half H-2B cap has ever been reached in program history. In response, FLA joined other forestry stakeholders in sending a letter to the Department of…
In 1952, Puerto Rico became an official part of the U.S., the “Today” show debuted on NBC and the cost of forestry practices in the south was first reported by Albert C. Worrell. That first report called “What does it Cost to Practice Forestry in the South?” was the first published (1953) survey of its…
After months of gridlock, late last Friday Congress passed the bipartisan $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes $555 billion in new funding for mostly “traditional” infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.). However, the term “forest” is mentioned almost 200 times in the bill, making one thing clear – both parties agree that trees are…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced a Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Program, which would serve to expand the use of climate-smart farming and forestry practices and aid markets for forest- or agriculture-sequestered carbon. In our comments to USDA, FLA emphasized, “The climate mitigation benefits of a privately managed forest begin with the…
In an effort to reverse many Trump-era decisions regarding the Endangered Species Act (ESA), President Biden on his first day in office issued an executive order directing the USFWS to revise, rescind, or reinstate five major ESA regulations issued by the Trump administration. As a result of the Executive Order, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife…
Communication and collaboration between private forest landowners and land management agencies are key to produce policies and regulations that work for all parties and minimize unintended consequences. The Forest Landowners Association (FLA) strives to bridge the knowledge gap between landowners and administrative agencies through our Timber Talk program, which brings agency staff, landowners, and other…