FLA Protecting Your Property Rights With Comments on USFWS Experimental Populations Proposed Rule
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FLA Protecting Your Property Rights With Comments on USFWS Experimental Populations Proposed Rule

ByMichelle Cain

UPDATE: On July 3, 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the finalized rule on experimental populations. The final rule revises the regulations concerning experimental populations of endangered and threatened species under the Endangered Species Act by allowing for the introduction of populations into habitats outside of their historical range. The Service did little…

The Impact of President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Proposal on Private Forest Landowners
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The Impact of President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Proposal on Private Forest Landowners

ByMichelle Cain

President Biden recently released his $5.8 trillion fiscal year 2023 (FY23) budget proposal, which he plans to fund through tax hikes that may impact private forest landowners. The budget proposal relies heavily on an annual 20% tax on taxpayers with income and assets exceeding $100 million. While the tax is being dubbed as a “billionaires…

Every Day is Earth Day for Private Forest Landowners
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Every Day is Earth Day for Private Forest Landowners

ByMichelle Cain

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 22, 2022 Private forests provide clean air, clean water and essential wildlife habitat Carrolton, GA – It’s Earth Day, which means it’s time to thank a private forest landowner. America’s forest landowners are working behind the scenes managing their forests not only for wood supply but to provide clean drinking water, remove…

Agencies Propose New Tool to Measure Conservation in America
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Agencies Propose New Tool to Measure Conservation in America

ByMichelle Cain

In 2021, the Biden administration proposed a hefty goal of conserving 30% of America’s land and water by 2030 (called the “30 by 30” initiative, and later the America the Beautiful Initiative). With over half of forestland in the U.S. being privately owned, landowners worried what this goal might mean for their working forests. Earlier…

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FLA Continues Push for Flexible Forest Management in Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Rule

ByMichelle Cain

In 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced its proposal to change the status of the red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) from “endangered” to “threatened.” The bird had been listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) since its passage in 1973. The 4(d) rule associated with the downlisting included many caveats that…

Best Management Practices Recognized in Alligator Snapping Turtle Proposed Listing
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Best Management Practices Recognized in Alligator Snapping Turtle Proposed Listing

ByAmy Palmer

Update: On June 27, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a final rule designating the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle as threatened with a tailored 4(d) rule. The 4(d) rule removed the proposed exceptions for incidental take resulting from construction and maintenance near and in streams, and pesticide and herbicide use. However, the rule retained…

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FLA Applauds U.S. Commerce Department Trade Enforcement Resulting in Greater Economic Stability for FLA’s Timber Growing Members

ByAmy Palmer

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…

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Muddied Waters, as EPA Moves to Revert to Restrictive Pre-2015 WOTUS Definition

ByAmy Palmer

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…

Applying Maximum Pressure to Safeguard Key Tax Provisions
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Applying Maximum Pressure to Safeguard Key Tax Provisions

ByAmy Palmer

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…

U.S. Labor Shortage Cause Ripple Effect with Seasonal H-2B Forestry Workers
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U.S. Labor Shortage Cause Ripple Effect with Seasonal H-2B Forestry Workers

ByAmy Palmer

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…