The latest news related to the economic interests of family forest landowners and their unique natural resource assets.
National Forest Products Week 2018
During National Forest Products Week, FLA recognizes that challenges remain for the family forest landowners who supply the resources that we celebrate this week. We examine the issues that our members face in today’s economy.
ESA Bills Move in Congress; RCW 5 Year Assessment Underway
On September 27, 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on nine bills that would amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Four of those bills were voted to the House floor for consideration.
FLA Submits Comments on Administration’s Proposed Regulatory Rollback
On September 25, FLA submitted technical comments to the Federal Register providing the private forest landowner perspective on three proposed rules that would modify several current regulations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). FLA urges the Trump Administration to consider a stricter stance toward the USFWS’s ability to designate critical habitats, which have been shown to infringe upon private property rights.
Weyerhaeuser vs USFWS: Private Property, the ESA, and the Supreme Court
The security of private property rights has been a guiding principle for the work of the Forest Landowners Association since our formation in 1941. FLA is deeply troubled by the potential outcome of the Weyerhaeuser Company vs US Fish and Wildlife Service case, which heard oral arguments in front of the Supreme Court on October 1st, 2018.
Narrative Gone Wrong: 3 Myths that Reveal the Inaccurate Story About America’s Family Forests
Until the popular narrative disseminated from the NWOS and its summary reports tells the story of America’s true forest stewards, policy will continue to prescribe solutions to the wrong problems. We break down a few of the alarming facts originating from the NWOS and begin to offer a more accurate representation of family forest landowners.
Supreme Court Set to Hear Landmark Case on Designation of Critical Habitat
The Supreme Court is set to review the extent of the Services’ authority to designate critical habitat in Weyerhaeuser Co. v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a timber company’s challenge to the FWS.
Ambitious Effort to Overhaul ESA
Congress tackling ambitious effort to overhaul the Endangered Species Act (ESA) July has been a busy month for the reform of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Nine separate bills were introduced by House Western Caucus lawmakers aimed at restoring common...
Assessment of 100 Safe Harbor Agreements Highlights Flaws; Suggests Changes Could Yield Greater Success
Regulations under the Endangered Species Act often yield unintended consequences – penalizing good stewards of the land who provide quality habitat by restricting what they can and cannot do on their land. Since 1995, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has...
Significant changes to ESA regulations proposed
The proposed regulations announced on July 19 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) respond to the Trump Administration’s directive to improve the clarity and efficiency of existing regulatory...
Energized and Optimistic, FLA Conference Was Off the Charts!
Forestry’s only family business conference proved to be another success More than 350 family forest stakeholders came out of the woods, exited their offices, and left their university campuses to learn, engage and celebrate the heritage, stewardship, and...
2018 Family Forest Business Conference Draws More Than 325 Stakeholders
More than 325 family forest landowners from twenty-one states across the country will gather at this year's FLA Family Forest Business conference at the Ritz Carlton at Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Georgia. With a five-star host resort amid the vast Georgia...
Trump May Repeal an Endangered Species Act Rule That’s Punished Landowners For Decades
The Daily Caller |2:16 PM 04/05/2018 Michael Bastasch | Contributor The Trump administration proposed repealing a decades-old Endangered Species Act (ESA) policy that critics say undermines congressional intent and offers landowners no incentive to aid in...
Significant ESA Rollbacks in Motion
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has submitted two proposed rules of keen interest to forest landowners. The proposed rules, if implemented, will significantly change USFWS’ implementation of the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”). Removal of Blanket 4(d) Rule...
Study Forecasts Softwood Lumber Consumption to Hit All-Time Highs by 2030
US softwood lumber demand is expected to continue its upward trajectory from the lows of the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, reaching an all-time high by mid 2020s, according to a newly released US Lumber Outlook Study by ForestEdge LLC and Wood Resources International LLC (USLOS2018).
Deep Dive on Market Assumptions
Dr. Cubbage’s data-rich discussions have been eagerly consumed at forestry conferences around the country by forestry stakeholders wondering when a rebound in sawtimber might be anticipated. The Forest Landowners Association spoke with Dr. Cubbage for a short preview of the presentation.
Federally Funded Projects Should Use US Wood
FLA is encouraging the concept of “buy America” to include the use of US wood products in all federally funded projects including infrastructure projects. The use of US wood will help revitalize rural communities and economies throughout rural forestry communities.
FLA Encouraged by USFWS LPS Proposed 4(d) Rule; Request Greater Clarity
FLA has submitted comments to the USFWS on Louisiana Pine Snake (LPS) proposed 4(d) rule, commending the Service’s movement away from regulating specific species of pine in the management of open canopy conditions in private forests, as was the case with the Black...
FLA Commends the USFWS for Clarifying the Regulatory Burden on private Forest Landowners
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has issued a memo directing its staff that the use of mandatory language related to incidental take permits is “not appropriate” in communications with private forest landowners. The decision confirms that seeking an Incidental...
FLA Supports Full and Permanent Repeal of the Federal Estate Tax
What is needed are permanent tax policies that do not punish capital-intensive businesses like forestry, and that do not hinder the next generation from continuing the forest legacy of their parents, grandparents and often great grandparents. The Forest Landowners Association continues to support the full repeal of the estate tax repeal.
Expanding and Growing Foreign Markets for Timber
In 2016, the United States exported $38 billion worth of forestry products, with $3.4 billion accounting for lumber. Data from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service indicates that China is the largest consumer of American wood and wood products, with imports...