News, Issues & Information
(12/27/24)
Reversal Again for Beneficial Ownership Reporting
Requirements. "A federal appeals court decision
on Dec. 26 has reversed course from earlier this week,
putting the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and its
beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting
requirements on indefinite hold while the courts
consider NFIB’s lawsuit challenging the Corporate
Transparency Act (CTA), Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al.
v. Garland, et al. As of this update, businesses
are not required to comply with the BOI reporting
requirements." "Small business owners are
encouraged to take action by sending a message to their
lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate, urging them to
quickly and fully repeal the CTA. If you haven’t yet
made your voice heard with your federal elected
officials,
click here to send them an email now." Source:
National Federation of Independent Business, 12/27/24.
(12/26/24)
Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire -- we think
you will really enjoy this holiday special Chestnut
Chat produced by the American Chestnut Foundation.
Video: about 89 minutes.
Link to YouTube, if needed.
(12/24/24)
Appeals Court Reinstates Beneficial Ownership Reporting
Requirements. A federal appeals court yesterday
lifted the preliminary injunction blocking the deadline
for reporting Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI).
This decision allows the government to enforce the
January 1, 2025 reporting deadline. Source: NFIB,
12/23/24. See 12/06/24, below.
This decision affects more than a thousand AFOA
members.
(12/20/24)
"Don't
Cut the Roots!" advises ArborGen's Dr. Paul
Jeffreys. Video: about 2 minutes.
(12/19/24)
Land Buyer Mistakes and Tips to Avoid Them: Part
3.
Pat Porter, owner and broker at RecLand Realty
recommends that prospective buyers always walk the
property before buying land. Video: 4 minutes.
Source: LandThink, 12/3/24. See Part 1,
here.
(12/18/24)
Let's talk about the big business of Christmas trees.
"American consumers bought 21.6 million real Christmas
trees last year at a median price of $75, according to
the National Christmas Tree Association." Source:
Quartz, 12/9/24. See also:
Christmas Tree Workshop in Chilton County, April 5, 2025.
(12/16/24)
You Can't Build That -- with lumber sawn from the
trees you grew on your land, no matter if your lumber is
better quality than store-bought graded lumber.
Still Mine, a 2012 film starring James
Cromwell and Geneviève Bujold, tells the story of a man
struggling with unrealistic building codes and an
over-eager building inspector. Alabama forest owners
have described similar building code nightmares to AFOA
over the years.
(12/13/24)
"Enviva, LLC, a leading producer of industrial wood
pellets, today [12/6/24] announced its successful
emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. ...
The secured funding also
fully finances completion of the Company’s 11th
production plant, under construction in Epes, Alabama,
which is anticipated to produce its first pellets in May
2025. Once fully ramped, the Company expects the new
plant to produce ~1 million metric tons of wood pellets
per year..." Source: Business Wire, 12/6/24.
(12/10/24)
Prescribed Burn Association in East-Northeast Alabama:
Alabama/Georgia Mountain Longleaf Prescribed Burn
Association Interest Meeting. If working with your
neighbors to carry out prescribed burns on your land
sounds like a good idea, you will want to attend a
meeting on December 19 from 2 to 4 pm at Cherokee County
Chamber of Commerce, 801 Cedar Bluff Road, #A, Centre,
AL 35960. Good luck.
(12/09/24)
How Much Timber Does the US Harvest, and How is it Used?
"Landowners manage their forests to maximize tree growth
and their return on investment while at the same time
providing wildlife habitat, protecting water quality,
sequestering carbon and supporting a host of other
environmental benefits. In turn, forest products
companies use the trees that they buy from landowners to
the fullest extent possible because it makes both
financial and environmental sense."
(12/06/24)
Texas Judge Shoots Down Corporate Transparency Act
Reporting Requirements. "The Beneficial
Ownership Information reporting requirements are a
harmful invasion of small business owners’ privacy and a
misuse of their valuable time." LLC, LLP, and other
similar entities owe a big favor to NFIB.
(12/05/24)
Why do beech leaves hang on to the tree all winter long?
"Marcescence (pronounced mar-sess-uhns), by
definition, means to wither but not fall off. American
Beech, American Hophornbeam, Witch Hazel, and members of
the Oak family all demonstrate marcescence." Source:
Kick Off Your Week by Learning Something New:
Marcescence-The Tenacity of Trees, November 25, 2024.
(12/04/24)
Click here for --->Year-End
Tax Planning Letter from JamisonMoneyFarmer
PC. P.S.: We learned yesterday that Tax
Tips for Forest Landowners for the 2024 Tax Year
will be included in the January issue of Capital
Ideas, our monthly newsletter.
(12/03/24)
Underplanting Longleaf Pine: The ecology behind this
regeneration technique & lessons learned from a case
study in Georgia, a webinar with Nathan Klaus,
Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and Joan
Walker, U.S. Forest Service Southern Research
Station.
Sponsored by Southern Regional Extension Forestry
(webinar landing page). About 77 minutes.
(12/02/24)
The
Risk is Real: Deer Feeders & Chronic Wasting Disease.
Researchers at Mississippi State University Deer Lab and
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks
reported in Alabama Wildlife magazine, Fall 2024,
that "deer feeders are areas of risk for disease
transmission." Of course,
"Hunting ... deer over bait now legal in Alabama with
purchase of special privilege license."
(11/27/24)
"US South Set to Surpass Canada in Lumber Production:
Trade Policies, Wildfires Shift Softwood Capacity
Southward." Source: Transport Topics,
11/4/24.
(11/26/24)
Thanksgiving Special: How New Deer Hunters Think About
Guns, Butchering, Old-School Hunters, and Their First
Kill By Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life,
November 14, 2024.
(11/22/24)
Sean Duffy, co-host of "The Bottom Line" on Fox News
has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to serve
as Secretary of Transportation...BUT that is not why
we feature him today.
Today we learned that a younger Sean Duffy was a
speed-climber -- poles -- 90 feet tall -- lumberjack.
Watch YouTube.
(11/21/24)
Fall Habitat Management: Improving Forb Abundance &
Composition, with
Wildlife Biologist Courtenay Conring (email,
256-278-5379), Alabama Wildlife &
Freshwater Fisheries, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 67 minutes.
(11/20/24)
Hunting Leases -- The Importance and Expectations
-- A Texas Perspective from Braun & Gresham, Attorneys
at Law, 11/18/24.
(11/19/24)
Alabama's Deer Management Assistance Program Celebrates
40th Year. "Many folks who enroll in the program
have an overpopulation problem. They usually have a lot
of deer and need some way to shoot more deer."
(11/18/24)
"We
will find a way to make it work," reported
Georgia Society of American Foresters Chair Caleb
Warnock in
Southeastern Forester, Fall 2024. "Hurricane
Helene damaged millions of acres of timberland from
newly planted pines to 50 year old stands. It is hard
for us to understand what this will do to the future of
the timber market in the area. All of the damaged acres
will have to be salvaged and cleaned so they can be
replanted. This means that no significant amount of
timber will come from this area for the next 15 years.
The local mills will extend their reach for supply, and
foresters and loggers will have to do the same. But
we will find a way to make it work."
(11/15/24)
What are the Pros and Cons of Combining Two Parcels of
Land? Real estate professional
Brad Butler provides a brief answer on
LandThink.com, October 29, 2024.
(11/14/24)
Tax Policy Wish List from a Forest Landowner. Tax
Expert Tamara Cushing wrote a sample letter for
us to send to our newly elected president and members of
Congress. It's on page 5 of our November newsletter,
Capital Ideas. She touched on things to keep and
things to change in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act when it is
renewed in 2025.
Open pages
4 & 5 of the November newsletter.
(11/12/24)
Have you ever wanted to run a portable sawmill?
Northern Woodlands introduces us to two
Massachusetts boys, twins, who bought their own mill at
age 17 in
"Meet the J Team: Jay and James Clarke."
(11/11/24)
Master Forest Owner, Master Gardener, and now, Master
Naturalist. Maggie Edwards describes
Alabama's Master Naturalist Program in the November
issue of Neighbors magazine:
Alabamians Wild About New Master Naturalist Program.
(11/08/24)
Forestry Tools: Part
2 is one of the Virginia
Extension Forestry's
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest Series of videos.
In this one Extension Forester
Karen Snape explains some simple tools you can
use to measure tree diameters, areas, and volumes
in the woods.
(11/07/24)
Shopping All the Way to the Woods: How the Outdoor
Industry Sold Nature to America by Rachel S.
Gross, publisher Yale University Press, 304 pages. Gross
writes in the book's preface, "I became a specialist in
the meanings Americans attach to their experiences in
nature. I am now a historian of outdoor gear -- and the
first person to claim such a job description." Cost -
hardcover: $32.50
(11/06/24)
Property Tax Decisions in Four Counties (source:
Secretary of State):
-
Autauga
County 7 mills: For: 38.99% Against:
61.01%
-
Chilton
County 3 mills: For: 74.99%
Against: 25.01%
-
Marengo
County 3 mills: For: 49.83% Against:
50.17%
-
Marengo
County 5 mills: For: 50.68%
Against: 49.32%
-
Mobile
County 6.5 mills: For: 66.18% Against:
33.82%
(11/05/24)
Venomous Snakes of Alabama, with
Wildlife Biologist Jimmy Stiles, Wild Taught
Environmental Education & Management, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 63 minutes.
(11/04/24)
Red Wolves: The World's Most Endangered Wolf, with
Emily Weller, Red Wolf Recovery Program
Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was
recorded on September 18. It is part of the Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 70 minutes.
(11/01/24)
Does My Land Qualify for a Data Center? "Data
centers are vital to our modern digital landscape, and
their demand will continue to increase in the coming
years. Data center developers must carefully consider
location-specific factors such as land qualifications
before selecting a site for development. Factors such as
proximity to electrical infrastructure, zoning
regulations, physical characteristics of the land,
environmental risks, and the political climate all play
significant roles in determining the suitability of a
property for data center development."
(10/30/24)
Fire Lines is the bimonthly newsletter of the
Southern Fire Exchange, a regional organization
focused on the interests of prescribed burners. The
October 2024 issue is packed full of news and events.
(10/29/24)
What if you want to build a pond and the Corps of
Engineers says, "No."? "The most important thing
to do should this happen to you is to challenge a wrong
decision—always." Source: Pacific Legal
Foundation, 10/10/24.
(10/24/24)
10/29/24 Update: Weight
Restrictions Were Lifted by County Commission This
Morning. Weight Restricted Road in Barbour County Halts Timber
Harvests. An AFOA member called us Tuesday afternoon
following the Barbour County Commission meeting,
reporting that the Commission would not listen to
complaints of forest landowners about weight
restrictions on a county road. He reported that a
formerly good gravel road had been paved in front of a
commissioner's home and then weight restricted. The
commissioner evidently doesn't want truck traffic on
"her" road. The Barbour County Commission
has called a special meeting to decide weight limits for
trucks on county roads. The meeting will take place on
Tuesday, October 29 at 10 AM Central Time at the Eufaula
Courthouse. Editor's note: If timber
can't be harvested from land locked behind the
weight-restricted road, will the County Commission make
sure future property tax appraisals reflect the reduced
property values?
(10/23/24)
In Your Face -- It's time we talked about spiderwebs.
Texas A&M Agrilife Today describes
"The strange types of spiderwebs found in nature,"
10/1/24.
(10/21/24)
Dog Deer Hunting hasn't been in the news much for the
past few years, but then we read the following
headline from Virginia:
Virginia Supreme Court affirms lower-court ruling in
Right to Retrieve Law case, Augusta Free
Press, September 30, 2024. Editor's question:
Have you had any problems with dog deer hunting on your
land? Send a note to
RLL@AFOA.org.
(10/18/24)
Risks and Liabilities:
Equine Activity & Agritourism Statutes: Strategies for
Risk Management is a webinar presented by The
National Agricultural Law Center earlier this week. If
you have ever thought of developing trail rides or other
outdoor entertainment on your land, you will want to
listen to this webinar.
Presentation Slides. About 65 minutes.
(10/16/24)
Hurricane Helene Damage Reports from
Florida and
Georgia. We haven't seen any report for
Alabama, but suspect the damage was very small.
(10/15/24)
When Cell Service Is Down, You Can Send iPhone Texts via
Satellite. Available with iPhones 14, 15, &
16. Original source behind paywall:
Wall Street Journal, October 8, 2024.
(10/14/24)
"British
Columbia Forest Companies See a Future. In the U.S.
Fast-growing southern forests, low labour costs and tax
breaks are driving an exodus."
(10/11/24)
Avoid fines and penalties by complying with the
Corporate Transparency Act ASAP. If some or all
of your land is held in an LLC or similar business
entity, and if you haven't already complied with the new
regulations, listening to law firm Braun & Gresham's
recent podcast (Episode
3) will be very helpful. Audio, about 13 minutes.
(10/10/24)
Poor quality trees,
sawdust, and shavings are processed into wood fuel
pellets ready to ship to England. Drax video,
about 13 minutes.
(10/09/24)
"Death
Tax Could Come Back From the Grave. One of the
best features of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)
was the doubling of the federal death tax exemption to
$13.6 million. ... But if the TCJA is allowed to expire
at the end of next year, about two to three times more
family farms and businesses will get hit by the tax.
That's bad enough, but something much worse could be
coming.
Elizabeth Warren has introduced a bill ... [that
would slash] the estate tax exemption all the way down
to $3.5 million, and raising the rates from a current
flat 40% to rates ranging from 55% to 65%."
(10/08/24)
Unrealized capital gains taxes may start by targeting
the ultra-rich, but they will eventually target you.
"...before 1917, the median American was not paying
income taxes. Income taxes were truly a policy targeted
toward the rich."
(10/07/24)
Remind Your Hunters to Keep Safety at Forefront This
Fall. "Alabama hunters are apparently more aware
of the safety aspects of climbing a tree during hunting
season. During the 2023-2024 season, only six treestand
accidents were reported, down significantly from the
average. Unfortunately, Alabama’s two years without a
hunting fatality ended with two this past season."
(10/04/24)
"That’s why our prices are down. Demand is down. And
that is because of the tight money policy," opines
Consulting Forester Marshall Thomas in the
fall issue
of F&W Forestry Report. Thomas also
provides "a striking example" of how the Supreme Court's
decision to overturn Chevron Deference will improve the
business climate in the U.S.
(10/03/24)
Should a forest owner have the right to sell stumpage
to the highest bidder? Should the high bidder have
the right to ship logs to a mill in Canada or Germany or
China? Should U.S. sawmills have a right of first
refusal to buy your timber? We suspect some folks in the
hardwood sawmill industry think your timber belongs to
them; that you shouldn't have the right to sell your
logs to an exporter.
Read this cached
copy of a letter we found on the
National Hardwood
Lumber Association's website. We highlighted in red some
worrisome/threatening words.
(10/02/24)
Stumpage Prices. Alabama Forest Owners'
Association has been a subscriber to
TimberMart-South since 1989, and TMS has allowed
AFOA to print Alabama stumpage prices in our newsletter,
Capital Ideas, in the top left corner of page 2,
since that time. Pine Pulpwood and Chip-N-Saw prices
were quoted in the August 2024 newsletter, Pine
Sawtimber and Pine Power Pole prices were quoted in
September, and Hardwood Pulpwood and Oak Sawtimber
prices were quoted in the October newsletter. Thank
you, TimberMart-South.
(10/01/24)
Financial Relief from Southern Pine Beetle Damage for
Forestland Owners in All Alabama Counties.
(10/01/24)
WOW Habitat in the ROW: "Rights of Way [powerlines,
pipelines] through your land can be awesome for
wildlife!" Source: 15 Minutes in the Forest,
9/20/24.
(09/27/24)
Container Seedlings: Plant Them Early. If you
decide to invest and plant container seedlings, ArborGen
Nursery encourages you to consider planting them early.
(09/26/24)
"Norway
said
on [September 18] that elevated levels of radioactive
caesium (Cs-137) it had detected near the Arctic
border with Russia were likely due to a forest fire
near Chornobyl in Ukraine, the site of the world's
worst nuclear accident." Editor's note: We seem
to remember reading several years ago that nuclear power
plants do not have to insure against accidents that
might cause loss of use of farmland or forestland. You
may find
Worst Case Scenario, a novel by T. J. Newman,
an interesting read as
Microsoft plans to re-start a unit of the Three Mile
Island nuclear power plant.
(09/20/24)
Banks Urged to Stop Financing Livestock Production.
"More than 100 climate groups are pressuring JPMorgan
Chase, Citigroup, and other private banks to stop
financing global meat and dairy companies. ...the
institutions’ lending activities undermine their
environmental commitments." Editor's note: Will they
soon be attacking those who grow and harvest trees?
(09/19/24)
Wilderness First Aid: A Beginner’s Guide: "...if
something goes wrong when far from civilization and
rapid emergency response care, the situation can become
serious very quickly. Understanding how and when to
apply first aid in the wilderness is essential..."
(09/18/24)
Property (Wealth) Tax Votes Coming Up on November 5.
Click here for sample ballots.
(09/17/24)
Important Considerations for Timberland Purchase and
Management Method. "...how do you make decisions
of where to buy land, what to be willing to pay, and
whether to focus your management on planted or natural
stands?"
(09/16/24)
Top 10 Native Plants for Birds, Bees, & More, with
Horticulturalist Kerry Smith, Alabama
Cooperative Extension System, is the latest
issue available of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 61 minutes.
(09/13/24)
Data Centers, Power Lines, Eminent Domain: "Maryland
Bill Aims To Protect Farms From Eminent Domain Threat
For New AI Data Center Power Lines." Source:
ZeroHedge, 9/9/24. "...350% premium to be added to
the highest appraisal of land to compensate small farms
for their 'loss of income, gainful employment and
disruption of their lifestyles.'"
(09/12/24)
"Birds love to migrate with good tailwinds."
Explore nightly bird migration data in your region with
BirdCast Migration Dashboard.
Watch 1-minute video.
Birds crossing Alabama last night.
(09/10/24)
Decoding the Chevron Doctrine Ruling, a learning
session produced by Forest Landowners Association.
"Watch
Charles Yates, Attorney with the Pacific Legal
Foundation, discuss the implications of the U.S.
Supreme Court ruling to overturn the Chevron Doctrine.
For 40 years, the Chevron Doctrine gave federal agencies
the authority to interpret ambiguous language from
Congress when crafting regulations. This decision marks
a significant change in the regulatory landscape,
especially for environmental regulations that may impact
forest landowners. Learn about the history of the
Chevron Doctrine and how this decision by the Supreme
Court may change how Congress, the agencies, and the
courts approach environmental laws and regulations
moving forward."
(09/09/24)
"State port upgrades enter final phase. After five years
of work, port poised to be deepest on Gulf of Mexico."
The ability to ship logs from Mobile will soon open
all kinds of export opportunities. See also:
"Georgia Exports Company is the only fully integrated
exporter of Southern Yellow Pine in the Southeast United
States."
(09/06/24)
"France-based
energy giant TotalEnergies has entered into a
new agreement with climate solutions provider
Anew
Climate and U.S. forestry-focused carbon removal
platform
Aurora Sustainable Lands to invest $100 million
in forestry operations aimed at preserving carbon sinks
and supporting the company’s climate goals.
"The investment will be directed towards supporting
Improved Forest Management practices across a portfolio
of 20 of Aurora’s carbon projects in 10 U.S. states,
covering [750,000 acres]."
(09/05/24)
News from the Dakotas that may interest Alabama
forest owners:
(09/04/24)
"Want to reduce the debt? Let's start selling millions
of acres of federal lands." Source: Unleash
Prosperity, September 4, 2024. We are fortunate
that most of the land in Alabama is privately owned
working forest and farm land.
(09/03/24)
7-mill property tax will be on Autauga County ballots in
November. If you know of any other property
tax proposals that may be on the November 5 ballot or a
property tax referendum on any other date in the future,
please send details to AFOA --
RLL@AFOA.org. Thanks.
(08/29/24)
Forestry Tools: Part 1 is one of the Virginia
Extension Forestry's
Fifteen Minutes in the Forest Series of videos.
In this one Extension Forester
Karen Snape explains some simple tools you can
use to measure tree heights, log lengths, and distances
in the woods.
(08/28/24)
"Kamala
Proposes $5 Trillion in New Taxes – the Biggest Tax Hike
in the History of the World," reports
Committee To Unleash Prosperity (CTUP), 8/23/24. In
the CTUP article, above, be sure to click on the
screenshot from CNBC. A 2-minute video of
Squawk On The Street, 8/22/24, will open.
Worth watching.
(08/27/24)
Sortin'
It Out: A Guide to Understanding Forest Products -- Part
1: Pine, by
Consulting Forester Billy Rye, was published in Cooperative
Farming News, Summer 2024. Be aware: Captions for
a couple of the photos in the article were switched by
the printer.
(08/22/24)
Health Insurance Costs Still a Problem for Many Farmers
and Forest Owners. Alabama AgCast
recently discussed Alfa Health Care Legislation
with Preston Roberts. Audio: about 19 minutes.
(08/21/24)
MORE Annual Meeting Presentations. If you
attended our 2023 Annual Meeting at Lake Guntersville
State Park Lodge, you may have had a hard time
hearing the speakers in the main auditorium. You will
find the recordings we made, and recently published to
the web, much easier to hear and understand.
(08/20/24)
Help Your Kids Save for Retirement. "Educate and
encourage your kids to invest in assets that can't be
taxed by the federal government. If you can use tax
dollars to grow wealth, you've won the game. For
example, buy farmland." Source: Taxlink by Rod
Mauszycki, Progressive Farmer, Summer 2024.
(08/19/24)
Local Log Markets and the Migration of Softwood Lumber
Capacity Across North America: "The nature and
structure of sawmill capacity has changed. The number of
sawmills has decreased, and the average softwood sawmill
size has increased. While multiple regions have
increased capacity – U.S. South, U.S. North, and Eastern
Canada – the South is unique with respect to
the volume and scale of this growth through the
substantial addition of new sawmills."
(08/16/24)
Annual Meeting Presentations. Did you miss
our 2024 Annual Meeting in Eufaula or want to listen to
one of the speakers again? If yes, you will be pleased
to know that recordings of the "indoor" presentations
are now available online.
(08/15/24)
8
Tax Tips is a short, but persuasive video,
featuring
Dr. Tammy Cushing, well-known tax expert at the
University of Florida. See also: Tammy was a
guest on AFOA's webcast, Capital Ideas - Live!,
yesterday, when she discussed the
tax changes to be expected next year when the Tax Cuts
and Jobs Act expires.
(08/13/24)
Navigating Economic Development in Forestry in the
South: Sustainably Growing Trees, Opportunities, &
Jobs. "Abundant forest resources, in the
southern states of the U.S. and across the nation, are
under-utilized creating fantastic opportunities to
expand the forest industry and create more jobs -
especially in rural areas. Economic developers may not
be aware of the important economic impact that forestry
already contributes to their states as well as the
opportunities to expand."
Sponsored by Southern Regional Extension Forestry
(webinar landing page). About 62 minutes.
(08/12/24)
Our 5th Generation Tree Farm: "Some of my
favorite childhood memories are on this property. It
gives us a place to connect with aunts, uncles, cousins,
nieces and nephews. Most of us live in the city so it’s
been a blessing to be able to go out into the country
and do country things like shoot fireworks, have
bonfires, fish or just enjoy nature." Source:
National Woodlands, Vol. 47, #3. Video: about 2
1/2 minutes.
(08/09/24)
Drone Use in Forest Operations Timber Harvesting,
Erosion, and Storm Damage Assessments, with
Dr.
Richard Cristan, Auburn University College of
Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 61 minutes.
(08/08/24)
From the My Florida Forest video series, we
thought you would enjoy
"To Burn or Not to Burn: Should I Burn My Forest?"
Video: about 7 minutes.
(08/07/24)
What Drives Forest Productivity and Impacts Forestland
Returns?, is a brief essay on LandThink.com
by Derek Dougherty, a forest management and forestry
research entrepreneur.
(08/06/24)
Final
Harvests, Part II of Timber Harvesting Techniques by
Consulting Forester Billy Rye was published in Cooperative
Farming News, Spring 2024.
(08/05/24)
"Land Deemed A Secure Inflation Hedge,"
LandThink Pulse, 7/23/24. "Investing in land is an
exceptional strategy to hedge against inflation,
offering stability, growth, and wealth preservation. By
understanding the impact of inflation on investments and
leveraging the unique advantages of real estate,
investors can safeguard their wealth during uncertain
economic times."
(08/02/24)
Weyerhaeuser Company announced last week acquisitions
totaling 84,300 acres of high quality timberlands in
Alabama for $244 million (almost $3,000 per
acre). Remember - the purchases were in Alabama and
here's one of the reasons Weyerhaeuser closed the deal:
"Located in
one of the strongest inland sawlog and fiber markets in
the U.S. South"
(08/01/24)
Influence of Prescribed Fire on Wild Turkeys, with
Dr.
Mike Chamberlain, University of Georgia, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 69 minutes.
(07/30/24)
The hunters who lease your land may use AFOA's
special webpage to help them find members for their
club. Tell them to check out the webpage at
www.HuntingClub.bz.
Send information to be listed on the webpage to
rll@afoa.org. A member service of the Alabama
Forest Owners' Association.
(07/26/24)
Prevent Global Warming by Burying Lots of Trees in
the Ground. Surely no one is dumb enough to do that,
right? Wrong! Read:
‘Wood vaulting’: A simple climate solution you’ve
probably never heard of, Grist, July 23,
2024. TGIF!
(07/25/24)
Back Porch Forestry with
Dr. David Mercker, University of Tennessee
Extension, is back with two new episodes:
Forest Carbon Credit Overview and
Forest Carbon Credit Markets.
(07/24/24)
Establishing Oak Regeneration is a Process, Not a
Post-Harvest Event. "Extension Foresters at the
University of Tennessee ... published a review of
various red and white oak regeneration approaches titled
'Oak Regeneration Practices.' This publication includes
ten fact sheets that describe the benefits and
weaknesses of silvicultural practices such as prescribed
burning, social scarification, midstory removal,
afforestation plantings, and more." Source: Southern
Regional Extension Forestry News Digest, 7/22/24.
(07/23/24)
"The average pine growth-to-drain for the South in
2024 is 1.4, indicating a general oversupply of
timber in the region. A heat map by county (open
link, below, to see map) highlights local
variations, with tight markets in north Florida and
south Georgia. Areas of south Alabama, central South
Carolina, and northern Louisiana also have relatively
balanced timber supply with demand. Northern
Mississippi, northeast Georgia, northern North Carolina,
and Virginia have an oversupply of pine growth relative
to demand." Source:
Local Timber Supply and Growth-to-Drain in the U.S.
South, Forisk Blog, 7/18/24.
(07/22/24)
Southern Pine Beetle Detection Map Shows Lots of Spots
(Infestations). We suspect the only reasons
there aren't more spots on the Alabama Forestry
Commission's map are lack of monitoring flights in many
counties and the simple inability of human spotters to
mark every spot seen. See also
our news note from 6/17/24, below.
(07/19/24)
Germany's Dying Forests Should Be Wake-up Call for
Forest Landowners Everywhere. Planting trees of
one species and one age-class over vast areas is an open
invitation to insect infestations and disease outbreaks.
DW Planet A's 13 minute video offers advice to all
prospective tree planters. Hinting that global
warming might be to blame for this giant human error is
their folly.
(07/18/24)
Southeastern Logging Trends, with
Dr. Joe Conrad, Associate Professor of Forest
Operations, University of Georgia, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 55 minutes.
(07/17/24)
A Time
to Plant by
Consulting Forester Billy Rye was published in Cooperative
Farming News, Winter 2024.
(07/16/24)
"But
mostly we chatted - about his friends, his classes,
his goals for the future, my hopes for his future."
Read more about a mom planting trees with her family,
from The Christian Science Monitor, 6/2/03.
(07/15/24)
US lumber market chaos -- why is the market slumping?
"In May, housing starts were down about 5.5% and the
expectation is that there’s not going to be many more
gains in housing until mortgage rates start to inch
lower."
(07/12/24)
Improving thinned loblolly, longleaf and slash pine
stand growth with a herbicide or a fertilizer treatment
– making the right choice by
Dr. David Dickens, Professor, Forest
Productivity, University of Georgia, may be the answer
to your problems. But... we suspect many forest
owners facing a serious lack of demand for their pine
timber may turn a thumbs down on any investment costs
that might make their trees grow faster.
(07/11/24)
Timber Theft? Logger Cutting Over the Line?
Call your Sheriff. Or call the Alabama Law
Enforcement Agency's Alcohol and Rural Crime Unit (ARCU).
Contact
information for ARCU agents.
(07/10/24)
Invasive Plants Refresher and Newcomers to Look Out For,
with
Dr. Nancy Loewenstein, Alabama Extension, Auburn
University, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 62 minutes.
(07/09/24)
POSTED! NO TRESPASSING! Alabama Forest Owners'
Association has two different No Trespassing
signs available for the use of members and the hunters
who lease their lands. Our orange sign is primarily for
landowners who aren't leasing their land for hunting.
Our yellow sign is used by landowners and hunters to let
people know that the land is leased to hunters.
Hundreds of thousands of the signs mark the property
lines of our members.
(07/08/24)
Marshall Thomas, President of F & W Forestry
Services reported this week in
F & W
Forestry Report, Summer 2024, on the
stumpage market outlook, about biofuels from
pulpwood ("rumors without much substance"),
about potential large penalties for non-compliance
with a new law on corporate transparency (pay
attention if your land is held in an LLC or similar
entity), and mergers that "have the
potential to reduce competition for the trees we grow."
(07/05/24)
News that may have an effect on your property values:
(07/03/24)
We enjoy many privileges in the United States of
America, not least of which is the right to own and
manage forestland. While most of us will celebrate
the signing of the Declaration of Independence
tomorrow with fireworks, maybe some homemade ice cream,
maybe a slice of fresh watermelon, we hope you will
take a minute to
remember those whose courage made our celebration
possible.
(07/02/24)
Save Money on Property Taxes by Assessing Your
Land with Current Use. Read:
What's So Special about Special Use Valuation? A
Chronicle of Current Use by John Allen Nichols,
Alabama Farmers Federation Agriculture Counsel,
Neighbors, July 2024. Also learn more at Department
of Revenue:
About Current Use and
Current Use Application Form.
(07/01/24)
"A new website called
www.seekalabama.com (Seek AL) is designed to be an
endless resource where [you] can find out what
Alabama’s outdoors has to offer, including an
interactive map to explore locations for specific
activities." "The website addresses that common phrase
'I didn't know that was in Alabama,'" [T.C. McLemore,
Innovate Alabama’s Executive Director of the Outdoor
Recreation Programs] said. "Now, folks are going to know
what is in Alabama, both Alabamians and those who are
considering a move to Alabama."
(06/27/24)
What's Eating My Seedlings? Arborgen's
Dr. Paul Jeffreys answers: Deer eat "newly
planted pine seedlings, primarily due to a lack of
natural browse availability. If you’ve planted seedlings
within the last few years, you can attest that they are
some of the most expensive deer food available."
Evidently, deer are eating a lot more than pine
seedlings. Take a look at the agenda of "Alabama
Deer Abatement in Crops" meeting that took place
this morning in Montgomery. The apparent leader of the
meeting was
Steven Hague.
(06/26/24)
Forestry's Impact in Alabama is Impressive --
$36 billion annual economic impact, 123,623 direct,
indirect and induced jobs that exist because of the
industry. Forest owners should look at those numbers
with pride and recognize that without the millions of
trees we grow each year, Alabama's forest industry would
cease to exist.
(06/25/24)
Do you have children or grandchildren who are
wondering what they might do with their lives?
Forestry Works has some suggestions for someone
who wants to stay in touch with forests, but may be
interested in the manufacturing aspects of the forest
industry. Here's a list of ideas:
- Crane Operator
- Forest Products Processing
Manager
- Heavy Equipment Operator
- Human Resources
- IT Specialist
- Log Grader
- Millwright
- Procurement Forester
- Sales Representative
- Saw Filer
- Scalehouse Operator
- Truck Driver
- Welder
- Cabinet Maker
- Carpenter
- Furniture Maker
- Chemical Engineer
- Civil
Engineer
- Electrical Engineer
- Industrial Electrician
- Mechanical Engineer
(06/24/24)
Inflation of the dollar, whether purposely caused
by the Federal Reserve or haphazardly caused by a
spendthrift Congress, is a tax on wealth. "With
10% inflation, the average family can expect to lose 7%
of its lifetime income to government," explains John
Goodman, Goodman Institute, in his essay,
The Inflation Tax. Some of us remember the
Carter years --
inflation in 1980 was more than 12 percent.
(06/21/24)
How Do You Recruit Wood-based Businesses? "Join
this webinar to increase your understanding of the
process of recruiting businesses for forestry and more.
This is the second webinar in a four-part series on
Wood-based economic development." Speakers:
Greg Barker, President, Economic Development
Partnership of Alabama and
Veronica Crock, Senior Project Manager, Alabama
Department of Commerce.
Sponsored by Southern Regional Extension Forestry
(webinar landing page). About 64 minutes.
(06/20/24)
Hunting Liability Insurance. If you worry that
someone who hunts on your land might cause you to be
sued (hunter falls from tree stand, wife sues you;
young hunter drives ATV off bridge, mother sues you;
deer hit by car, driver sues you), you should
probably consider using
AFOA's Hunting Liability Insurance. About 4,000
landowners use the policy to protect themselves and tens
of thousands of hunters on more than two million acres.
(06/19/24)
Repeal the Death Tax. Senator Tuberville weighs
in on the importance of repealing the Federal Estate
Tax. Source: YellowHammer, June 18, 2024.
(06/18/24)
New Forest Succession Planning Workbook: "North
Carolina State University has released a new
landowner-friendly interactive workbook to assist with
succession planning. The 40-page workbook includes ...
an introduction, information on why succession planning
is important, instructions for using the worksheets,
helps estimate asset value, and details on how to pursue
an estate plan." Source: Southern Regional Extension
Forestry News Digest, Week of June 10, 2024.
(06/17/24)
Spring Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) Trapping Results
Not Good. The Alabama Forestry Commission monitors
SPB each spring using pheromone-baited traps. "Alabama
numbers are up significantly compared to last year’s
spring trapping results, so it is possible that we may
have an active summer in some locations. Forest Service
trapping results in east Alabama on the Talladega
National Forest were exceptionally high (off the chart
in one ranger district). We will certainly need to focus
some early aerial detection efforts in the northern half
of the state." Source: TreeTopics, June 2024.
Check SPB Map for results in your area (as of
this date (6/17/24), no monitoring flights have been
posted to the AFC webpage). See also:
State of emergency declared after Mississippi forests
hit hard by pine beetles, drought.
(06/14/24)
Where Do We Go from Here? Fostering Purpose in the
Rising Generation, Both In And Out of the Family
Business: "However, as families move further
into the next generations, there may be signs of shifts
in values and priorities. This can emerge from an
alternative outlook on the world, a desire to experience
things differently, or even subtle or not-so-subtle
resistance to the environment in which they were
raised."
(06/13/24)
Four Mushroom Forays Planned by Alabama Mushroom
Society: June 15 - Baldwin County, June 15 - Elmore
County, June 16 - Madison County, and June 22 -
Jefferson County.
Learn more in their June newsletter.
(06/12/24)
Kentucky's Woodland Owner Short Course began
yesterday (sorry - recording may be available),
and includes 5 online sessions and a field session (in
Kentucky). "The online sessions raise awareness of
key woodland/wildlife issues and provide examples of how
to best address these issues. Field sessions showcase
real world management applications to further emphasize
what was learned during the online sessions.
Registration for online sessions only is $10 and
registration for online sessions and 1 field session is
$25 per person or $35 per couple. Learn more by
clicking here. Register
here."
(06/11/24)
The Woman Landowner Academy, a six-week program
for women managing family forestland in the southeast,
starts July 16, 2024. "Wouldn’t it be awful to find out
down the road what you sold your land and timber for was
really worth 5x, 10x, 100x the value you received from
that 'cash now' offer?"
(06/10/24)
Auto Manufacturers, Combat Vehicles, Ships and Planes
lead the list of Alabama's Largest Manufacturers.
Paper mills, which used to be at the front of the
list, now trail along near the rear.
(06/07/24)
The American Landowner, May 29, 2024 Episode
featured Arborgen's
Dr. Paul Jeffreys
Comparing the Pros and Cons of Different Pine Tree
Seedlings. Podcast: about 61 minutes.
(06/06/24)
Demand for Hunting Land is Huge! Members of the
Alabama Forest Owners' Association may list their land
on
www.HuntingLand.bz for free. Yesterday we
listed 120 acres in central Alabama and the landowner
immediately began receiving calls and emails; he leased
the land in less than 24 hours.
(06/05/24)
Significant Expansion of Alligator Hunting Season in
Alabama: "We have a growing alligator population
throughout the state that has allowed our staff to look
at more opportunities for hunters to expand some of the
areas and increase the number of tags," [Alabama
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Commissioner Chris Blankenship reported to the Alabama
Conservation Advisory Board on May 18]. "The areas are
larger, and we’ve added some bonus tags this year to
encourage people to take more smaller alligators instead
of waiting for that one big one and not being able to
fill their tag at all. All in all, it will be about a
192% increase in the number of tags. It’s substantial."
(06/04/24)
"SIGNED INTO LAW: Alabama Abolishes Income Taxes on Gold
and Silver." "Alabama Governor Kay Ivey[, on May
14, 2024,] signed a bill that removes all income taxes
on capital gains from the sale of gold and silver,
enabling the state to take an important step forward in
reinforcing sound money principles." Source: Money
Metals, 5/18/24.
(06/03/24)
Insect Repellents: "Over the years, one thing
has become clear from Consumer Reports’ testing
of insect repellents: When in doubt, go with deet."
Source: Consumer Report, 5/19/24.
(05/30/24)
Expanding Forestry Markets - How is it done?
Gary Faulkner, Forest Economic Development
Specialist, Alabama Forestry Commission,
was the featured speaker for this May 21, 2024
webinar, sponsored by Southern Regional Extension
Forestry. About 65 minutes.
(05/29/24)
Chestnut Challenges: "...a mix-up in the lab has
sparked a veritable civil war in the [chestnut] niche
conservation community," and "...he'd spent years
planting the wrong tree." Read:
The Problem With Darling 58: The fight to save America's
iconic tree has become a civil war.
(05/24/24)
Predators
May Have Less & More Impact Than You Think, with
Mike Conner, The Jones Center at Ichauway, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 56 minutes.
(05/23/24)
Do Subsidy Payments and Free Management Assistance to
Forest Landowners Have a Place in Our Society? To a
low-income, hard worker who pays taxes and may not yet
own his own home, a forest owner with 40 acres is a rich
guy. Read more from the Committee to Unleash Prosperity:
No More Welfare for the Rich, 5/15/24.
(05/22/24)
The Advantages of Hiring Your Minor Children for Summer
Jobs. Source: DeLoach, Barber & Caspers, P.C.,
Certified Public Accountants, 5/22/24.
(05/21/24)
Goats and
Sheep Are Commonly Used to Reduce Fire Hazards,
but
Sometimes Goats Go Rogue. A
Master Goat Producer's Certification Program is
scheduled for July 31 through August 2, 2024 at Tuskegee
University's Goat Farm (link and dates to be
corrected soon).
(05/20/24)
"U.S.
House and Senate Introduce Legislation to Repeal Small
Business Ownership Registry," reported the
National Federation of Independent Business last week.
Repealing the
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Beneficial
Ownership Information Reporting Rule will be
important to forest owners whose land is held in a
corporation, LLC, or other similar entity.
(05/17/24)
That smell of smoke in the air is a signal from
Canada to let us know that mismanagement of millions
of acres of government owned forestland is sending jobs
and investment capital to Alabama and other Southern
States. Read:
BC Council of Forest Industries urges action on mill
closures, and,
Hundreds of jobs affected as Canfor makes cuts in
northern B.C.
(05/16/24)
Forisk News, Q2 2024 Edition: Learn more
about "The
Other Pellet Producers: North American Domestic Market,"
plus many other market updates from Forisk Consulting.
(05/14/24)
Private Working Forests Support 2,496,697 Jobs with a
Payroll of $109,423,739,002 in the U.S.
Learn more with the National Alliance of Forest Owners'
Private Working Forests in Your State Interactive Map.
(05/13/24)
Warrantless Searches of Private Land Unconstitutional,
Appeals Court Rules. "State officials in
Tennessee cannot conduct warrantless searches of private
[land], the Court of Appeals of Tennessee ruled
unanimously on May 9. The ruling applies to private land
under 'actual use' via fencing, farming, posting,
gating, hunting, fishing, camping, or other activities."
(05/10/24)
Prescribed
Burn Associations: Increasing and Improving Your Acres
Burned, with
Ryan Mitchell, Tall Timbers, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 62 minutes.
(05/09/24)
Goods from the Woods: How is Lumber Made? is a
two and a half minute video produced by the North
Carolina Forestry Association. Share with a friend or
a grandchild.
(05/07/24)
Land Buyer Mistakes and Tips to Avoid Them: Part 1.
Pat Porter, owner and broker at RecLand Realty
points out some of the pitfalls when purchasing land
with a seller-financed loan in this 4 minute video.
Source: LandThink, 4/30/24.
(05/06/24)
Like-Kind Exchanges: Last month, Forest
Landowners Association joined 34 other national
associations in support of preserving long standing tax
rules governing like-kind exchanges (LKEs).
The April
10 letter encouraged policymakers to reject proposals,
such as those in President Biden's budget, to restrict
the use of LKEs.
(05/03/24)
Consulting Forester/Wildlife Biologist Mark Thomas was
the guest of Mossy Oak's Gamekeeper Podcast earlier this
week. Here's what they wrote about the
interview: "This week we’re thrilled to be joined with
one of the most interesting and well versed wildlife and
forestry professionals we’ve ever met, Mark Thomas.
Mark's insane resume proves he’s been exposed to more
than can be explained in one podcast. We have a fun
discussion and look back at what he has learned over his
lifetime of managing properties for enhanced wildlife
experiences to help the average guy be a better
Gamekeeper. You’ll learn about ecotones or edges, QVM,
hunting pressure, fire ants, turkeys, herbicides,
limbing roads, sanctuaries, tarsal glands, agricultural
food plots, could you be burning too much, timber
management and much more. We guarantee you’ll learn
something and laugh more than normal. Listen, Learn and
Enjoy."
(04/29/24)
Property Tax Increases Proposed for Autauga County (HB
450) and Wilcox County (HB
489). The National Federation of Independent
Business (NFIB Legislative Links, 4/26/24)
alerted us to the bills.
(04/24/24)
Last week at the Forestry Field Day at Pine Ridge of
Alabama,
Bence Carter stood in a newly planted field of
warm season grasses and described the value of that type
of wildlife habitat. The three publications he brought
along to show us were:
(04/23/24)
Promoting Bird Habitat in Working Forestland, with
EJ Williams, American Bird Conservancy, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 61 minutes. Also, we think you will enjoy
reading a 12-page booklet by EJ and Jeremy Poirier,
Bird
Friendly Forests: Opportunities for Private Forest
Owners in the Southeastern United States.
(04/22/24)
Domestic and Global Hardwood Market Update: "The
COVID pandemic impacted markets for U.S. hardwood lumber
in unprecedented ways, and its aftereffects have led to
a global slowdown in hardwood markets. This presentation
will look at current hardwood market conditions, what
led to them and how they compare to the impacts of the
Great Recession over a decade ago."
Tim Knol, Northern Editor, Hardwood Review,
was the featured speaker for this April 18, 2024
webinar, sponsored by Southern Regional Extension
Forestry.
(04/19/24)
The conversion of private forestland to publicly
owned forestland continues in Alabama with our
Forever Wild program spending millions on land every
year. Please read
Timber crisis has implications for environment, economy
and climate by Nick Smith, Capital Press,
4/16/24, and see if you can see how Forever Wild
might lead to similar problems for us in Alabama.
(04/18/24)
F&W
Forestry Report, Spring 2024, features
articles on European Union deforestation regulations,
an interesting review of recent tree planting,
and more. The Report, as usual, is a good read.
Enjoy.
(04/15/24)
Legislation in Montgomery on Health Plan, Property
Tax Increase Cap, and Carbon Sequestration (Pore Space)
were all featured in the
April 12 issue of ALFA's Capitol Connection.
Editor's note: We're not sure what it will be used for,
but we noticed that the Alabama Treasure Forest
Association (part of the Alabama Farmers Federation)
will receive $60,000 from the Education Trust Fund (HB
145).
(04/12/24)
Wood Fuel Pellets from Dothan "will soon be heading
overseas." Peak Renewables' joint venture with
Rex Lumber "will run 100% on dry shavings." Source:
Biomass Magazine, 4/10/24.
(04/11/24)
"$115
million sawmill planned for Coosa County, creating 130
jobs" -- and a new market for pine sawtimber
in central Alabama. Source: AL.com, 4/11/24.
(04/10/24)
Tax Calculator: How the TCJA’s Expiration Will Affect
You: "Congress has less than two years to
prevent tax hikes on the vast majority of Americans from
taking place. That’s because the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)
of 2017, a tax reform law that simplified individual
income taxes and reduced tax rates across the income
spectrum, is set to expire. If Congress does nothing,
most Americans will face higher taxes, worse incentives
for work and investment, and a more complicated tax
system starting in 2026." Source: The Tax Foundation,
3/12/24.
(04/09/24)
The difficulty you may have faced when trying to sell
timber may not only be caused by a simple
over-supply of timber. The American Loggers Council
suggests much bigger problems in "Is
the forest products industry in crisis?" Source:
Woodworking Network, 3/27/24. Editor's note:
10 or 15 years ago, AFOA's timber buyers list contained
more than a thousand potential buyers. Today it contains
less than 400.
(04/08/24)
Cash is a Favored Method for Purchasing Land,
say respondents to the February LandThink Pulse.
"33% of respondents indicated that if they were buying
land today, they would forgo financing and pay all cash.
Coming in a close second, 28% said they would pay more
than 20% as a down payment."
(04/05/24)
The winners of the 2024 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest
have been announced. "The diversity of Alabama's
landscapes, native plants, wildlife and outdoor
recreation opportunities make it a photographer's
paradise," said Chris Blankenship, Alabama Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources Commissioner. "From
the mountains in north Alabama to the state's Gulf
Coast, the winning images in this year's Outdoor Alabama
Photo Contest highlight the natural beauty of our state.
Congrats to all of the winners!"
Click here to see the winning photographs.
(04/04/24)
Pandemic Whiskey Boom Turns To Hangover.
"Brown-Forman reported dismal sales over the winter
holiday season and the hangover has lasted into 2024.
'Christmas stunk,' Chief Executive Lawson Whiting said
on a call with analysts in early March." Source:
ZeroHedge, 3/31/24. See also (behind paywall):
Jack Daniel's Flowed During the Pandemic. Now Comes the
Hangover, Wall Street Journal, 3/23/24;
and,
Jack Daniel's Finds Demand Is on the Rocks,
Wall Street Journal, 3/28/24. Editor's note: Will
the price of white oak stavewood (for whiskey barrels)
follow Jack's decline?
(04/03/24)
The "greed and envy tax is completely irrelevant
to the revenue-raising function of our tax system." Read
more from the Committee to Unleash Prosperity:
Why, Oh Why, Do We Tax Death in America?,
4/2/24.
(04/02/24)
The Long-Term Capital Gains Tax Rate in Alabama is 5
Percent. Not too bad. But what if you moved to
California and then sold your forestland (or shares of
stock)? The long-term capital gains tax rate in
California is 13.38%. The rate in Tennessee is zero.
Read more from the Tax Foundation at
State Tax Rates on Long-Term Capital Gains, 2024.
(04/01/24)
Who owns the empty space underground after oil and
gas have been extracted?
Since the Inflation
Reduction Act of 2022 gave huge "tax credits and tax
benefits for capturing carbon dioxide and then
'storing'" it deep underground (see
comments from Oil & Gas Board General Counsel Marvin
Rogers), the question of ownership of the
underground "pore space" has become very important.
Senate
Bill 230, introduced March 19 by Senator Greg
Albritton, would give the pore space to surface
owners.
AFOA member John Christopher, Jr., a
minerals and surface owner in Choctaw County, wrote to
AFOA on March 28: Senator Albritton "wants the State to
declare that all subsurface pore space be ceded to the
surface owner and to allow pipeline right of ways
across surface owners to the re-injection wells."
The bill would be "...damaging of mineral owners
interest and the damage it may create if commingled with
residual reserves."
In letters
to Senator Bobby Singleton and Representative Brett
Easterbrook, AFOA member Judge J. Lee McPhearson
wrote: "This issue will soon be a very important issue
to the people in Choctaw County as there are going to
soon be efforts made to build a pipeline from counties
north of Choctaw County into Choctaw County."
McPhearson also noted that SB230 "places a potentially
huge financial obligation on the State of Alabama
to assume all financial obligations and liabilities that
may arise should environmental issues arise with the
storage of carbon dioxide in 'pore spaces'."
May 3, 2024:
Legislature passes bill to store CO2, other gases
underground, YellowHammer.
(03/27/24)
Is a Tiny House Just What You Need on Your Land?
"From minimalist cubes to charming wood cabins, ...
modular tiny homes show that downsizing doesn't mean
compromising." Shona Jackson shows us more than a dozen
tiny home ideas in
This cozy red cabin takes just 3 hours to build.
Source: yahoo!life, 2/27/24.
(03/26/24)
All About Mushrooms: Alisha Millican, President
of the Alabama Mushroom Society, joined Jonathan Goode
on The Land Show, Episode 432. Alisha described
the many activities of the Mushroom Society including
hikes in the woods to find mushrooms (forays).
AMS website. Alisha's interview begins at 4:57
and runs to about 24:01.
(03/22/24)
"Legislation
aimed at giving Alabama Farmers Federation members a
reasonably priced option for quality healthcare was
introduced Tuesday. ... 'There is a gap in
affordable health insurance for farmers and others who
aren’t covered by employer plans but do not qualify for
federal subsidies,' said Federation President Jimmy
Parnell." Source: Capitol Connection, March 22,
2024.
(03/21/24)
Memories Celebrated, by Davon Cook, The
Dispatch, March 2024. "Now may be the time! I’ve
heard heartfelt regrets of 'we never got it done'."
(03/20/24)
Britt, Tuberville assail proposed regulation that
threatens paper, pulp producers: "The
regulation, called the European Union’s
Deforestation-Free Regulation (EUDR), would impose
costly reporting requirements for American companies in
the forest products industry that export to the European
Union (EU) and serve as a barrier to international
business." The Europeans have never met a regulation
or a certification program that they didn't love.
(03/19/24)
"Solar
blackout: Supervisors [in Halifax County, Virginia] put
halt on applications for now after crowd descends on
meeting." "We are now around 1% in Halifax
County under solar panels. Where does it stop?" asked
Stacy Long, member of We the People of Virginia, Inc.
(03/18/24)
Effects of Changing the Season of Burn in Longleaf Pine
Systems, with
Dr. John Willis, Southern Research Station, U.S.
Forest Service, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 57 minutes.
(03/15/24)
Exposure to the Woods: Bringing Newcomers to the Forest
Industry: Maine's Eric Kingsley tells us about
how he introduced a new high school graduate to the wood
industry. A nice story to leave you with on this warm
Alabama Friday.
(03/14/24)
"Timberland
has been the top untapped asset class, but it
has emerged as an appealing investment choice for astute
investors who want to diversify their portfolio of
investments. It is a resilient class with a track record
spanning over three decades, it delivers stable
long-term returns." Source: LandThink, 1/23/24.
(03/13/24)
Silvopasture 6-Part Webinar Series produced by
Southern Regional Extension Forestry has been recorded
and is ready for viewing. Topics are:
(03/12/24)
Deer Management and Forestry BMPs: "This virtual
self-paced course aims to provide technical information
on specific techniques, including forestry best
management practices (BMPs), used to enhance and
preserve white-tailed deer habitat on forested land."
Questions? Want to get started? Contact James Johnson at
james.johnson26@uga.edu.
(03/11/24)
Property Tax Cap Legislation Moves Forward:
"Legislation aimed at capping annual tax increases was
reported favorably out of the House Ways and Means
General Fund Committee [last] Wednesday.
HB 73 by Rep. Phillip Pettus, R-Killen, would cap
annual ad valorem tax increases at 5% for Class II
commercial and business property and Class III
residential, agricultural, forestry and historic
property as substituted by the House Ways and Means
General Fund Committee. Other Southern states have
enacted similar measures. Between 2021 and 2022, the
average Class III increase was 13%, with some counties
seeing jumps of 20-42%. A companion bill,
SB 110 by Sen. David Sessions, R-Grand Bay, has been
assigned to the Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund
Committee. The legislation will be voted on by the House
following [this] week's break." Source:
Capitol Connection, 3/8/24.
(03/08/24)
"Money is a very powerful thing, which you hardly
notice when it goes right, but which can create havoc
when it goes wrong.” Milton Friedman. Is it time
to have that talk? "Are
You Financially Literate? Answer These 5 Questions to
Find Out."
(03/07/24)
Environmental Protection Agency's New Air Quality
Standards May Create Challenges for Prescribed Burning.
Fewer burn days available is one likely result of the
changes. A factsheet on the EPA’s implementation of this
rule can be found
here.
Driptorch Digest also summarized the recent
updates. See also:
Senator
Tommy Tuberville and 32 Other Senators Send Demand
Letter to EPA.
(03/06/24)
Today's Timber Prices Don't Matter, states
Forest Research Notes, Vol. 20, No. 4. "Today’s
timber prices are important for timber that is expected
to be harvested now, but they are not very important for
timber that is going to be harvested in 10 or 100 years.
Forest economists can provide reasonable estimations of
what prices might do in the near future, but cannot
predict shocks (which seem to occur every 10 years or
so) and are really not very good at forecasting prices
25 or 50 years from now."
Archive of all Forest Research Notes.
(03/05/24)
How to: Reintroduction of flames in a fire-excluded
landscape, Tall Timbers, 12/12/23.
"Southern pine stands that have undergone fire exclusion
become overgrown and dominated by woody plants and lack
the habitat needed to support game and non-game species
alike. But reintroducing fire to these landscapes isn’t
as easy as heading off into the woods with a drip
torch."
(03/04/24)
SBI: On the Case of Rural Crime, Neighbors,
March 2024, described the theft and partial recovery of
farm equipment (trucks, trailers). Another case that SBI
thwarted was described by forest owner Dr. Greg Smith on
AFOA's
Capital Ideas - Live!, 2/14/24. Smith
reported that an SBI agent contacted him to let him know
someone was trying to sell his (Smith's) land. The crime
was prevented.
(03/01/24)
"Prescribed
Fire Near Power Lines Could Zap Your Wallet,"
says Lindsay Thomas, Jr., National Deer Association,
2/16/24.
(02/28/24)
Are There Lenders That Accept Land As Collateral?
"Land owners that either want to acquire additional
rural land or to cover land improvement expenses, such
as building ponds, barns, etc., often use the equity in
their land as collateral for a land improvement loan."
Keith McKinley, Alabama Ag Credit, will tell us
some success stories of landowners using timberland as
loan collateral at our
Annual Meeting on April 17.
(02/27/24)
Valuing Standing Timber on Small Acreage. Real
estate broker Pat Porter gives sound advice to
those who own or are thinking of buying a small timber
tract. Source: LandThink, 2/13/24. If you decide
to follow one of his suggestions - Use A Forester
- you can find a consultant who works in your part of
the state at
www.ForesterSearch.com.
(02/26/24)
Property Tax renewals will be on Monroe County ballots
on March 5. Up to 10 mills. A 20-year decision.
Montgomery County voters will be asked to reinstate an expiring
3.5 mill tax. This tax will be in effect for 30
years.
o
Sample ballots for all counties
(02/23/24)
"How
to Keep ATVs from Riding on Your Property" was
the most popular story on NWOA's Wednesday Woodland
Word in 2023.
Click here for AFOA's "No Trespassing, Posted" signs.
(02/22/24)
Online Forest Landowner Academy Course: "The
University of Florida ... is offering an online Forest
Landowner Academy suitable for landowners in Florida and
in neighboring coastal plain regions of Georgia,
Alabama, and as far as Mississippi, Louisiana, and
eastern Texas. This is a self-paced course that provides
quality core educational content on forestry and
multiple-use stewardship concepts. Forest landowners
will gain comprehensive knowledge and skills related to
forest resources that they can use in their land
management and planning. Topics include identifying tree
species, pine, hardwood, land use management for both
solid wood and pulp products and non-timber forest
products."
30% promotional discount available through Feb. 29.
Promotion Code: SWDXWF
(02/21/24)
"Don't Drop It on Alabama" Statewide Spring Cleanup
could use your help. "Make Plans NOW for your City,
County, School, Neighborhood or Volunteer Group to Join
Volunteers from Every County in Alabama For the Annual
Statewide Spring Cleanup!"
Contact People Against A Littered State (PALS).
(02/20/24)
Cogongrass Control Program Now Open for Applications.
"Property with cogongrass infestations must be located
in any of the 67 counties of Alabama, although the
landowner is not required to reside on the property or
within the state. There is no minimum or maximum acreage
ownership requirement to enroll. It is a cost-free
program."
(02/19/24)
1.4 to 3.7 Billion Birds Are Killed by Feral Cats
Each Year. To learn more, watch
The Ecology & Impacts of Free-ranging Cats on the
Environment, a webinar presented by
Dr. Christopher Lepczyk, Auburn University,
College of Forestry, Wildlife & Environment. This is the
latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural
Resources Webinar Series.
About 66 minutes.
(02/15/24)
Morel Foray Planned for March: The
February 2024 Newsletter of the Alabama Mushroom Society
announced a Members Only Morel Foray in March,
and their Third Annual Alabama Mushroom Faire at
Noccalula Falls, October 26-27. Further down in the
newsletter is an interesting article about periodical
cicadas and the fungi that attack them. Good photos
and graphics.
Click here for membership information.
(02/13/24)
A Basic
Introduction to Forest Investment Analysis, by
Curtis VanderSchaaf, may give you a better understanding
of the variables that affect your forestland investment.
Source:
Southwest Mississippi Forestry Newsletter, November
2023. You may also find Texas A&M Forest Service's
Timberland Decision Support System useful and fun to
play with.
(02/12/24)
Why The Future Of Wood Burning Stoves In Homes Is
Uncertain. "There is certainly something
nostalgic, earthy, and fascinating about using a
wood-burning stove in your home. The sound of the
crackling wood, the smell of the fire, and the ability
to control your home's heating with a log or two make
these stoves an attractive option to many. However, some
states (Alabama not included) believe these stoves are
causing too much pollution, and they're taking legal
action to get some of them banned." Source:
housedigest, 2/3/24
(02/09/24)
Cap on Property Tax Increases:
Alabama House Bill 73 would cap property tax
increases to 3% per year for agricultural land,
forestland, and owner-occupied dwellings, and 5% per
year for other properties such as vacant lots, rentals,
and businesses.
Find your lawmakers' contact information here.
(02/08/24)
Free Book for Schools and Educators: "The
Geological Survey of Alabama, in partnership with Dr.
Jim Lacefield and the Alabama Museum of Natural History,
is offering a free copy of Dr. Lacefield’s book to
schools and educators in Alabama. His book, entitled
Lost Worlds in Alabama Rocks—A Guide to the State’s
Ancient Life and Landscapes, is an excellent
resource designed to give the reader a guided tour
through Alabama’s diverse geologic history." Contact
the Publications Office of the Geological Survey of
Alabama, Camilla Musgrove or Eric Fair: write to
publications@gsa.state.al.us or call 205-247-3636.
(02/07/24)
"Fire
is for the birds: Bird abundance doubled in severely
burned areas of Southern Appalachia," reported
the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station,
1/30/24. "Birds
Prefer Areas Devastated by Wildfires," announced
the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), 2/2/24.
(02/06/24)
"[Alabama]
Ag Commissioner Pate, other ag commissioners sound alarm
on woke bank policies that could impact farmers,
consumers," reports 1819 News, 1/29/24.
"Net
Zero Energy Could Mean Net Zero Food," warns
Committee to Unleash Prosperity, 1/30/24.
Editor's question: Have you checked on the ESG policies
of your bank? See also:
The Feds Gave Banks Tools To Shut Down Your Accounts If
You Buy Guns or Bibles,
The Federalist, 3/7/24.
(02/01/24)
"Roundup Not Guilty!" reports the last paragraph
of a January 30, 2024 NBC News article. But this
is NBC's headline:
"Bayer ordered to pay $2.25B after jury finds Roundup
weed killer caused Pennsylvania man’s cancer."
(01/30/24)
New Year, New Thresholds for Estate Planning,
from Braun & Gresham, 1/22/24.
"Each new year, the federal gift and estate tax
exemption is adjusted based on inflation. For 2024, the
exemption increased from $12,920,000 per individual to
$13,610,000 per individual. A married couple can give up
to $27,220,000 to children and others tax free.
"An individual also can take advantage of the annual
gift tax exclusion when making gifts to persons other
than spouses without using up any of the federal gift
and estate tax exemption. In 2024, the annual exclusion
amount was raised from $17,000 per recipient to $18,000
per recipient. For example, one person can make an
$18,000 gift to three different people for a total of
$54,000 without incurring a gift tax or using part of
the federal gift and estate tax exemption."
(01/29/24)
Tax Tips for Forest Landowners - 2023 Tax Year
(PDF) isn't the only useful information you'll
find on the
National Timber Tax Website. The website "was
developed to be used by timberland owners, as well as a
reference for accountants, attorneys, consulting
foresters and other professionals who work with
timberland owners regarding the tax treatment of timber
related activities." The 2023 Tax Tips was
included in AFOA's January issue of Capital Ideas,
our monthly newsletter.
(01/26/24)
Opportunity to Explain to Tree Huggers Why
Markets for Low Quality Wood Support Forest Owners in
Our Efforts to Grow High Quality Sawtimber, Veneer Logs,
and Power Poles.
The Truth About The Wood Pellet Industry: A Community
Discussion, sponsored by the Dogwood Alliance,
will be held in Demopolis on Tuesday, January 30 at 6 PM
at The Ballroom, 114 East Washington Street, Demopolis,
Alabama.
(01/25/24)
Avoid Prescribed Fire Injuries with These Tips from a
Physician and Woodland Firefighter. Hint:
Fire is not the problem. Source: National Deer
Association, Lindsay Thomas, Jr., January 24, 2024.
(01/23/24)
Diapers from Pine Trees: In a 2-minute video,
Domtar Paper's John Edwards describes how fluff pulp is
made from pine trees.
(01/22/24)
Alpha-Gal Syndrome: Allergic Reaction to
Eating Red Meat, Consuming Dairy Products or Even
Interacting with Substances like Gelatin from
Tick Bite. One victim of AGS "explained that 'not
being able to eat ice cream, trying to get used to
almond milk, (exercising) extreme caution while eating
(and) dissecting menus at restaurants' came with a heavy
emotional toll." Read the whole article. The
best/worst is past the half-way mark. Source:
Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1/12/24. See also:
https://alphagalinformation.org/.
(01/19/24)
Rails to Trails: What Are the Landowner's Rights?
The National Agricultural Law Center sponsored a webinar
this week entitled,
An Overview of Landowners' Rights in Federal
Rail-to-Trail Conversions. About 58 minutes.
(01/18/24)
F&W Forestry Report, Winter 2023-2024,
has an upbeat market report on page 1 along with
numerous timber price charts and market indicators.
Enjoy.
(01/17/24)
New
York Stock Exchange Withdraws Natural Asset Companies.
"Today, the Securities and Exchange Commission withdrew
the proposed rule to approve the creation of 'Natural
Asset Companies' on Wall Street," reported
American Stewards of Liberty, 1/17/24. See
01/15/24, below.
(01/16/24)
A Maple
Syrup Production Industry in [Alabama], Probably Not,
But Perhaps as an Infrequent Hobby. Source:
Southwest Mississippi Forestry Newsletter, January
2024.
(01/15/24)
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall joined
attorneys general from 24 other states on January 9 to
send
a "scathing letter" opposing Natural Asset Companies to
the Securities and Exchange Commission. For
background information on Natural Asset Companies (NACs),
listen to the leader of the opposition, Margaret
Byfield, discuss the problems posed by NACs to
landowners and others on the
Bill Walton Show, Episode 258, January 12,
2023.
(01/12/24)
No trespassing means no trespassing, even for the
government. In 2021, the South Dakota
legislature passed into law "...the most
private-property-protecting law in the country.
The law is called the
No Government Trespassing Act, and it protects
private property owners from government agents
trespassing on their land."
(01/11/24)
Warning: Freeze Conditions Expected Across the
Southeastern U.S. The Southern Forest Nursery
Management Cooperative's Management Alert
contains management implications:
- We recommend waiting to
plant seedlings until the daily highs are above
freezing and the low temperatures have moderated.
- Seedlings that were recently
planted have likely not been established in the soil
and could die.
(01/10/24)
Interstate Migration: Alabama is among the top
ten "inbound" states, according to the Tax Foundation.
Editor's note: Will increasing population be good or
bad for forest owners? Send me a note:
RLL@AFOA.org.
(01/09/24)
Luke Macaulay, University of Maryland, wrote to
AFOA this morning: "We held a workshop last November
titled 'Enhance Your Land for Wildlife', where we
covered seven topics related to land management for
wildlife. We've had a chance to edit and upload the
speakers onto
our YouTube channel and I wanted to share them
with you."
- Shoreline management
- Wetland Management for
Waterfowl
- Forest & Woodland Management
for Wildlife
- Meadow & Early Successional
Habitat
- Soil Conservation Districts
and Cover Crops
- Funding for Habitat
Improvement
- Prescribed Fire for Habitat
(01/08/24)
Cooper Holmes talked about raking and selling pine
straw on his family's land in Perry County on
The Land Show late last year.
Episode 419, brief interview from 52:25 to 55:07.
(01/05/24)
The Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and the Jeep Wrangler
were among the top 10 vehicles with the lowest
depreciation rates over five years, according to
iSeeCars.com, 11/6/23. Trucks were rated as a
group with Toyota holding the two top spots.
(01/04/24)
Politics Factor Into Where People Choose to Buy Land.
"According to the November LandThink Pulse [Survey]
results, a substantial share of Americans won’t buy land
in a place where the laws conflict with their political
beliefs. An overwhelming number of respondents (81%)
indicated that they WOULD NOT buy land in state that did
not align with their politics."
(01/03/24)
Retirement savings last longer in Alabama. If you
live in another state and you're considering moving back
to Alabama, or if you live in Alabama and are
considering moving to another state, you might benefit
from reading,
Here's how long $1 million in retirement savings lasts
in every state -- and where it runs out the fastest,
CNBC, 1/1/24.
(01/02/24)
The
Southern Christmas Tree Association's latest newsletter
reminded members, "we are all in this together."
(12/29/23)
Idea for your "Gift of Memories" (see below,
12/28/23):
Creating a Hand-Hewn Dough Bowl. Source:
Northern Woodlands, Winter 2023.
(12/28/23)
Warning! Only 363 days to think about and come up
with handmade gifts for the special people in your life.
Please read Laurie Henry's
The Gift of Memories in The December
Dispatch: A Gallery of Gifts.
(12/27/23)
Winter Cogongrass Identification, Monitoring, and
Management
is a webinar sponsored by the Southern Regional
Extension Forestry presented on November 28, 2023.
Chris Barnes, Georgia Forestry Commission, and
Emma McKee, Longleaf Alliance are the presenters.
Webinar portal. About 58 minutes.
(12/21/23)
Game Birds. Just in case you want to release some
game birds on your land, Alabama Quail Hunters sent the
following list to their members last week:
Tuck Farms
Joseph Tuck
Snead
205-960-5644
Bailey Farms
Sabrina Stanga/Steve Bailey Springville
205-382-4858
On Point Hunting Club Dylon Overdear
Speake 256-909-0075
A.D.A.M.S. Quail LLC Adam Slaten
Eva
256-347-6118
Zach Long
Zach Long
Danville 256-221-8930
(12/20/23)
Gifting: "My wife and I are both 75 years old and
we own 700 acres with no debt. ... Every year we think
about gifting, but we never do anything big. Sometimes I
think we should give big and sometimes I think we
shouldn’t do anything at all. What are the rules or the
advantages and disadvantages of gifting?" Source:
When is the best time to give large financial gifts?,
Successful Farming, December 2023.
(12/19/23)
Timber
Harvesting Techniques, Part 1: Intermediate Harvests by
Billy Rye was published in Cooperative
Farming News, October/November 2023.
(12/18/23)
Prescribed Fire for Upland Oaks (pdf)
is a new publication written by Callie Jo Schweitzer and
Daniel C. Dey, both research foresters with the U.S.
Forest Service.
(12/15/23)
About this time of year, lots of forest owners think
about growing Christmas Trees. To help you make a
decision, take a look at the
National Christmas Tree Association's website
and the
Southern Christmas Tree Association's website.
The Southern Christmas Tree Association will hold their
2024 Annual Meeting in Alabama at Lake Guntersville
State Park, September 13-15.
(12/14/23)
Human-Armadillo Conflicts in Alabama: Recent Research,
with
Olivia Sciandra*,
Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and
Environment, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 64 minutes.
(12/08/23)
Own It! How to Develop a Family Enterprise Owner’s
Mindset at Every Age. "This is the first
book I read that gives a spot-on practical toolkit to
help multi-generational business families develop the
right ownership mindset."
(12/07/23)
Agritourism Liability Law Helps Farmers Reduce Risk
is an article in the
December 2023 Neighbors magazine (scroll
to page 6). For those of you who may want to invite
the public onto your land for birdwatching, camping,
hiking, etc., Alabama's Agritourism Liability Law may
help you avoid a lawsuit if someone gets hurt on your
property. Ask your lawyer for advice.
(12/06/23)
Boise Cascade saves plywood operations, curtails lumber
operations in Alabama. Source: Woodworking
Network, 11/29/23.
(12/05/23)
"Surface rights determine who owns the rights to the
surface of the land, while mineral rights determine
who has the right to mine the minerals below the surface
of the property. Interestingly, mineral rights can be
separate from actual land ownership. This can lead to
some unique challenges for those looking to buy land."
Read more:
Mineral Rights: The Hitch That Can Halt a Sale,
LandThink.com, 11/14/23.
(12/04/23)
The Burning Question by
Billy Rye was published in Cooperative
Farming News, August/September 2023.
(12/01/23)
Timber Tax: Landowner Issues and Considerations
is a webinar sponsored by NC State Extension Forestry
which was presented yesterday, November 30, 2023.
Kevin Burkett, CPA, Assistant Director of
Clemson Tax School, and
Kurt Smith, Extension Specialist at NC State
University are the presenters.
Slides for the presentations are available on the
webinar portal. About 66 minutes.
(11/30/23)
A Deep Dive into the 2022 Cost and Cost Trends of
Southern U.S. Forest Practices.
This 54 minute webinar was hosted by Forest Landowners
Association on 11/15/23 and featured
Adam Maggard, Harry E. Murphy Associate
Professor and Extension Specialist, College of Forestry,
Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University. About 54
minutes.
(11/29/23)
Timber
Harvesting Systems, with
Tom Gallagher, Auburn University College of
Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 61 minutes.
(11/28/23)
Have people gone completely nuts? American
Airlines has agreed to pay $100 per ton to have sawdust
compressed into bricks and buried to lock up the carbon
for "a thousand years." Smart sawmills, dumb airline.
Source:
The Verge, 11/28/23 and
The Wall Street Journal, 11/28/23. The
Journal is behind a paywall.
(11/22/23)
Alabama again finds itself in the top position in CATO
Institute's "Land-Use Freedom" category of its
Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and
Economic Freedom.
(11/21/23)
After
the Storm: "Tornadoes and other severe storms
have always been a risk to timber ownership.
Unfortunately, there is no affordable insurance program
for timberland owners of less than 100,000 acres. So,
when timber damage occurs, owners are often left with
three options; do nothing, salvage the timber, or
take a loss." Source: Kingwood Forestry Services
Summer 2023 Newsletter. Good article with
several good examples.
(11/20/23)
Drought
Conditions May Impact Seedling Survival Across the South
and Southeastern United States, Management
Alert 23-01, Southern Forest Nursery Management
Cooperative. Depending on the location where you plan
to plant seedlings this year, it may be wise to wait for
rain before planting.
(11/17/23)
Alabama Forestry Commission Makes Changes to ‘No
Burn’ Order. "With rainfall amounts varying across
the state this week, the AFC is lifting the No Burn
order (see
details) in 33 counties in the southern half of the
state (see
map).
(11/16/23)
Primer on the Effects of Fire in Eastern Oak Forests.
"Fire creates an environment that allows the
regeneration of oaks and other tree species and
stimulates the germination of a diverse assemblage of
herbaceous plants in the understory." 20 pages.
(11/15/23)
The
Ten Commandments for Better Bareroot and Container
Seedling Survival, with
Nina Dowling Payne, Southern Forest Nursery
Management Cooperative, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 52 minutes.
(11/14/23)
Improving Water Quality:
Practicing
Best Management by
Billy Rye was published in Cooperative
Farming News, June/July 2023.
Alabama's Best Management Practices Guidelines.
(11/13/23)
Biomass Leader Enviva Plunges Amid Debt Chaos, Replaces
CEO. (Bloomberg) -- "Enviva Inc., the
world’s largest producer of wood pellets for power
plants, warned it may not be able to continue operating
after losses surged."
(11/10/23)
Alabama Hunters Make It Two in a Row with No Fatalities.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources reported today: "Alabama hunters deserve a
roaring round of applause for their safety awareness.
Not only did hunters complete the 2021-2022 hunting
seasons without any hunting-related fatalities, a first
for Alabama since accidents started being recorded in
1974, they also repeated the phenomenal achievement with
no hunting-related fatalities for the 2022-2023
seasons." Reports like this can help keep hunting
liability insurance rates low. Encourage the hunters who
lease your land to be safety conscious.
(11/09/23)
Governor Ivey Prohibits Burning Statewide: She
signed a statewide
Drought
Emergency Declaration which prohibits all outdoor
burning in Alabama. The order became effective this
morning at 8 am and will remain in effect until
rescinded by the State Forester. No campfires, either.
(11/07/23)
"Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Proposes to
List Natural Asset Companies (NACs) on Wall Street."
Our friends at
American Stewards of Liberty, Margaret and Dan
Byefield have urged AFOA to inform you about the
issues surrounding NACs.
An amendment to defund the SEC's proposed rule approving
NACs will possibly be voted on in the US House today.
Unfortunately, your editor is having a hard time
understanding the significance of the recognition of
NACs and how it might affect private forest owners.
Please send comments to
RLL@AFOA.ORG. Thanks.
(11/06/23)
State renovations to Interstate 10 in Texas caused
serious flooding on private farmland. Landowner sues
state for damages. State won't pay. Case goes to U.S.
Supreme Court. Read:
A Texas Farmer's Case Heads to the Supreme Court—After
the State Refuses to Compensate Him for Property It
Destroyed, FEE, 10/31/23.
(11/03/23)
Cellular Security Cameras: "For owners of remote
or rural properties, a cellular security camera has
emerged as a great solution to safeguarding homes,
properties, and loved ones. Unlike traditional Wi-Fi
cameras that rely on a stable internet connection,
cellular security cameras operate independently, tapping
into cellular networks to provide surveillance."
While the linked article from Great Days Outdoors,
10/17/23, promotes one brand of camera, there are many
on the market.
Click here for ideas.
Also, for further reading.
(11/02/23)
Building Trails on Your Property with
Ann Savage, North Carolina State University, is
a 51 minute webinar recorded earlier today. Ann mentions
an upcoming American Trails Association webinar.
Click here for details of several.
(11/01/23)
"I was horrified..." In the November issue of
Virginia Forest Landowner e-Update, Extension
Forester
Jennifer Gagnon describes her first contact with
a deer hunter as a child and her slow but steady
conversion to someone who understands the need for
hunting and who now enjoys eating venison harvested from
her land. If you are a Bambi lover and find it hard
to appreciate deer hunting, Jennifer's story is for you.
(10/30/23)
The Mindset of a Forest Landowner: Buy Dirt.
Enjoy listening to Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan as they
help you understand,
"If you want my two cents on making a dollar count, Buy
Dirt." Read Pete Williams' take on "Buy Dirt" on
page 5 of AFOA's Capital Ideas, November 2023.
(10/27/23)
Fastmarkets (10/12/23) reports "a promising
future for southern yellow pine." They project
"US lumber consumption to grow by 18% through 2027."
(10/26/23)
Five of the presentations made at our 2023 Annual
Meeting have been posted to the web with more to come.
They are:
-
Timber Market Update, T. R. Clark, F&W
Forestry Services
-
Why We Should Ditch Forest Carbon Credits,
Trip Jobe, ResourceWise
-
Strategies to Avoid Estate Tax Land Liquidation,
Larry Wall, WealthArc Advisors
-
Protecting Our Deer Population, Kevin
McKinstry, CWD Coalition
-
Mapping Tools for Landowners, John Gilbert,
Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center
(10/25/23)
Alabama's Fire Alert Reinstated to Include All 67
Counties.
(10/23/23)
The
2022 Forest Resource Report, produced by the
Alabama Forestry Commission "pulls in county-level
Forest Inventory & Analysis data to report on values
such as forested acres by stand type and size class.
There are estimated timber volumes for key species,
estimated timber volume growth, and estimated harvest
removal. Using forest product severance tax numbers, the
Commission can share very detailed information on how
much harvested timber is coming from each county and in
what product types. There is also current economic
information, news about new forest industry in the
state" and more. 58 pages.
(10/20/23)
Upstream Gifting: "When wealth passes between
generations, it generally flows downstream, passing from
an older generation to a younger one. Under certain
circumstances, though, taking a detour in the other
direction can help save you some money in taxes."
Source:
How Passing Assets to Parents Can Lower Taxes,
Charles Schwab, 10/12/23.
(10/19/23)
This Land Is My Land. "A 21-year-old from Los
Angeles went viral on TikTok last week with a video
showing how he bought a small patch of land in Joshua
Tree for $200. He told Insider he made the
purchase because he thought it would feel good to stand
on grounds that he owned..."
(10/18/23)
This week is National Forest Products Week. "The
U.S. South, nicknamed the world’s wood basket, accounts
for over half of all sustainable timber production in
the country and generates more than $251 billion (about
$770 per person in the U.S.) annually in economic
contributions."
(10/17/23)
Row-Crop Farmers Unhappy with Damage from Deer
Populations in Some Areas of the State.
Alfa's AgCast discussed ideas and Alfa policy that
might reduce deer/farmer conflicts (audio -
about 24 minutes). Farmers who have deer population
problems can obtain Deer Depredation Permits from
Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, but the venison
cannot be consumed by the farmers or those who help them
remove the deer from their land.
(10/16/23)
F&W
Forestry Report, always an interesting
newsletter, contains a story this quarter, Fall 2023, on
Timber Theft (pages 4 & 5) including a sidebar -
What is Timber Theft? - that all forest owners
should read. The newsletter also includes commentary on
timber markets and a report on agricultural land values
across the U.S.
(10/13/23)
Threatened & Endangered Species of Alabama: What you
should know, with
Ray Metzler, Alabama Forestry Commission, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 65 minutes.
(10/12/23)
"Classifying
Hardwood Timber for Harvest Purposes"
is the latest issue of
Back Porch Forestry
produced by Dr.
David Mercker, Extension
Forester at the University of Tennessee.
Unfortunately, David reports that this will be the last
issue of Back Porch Forestry. We hope he surprises us
with a new series that will be equally as informative.
(10/11/23)
Remember the Carbon Credit buyers, NCX? Several
of their staff attended our 2022 Annual Meeting and
Alex Macintosh described their program on Saturday
morning, April 9. In the Southwest Mississippi
Forestry Newsletter, September 2023,
Curtis
VanderSchaaf describes NCX's program and why they are no
longer buying carbon credits.
(10/10/23)
If you are thinking about moving to be closer to your
kids, you might want to look at the
Tax Foundation's Map of Estate and Inheritance Taxes
before finalizing your plans.
(10/09/23)
Contrary to what you might believe, if you are a
member of Alabama Forest Owners' Association,
everyone doesn't support private ownership of forestland.
Protesters broke windows at the World Forestry Center
in Portland, Oregon where the
Who Will Own the Forest? conference was being
held last month.
Many timberland advisors and investors from the South
were in attendance.
(10/06/23)
The insanity continues. Bioenergy Insight
reported last week:
Macron to convert France's remaining coal-fired power
plants to biomass. Macron's decision will be
good for our wood pellet manufacturers, and good for
landowners who benefit from the sale of low quality
wood, but, but ...
(10/05/23)
Fire Lines is the bimonthly newsletter of the
Southern Fire Exchange, a regional organization
focused on the interests of prescribed burners. The
September 2023 issue is packed full of news and events.
(10/04/23)
Qualities that set apart recreational land as a low risk
investment in any market. In a 7-minute video,
Real Estate Broker Pat Porter "covers some of the major
aspects that any recreational land buyer should focus on
in order to achieve low risk investment and to
understand where their highest risks come from." Source:
LandThink.com, 9/26/23.
(10/03/23)
"For those living off-the-grid or using
Starlink as a network redundancy in case of a
grid failure, the SpaceX-owned space internet company
announced on X that the service is now available
across the Lower 48 after deploying next-generation
satellites." Source: ZeroHedge, 10/2/23.
(10/02/23)
How Many Loblolly Pine Seedlings Should I Plant And At
What Spacing? Mississippi State's
Dr. Curtis VanderSchaaf discusses that question
in TreeLines, September 2023.
Planting Contracts were featured, below, on January 4,
2022.
(09/28/23)
2023 North Georgia Prescribed Fire Council Meeting:
The presentations were recorded and can be watched as a
group or individually. Topics included Fire & Turkey
Habitat, Fire Initiatives for Private Landowners,
Reintroduction of Prescribed Fire to Fire Suppressed
Pine, and others.
(09/27/23)
Study Finds No Effect of LEED Certification on Federal
Buildings' Energy Efficiency. LEED Certification
is "the most widely used green building rating system in
the world." Editor's Note: May we be permitted to
question whether expensive green forest certification
programs such as Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) have had any
significant positive effect on the quality of mom & pop
forest management activities in Alabama? We suspect
none.
(09/26/23)
Insider Business takes a look at the process of making
cardboard boxes. Well done video -- about 12
minutes.
(09/25/23)
Because of the current drought situation in Alabama,
the Alabama Forestry Commission issued a
Statewide
Fire Alert on Friday.
(09/22/23)
Fall Bird Migration is Upon Us.
Click here to see what's going on in the skies above
Alabama.
Learn more about bird migration.
(09/21/23)
Timber Tech Revolution: Forests are thriving and
high-tech mills are popping up across the Southern U.S.
Short write-up features an Alabama sawmill. The
embedded 3 minute RFD TV story is a must-watch.
(09/20/23)
New Forest Landowner? Learn Your Next Steps.
This 47 minute webinar was hosted by Forest Landowners
Association on 9/14/23 and featured
Chris Miller, Director of Real Estate Services
for American Forest Management. Webinar begins at
about the 2 minute mark. If you are considering hiring a
consulting forester to help you on your land, find one
at
www.ForesterSearch.com.
(09/19/23)
An Easement "may have been in place for a long
time, and it can last for any specified amount of time,
or even forever..." Read more:
Handling Easements Attached to Rural Property,
LandThink, 9/5/23.
(09/18/23)
Wildfires wipe out income for Louisiana forest
landowners: "For many people, the towering pines
that define the landscape of this rural region represent
family inheritances, years of investment and hopes for
the future. Growing trees takes a long time, but the
cash they bring in when cut is worth the wait. This
summer’s fires have dimmed those prospects for some."
(09/15/23)
Property Taxes: For forest owners, Alabama is one
of the best states in the U.S. to invest your capital -
for many reasons, including our low property taxes.
While the Tax Foundation's article,
Where Do People Pay the Most in Property Taxes,
doesn't focus on forestland, it will give you a general
idea which states and even which counties in Alabama
encourage property ownership.
(09/14/23)
Drone Applications in Forest Vegetation Management
with
Corey Craig, IVM Solutions, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 58 minutes.
(09/13/23)
"Tree
Growth Characteristics"
and "Crop
Budget for Hardwood Timber"
are the latest issues of
Back Porch Forestry
produced by Dr.
David Mercker, Extension
Forester at the University of Tennessee.
(09/11/23)
A Tale
of Two [Lumber Production] Regions is an
interesting discussion of lumber production and related
log prices in the Western US and the South. Source:
Forest Research Notes, Volume 20, No. 2. "US
[lumber] production peaked at 40.5 BBF [billion board
feet] in 2005, then collapsed along with housing starts
and much of the global economy. Production then rose
steadily from the low of 23.3 BBF (lowest of the past 60
years) in 2009 to 37.6 BBF in 2022."
Forest Research Notes Archive.
(09/08/23)
600 Square Miles: "Start with 383,934 acres of US
farmland. Divide that total by the number of acres in a
square mile — 640 — and it yields just shy of 600 square
miles. According to the US Department of Agriculture,
that’s the total amount of US farmland currently owned
by Chinese investors today." That’s the cover story of
the
Summer 2023 issue of The Land Report.
Scroll to page 98. On page 102 the article says
Canadians own more than 20,000 square miles of US Ag
lands.
(09/06/23)
The Land Show, Episode 407, talked to
Ryan Basinger, with Westervelt Wildlife Services.
Ryan described "what landowners and hunting club members
can be doing to get their property ready for the
upcoming
dove and
deer seasons." Ryan is the first guest on the
show from 4:30 to 17:41.
(09/05/23)
The Feather Atlas: Have you ever seen a
feather lying on the ground and wondered what kind of
bird left it there? The Feather Atlas provides
Browse, Search, and Identify features that will help you
identify the birds that live on your land. Enjoy.
(09/01/23)
Forisk News, Q3 2023, August 16, 2023,
contains a page full of highlights on Lumber, Pulp &
Paper, Wood Bioenergy, Timber Markets, Timberland
Investments, and more. Scroll to page 2.
(08/30/23)
Guidebook for Prescribed Burning in the Southern Region
(Download PDF) "This guidebook will take you
step-by-step through the processes involved in planning,
preparing for and conducting a prescribed fire on your
land." Printed copies may be available in the future.
If you have any questions about the Guidebook, please
contact
Leslie Boby.
(08/29/23)
Fire
Danger Advisory Issued 8/25/23 for Southwest Counties of
Alabama. Regional Forester Benji Elmore said
today that the advisory "will continue for a few more
days until we get good rain coverage."
(08/28/23)
The Science and Art of Family Business Trusts.
This webinar, produced and recorded by
The
Family Business Consulting Group on August 9, will
be of interest to some forest owners, but won't be for
everyone.
Click here for the recording - about 1 hour.
(08/25/23)
The US is predicted to become a net exporter of softwood
lumber by 2027. "The US will ... overtake Canada
as North America’s leading offshore supplier within the
next five years as production capacity increases,
according to Fastmarkets’ latest forecast."
(08/23/23)
Are you harming deer when you feed them? Kip
Adams, National Deer Association, suspects you are.
Read:
Can Baiting and Feeding Really Spread Deer Diseases
Faster?, NDA, 8/9/23.
(08/22/23)
Do These 5 Things Before Putting Your Land on the Market,
advises Tom Brickman, Real Estate Broker &
Forester with Cyprus Partners, on LandThink,
8/1/23.
(08/21/23)
The Moves Wealthy Families Are Making to Skirt Estate
Taxes: How dynasty trusts can shield wealth before the
Trump tax cuts expire (new link 9/6/23). Source:
The Wall Street Journal, 8/19/23.
(08/18/23)
"Alabama Power cancels Chandler Mountain project after
massive public pushback - 'Sometimes David does beat
Goliath,'" reported 1819 News yesterday.
Unfortunately David didn't beat Goliath and Goliath is
not Alabama Power. Goliath is a collection of government
regulations and incentives that are steadily pushing
Alabama Power Company and all other electric generators
to buy solar power and close down efficient coal, gas,
nuclear, and hydro power sources. Landowners were
saved today from the power of eminent domain, but
cancelling this project will not put off the brown-outs
and black-outs just over the horizon.
(08/17/23)
Insect and fungal pests of southern hardwood forests
with
Dave
Coyle, Clemson University, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 70 minutes.
(08/16/23)
President of Alabama Public Service Commission Voices
Strong Opposition to Chandler Mountain Pumped Storage
Scheme. The project, which is designed to store
energy produced by solar farms, may use the power of
eminent to domain to acquire needed land.
(08/15/23)
"BASF
[Arsenal
Herbicide,
Chopper GEN2], the biggest chemical producer in
the world and a pillar of the German economy founded
over 150 years ago, warned that the [German] economy was
uncompetitive due to high energy costs and would
downsize permanently. It has relocated its investments
to the US and China where energy costs are a fifth as
expensive." Source:
The Not-So-Strange Death of Europe: Cultural Sacrifice
At The Altar of Gaia, Forbes, 8/13/23.
(08/14/23)
Goats as a Solution to Wildfires:
In Spain;
In California.
(08/11/23)
3 Hog Hunters Die in Underground Tank Possibly
Attempting to Rescue Dog: Sheriff. If you have
abandoned open wells, cisterns, vertical mine shafts, or
similar hazards on your land, it's a good idea to make
an effort to prevent accidents like the hog hunters fell
into.
(08/10/23)
The Changing Landscape -- Everything Agricultural
Employers Should Understand About Farm Labor Law.
This webinar was conducted yesterday by the National
Agricultural Law Center. We suspect most forest owners
won't be interested in the webinar, but for those of you
who have paid help on your land, this webinar may save
you lots of grief.
(08/08/23)
Beware of Logging Scam! The Alabama Forestry
Commission is warning forest landowners to beware of a
timber cutting scam. The permit / "lumberjack" contract
shown
in this photo is a fake. Neither Rafael Ruis Delvizo
nor the Lumber Tech Frames Inc. are representatives of
the Alabama Forestry Commission and are in no way
affiliated with the agency. If you are contacted or have
been approached by anyone using this counterfeit
document, please contact Scott Rouse, Deputy Attorney
General for the Alabama Forestry Commission, at (334)
328-7831.
(08/07/23)
Alabama Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries Biologists
Available to Help with Hunting Season Preparations
reported David Rainer last week. "We have a Technical
Assistance biologist in each district now that is a free
service. ... Just get in touch with
your district office to make an appointment. They
can definitely give you some advice on what to do to get
ready and what you can do to improve things down the
road. They can help you determine what is realistic for
your property, and each situation is a little
different."
(08/04/23)
Alabama REMC-(Rural Electric Membership Co-ops) Owned
Statewide Broadband Network Chooses Engineering Firm.
This notice will be of interest to those landowners
who live in rural areas with little or no broadband
internet service, or to those landowners who recognize
the increase in value their land will acquire when
broadband becomes available.
(08/03/23)
Marketing Hardwood Timber with
David Mercker, University of Tennessee, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 58 minutes.
(08/02/23)
Expect to See Alligators Throughout Alabama.
“Alligators eat beavers, muskrats, deer, if they can
catch it, or a coyote,” [reported Jud Easterwood,
Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries’ Supervising Wildlife
Biologist in District I in north Alabama]. “A dog coming
through a shallow water swamp is no different from any
of those animals. They are just natural prey to an
alligator, not unnatural at all." Source: Alabama
Outdoors, author David Rainer, 7/13/23.
(08/01/23)
How I Got Legal Access to This Tract is a 6
minute video produced by real estate broker Pat Porter.
Interesting, useful, and to the point.
(07/31/23)
The U.S. Department of Energy plans to spend
$23.8 million to remove carbon from the
emissions at Georgia-Pacific's Alabama River Cellulose
pulp and paper mill in Monroe County, Alabama. The
carbon dioxide will be pumped 4,000 feet down into a
brine reservoir, and supposedly stored there forever. We
wonder if the brine reservoir being used to store CO2
forever might be the same brine reservoir (Smackover
Formation) in which
Exxon Mobil has invested $100,000,000 in Arkansas and is
planning to annually extract 100,000 metric tons of
lithium?
(07/27/23)
Private forests provide the raw material for
lumber, paper, energy, pellets and a whole lot more, and at
the same time they provide wildlife habitat, jobs,
recreation, clean water, and a host of other benefits.
AND while they do all that, the private forests in the
lower 48 states sequestered enough carbon to offset more
than half of the private car emissions in those same
states. To prepare yourself for the next debate with
your Aunt Martha, who thinks trees should never be cut
so they will store the maximum amount of carbon to
prevent global warming, read:
Private Forests Doing Public (Carbon) Good by
Eric Kingsley, Forest Resources Association, 7/13/23.
(07/26/23)
Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) in Alabama:
"We are detecting more beetle spots this year than
last year. Aerial surveys have been completed for most
of the western counties," reported Dana Stone,
Forest Management Division Director, Alabama Forestry
Commission, 7/26/23. After opening
the Commission's map, zoom in to see exactly where
beetle spots are located. You can select "Imagery
Hybrid" in the "Basemap Gallery" (located under the
words "Insect and Disease Map") to see names of map
features such as towns and highway names on a photo-like
image. There are lots of spots near the Bankhead
National Forest (Lawrence & Winston
counties), and in Pickens, Hale, Choctaw, Washington,
Clarke, Monroe, and Conecuh counties.
(07/25/23)
Costs and Trends Survey of Southern Forestry Practices:
"The latest survey was conducted to capture forestry
management activities in 2022. Along with this survey, a
comprehensive online dashboard was created that includes
all data from 1952 through the 2022 survey."
Video: about 41 minutes. See
also 4/17/23 and recent past reports.
(07/21/23)
Forest Markets Newsletter is published each
Friday by the National Association of State Foresters.
It contains a couple dozen news headlines each week
which frequently report on news and issues that we pass
along to you, both on this page and in our monthly
newsletter, Capital Ideas.
(07/20/23)
Cost-Share for Southern Pine Beetle Prevention
is a new program available through the Alabama Forestry
Commission. The application window is from July 14, 2023
through August 31, 2023. Prevention practices that are
available for incentive payments:
-
First
commercial thinning of loblolly or shortleaf pine
stand
-
Understory
prescribed burning of loblolly or shortleaf pine
stand
-
Low-density
loblolly pine planting for suitable sites
(07/19/23)
Is the Supreme Court putting 'a thumb on the scale for
property owners'? The question is asked by
The Pacific Legal Foundation and answered by them
with another question: "When the government tries to
wrest control over a piece of private property,
shouldn't there be a starting presumption in favor of
the property's owner?"
(07/17/23)
Alabama Private Forests will be broadcast on
Alabama Public Television on Thursday, July 20 at 8 pm.
The 54 minute video was produced by Discovering Alabama
with host Dr. Doug Phillips. If you can't wait
until Thursday, or want to watch the video at some later
date,
click here for an archived copy.
(07/14/23)
The Ground at My Feet: Sustaining a Family and a
Forest by Ann Stinson is "a memoir about loss
and grief as well as a portrait of a family, a region,
and an industry."
$19.54 in paperback at Amazon. A
brief
excerpt from the book was reprinted in National
Woodlands magazine, Volume 46, Number 3.
(07/13/23)
Death & Taxes: Did you know that "When
someone dies, their surviving spouse or representative
must file a final tax return for the deceased person."?
Source: DeLoach, Barber & Caspers, P.C. Newsletter,
July 2023.
(07/12/23)
Fueling a Freer Future is a series of short
videos produced by the Auburn-based Mises Institute.
After watching on Monday as
dozens of homeowners, farmers, and others begged Alabama
Power Company to not take their property to build a
pumped storage hydropower plant in the Steele area, and
being surprised that none of the supplicants recognized
that green energy lobbyists and their solar farms were
the driving force behind the project and the threatened
use of the power of eminent domain, we
thought it might be useful for you to view Mises' short
stories.
(07/11/23)
Challenges to Bottomland Hardwood Forest Management in
the U. S. South with
John Tracy, University of Florida, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 53 minutes.
(07/10/23)
Two more Pumped Storage Hydropower plants (today
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) held
public hearings in Rainbow City on Alabama Power's
Chandler Mountain plans) have been proposed for
Jackson County, Alabama. These proposals
include the threat of eminent domain.
Editor's Note: Interestingly, of the many heartfelt
comments presented by landowners to FERC today in
Rainbow City, no one suggested that lawmakers should
repeal tax and other incentives that are encouraging the
construction of solar farms, the cause of potential
brown-out and black-out episodes.
(07/07/23)
See Inside One of America's Last Pencil Factories:
The family-owned facility in Tennessee produces more
than 70 million pencils annually. Editor's note:
Along with being a big user of pencils (remember
drafting classes years ago?), we've shared Lawrence
Read's
I, Pencil, many times since reading it the
first time back in the '80s.
(07/06/23)
In
Thinking Smartly About Climate Change,
Imprimus, April/May 2023, Bjorn Lomborg
discusses the economic costs of climate policy and
questions whether we are making the right decisions.
Editor's note: I question the policy that forces me to
buy gasoline intentionally contaminated with ethanol --
my cars and trucks run less efficiently and I have to
drive extra miles each year to buy non-ethanol gas for
lawn mowers and chainsaws to prevent gummed-up
carburetors. Tax and other incentives to build solar and
wind farms may cause a collapse of our power grid, and
may be the driving force behind projects such as Alabama
Power's controversial Pumped Storage
Hydroelectric Generating Facility on Chandler
Mountain in St. Clair County.
(07/05/23)
Access to Broadband: For many who live in rural
areas of Alabama, lack of access to a broadband internet
connection is very important. So...
Last week, "President Biden announced $42 billion in
funding to build internet infrastructure across the
country, with the goal of getting every American
connected to the internet by 2030." The initiative "aims
to bring high-speed internet to the roughly 8.5 million
households and small businesses that are still lacking
this infrastructure." "Doing the math, Rep. Thomas
Massie
pointed out that it will cost about $4,941 for each
family that is connected to the internet. By contrast,
Elon Musk’s Starlink can do the job for $599 per family,
he noted."
(06/29/23)
Hunting Lease Basics for Landowners, written by
Sarah S. Snipes and published by Forest Resource
Consultants' Summer 2023 Newsletter, featured comments
from the Alabama Forest Owners' Association.
(06/28/23)
Wealth Taxes to come before the U.S. Supreme Court.
As property tax payers, we know that state and local
governments have the right to tax wealth. In Alabama,
the bills arrive shortly after October 1st. And while
not related to the Supreme Court case, the Biden
administration has proposed wealth taxes,
see 4/6/22, below. "The
Supreme Court’s decision to hear Moore v. US is
very good news for Americans,” said Competitive
Enterprise Institute general counsel Dan Greenberg. “A
century of precedent shows that – in order to be taxed –
income requires realization: this means that income
taxes can only be levied on realized income." See
also:
Norway's Wealth Tax is Backfiring. Are Americans Paying
Attention?
(06/27/23)
Tell us all about the Alabama Forest Owners' Association.
AFOA's Lee Laechelt was a guest on The Land
Show, Episode 399 a few days ago. Audio: From
19:44 to 38:50. Also, in his wrap-up to the show,
host Jonathan Goode reported on recent real
estate scams and potential red flags that you should
be aware of when purchasing land. Begins at 52:49.
(06/26/23)
How to Make an Offer on Rural Land. "Buying land
is an exciting prospect. You get to think about what
kind of place you want it to be, customize it how you
want, and envision how it will be for you and your
family for years to come. What if the seller accepts?
What if they don’t? And what are the steps involved with
making an offer on rural land in general?" Source:
Tom Brickman, Cyprus Partners,
LandThink.com, 5/30/23.
(06/23/23)
Virginia Wildlife Agents Came Onto His Land and Stole
His Camera. Now He's Suing. Reason,
6/8/23. See related articles from
Fox News and
Institute for Justice plus copy of
Henrico County Lawsuit.
(06/22/23)
Family Business Transitions Gone Wrong is the
theme of
The June Dispatch. Davon Cook discusses "Faulty
Assumptions in Ownership Transitions," Ethan Smith
touches on "Communications Failures in Management
Transitions," and Lance Woodbury wraps up the
Dispatch with "Relationship Mistakes in Family
Transitions."
(06/21/23)
Introducing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program with
Rob Hurt, Lee Holt, Jeffrey Drummond, and Matt
Hodges, all with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in
Alabama, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 60 minutes.
(06/20/23)
Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Generating Facility
is being planned by Alabama Power Company for the
northeast end of Chandler Mountain in St. Clair
County. Probably most landowners in the affected
area already know about this plan, since the power
company already owns much of the land in the reservoir
areas. We suspect the power of eminent domain will
be used to encourage any holdouts to sell.
(06/19/23)
"Israel-based
DSRaider developed the EZRaider line of ATVs to provide
a solution for navigating rough terrain that was
previously only passable by foot. With a more narrow
design than traditional ATVs and 4×4 quads, the EZRaider
can squeeze through, around and over obstacles." But
Pricey.
(06/16/23)
Florida Records Its First Case of Chronic Wasting
Disease. "Florida is the 32nd state to confirm
the presence of the always-fatal neurological disease."
Alabama's Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries Division will
increase testing for the disease in Southeast Alabama.
(06/15/23)
The
Tourism Development Newsletter of The
University of Alabama, June 14, 2023, includes a
section on Birding. "Over 430 different bird species
have been spotted in Alabama." No mention in the
Newsletter that birds might be found on private land.
See Alabama Farm Offers Bird
Watching Tours, below.
(06/14/23)
"Your opinions are needed! Help [NC State
University] understand impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
to southeast forest landowners ... Your responses will
help strengthen landowner programs, forestry markets,
and forest management policy."
Open the survey here.
(06/13/23)
Governor Kay Ivey, on May 31, signed the Property
Protection Act into law. "The bill,
HB379, will restrict specific entities or 'foreign
principals' from certain countries from obtaining
agricultural property as well as property on or near a
military installation or certain infrastructure
facility. The foreign countries include China, Iran,
North Korea, and Russia." On June 7, Politico
reported, "Chinese
citizens seek to block Florida’s law banning them from
owning property."
(06/12/23)
Southern pulpwood production, 2021, a
Resource Bulletin from US Forest Service Southern
Research Station, 2023. "The South’s production of
pulpwood increased from 57.0 million cords in 2020 to
59.0 million cords in 2021. ... Alabama and Georgia led
the South in total production... 73 mills were operating
and drawing wood from the 13 Southern States." See also:
Huber Engineered Woods Announces Plans to Locate its New
Mill in Noxubee County, Mississippi, in Response to
Strong Market Demand for its Specialty Products,
6/7/23; and
North Escambia [Florida] business planning $62M
expansion and 30 new jobs, 6/7/23.
(06/09/23)
Managing Home & Community Landscapes with Wildfire in
Mind with
Holly Campbell, University of Georgia, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 57 minutes.
(06/08/23)
Canadian Forest Fire Smoke Dominated Wildfire News
of The Day today. Of the dozen news stories
lifted from Wildfire News,
here, we
thought the following three the most interesting:
(06/07/23)
Tax Considerations For Those Affected By Natural
Disasters (Casualty Loss Tax Deductions and
Determining Your Basis) was presented last week by
Dr. Tamara Cushing, University of Florida. This
webinar is the first in a series on Hurricane
Preparation & Recovery. Video: about 67 minutes.
(06/06/23)
"How
clever of the climate to know exactly the boundary line
between the private and federal lands and only
devastate those on the federal side of the boundary
line," remarked
Rep. Tom McClintock during a House Natural
Resources Subcommittee legislative hearing. Editor's
note: Listen to the short video from the hearing (the
sound problem is fixed after a few seconds), and perhaps
you will join us in questioning federal or state
ownership of any forest lands.
(06/05/23)
Randolph County Revenue Commissioner aggressively
reassessed forestland as lakefront property. Forest
owner Keith Warren’s family has owned their forestland
in Randolph County before Lake Wedowee/Lake Harris was
created. Their land has been assessed as forestland (see
Current Use) until recently when the assessment was
raised 400 percent. Warren doesn’t agree with the change
in assessment and has scheduled a meeting with the
assessor this coming Friday, June 9. If you can offer
help or advice to Keith, please send a note to AFOA
at
RLL@AFOA.ORG and we’ll forward it to him. Thanks!
(06/02/23)
Tree Planting in the South is done mostly by Central
Americans brought to the U.S. legally by contractors
using H-2B Visas. If you would like to encourage LEGAL
Migrant Workers who return to their country of origin
when the planting work is done, the Forest Resources
Association would like your help to "Urge your
Representative to Support DHS Appropriations Bill."
Read full details
here.
(06/01/23)
Developing Goals and Objectives for Your Forestland.
"Many of you have, or will eventually, meet with a
forester or other natural resource professional to get
help managing your land. This could be to sell your
timber, to create wildlife habitat, to plant a riparian
buffer, or to start many other projects."
Continue reading the June 2023 Virginia Forest
Landowner e-Update.
(05/31/23)
Ten
Things Forest Landowners Should Do Before They Thin
Their Pines by
Billy Rye was published in Cooperative
Farming News, April/May 2023.
(05/30/23)
Two 'Mompreneurs' Created a Forest School That Reaches
Thousands. "What began as a weekly outdoor
meet-up with a handful of local families has now become
Barefoot University, a national, non-profit forest
school that reaches over 3,000 learners in six states,
with nine states set for next year."
(05/26/23)
Pig Poison:
Mark Smith, Wildlife Extension Specialist at
Auburn University, presented earlier this week
A Short
and Practical Review of the Science Behind Toxicants for
Wild Pig Control. It is the latest in Alabama
Extension's 2023 Natural Resources Webinar Series.
About 61 minutes.
(05/25/23)
U.S. Supreme Court decided today that a water of the
U.S. must be "a relatively permanent body of water
connected to traditional interstate navigable waters,"
and holds that “the Clean Water Act extends to only
those ‘wetlands with a continuous surface connection to
bodies that are “waters of the United States” in their
own right,’ so that they are ‘indistinguishable’ from
those waters.” Source: Pacific Legal Foundation,
5/25/23. See also:
Supreme Court Protects Property Rights from Federal
Overreach.
(05/24/23)
"Log
supplies ... at sawmills in 2023 vary widely based on
weather and 'whether.'" The stumpage market when
seen through the eyes of railroad tie manufacturers may
give forest owners a better understanding of the
complexities in the wood supply chain. Source:
Crossties, March/April 2023.
(05/23/23)
The Forest Technology program at Lurleen B. Wallace
Community College "trains students for the
position of forest technician. The technician is an
employee who works under the direction of a professional
(BS degree) forester and will undertake the fieldwork
that is necessary to manage the forest. A career as a
forest technician involves a variety of challenging jobs
including timber inventory, procurement, maintenance of
forest roads, forest management, forest stand
improvement, fire and pest control, soil and water
conservation, wildlife management, harvest planning,
logging, cartography, and surveying. Technicians work
outside in all kinds of weather and have to do some
office work."
(05/19/23)
The
Alabama Mushroom Society Newsletter, April 2023,
contains a report with photos on their recent morel
foray, the "mushroom of the month," a new book on edible
Alabama mushrooms, and an "In The Kitchen" recipe. Read
more at
https://alabamamushroomsociety.org/.
(05/18/23)
US Wood Pellet Exports Up In March, reported
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service on May 4. That's good
news unless you own Enviva stock. WFAE 90.7 in
Charlotte, North Carolina reported on May 5,
Shares of Wood Pellet Maker Enviva Plummet As Losses
Widen.
As of May 18, 2023 at 1:13 PM CDT Enviva shares were
worth $8.40. A year ago they were valued at
$72.86.
(05/17/23)
Forisk News, Q2, 2023, contains lots of
market related information you may find interesting. If
you are planning to buy forestland, you will likely find
helpful the map in
Southern Pine Timber Inventory Outlook under
Research Highlights. Hint: Avoid dark green areas
where pines are growing twice as fast as they are being
harvested.
(05/16/23)
Volatile Timber Markets and Implications for Future
Forest Management by
Billy Rye was published in Cooperative
Farming News, February/March 2023.
(05/15/23)
Three bills being debated in Montgomery may be of
interest to forest owners:
(05/12/23)
Introduction to and Management of Pine-Hardwood Mixtures with
David Clabo, University of Georgia, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 63 minutes. You may also want to watch
Managing Stands of Mixed Pine & Hardwood
presented by
John Willis at our 2019 Annual Meeting.
(05/11/23)
Alabama gets $1 million to map mineral resources,
AL.com, 5/5/23. "The survey will be concentrated
in an area of [East]-Central Alabama known as the
Graphite Belt, and look for minerals such as aluminum,
arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, germanium, graphite, rare
earth metals, tin, tungsten, vanadium and others."
(05/09/23)
What's
My Timber Worth? Understanding the Variables That Affect
Timber Prices by
Billy Rye was published in Cooperative
Farming News, December 2022/January 2023. If you
plan to grow pine sawtimber, it might be a good idea to
study the map on the second page of Billy's article.
(05/08/23)
Jackson Pellets held a ribbon cutting ($21
million investment from Denmark), and
Kronospan in Oxford, Alabama announced construction of
new, state of the art, Oriented Strand Board
manufacturing plant ($350 million investment
from Austria). Both announcements were good news for
forest owners who need markets for first thinnings and
low quality wood.
(05/05/23)
Paxton Furniture shifts production from China to
Mississippi reported Woodworking Network on May
1, 2023. "Reshoring." It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
(05/04/23)
Never take no for an answer. Even though the
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service concluded in October 2022
that "the risk factors acting on the gopher tortoise and
its habitat, either singly or in combination, are not of
sufficient imminence, scope, or magnitude" to warrant
threatened or endangered status, The Center for
Biological Diversity and Nokuse Education filed a notice
of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over
its decision.
(05/03/23)
Forest Finance Simplified, 6th Edition,
by
Brooks Mendell, Ph.D., "distills forest finance
themes into a question-and-answer format for those who
want an accessible reference or introduction to forest
management decision-making and timber investments."
Cost: $35 plus shipping & tax.
(05/02/23)
The
Southern Fox Squirrel with
Mike Conner, The Jones Center at Ichauway, is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 55 minutes.
(05/01/23)
It is with great sadness that we report today that
William A. "Will" Freise, President of Alabama Forest
Owners' Association, passed away last Thursday, April 27,
2023. Will joined the association back in 1992
and frequently made suggestions to the staff on how to
improve the information and services provided to the
members. Will joined the Board of Directors in 2011 and
was elected President of the Association in May of 2021.
(04/27/23)
Housing Market Forecast 2023-24: The Myth of Massive
Underbuilding by Bill Conerly, Forbes,
April 18, 2023, suggests the demographic push to build
more houses, especially single family houses that use
more lumber, may not be as strong as many projections
have indicated.
(04/26/23)
Common Ticks of North Carolina: An Identification Guide
by Bertone, Reiskind, Crawley, and Watson contains
the best pictures of ticks that we have seen. The tick
that has been biting us lately in Shelby County is the
lone star tick. You are likely to be surprised when you
learn where their eyes are located.
(04/25/23)
The Land Report and
F&W Forestry Report bring you news about
landowners and for landowners, respectively.
Both are always interesting.
(04/24/23)
The National Deer Association is offering Deer Steward
1: Habitat Management. "Learn all about food
plots, how to manage the woods and open fields,
herbicide applications and using prescribed fire by
completing NDA’s Habitat Management online module."
Instructors are
Dr. Craig Harper, Professor of Wildlife
Management and the Extension Wildlife Specialist at the
University of Tennessee, and
Dr. Marcus Lashley, Assistant Professor of
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of
Florida.
(04/21/23)
"Every
Day is Earth Day for Private Forest Landowners.
Private forests provide clean air, clean water and
essential wildlife habitat." "Fifty-six percent of
forestland in the United States is privately owned and
sustainably managed by families and private companies.
That’s 445 million acres." Source: Forest Landowners
Association, 4/20/23.
(04/20/23)
Forest Inventory Basics For Family Forest Landowners
by Barlow, Maggard, and Kush is an interesting new
handbook published by Alabama Extension System which
includes well-done narratives as well as video
tutorials. "This handbook provides the basics of forest
measurements and inventories, how and why they are
taken, and how to interpret the results of those
measurements. Applying the information will help
landowners (1) understand the need for a forest
inventory, (2) set goals and communicate more easily
with natural resource professionals who assist them, and
(3) understand the importance of a quality forest
inventory conducted by a professional."
(04/19/23)
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes: Ecology & Conservation with
Jayme L. Waldron is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 1 hour and 26 minutes. See
below:
Help Us Keep Eastern Diamondback
Rattlesnakes Off The List.
(04/18/23)
Seize property to build wind and solar farms, says JP
Morgan chief, reported yahoo!finance on
April 4, 2023. Everyone doesn't agree, as you might
imagine. "In Iowa, state legislators on Monday
passed a bill that aims to protect private property
owners from eminent domain use by carbon pipeline
companies."
(04/17/23)
Participate in the 2022 Costs and Trends of Southern
Forestry Practices Survey. Dr. Adam Maggard,
Auburn University, is again looking for information on
the cost of managing forestland. If you paid someone to
plant trees, conduct a prescribed burn, mark boundary
lines, or several other management activities, Adam
wants to know what you had to pay to get the job done.
Adam will share the information with us later. See
below, 11/16/22 and
10/27/21.
(04/12/23)
Two Tax Topics that we saw in DeLoach, Barber &
Caspers, P.C. April Newsletter that might be of
interest:
-
What Is the Net Investment Income Tax?
The Net Investment Income Tax tends to affect
wealthier individuals, but in certain circumstances,
it can affect moderate-income taxpayers too.
-
Defer Capital Gains With Sec. 1031 Exchanges.
If real estate's your game, did you know that it's
possible to defer capital gains by taking advantage
of a tax break that allows you to swap investment
property on a tax-deferred basis?
(04/11/23)
Repeal
the Death Tax, urge 40+ U.S. Senators, including
Senator Britt and Senator Tuberville. AFOA recognizes
that this bill will not pass both houses, and even if it
did, would never gain the President's signature, but we
are glad that both of our Senators are on the right side
of the issue.
(04/10/23)
Casualty Loss and the Forest Landowner is the
topic of the latest Episode (#07) of Timber University,
a podcast series sponsored by Mississippi State
University Extension and Arkansas Center for Forest
Business. Podcast: about 26 minutes. AFOA hasn't listened to past episodes, so if
you listen to one or more and think we should feature it
here, let us know: send recommendation to
RLL@AFOA.ORG.
(04/07/23)
PRT
Growing Services Ltd. Acquires International Forest
Company reports the headline of an April 5, 2023
PRT Press Release. PRT will now have the capacity to
produce 630 million seedlings each year. Both companies
have been advertisers in AFOA's monthly newsletter,
Capital Ideas (see
PRT ad on page 3 and IFCO ad on page 8). Some may
remember our visit to PRT's nursery in Atmore during our
2019 Annual Meeting.
(04/06/23)
To Sweden's lumber producers, "what really stands out is
the U.S. market. Imports from Europe and Sweden
have strengthened dramatically and in 2022 the U.S. has
been established as Sweden's most important lumber
product market after the UK." One wonders why more
sawmill investments haven't come to the U.S. South,
where we are covered up with standing trees ready to be
harvested.
(04/05/23)
Citizen Ownership of Gold Outlawed by President on April
5: Executive Order 6102. How fragile freedom was
in 1933 when Roosevelt signed that order. "After
Prohibition was repealed later the same year, the sober
man with gold in his pocket was the criminal while the
staggering drunk was no more than a nuisance."
(04/04/23)
Everything You Need to Know About Property Access --
Part 2 by
Felicia Cristofaro, Compass Land USA.
Part 1 was featured here on 2/21/23.
(04/03/23)
3 Promising New Ways to Detect CWD, Dead Deer Not
Required by National Deer Association's
Lindsay Thomas, Jr., describes how the deadly
disease-causing prions can be detected in scrapes, at
feeders, and by trained dogs. Learn more about Chronic
Wasting Disease when
Kevin McKinstry, Chairman of the
CWD Coalition, talks to us on
April 15 at Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge.
(03/30/23)
Putting the Management Back Into Streamside Management
Zones with Tim Albritton is the latest
issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources
Webinar Series.
About 56 minutes.
(03/29/23)
JamisonMoneyFarmer's
Timber Tax Talk earlier today featured JMF's CPA
Rachel Taylor interviewing JMF's Timber and
Natural Resources practice group leader Orman Wilson
on most of the basics for owning timber land and how it
is taxed. They touch on the most common ways to
calculate your tax basis of land and timber, timber
farming, a forestry management plan, and estate and
inheritance strategies around timber. Video: about 30
minutes.
(03/24/23)
Recordkeeping: A How-to-do-it Guide for Small Woodland
Owners, by Elwood and Gregory, may be
something you can use in the future. "Capturing the
facts and figures from your woodland operation and
turning the seemingly disjointed and unrelated data into
usable information is what recordkeeping is all about.
It’s just as important as other management activities
done on your property."
(03/23/23)
If your progress towards improving your wooded land is
not moving as smoothly or as quickly as you'd hoped,
perhaps it's time to look back at where you've been.
Family business coach
Lance Woodbury suggests
Moving Forward by Measuring Backward.
(03/22/23)
The Southern Group of State Foresters (Alabama
Forestry Commission is a member) reminded Secretary
of Agriculture Tom Vilsack last month that "Current
international market restrictions, and overly
restrictive trade measures that are not science-based,
are negatively affecting U.S. exporters as well as the
sustainability of the private forests that supply the
fiber."
Read the
full letter here.
(03/21/23)
Should I Sell My Land? Interesting 5-minute
video with Pat Porter, RecLand featured on
LandThink.com.
(03/20/23)
Banned by the FDA. "People might be surprised
that root beer, one of the most iconic of the fizzy
drinks, was originally made from actual roots. Even more
surprising, the main ingredients of those natural root
beers have been banned by the FDA." In
The Roots of Root Beer, Northern Woodlands,
Winter 2022,
Ben Lord describes various forms of root beer
and even provides a recipe to cook some up yourself.
Question: Have you ever pulled up the roots of a
sassafras seedling and taken a sniff? If not, try it.
(03/17/23)
Managing Hardwood Forests for Deer and Turkeys with
Forest Stand Improvement and Prescribed Fire
with Mark A. Turner, University of Tennessee, is
the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural
Resources Webinar Series. About 60 minutes.
(03/16/23)
The Top Five Strategies Forest Landowners Use to Save
Taxes webinar, presented by
Andrew Bosserman, Tax Attorney & CPA, Shumaker,
Loop & Kendrick, LLP, and hosted by Clemson Cooperative
Extension, includes "qualifying for capital gains
taxation on timber sales." About 65 minutes.
The final topic is specific to South Carolina. Alabama
forest owners can apply for current-use assessment on
their forestland and should be able to keep property
taxes below $2.50 per acre or so.
Watch a video on applying for current-use in Alabama.
(03/15/23)
"Governor Kay Ivey has proclaimed
March 2023
‘Prescribed Fire Awareness’ Month in the state of
Alabama. A coalition of state, federal, and
private organizations under the umbrella of the Alabama
Prescribed Fire Council requested the proclamation to
raise awareness of the essential role that fire plays in
both the stewardship of our natural resources and the
protection of lives and property."
(03/13/23)
Tax Implications When Employed in the Family
Business. When a family member employs someone, the
tax implications depend on the relationship and the type
of business. Taxpayers and employers need to understand
their tax situation.
Click here for details. Source: DeLoach, Barber &
Caspers, P.C., March 2023 Newsletter.
(03/10/23)
Message to Lawmakers: If you want the forests of
Alabama to flourish, Encourage Us! Read
How to Get the Most Out of Others, Foundation
for Economic Education, 3/7/23, for some encouraging
advice. Hint. Congratulate the private owners of
Alabama’s forests for providing millions of acres of
wildlife habitat, clean water, clean air and the raw
materials for thousands of jobs.
(03/09/23)
"Biden
budget plan calls for raising stock buyback, capital
gains, corporate taxes. ... and taxing capital
gains at that 39.6% rate for households with more than
$1 million in income." Source: Pensions & Investments,
3/9/23. Most pundits predict that none of these
increases are likely to be passed by Congress.
(03/08/23)
Sawmill Closure and Other Big Changes in Southeast
Lumber Market, Forest2Market Blog,
2/17/23, by Trip Jobe, highlights the ripple effect as
lumber prices fall.
-
Market prices for
lumber decreased as demand softened.
-
Low lumber demand
and higher operating costs contributed to the
closure of West Fraser’s sawmill in Perry, FL.
-
Within weeks of
this announcement, the reduced supply has allowed
other sawmills to improve their yield.
-
Better yields in
the sawmills mean fewer byproducts and other waste
used by pulpmills and chipmills.
-
Pulpmills and
chipmills will have to buy pulpwood and chips
directly at higher costs than sawmill byproducts.
-
This will
continue to play a role in where and how additional
product prices will respond.
-
In areas where
sawmills increase minimum specifications--and if
these changes hold long-term--timberland owners may
reassess current thinning regimes and/or
silviculture treatments.
-
This will reduce
the financial impacts of product specification
changes on future harvest plans and potentially
identify other opportunities for improvement.
(03/07/23)
Forest Taxation: Just The Basics features U.S.
Forest Service Research Forester Gregory Frey,
one of the authors of Tax Tips (see
below, 1/9/23), which was published in AFOA's
January issue of Capital Ideas. This webinar was
produced by Forest Landowners Association on February
15, 2023. About 56 minutes.
(03/06/23)
Carbon credits: a contested tool to fight deforestation.
"Planting trees or safeguarding tropical rainforests
have become popular tools for companies seeking to
offset their carbon emissions and proclaim their
commitment to the environment. However, recent scandals
have cast a shadow over the carbon credit industry,
revealing a landscape rife with opportunities for
greenwashing." Source: Radio France Internationale,
2/27/23.
Plan now to attend AFOA's 42nd Annual Meeting and learn
more about the controversies swirling around various
carbon credit schemes.
(03/03/23)
The Forestry Project is the child of Auburn
University graduate research assistant Jace McCauley
(see below, 1/12/23). Let us
know if you see something on the Project that we should
pass along to other forest owners. The Project's
YouTube Channel has several videos available.
(03/02/23)
Creating Open Woodlands to Promote Regeneration &
Development of White Oak with
Dr. Wayne Clatterbuck, Professor of Silviculture
& Forest Management at the University of Tennessee, was
produced by Southern Regional Extension Forestry. "Oaks
grow slowly and can be outcompeted by faster growing
species, but a few management practices can make a
difference. This is the first of three webinars in the
Woodland Stewards 2023 webinar series titled:
Exploring Practices to Create and Maintain Woodlands in
Open Forest Environments."
(03/01/23)
Vernal Pools hold water only a few months of the
year; they're not connected to any other body of water,
and they can be critical habitat for a number of
species, like the wood frog. "Learn more about the
importance of vernal pools and the cool critters that
use them from Virginia Master Naturalist Judy McCord
in this Fifteen Minutes in the Forest video."
Source:
Forest Update, March 2023.
(02/28/23)
Master Tree Farmer Course: "Clemson Cooperative
Extension has recently opened registration for The
Master Tree Farmer course. The goal of this course is to
build on basic forestry knowledge to enhance timber and
ecological resource management." Source: SREF News
Digest, 2/27/23. One of the four registration
options is "Online
Classroom Only."
(02/27/23)
Managing Forests for Wildlife and Forest Health
is a 45 minute webinar featuring
Dr. Mark McConnell, Mississippi State
University. McConnell discusses "management strategies
to achieve a multi-use forest in the southeastern U.S.
by covering topics including preferred tree species for
wildlife and different management approaches for various
wildlife species, all while maintaining a productive and
healthy forest ecosystem."
(02/24/23)
Winners of the 2023 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest
Announced. Enjoy.
(02/22/23)
Another company that didn't get the memo about carbon
credits? "Three months ago, it was announced that a
consortium led by T. Rowe Price Group subsidiary Oak
Hill Advisors paid
$1.8 billion to acquire 1.7 million acres of
timberland in 17 states from The Forestland Group. This
standout transaction was even more noteworthy because
the ultimate goal of the purchase was not to maximize
timber production. Instead, carbon storage was the
highest priority." Source: The Land Report, 2/23.
See "memo" comments below.
Plan now to learn more from Trip Jobe,
Forest2Market, when he speaks to us about "Why We
Should Ditch Forest Carbon Credits" at our
Annual Meeting on April 15.
(02/21/23)
Everything You Need to Know About Property Access --
Part 1 by Felicia Cristofaro, Compass Land USA,
will give you some ideas about questions frequently
forgotten when buying forestland. If I sell timber,
does the logger have a right to cross my new neighbors
to get to the county road? If I build a cabin on the
property, will I always be able to cross my neighbors'
land to get to it, even if my neighbors sell their land?
If I lease my land to a hunting club, will they have the
right to enter the property by crossing my neighbor's
land?
(02/16/23)
Forest Landowner Academy, an online course
offered by University of Florida Extension, is now open
for enrollment. Seven modules include:
-
Understanding your
forest resources
-
Developing your
management plan
-
Timber management
-
Marketing forest
products
-
Other forest
enterprises such as pine straw and hunting leases
-
Wildlife management
-
Planning for the
future
(02/15/23)
"Financial aid available to help Alabama landowners
fight cogongrass spread." Source: AL.com,
2/14/23. "Potential applicants are directed to the
Cogongrass Mitigation Program web page of the AFC
website. Landowners may also email
cogongrass@forestry.alabama.gov."
(02/14/23)
"Overcoming
the Timber Harvest Blues"
and "Top
Quality Hardwood Veneer"
are the latest issues of
Back Porch Forestry
produced by Dr.
David Mercker, Extension
Forester at the University of Tennessee.
(02/13/23)
Tuscaloosa
County Farmers Federation Weighs In on Tomorrow's
Property Tax Increase Referendum.
See also 2/1/23, below.
(02/15/23) The property tax increases were defeated by
about a 4 to 1 margin. About 13,000 people voted.
Source:
Tuscaloosa Thread.
(02/10/23)
"JP Morgan just bought a massive forest..." to be
"...managed for both carbon capture and timber
production." Source: yahoo!finance,
2/1/23. AFOA wonders if JP Morgan read the "memo,"
below.
(02/07/23)
Why We Should Ditch Forest Carbon Credits in 2023
by Harvey Greer on Forest2Market Blog will surely worry
the folks who have built an industry around carbon
credits. Greer quotes Pete Stewart (see below) in his
concern for greenwashing, "Carbon credits -- of any
type -- only provide justification to pollute more."
(02/06/23)
Pete Stewart, CEO of Forest2Market, is at it again.
This year he shares
6 Predictions for 2023 Global Forest Industry.
Last year he made 8 predictions.
The surprise this year is number 6: The death of
forest carbon credits is coming.
(02/03/23)
Contrasting Headlines: Pellets Up; Lumber Down.
(02/02/23)
"Have
you ever wondered what type of deed you ought to get
when you're buying land, or what the difference is
between different types of deeds that you've heard about
or read about or seen on the internet?" RecLand
Realty Broker Pat Porter describes a few in a
short video. About 11 minutes.
(02/01/23)
Property Tax Increase on Ballot February 14 for
Tuscaloosa County Voters. The proposed 8-mill
increase would, we think, be an 80 percent increase for
school taxes in the county. "Northport
Mayor Bobby Herndon took to social media on Sunday to
oppose a proposed property tax increase..."
The vote will take place on Valentine's Day, so plan
your schedule accordingly. Please send more
information if you have any to
RLL@AFOA.ORG. Thanks.
(01/31/23)
Running on Empty: The BC (British Columbia, Canada)
Forestry Crash by Ben Parfitt discusses the wood
shortage predicament Canadian sawmills find themselves
in (40,000 direct jobs lost in past 20 years). If you
are ever presented with the opportunity, we hope you
will make sawmill investors from Canada welcome in
Alabama.
(01/30/23)
"The
Nebraska Department of Revenue found that conservation
easements, such as those issued by the Natural Resource
Conservation Service, devalue the land by 40 percent.
This directly decreases tax revenue to the local
government reducing their ability to provide necessary
services but also causes the tax bill of other
landowners to increase." Armed with this information,
"Oklahoma State Senator Casey Murdock (R) has filed
Senate Bill 980 that gives local governing authorities
the ability to approve or deny a conservation easement
placed on private land within their jurisdiction."
(01/27/23)
Publicly Available Mapping Tools with
John Gilbert is the latest issue of Alabama
Extension's 2023 Natural Resources Webinar Series.
About 56 minutes. Editor's Note: If you have any
interest in mapping your property, this video is a must
watch. Packed with great information! It was originally
presented to the members of the Alabama Prescribed Fire
Council, which explains why John included the smoke
management tools in the presentation. John will talk to
us about maps at our
Annual Meeting at Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge on
April 15.
(01/26/23)
84% Hasn't Got Anything to Do with Farms or Forests.
Have you ever wondered why the giant welfare
programs related to food (some may remember food stamps)
and the giant welfare programs related to farm and
forest land are all clumped together in The Farm Bill?
Did you know that the nutrition programs (food stamps)
make up most of the spending (76% of the current Farm
Bill and 84% of the likely 2023 bill)? Since the
farm and forest welfare programs are largely supported
by rural interests and the nutrition programs are
largely supported by urban interests, would it make
sense to separate these two programs if one were trying
to pare them down a bit? Asking for a friend.
(01/25/23)
Land Market Update with Ryan Folk, co-founder of
LandFlip.com and the University of Montevallo's
President's Outdoor Scholars Program with William
Crawford were both featured on
Episode 377 of The Land Show. The
two interviews are numbers 1 and 2 of the program.
See also:
Outdoor Scholars Video.
(01/24/23)
Don't Eat! PFAS Pollution Causes Venison
Consumption Advisories in Four States. Not an
announced problem in Alabama, but may be soon.
PFAS stands for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances,
which contain a strong carbon-fluorine bond that allows
them to accumulate over time in the environment and in
the bodies of animals and people, posing health risks."
See also 2-minute video:
What Are PFAS?
(01/23/23)
Foreign Ownership of Ag Land: Federal & State
Legislative Update was presented last week by
Micah Brown, Staff Attorney at the National
Agricultural Law Center. One segment of the webinar
reviewed
Alabama Senate Bill 14 which was proposed in last
year's legislative session. SB 14 stated "...a
nonresident alien, foreign business, or foreign
government, ...may not purchase or otherwise acquire
agricultural land in this state." Forestland was
included in the definition of agricultural land. The
Bill failed to pass. See also,
Foreign Investments in Agricultural Land: FAQs &
Resource Library.
(01/19/23)
Map of
Storm Paths -- January 12, 2023. "On January 12,
2023 the State of Alabama suffered damages throughout
several counties as a result of severe storms,
straight-line winds, and tornadoes. There was
approximately a 218-mile stretch of storms that produced
several tornadoes across Alabama and Georgia. An EF-2
with winds of 130 MPH impacted Selma, Alabama, and an
EF-3 tornado with winds of 150 mph ran 76.7 miles
leaving a path of destruction across several counties.
The Alabama Forestry Commission is encouraging
landowners affected to reach out to their local Farm
Service Agency (FSA) offices to request the Emergency
Forest Restoration Program (EFRP). Landowners will need
to put in a request for EFRP in order to have an
Environmental Assessment done in regards to their storm
related damages. Once landowners have reached out to the
FSA, the FSA office will request EFRP implementation."
Click here to find the contact information for your
local FSA office. Source: Draft News Release,
Alabama Forestry Commission, 1/19/23.
(01/18/23)
10
Things Landowners Should Do Before They Sell Their
Timber by
Billy Rye was published in Cooperative
Farming News, June/July 2022. First on the list
is "Understand the Timber Sale Process," followed by
"Understand the Tax Implications of a Sale."
(01/17/23)
Great Video Series on Pond Management, Stocking, etc.
reports Alabama Fish & Pond. Topics include Principles
of Pond Management, Construction of a New Pond,
Management Practices Prior to Stocking, Stocking and
Management of New Ponds, Management Maintenance of
Established Ponds, Pond Problems, Reworking an Old Pond,
and Other Pond Options.
(01/16/23)
"Create
and Share Interactive Maps," says MapRight's
website. AFOA has talked with the folks at
LandGlide,
onX,
and
HuntStand and found them all to be useful additions
to our landowners toolbox. If you have used MapRight,
send a note to
RLL@AFOA.ORG and tell us about your experience.
Thanks.
(01/13/23)
A Guide
to Owning Forestland, Part One and
Part Two
were written by consulting forester
Billy Rye and published in Cooperative
Farming News, February/March 2022 and April/May
2022. Topics covered in the articles are:
-
Know What You
Have
-
Know What You
Want
-
Know How to Get
There
-
Know Whom to
Call
(01/12/23)
When you and your consulting forester talk, do you
think you're being heard? Communication between
landowners and consulting foresters is important, so
Auburn University forestry graduate research assistant
Jace McCauley is doing research that might be useful to
us. Jace would like to hear what you have to say about
communications with consulting foresters and has
developed a survey to help him understand the issues.
If you are a landowner and wish to participate,
click here. Please note, the survey will close
on February 28th, 2023.
(01/11/23)
"Land
Market Predicted to Falter Within the Year in Wake of
Slowing Home Sales," predict respondents to
LandThink Pulse survey conducted in November. "For
land owners, the return on investment of owning land
with merchantable saw timber is reduced when the housing
market is in a slump, making timberland a less desirable
investment."
(01/10/23)
"Many
Android phones to get satellite connectivity,"
reported BBC News on 1/6/23. "A new partnership
between the satellite phone firm Iridium and chip giant
Qualcomm will bring satellite connectivity to premium
Android smartphones later in the year. It means that
in places where there is no mobile coverage, handsets
can connect with passing satellites to send and receive
messages." See also 8/31/22.
(01/09/23)
Tax Tips for Forest Landowners: 2022 Tax Year
is now
available online and also in the
January issue of Capital Ideas, pages 3
through 6. Headlines include:
-
Understand
Timber Sale Income and Recovery of Timber Basis
-
Consider the
Reforestation Tax Incentives
-
Deduct Operating
Expenses and Carrying Charges
-
Recover Other
Major Capital Costs
-
Claim Casualty
Loss Deduction When Natural Disaster Hits
(01/06/23)
In case you've been worried about the threats of
rising temperatures and extreme weather events,
Dr. David South, retired Auburn University
forestry professor recently sent us some
graphs
of 100+ years of Alabama summer temperatures
(Source:
A Practical Guide to Climate Change in Alabama
by John Christy). Also, yesterday, PowerLine Blog
posted a story,
Extreme Weather Events Declining, that may
reduce your fears that hurricanes or tornadoes will blow
away all your trees (they might, but that would not
be abnormal).
(01/05/23)
Each year at about this time, a few forest owners
decide to go into the Christmas tree business. If
you are one of them,
click here
to read the latest newsletter of The Southern Christmas
Tree Association. Be sure to scroll to the bottom
of the newsletter for a little encouragement. Ha Ha
(01/04/23)
The Land Report 100 features short stories about
the largest landowners in the U.S. and includes quite a
few forest owners including several in Alabama. The
article in the Winter 2022 issue of The Land Report
begins on page 114.
(01/03/23)
Bonus Depreciation Will Be Phased Out. Forest
owners have used the Bonus Depreciation when buying
computers, vehicles, off-the-shelf software, machinery
and equipment and more. A short paper,
Big Tax Payoff for Bonus Depreciation, by
JamisonMoneyFarmer's Bobby Bragg provides more
information.
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