News, Issues & Information?
(05/28/25)
Burning
at Night. Increase the number of days for
prescribed fire by burning at night.
(05/27/25)
Portable Sawmilling to Earn Income. The latest
in a series of Webinars from the Natural Resources
Webinar Series featuring
Dr. Adam Maggard. Why let the sawmills make all
the money selling lumber, when you can make lumber with
your own sawmill? Make money when stumpage prices are
low.
(05/23/2025)
Do You Own an Accident Prone Car?
According to Insurify, versions of the Jeep Wrangler,
YJ, and the Gladiator rank high in accident rates. So
did versions of the Dodge Ram and the Nissan Titan.
Check your garage for these vehicles. Editors Note:
Do your own research.
(05/22/2025)
Feed Deer for Free. Young broadleaf forbs are
one type of plant that consistently meet a deer's
nutritional needs says National Deer Association. Learn
to identify
horseweed,
pokeweed, and
common ragweed which emerge after a clearcut.
(05/21/25)
Institute for Justice files Legal Challenge to
Warrantless Searches in Alabama. Game Wardens
have a duty to enforce the laws. That doesn't mean they
can ignore the Constitution.
Powerful Must Watch YouTube Video.
(05/20/25) The
Hidden Cost of Isolation. Privacy is great, but
buying deeply discounted land with no access can cause
your
head to hurt real bad. If there is an easement, is
it transferable? Power? Water? Maintenance?
(05/19/25)
When Closings Go Bad. LandThink You Tube video
by Pat Porter has some helpful tips to follow
when attending a real estate closing.
(05/16/25)
GAME OVER.
The privately owned forests of the South grow way more
wood than the privately owned forests of the West or
North. Not even close. Even after accounting for what is
removed, the South still blasts the competition. Our net
growth is almost 95% of the total net growth of the
entire U.S. If I were locating a sawmill or a paper
mill, the choice would be crystal clear.
(05/13/25)
According to this CNBC report, deregulation of
forest practices in Sweden since 1993 has coincided with
more forest growth. 62% of forest owners feel confident
about profitability in the near future. Prices for
sawlogs and pulpwood have increased in recent years. The
Daily Mail says, "IKEA is likely the largest
consumer of wood in the world."
(05/12/25)
Can this Hardwood Stand be Saved? "Managing
Degraded Hardwood Stands" is a 51 minute webinar
featuring
Dr. Brady Self, created as part of the
Natural Resources Webinar Series, in collaboration with
Mississippi State University. It can help landowners
determine whether to manage or regenerate hardwoods,
based on clear measurable data.
(05/09/25)
Tips on Harvesting Morel Mushrooms. 3 types
mainly in
NE Alabama. Prime hunting time between March and May. A
good spring rain helps. Can be found near
prescribed burn areas. Find the tree host. All 3 are
associated with Ash. But other trees are Tulip Poplar,
Elm, Oak, and Cherry. Make certain you can properly
identify them.
(05/08/25)
"Don't take my farm and use it as a science project."
North Carolina landowner frustrated when red wolves,
released by Feds on private land after sue and settle
agreement, restarted the release program. "Wolves had
taken the farm over. There were no deer anymore, there
were no quail anymore. There was no wildlife. Barren."
(05/07/25)
Southern Yellow Pine Steals the Limelight in April.
"Demand for Southern Yellow Pine continued to outperform
that of the rest of the North American lumber market."
Southern Yellow Pine makes up a large part of the market
base for treated lumber, says Madison's Lumber Prices,
a reporter of news for lumber information.
(05/06/25)
The New Cheaha State Park Lodge will be built
from materials sourced in Alabama, including Mass Timber
made from compressed layers of wood that creates strong,
structural load-bearing elements. Concrete, Pack your
Bags!
(05/05/25)
Missed the Sawmill Tour at the Annual Meeting?
This 3 minute 27 second TV episode produced by
RFD-TV
takes you deep inside a cutting edge sawmill in
Louisiana.
(05/02/25)
Wild Pork Breakfast Sausage Recipe from
Elizabeth Kligge of the National Deer Association.
(05/01/25)
Either Lose your Shirt or Buy a New One. On-line
Course helps you learn more about the Southern Yellow
Pine Lumber markets by better understanding how lumber
futures markets work. The introductory course takes 5
minutes. If you can see how this could help forest
landowners, give us a call.
(04/30/25)
Let's Face It. You'd be Shocked, Too.
Paul Jeffreys of ArborGen says yellowing or
browning of needles for a month or two after planting is
common and shouldn't alarm you. Check out his top 8 ways
to minimize transplant shock.
(04/29/25)
Read the
Constitution, Alabama AG Tells Fed Bureaucrats.
In a WOTUS Rulemaking Comment,
Attorney General Steve Marshall says prior
Presidents and agencies could have avoided wasting
millions of dollars in unnecessary litigation and
regulatory efforts. They should have been willing to
recognize limitations on federal authority and adopt
regulations consistent with the Constitution and the
Clean Water Act.
(04/25/25)
Got Big Pine Trees? Westervelt sawmill in
Moundville buys logs up to 40 inches in diameter. 65% of
their wood comes from people like you and me. 29 AFOA
members toured the facility recently during our Annual
Meeting.
(04/24/25)
Find $45.00 in Your Backyard. "Trilliums are
easy to grow, preferring light shade and a compost
amended garden soil." Did you see one in your backyard
this Spring?
(04/21/25)
Nest Box Plans for 61 Birds available from
Cornell Lab. For easiest bird house to build, see
Carolina Wren and
plan details.
(04/18/25)
Tiny Timber Crew Counts Logs: Now an Animated Series.
Follow Lucy and the crew as they visit sectors of the
forest industry. Meet the Tiny Timber Crew's Mother at
the
Annual Meeting.
(04/17/25)
The Forest Farmers Handbook: A Beginning Guide to
Growing and Marketing At-Risk Forest Herbs,
written by United Plant Savers and Rural Action, is a
free downloadable book which demonstrates how to earn
supplemental income through the reintroduction and
establishment of forest herbs.
(04/15/25)
Foreign Investment in U.S. Agricultural Land Markets,
with
Mykel R. Taylor, Ag Economics and Rural
Sociology, Auburn University, is the latest issue of
Alabama Extension's 2025 Natural Resources Webinar
Series.
About 39 minutes.
(04/14/25)
Alabama House Bill 505 will increase the amount
of time a taxpayer may appeal a final assessment to the
Alabama Tax Tribunal or circuit court from 30 days to 60
days. Sponsored by Rep. Chris Sells (Greenville), this
Bill is fifth on the House Special Order Calendar when
the Alabama House convenes tomorrow. If you care about
this, do something today. The
National
Federation of Independent Business recommends this
legislation.
(04/11/25)
Confidence in Knowing When to Thin Pines. In
this YouTube video, "Is it Time to Thin your Pine
Stand?" produced by the University of Florida,
Ian Stone answers most of your questions about
timing your thinning.
(04/09/25)
Slender poles hold up an entire city. According
to the BBC, Venice, Italy was built on millions of short
wooden poles pounded into the ground. "These
trees-larch, oak, alder, pine, spruce and elm-of a
length ranging between 11.5 feet to no less than 3 feet
have been holding up stone palazzos and tall bell towers
for centuries."
(04/07/25)
Experts caution that House Bill 509 could have serious
unintended consequences. Battling Chronic
Wasting disease is a priority for everyone who benefits
from deer hunting. Captive deer operations may not be
helping.
Read HB 509.
(04/04/25)
New Tariffs ... North American Wood Products Sector Will
See Few Direct Effects, reports Forest Economic
Advisors, 3/4/25.
(04/01/25)
A
Forester Can Provide a Clear View of the Timber Sale
Process. This Fifteen Minutes in the Forest
video features Consulting Forester Kevin Belt (kevinbelt@embarqmail.com
or 423-282-9313). Short, to the point, 14 minutes.
(03/28/25)
Native Forest Insect Pests of the Southern Pines:
Biology, Management and Impact, a webinar with
John T. Nowak, (email:
john.t.nowak@usda.gov), U.S. Forest Service.
Sponsored by Southern Regional Extension Forestry
(webinar landing page). About 42 minutes.
(03/27/25)
"Inside
the World of Silviculture" is TreeLines
Podcast Episode 5, 3/19/25. Host Paul Jeffreys has a
conversation with retired silviculturist Greg Hay.
Audio: about 16 minutes.
(03/26/25)
Do your neighbors, who enjoy the benefits of living near
your trees, have a right to stop you from cutting them?
That's sort of what's going on in Bessemer, Alabama,
where a data center has been proposed to be built on 700
acres of forestland.
(03/25/25)
How to Minimize Risk of an IRS Audit. Charles
Schawb says some audits are triggered by preventable
mistakes. Don't forget to list all earnings. Don't take
questionable deductions. People who earn $0/year have
about the same audit rate as those earning
$1,000,000/year.
(03/21/25)
Straight Talk about Venomous Snakes. It is snake
season. People get bitten. Don't touch them. If bitten,
stay calm and seek medical attention immediately.
Alabama doctors are first in the nation to launch a
follow up clinic for snake bites.
(03/20/25)
Difficult Family Conversations: "Honest,
effective communication across generations is critical
for the success of any family business. Yet, bridging
the communication gap between generations remains a real
challenge."
Emma Swainston writes this month in The
Dispatch.
(03/19/25)
Fish Day Pond Stocking Event: Alabama Fish & Pond
may be delivering fish to your area soon.
Check out their interesting service.
(03/18/25)
Do you think European Union Deforestation Regulations
(EUDR) constitute a trade barrier to the importation
of U.S. forest products into Europe? Do you think
EUDR might logically be countered by significant tariffs
imposed on European products imported into the U.S.?
An AFOA member
sent us a note today, describing a conversation he
had with a wood dealer in East Alabama who supplies
roundwood to International Paper. He also sent us a
letter the
wood dealer received from IP detailing rules IP will
impose in order to be able to ship forest products to
Europe.
(03/17/25)
Hunting Spalted Wood Treasure is a YouTube video
produced by Penn State Extension. "Spalted wood is an
uncommonly beautiful natural product produced by fungi
in tree wood. It offers forest landowners and
woodworkers opportunities to generate income."
(03/14/25)
You Will Die, But You Don't Have to Die Without a Will.
"As each generation passes, the potential for land to
become a point of conflict among family members
increases," says
John Allen Nichols, Alabama Farmers Federation
Agriculture Counsel. Nichols will tell us how to
reduce property taxes by assessing our land under
current use at
AFOA's Annual Meeting on April 23rd.
(03/13/25)
New Property Tax Proposed for Choctaw County: Many
Landowners in this County Won't Have A Say In This.
House
Bill 351. Potential 5 mil increase.
(03/12/25)
Beware of Alabama Senate Bill 42. This Bill
allows roads to be closed which could leave your
property landlocked. If you think you may become trapped
behind a closed road, you should
call your State Representative immediately.
(03/11/25)
Americans Poised to Buy Land in 2025 reports
LandThink Pulse, 2/18/25. Editor's Note: Market
updates for both Real Estate and Timber will be
discussed at
our upcoming Annual Meeting in Tuscaloosa, April 23.
(03/10/25)
Participate in the 2024 Costs and Trends of Southern
Forestry Practices Survey. If you own forestland
in southern states (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC,
OK, SC, TN, TX, VA), please help improve information for
forest landowners by participating in the 2024 Costs and
Trends of Southern Forestry Practices Survey.
View webinar led by Dr. Adam Maggard
on 2022 survey results.
(03/07/25)
Forestry Taxes: Important Considerations for Private
Forest Landowners When Filing Your 2024 Taxes.
Dr. Tamera Cushing, Extension Forest Business &
Economics Specialist at the University of Florida and
renowned forestry tax expert, covers important updates
to the tax code, deductions, and strategies to help you
maximize your returns and stay compliant. Source:
Landowner Learning Session from Forest Landowners
Association, 3/6/25. Webinar: about 58 minutes.
(03/06/25)
Treasury Department Announces Suspension of Enforcement
of Corporate Transparency Act Against U.S. Citizens and
Domestic Reporting Companies. Editor's Note:
We're never going to mention this again.
(03/05/25)
Trump’s recent decision on timber markets not likely to
help Alabama forest owners. One of his orders
would require selling more timber from federal land.
Sawmills in Alabama are already full of wood.
(03/04/25)
"5 Takeaways from My First Growing-Season Prescribed
Fire," by
Lindsay Thomas, Jr., National Deer Association,
2/12/25. "With a growing body of science urging deer
managers to diversify the timing of prescribed fire, I
planned and lit my first growing-season fire on June 14
last year. It was a success, and I plan more spring and
summer burns this year. If you hesitate to burn outside
your familiar winter window, or to burn at all, consider
what I learned when I burned last summer."
(03/03/25)
Forisk News, First Quarter 2025, features
10 Highlights from Forisk's Blog. Here's a couple:
(02/27/25)
How to Make a Stop-Cut Spoon. "Anton
Prikazchikov credits his interest in woodcarving to a
documentary he saw many years ago, of a child using a
knife to transform a branch into a detailed model of a
fish. And to a moment of boredom on a dreary winter day
in 2018, when he wanted something creative to do."
Source: Northern Woodlands, Winter 2024.
(02/26/25)
Benefits of Writing a Legacy Love Letter to Heirs.
"Crafting a letter to your loved ones that contains your
estate-planning information, plus additional rationale
for your choices, can help ease their burden when you
pass." Reduce chances of your children hating you by
following this estate planning advice from Charles
Schwab.
(02/25/25)
Timber Market Cycles: A 200 Year Look at Cycles in the
South's Forest Products Industry.
Marshall Thomas, President of F&W Forestry
Services, a consulting forestry firm based in Georgia,
helps us understand our economic past in this webinar
produced by the
Forest History Society. Video: about 66 minutes.
(02/21/25)
Monarch Butterfly: Exploring the Proposed Endangered
Species Act Listing with
Brigit Rollins, Staff Attorney, The National
Agricultural Law Center. Webinar video, about 63
minutes. Normal silviculture and forest
management practices are exempt from being considered
"take" of the Monarch.
(02/20/25)
Attention, LLCs, LLPs, and Similar Entities: "On
Tuesday, February 18, 2025, a federal court reinstated
the BOI reporting nationwide. FinCEN has extended the
filing deadline to March 21, 2025."
(02/19/25)
Bobwhite Quail Management and Quail Forever in Alabama,
with
John Mark Curtis, State Quail Forever Coordinator
(email,
(662-694-0041), is the latest issue of Alabama
Extension's 2025 Natural Resources Webinar Series.
About 63 minutes.
(02/18/25)
The Top 100 Landowner List published each year
by The Land Report includes several Alabama
forest owners. The Westervelt Heirs are number 19.
(02/17/25)
Prescribed Fire Effects on Southern Pine Tree Growth and
Forest Structure, a webinar with
Doug P. Aubrey, University of Georgia.
Sponsored by Southern Regional Extension Forestry
(webinar landing page). About 67 minutes.
(02/14/25)
Forestry & Agriculture: "The overall economic
contribution of Alabama’s agricultural and forestry
industries for 2022 is $77.3 billion." Source: Alabama
Cooperative Extension System, 2/10/25.
(02/12/25)
Two Bills being debated in Montgomery this week
as reported by
ALFA Capitol Connection, 2/7/25:
-
"Foreign
Ownership of Ag Land Expansion:
HB 68 by Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle,
would further prevent foreign ownership of ag and
forestry property in Alabama. The bill would expand
existing law to prevent individuals or companies on
any sanctions list of the U.S. Department of
Treasury’s Foreign Assets Control from owning ag or
forestry property in Alabama."
-
"Property Tax
Cap Adjustment:
SB 100 by Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Tuscumbia, would
change a law created during the 2024 legislative
session capping the year-to-year property tax
assessment values for Class II commercial and
business property and Class III residential,
agricultural, forestry and historic property. If
passed, SB 100 would change the cap from 7% to the
percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index..."
(02/10/25)
Do you know what the financial impact of forestry is
in your county? Find out fast with a useful app
created by the Alabama Forestry Association:
Growing Alabama's Economy: Forestry's Financial Impact.
Click on your county.
(02/07/25)
Questions & Comments about Pre-Existing Hunting Leases
on Land for Sale, LandThink.com, 1/28/25.
(02/04/25)
Tariffs in the News: "U.S.
Lumber Coalition Rebuts Canada’s Offensive To Dismantle
U.S. Measures Against Unfairly Traded Softwood Lumber
Imports," states headline of press release from U.S.
Lumber Coalition, 2/3/25.
(02/03/25)
Message to Potential Investors in Paper Mills,
Sawmills, Forestland: The U.S. is a Safe Place to
Make Investments.
"Trump Vows to Punish South Africa Over Expropriation
Law," Bloomberg, 2/3/25. "South African
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced last month that he
had signed a law that allows the state to seize private
land in the public interest, in some cases without
compensation."
(01/29/25)
"Is that tree valuable or worthless?" Arborgen's
Paul Jeffreys discusses tree values with former
procurement forester Blake Sherry. The discussion was
split into two parts and published on
November 20, 2024 (about 17 minutes) and
January 20, 2025 (about 19 minutes). Good
discussion, worth listening to.
(01/24/25)
The Southern Forest and Tree Health Diagnostics Facebook
Group, established in 2017, continues to be a
popular resource for help with forest and tree health
questions. The group is hosted by forest and tree health
specialists from Clemson University, University of
Florida, Bethune-Cookman University and the Florida
Forest Service. Dedicated to supporting the
identification of pests and diseases affecting forests
and backyard trees, the group provides expert advice and
actionable solutions to address tree health issues.
(01/23/25)
"Alabama’s
forestry industry is a vital economic engine,
particularly for the state’s rural areas. By generating
billions in economic activity, creating thousands of
jobs and promoting sustainable practices, the industry
not only supports local economies but also positions
Alabama as a leader in forestry and natural resource
management on a national and global scale." Source:
Alabama Department of Commerce, 1/21/25.
(01/21/25)
Riches
to Rags to Riches. Forester Ed Lewis describes a
brief history of Alabama's Longleaf Turpentine Industry
in the Winter 2024 issue of
Alabama's Treasured Forests magazine.
(01/20/25)
Fire in the Pines is a cooperative
newsletter published quarterly to inform and engage
North Florida Prescribed Burn Association members,
potential members, and those with a general interest in
prescribed burn related topics.
(01/17/25)
2025 Forest Health Outlook, with Alabama
Forestry Commission Forest Health Coordinator
Drew Metzler (email,
334-274-5507), is the first issue of Alabama Extension's
2025 Natural Resources Webinar Series.
About 62 minutes. Drew discusses a potentially positive
outlook for 2025 Southern Pine Beetle at about 40:07.
(01/16/25)
The Family Business Consulting Group brings us two
Succession Planning articles today:
(01/15/25)
Predator Management & Protecting Natural Resources,
with
Wildlife Biologist Leif Stephens (email,
334-740-1884), USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, is a
recent issue of Alabama Extension's 2024 Natural
Resources Webinar Series.
About 41 minutes.
(01/14/25)
Property Tax Increases and Other Taxes and Fees in
Elmore County: "a countywide levelized 9.5%
sales tax, a $25 assessment on vehicle and boat tags, a
$100 court fee, a $100 jail booking fee, a countywide
levelized 9.5% rental tax, property assessments of
$25 per year for land-only parcels, $150 per year
for residential properties, and $300 per year for
commercial properties, as well as a 4.5% countywide
tobacco and vape tax." If you have more details about
when these taxes and fees will be voted on, please send
information to
RLL@AFOA.org. Thanks.
(01/13/25)
Grant
to Repair or Replace Rural Public Bridges: "This
vital program, established through the Alabama
Legislature’s Rural Logging Efficiency Act of 2023 and
funded in the FY25 General Fund Budget, is dedicated to
upgrading infrastructure and easing costly
transportation challenges resulting from the need to
route loaded trucks around corridors with statutorily
limited bridges in rural areas."
(01/09/25)
No, Climate Change Didn’t Cause the L.A. Forest Fire
Catastrophe… counters Unleash Prosperity
Hotline, January 9, 2025. Be sure to look at the
chart of Total acres burned by wildfire in the
U.S. from 1926 to 2018. Also, a front page
from an Arizona newspaper in the 30s has some
interesting headlines not just related to forest fires.
(01/08/25)
"It's The Economy, Stupid," Marshall Thomas,
President of F&W Forestry Services reminds us in the
Winter
2024-25 issue of F&W Forestry Report. But
while Thomas declares, "It's the Economy," pages 2 & 3
of the Report describe hundreds of millions of
dollars of government grants for climate mitigation and
stuff like that. Remember the Inflation Reduction
Act?
(01/07/25)
News of interest to forest landowners, plus lots
of online events, and, if you live in or near Virginia,
conferences, retreats, and even a summit -- all in the
Winter 2025 edition of Virginia Forest Landowner
e-Update.
(01/06/25)
Book Club: What books should be on the "books to
read and discuss" list of the Forest Owners' Book Club?
Send suggestions to Lee at
RLL@AFOA.org.
(01/03/25)
Urgent Weather Message from ArborGen: "The week
of January 6, 2025, will pose lower than average
temperatures for much of the US South. Temperatures are
expected to plummet into the middle and lower 20's
(Fahrenheit) Monday January 6th – Sunday January 12th.
Those planting seedlings are urged to exercise extreme
caution in protecting bareroot and containerized
seedlings and consider avoiding planting if temperatures
are projected to drop below 25 degrees the evening after
planting."
Read more.
(12/31/24)
Raymond James upgrades timber REITs on improving lumber
market fundamentals. The brokerage "expressed
confidence in U.S. homebuilders' plans for mid-to-high
single-digit growth in housing completions next year,
despite elevated mortgage rates. Additionally, potential
trade policy changes, including higher tariffs on
Canadian lumber imports, could provide further support
for domestic pricing."
(12/30/24)
"Chronic
Wasting Disease (CWD) Detection in Colbert County
Expands the State’s CWD Management Zone. A
white-tailed deer recently harvested by a hunter in
Colbert County in northwest Alabama has been confirmed
positive for Chronic Wasting Disease. The detection of
CWD in Colbert County has resulted in an expansion of
the state’s CWD Management Zone (CMZ) to include all of
Colbert, Lauderdale and Franklin counties in the CMZ."
What is Chronic Wasting Disease?
(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."
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