AFA NEWSROOM V17N24, June 15, 2022 |
Boise Cascade Reaches Agreement to Acquire Coastal Plywood Operations |
Boise Cascade Company announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire Coastal Plywood Company (“Coastal”), including its two manufacturing locations, from Coastal Forest Resources Company for $512 million, subject to certain closing adjustments. The Company currently plans to fund the transaction and closing-related expenses from its existing cash balances.
Coastal is a provider of quality plywood, lumber, and treated wood products throughout the eastern U.S. The purchase agreement includes its locations in Havana, Florida, and Chapman, Alabama, which employ approximately 750 people. |
Florence, Here We Come! Join Us For The AFA Shoals Area Regional Reception - June 23th |
We are excited to head back to Florence for the AFA's Shoals Area Regional Reception & Valley District Meeting. Please make plans to join us on June 23rd and RSVP by clicking the link below.
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Barlow Named Associate Dean For Extension |
Becky Barlow was recently named associate dean for extension in the Auburn University College of Agriculture and assistant director for agriculture, forestry and natural resource extension programs in the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. She begins the role Wednesday, June 1.
Barlow, Alabama Extension specialist and professor in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, served in the interim position for the last year. After an extensive national search, College of Agriculture Dean Paul Patterson and Alabama Extension Director Mike Phillips announced her selection on Tuesday. |
Join Us For The June Session of AFA Connect - June 16, 2022 - Tomorrow |
Make plans to join us on June 16, 2022, at 11:00 am CST for the May AFA Connect session Recruiting Truck Drivers: Challenges and Strategies with Stephanie Fuller, FWTI. In this extraordinarily tight labor market, an aging workforce and more restrictive training guidelines, finding an insurable truck driver has become more difficult than ever. The Forest Workforce Training Institute (ForestryWorks) is working on solutions to help forest industry companies recruit and retain truck drivers through promotion, recruitment and training. AFA Connect registration is two-part. Register with Alabama Forestry Association. You will receive a confirmation email from info@alaforestry.org with Zoom registration information. |
New Markets For Wood Products Help Preserve Forests For Future Generations |
There is an ongoing disconnect that tends to resurface in the debate surrounding the use of woody biomass to create the innovative and renewable products that are displacing fossil-based products. This includes bioenergy (electricity generation) and biofuels for transportation, as well as biochemicals that are used in the development of the biobased products that were unimaginable just a few decades ago.
This is a curious battle for detractors of biomass to wage. On the one hand, there is disdain for all forms of fossil energy. Yet, on the other hand, the world’s most reliable and available renewable resources (trees) must also remain “off limits.” |
Alabama’s Primary Runoff Election is June 21.Check out our ForestPAC Voter Guide linked below. Remember, your vote COUNTS! |
Would-Be Homebuyers Feeling Squeeze Of Higher Home Prices and Mortgage Rates |
Home Purchase Sentiment Index® (HPSI) remained relatively flat in May, decreasing by only 0.3 points but inching nearer its 10-year- and pandemic-low of 63.0 from April 2020. Surveyed consumers continue to express concerns about housing affordability, with the “Good Time to Buy” indicator reaching a new survey low, as 79% of respondents reported that it’s a bad time to buy a home. Additionally, 70% of respondents expect mortgage rates to continue their recent ascent over the next 12 months. A greater share of consumers also expressed concern that they may lose their job in the next 12 months, but that component remains firmly positive generally, with only 16% of consumers expressing pessimism. Year over year, the full index is down 11.8 points. |
The Logging Safety Quandary: Why The Number 22.8 Matters |
Logging is an inherently dangerous profession. It always has been and always will be. However, this fact should not discourage us from trying to advance safety practices in the logging sector. Plenty of opportunities exist to seek improvement and, more importantly, save lives. Recent fatal work injury rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) document the dire need to significantly improve the overall safety performance in the logging sector. Fatal work injury rates among logging workers increased from 68.9/100,000 in 2019 to 91.7/100,000 in 2020. |
DOE Announces $59 Million to Expand Biofuels Production And Decarbonize Transportation Sector |
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $59 million to accelerate the production of biofuels and bioproducts to reduce emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors and create good-paying jobs in rural America. DOE is focused on applied research, development, and deployment to improve the performance and reduce the cost of biofuel production technologies and scale-up production systems in partnership with industry. By reducing costs and technical risks, these efforts can help pave the way for the biofuels industry to deploy commercial-scale integrated biorefineries. The breakthroughs from this funding will support President Biden’s and DOE’s goals of advancing the use of bioenergy, achieving cost-competitive biofuels, and reaching a net-zero carbon economy by 2050. |
2nd Annual Bainbridge Block Party - June 24, 2022 |
Join us and our friends from the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association and the Alabama Egg & Poultry Association as we host a block party on June 24 beginning at 11am filled with food and fun on Bainbridge Street! This event will feature a Sweet Grown Alabama farmer's market, tours of The MOOseum, delicious food and highlight the many tools available to teachers to incorporate agriculture into the classroom. |
Public Policy Series - Forest Economics- July 22 |
Register today for the Public Policy Seminar: Forest Economics on July 22! Get your room now – the room block closes June 30! |
When inflation rises, people talk about it. In my calls with forest industry investors and executives, these discussions center on current and future costs, prices, and cash flows. Generally, I observe that inflation increases fear by fogging the crystal ball of cash flow models and fueling uncertainty in planning sessions. However, inflation and other macroeconomic turbulence also embolden those armed with simple business strategies focused on fundamental performance of real assets and experienced teams. In those cases, I note that the questions are less about “what should we do?” and more about “what can we learn?” |
Mark Your Calendars & Save The Date! AFA Is Headed To The Auburn/Opelika Area July 21, 2022 |
Held in conjunction with our Public Policy Series Seminar the next day, we are excited to return to the Marriott Grand National for our Auburn/Opelika Area Regional Reception and Capital District meeting again this year. Come join us for a fun night and a chance to visit with some old forestry friends and hopefully make some new ones.
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Have you registered for the Public Policy Series - Forest Economics seminar the next day? Make sure to check out the agenda and join us for part 3 of 4 in the 2022 Public Policy Series. |
Alabama’s Forests: Clearing the Air |
Trees store carbon as they grow and produce wood. Just like all plants, trees use photosynthesis to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and produce oxygen (O2). The needles and leaves are the solar collectors that convert light, water and CO2 to oxygen and sugars. Photosynthesis drives tree growth and carbon storage into the tips of stems and all the way down to the roots. “It is hard to overstate just how efficient our forests are at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” said Alabama Cooperative Extension System Forestry, Wildlife and Natural Resources Specialist Adam Maggard. |
First Annual Workforce Development Forum - September 10, 2022 |
Join our ForestryWorks partners for the first annual Workforce Development Forum down in Orange Beach, AL in conjunction with the AFA Annual Meeting! Topics include: apprenticeship programs, non-traditional workforce solutions, career promotion opportunities, customized training tools and much more! Have questions -contact Stephanie Fuller at sfuller@alaforestry.org |
Auburn University Hosts First Cross-Laminated Timber Conference In Southern U.S. |
The Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, in partnership with several other academic colleges and administrative offices, recently hosted the first cross-laminated timber, or CLT, conference in the southern United States at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.
The three-day event, titled “The Sustainable Future of CLT in the South: Grow. Design. Build.,” was held April 27-29, with over 160 attendees participating from across the country, including Texas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and other states in the southern U.S. The conference featured renowned experts in forestry, building sciences, engineering and architecture and design who shared the latest CLT research, trends and developments in the South. |
Are You Ready For The Beach? We Are! AFA Annual Meeting - September 11-13 |
Registration for the 2022 AFA Annual Meeting is in full swing! Click the link below to learn more about our speakers, agenda, sponsors and hotel information. We look forward to seeing you in September! |
Join us as we support U.S. Congressman Barry Moore with a Sporting Clay Fundraiser on Wednesday, June 29 at Selwood Farm! |
Online CE Available For PLM & CFE |
Foresters and loggers, a reminder that AFA offers online continuing education. Now is a great time to go ahead and handle continuing education hours.
Click below for a list of classes. |
11th Annual Sunburn Classic Golf Tournament -September 12 |
| Click sponsor links below |
Thank you to our sponsors |
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