AFA Newsroom

AFA NEWSROOM V17N28, July 13, 2022

Community Colleges Partner With FWTI, Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, & K-12 Schools To Meet Workforce Shortage

Training for Alabama’s high school agriculture teachers for the AFA’s new, industry-recognized maintenance technician credential began in late June in Auburn for more than 25 Alabama school districts across the state and will first continue through Wallace Community College in Dothan over the next year. The college will help develop a task force across the state to continue the professional development training statewide at local community colleges.

Public Policy Series - Forest Economics-

July 22

The Public Policy Seminar: Forest Economics is coming soon! Make sure you are registered and have your hotel room booked in Opelika!

Judge Throws Out Trump-Era Rollbacks On Endangered Species

A federal judge on Tuesday threw out a host of actions by the Trump administration to roll back protections for endangered or threatened species, a year after the Biden administration said it was moving to strengthen such species protections.

U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in Northern California eliminated the Trump-era rules even as two wildlife agencies under President Joe Biden are reviewing or rescinding the regulations. The decision restores a range of protections under the Endangered Species Act — including some that date to the 1970s — while the reviews are completed. Environmental groups hailed the decision, which they said sped up needed protections and critical habitat designations for threatened species, including salmon in the Pacific Northwest.

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.

Thank you to our sponsors Alabama AG Credit, First South Farm Credit, Dadeville Pole Company, IFCO, IndusTREE UBS/OakRing Investments, The Wildlife Group, & Ziebach & Webb Timber Company. Interested in being a sponsor? Give us a call at 334-481-2135 or 334-481-2129

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.

H-2B Labor Cost for Forestry Workers Realize Significant Increases in Some Regions

Some regions of the country are experiencing large increases in the prevailing wage data for H-2B forestry and conservation workers. States with large increases in wages include Arkansas, North Carolina, Missouri, California, Virginia, and Oklahoma. Regions within these states have seen an increase in hourly wages nearing $5-$8/hour more than last year’s wages. The National Prevailing Wage Center provides data that is used to calculate H-2B forestry workers’ wages as required by federal regulation. To see the expected wage rates for the period of July 2022 to June 2023 for selected states, click below.

NPWC Rates

Join Us For The July Session of AFA Connect - July 21, 2022

Join AFA Connect on Thursday, July 21, 2022, at 11:00 am as Dr. Paul Jeffreys with ArborGen brings his presentation on Regenerating Alabama's Sustainable Forests with Advanced. He will be speaking on creating value for private landowners in the state by planting better genetics with controlled pollinated seedlings. The presentation will cover how the seedlings are produced and the returns one can expect from planting their tree farms with the seedlings.

New Forest Atlas of the United States

A new U.S. forest atlas combines inventory and monitoring information from the 1870s through the present to tell stories about the value of America’s forests and the challenges that they face. Maps and charts display details on our nation’s 823 million acres of forests and woodlands. Experts also weigh in on critical questions, such as where trees grow and why, what benefits forests provide, and what the future of forests looks like.

WRI Market Insights: Global Forest Markets In 1H2022

Global sawlog price changes were mixed in 1Q/22 with quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) increases in North America and Eastern Europe, while prices declined in Central and Northern Europe.

The European Sawlog Price Index (ESPI) increased slightly in the 1Q/22 and reached a new all-time high, 27% higher than just a year ago.

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! OUR ROOM BLOCK IS FILLING UP FAST! Click the link below to learn more about our speakers, agenda, sponsors and hotel information. We look forward to seeing you in September!

2022 AFA Annual Meeting

Join us in thanking our amazing sponsors. Interested in being a sponsor? It's not too late, check out our 2022 AFA Annual Meeting website for more information!

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

Learn More

Initial PLM Class In Evergreen -

August 24th, 2022