AFA NEWSROOM V17N23, June 08, 2022 |
Winners of the 57th Alabama Forestry Design Competition "Wood Comp"- Sponsored by the Alabama Forestry Association |
Wood Comp, the Alabama Forestry Student Design Competition, is one of many familiar traditions in the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture (APLA). Recently completing its 57th year, Wood Comp is traditionally the culmination of second-year architecture studio and prizes are sponsored by the . As Alabama is over 70% forested, forest products are one of the state’s primary economic drivers, it is imperative that architects understand this resource and educate themselves to be better stewards of its future. |
How to Calculate a Fuel Cost Adjustment by Dr. Joseph Conrad |
The Virginia Loggers Association commissioned Dr. Joseph Conrad, Assistant Professor of Forest Operations, Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, University of Georgia to conduct a fuel cost analysis, it’s impact on production and transportation costs, and a fuel adjustment formula. This is a comprehensive third-party objective analysis that producers can apply to their particular operations (report modeled southern logging operations and may need to be adjusted for northern logging operation factors) and use as a resource when addressing fuel adjustments needs. |
Join us for the Selma Area Regional Reception - TOMORROW June 9th |
Make plans to join us tomorrow at AFA's Selma Area Regional Reception at the Selma Country Club. We are looking forward to heading back to the Black Belt District.
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Live in North Alabama? We are headed to the Shoals Area in 2 weeks! Look further down in the Newsroom for more info! |
Lumber Is the Cheapest in Seven Months as Housing Markets Soften |
The days of pricey lumber might finally be over.
Lumber futures are toppling to levels not seen since November amid fears of a softening housing market and economic recession. Futures fell as low as $604.50 per 1,000 board feet in Chicago on Wednesday, extending a slump to about 46% this year. The commodity’s collapse is a stark reversal from all-time highs set in 2021 during a pandemic-fueled homebuilding boom. |
Join Us For The June Session of AFA Connect - June 16, 2022 |
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. |
Alabama Doctors Launch Nation’s First Follow Up Clinic For Snakebites |
Snakebites rarely kill humans, but doctors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital found that patients who survived often suffered swelling and muscle damage long after the threat of death had passed.
Last year, toxicologists and wound care specialists came together to create the nation’s first comprehensive snakebite clinic to bring universal follow up care to all patients in the state bitten by snakes. In 2021, the clinic treated 17 patients, including some with lingering complications that threatened their ability to work and pursue hobbies, according to a UAB press release. |
Alabama’s Primary Runoff Election is June 21. Click here to access our ForestPAC Voter Guide and to see other election resources. Remember, your vote COUNTS! |
Mass Timber: Multifamily’s Next Big Building System |
Mass timber is poised to join concrete, steel, and light-wood framing as a primary structural material for multifamily projects.
Mass timber construction involves the use of prefabricated wood components on a building’s load-bearing walls, roofs, floors, beams, and columns.
Its advocates say building with mass timber creates less waste, leaves a lighter carbon footprint (because wood sequesters carbon), and can be quicker and quieter than other construction modes. Some go so far as to claim that exposed wood has tangible health and wellness benefits for building occupants. |
IP Pine Hill PLM Workshop - June 15, 2022 |
RBC Elements Forecasts Lumber, OSB Prices To Decrease |
Lumber prices and OSB prices remain under pressure – According to Random Lengths, the Framing Lumber Composite decreased $107 w/w to $794, making for a two-week drop of $167 (-17.4%), while in OSB markets, the OSB Composite decreased by $67 w/w to $753 (-13.0% over two weeks). The Framing Lumber Composite and OSB Composite are now down 40.5% and 47.4%, respectively, since March 11. For next week, RBC Elements forecasts that the RL Framing Lumber Composite will decrease $95 w/w to $699 and that the RL OSB Composite will decrease $28 w/w to $725. |
AFA Newsroom Weekly Special Feature: AFA Political Endorsements |
Interested in who AFA has endorsed so far? Visit our AFA ForestPac Endorsement Pages, linked below, as more endorsements will be added soon |
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. |
Hurricane Season – What You Can Do To Prepare |
Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center are calling for above-average hurricane activity this year, which would make it the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season. While there is little we can do to eliminate our exposure to storms, there are actions you can take to prepare and mitigate the risk of damage. The linked pdf provides recommendations to make sure yours is a “Hurricane Ready Business”. |
Mark Your Calendars & Save The Date! AFA Is Headed To Florence, AL - June 23, 2022 |
We are excited to be heading back to Florence for 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
Interested in being a sponsor? Give us a call at 334-481-2135 or 334-481-2129 |
Detail-Loving Architects Can Turn Timber From A Material Into A Career |
It’s been a rough couple of years for timber. As we have previously reported, lumber prices across the United States saw a 90% increase in May 2021 on the previous 12 months, adding an extra $36,000 onto the cost of constructing a new home. In a relief for clients and contractors alike, that record high was followed by a record-breaking 40% decline in June 2021, although lumber prices have continued their wide fluctuation into 2022. |
Teacher Conservation Workshop July 12th -14th |
California Court Rules That Bees Are Actually Fish - Yes, you read that correctly. |
A California appeals court has ruled four species of bumblebees are legally fish.
And no, this is not a story out of the satirical website The Onion. Rather, it involves the legal definition of bees when it comes to the California Endangered Species Act (CESA).
This all stems from a 2019 lawsuit between large agricultural groups in the state — such as almond and citrus growers — and the California Fish and Game Commission. |
Public Policy Series - Forest Economics July 22 |
Interested in being a sponsor for the third Public Policy Seminar: Forest Economics on July 21 & 22? Contact Anna Morgan Duke by clicking the link below! |
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 |
Investigating The Potential For Lower-Grade Hardwood Lumber To Be Used In CLT Production |
Yellow poplar cross laminated timber (CLT) exhibited up to 30 times higher than published southern yellow pine CLT’s strength values.
When first introduced in the United States, it was assumed that cross-laminated timber (CLT) would be manufactured from softwood species. The reasons are simple – CLT in Europe is made mostly from softwood, and the American structural performance standards are designed around softwood lumber. |
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! |
The Society of American Foresters And #forestproud Announce Merger |
The Society of American Foresters (SAF) and #forestproud are pleased to announce that the forest communications platform is now a program of SAF.
This agreement allows for the communications prowess of #forestproud to combine with the technical and scientific expertise of SAF and its members, substantially increasing the positive impact and support we can add to North America’s forests—both urban and rural.
By adding a cutting-edge communications platform like #forestproud to the sector’s premier professional organization, SAF is strengthening its ability to fulfill its mission and advance the sustainable management of forests through science, education, and technology. |
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 |
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Thank you to our sponsors |
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