Bipartisan Senators Urge Administration to Adopt Red Oak for Military Vehicles

In coordination with the Hardwood Federation, on July 12, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) led a bipartisan group of eight other senators in a letter to the Department of Defense (DOD) and General Services Administration (GSA) “to expedite transition to domestic Red Oak lumber for hardwood floorboards in U.S. military and other government vehicles, trailers and platforms.”  The senators point out that using Red Oak will replace “critically endangered Apitong hardwood from tropical forests with a readily available, sustainable domestic source of lumber,” scoring a win/win for the U.S. economy and environment.  Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), who co-led the effort, Bob Casey (D-PA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Angus King (I-ME) and JD Vance (R-OH) joined Sen. Shaheen in the letter. 

Rep. Westerman Readies Endangered Species Amendments

In the near future, House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman (R-AR) is expected to offer a bill that would streamline the Endangered Species Act (ESA), creating more certainty within a federal statute that’s subject to numerous agency rulemakings.  The amendments will, among other things, include a definition of “habitat as it relates to critical habitat,” thereby creating more certainty for forest management plans.  It also rejects adoption of the so-called “blanket rule” which expands “endangered species” control measures, consistent with industry comments filed in August, 2023.  The Federation will keep you posted on the bill’s progress following formal introduction. 

House Lawmakers Advance Wood Products Research Per Industry Advocacy

Consistent with advocacy from the Hardwood Federation and our wood products allies, House lawmakers acknowledge the importance of performing studies that will quantify the amount of carbon stored in wood products in a Committee Report that accompanies the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 spending bill to fund the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL).  The report states that the Forest Service Research and Development section, for example, will “undertake a range of carbon research including” the impacts of forest management.  The report also promotes FPL university partnerships to study biomass commercialization and mass timber construction.  The Federation will keep you posted on pro-industry programs at the FPL as developments unfold.

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