The Hardwood Federation produces a “D.C. Cheat Sheet” e-newsletter to maintain the business up-to-date on the most recent information from Washington D.C. Try the most recent updates under.
Federal Authorities Shutdown Averted
As you will have in all probability learn, on Saturday, September 30, with simply hours to spare to keep away from a federal authorities shutdown, a bipartisan group of Home lawmakers handed H.R. 5860, a Persevering with Decision (CR) to fund authorities operations by means of November 17. Crusing by means of the Home with a 335-91 vote, the Senate took up the invoice and instantly handed it. Though the stop-gap measure creates some respiratory room for lawmakers to agree on a price range for Fiscal 12 months (FY) 2023, federal lawmakers nonetheless have to return to a last settlement on 12 appropriations payments in 47 days, successfully kicking the can into the autumn. Notably, the momentary funding invoice doesn’t handle controversial subjects such because the border wall and assist for Ukraine, points which have divided lawmakers in the course of the previous a number of weeks.
Home Lawmakers Introduce White Oak Resilience Act
On September 21, Home lawmakers launched the bipartisan White Oak Resilience Act (H.R. 5582). The laws would, amongst different issues, set up pilot applications to regenerate the nation’s quickly growing older white oak forests. In line with the White Oak Initiative, “American white oak is a foundational tree species, at present occupying greater than 104 million acres of private and non-private forestland throughout a lot of the japanese and central United States.” The laws intends to enhance land administration practices that may assist the sustainability of white oak timber, which varieties the muse of many forest ecosystems whereas offering jobs for the manufacture of flooring, and barrels that retailer wine and spirits.
Forest Merchandise Trade Shares Clear Air Act Views with Congress
On September 19, the American Forest & Paper Affiliation and American Wooden Council testified earlier than a Home Vitality & Commerce panel, outlining the reason why EPA ought to use its discretionary authority to reject a proposal that would scale back concentrations of positive particles (PM 2.5) to ranges discovered naturally within the surroundings. Trade additionally identified that shifting ahead with an pointless, new commonplace would additional complicate the “allowing gridlock” at present plaguing the company and impose extra pink tape on paper mills working in or close to counties at present in non-compliance with present guidelines. The congressional testimony is in keeping with messages expressed in a letter to EPA from the Hardwood Federation and 33 allied teams, warning federal regulators that stricter air high quality rules would threaten almost a million jobs nationwide.
Supply: Hardwood Federation