Washington Scene

Biden Administration Spending $150 Million To Help Small Forest Owners The Biden administration said recently it will spend $150 million to help owners of small parcels of forestland partner with companies willing to pay them for carbon offsets and other environmental credits. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the grant program at a conference of Black […]

Washington Scene

NAHB: Slowing Building Material Price Growth Another Signal Inflation Is Cooling According to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report, which is produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics the price level of inputs to residential construction less energy (i.e., building materials) was unchanged in June 2023, according to the most recent data available, as […]

Washington Scene

USDA Forest Service Invests $188 Million To Conserve Forests, Private Forestland The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a significant investment of $188 million towards the conservation of economically and ecologically significant forestlands across the nation. This funding, part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will support 34 projects aimed at preserving […]

Washington Scene

USDA Forest Service Invests $188 Million To Conserve Forests, Private Forestland The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a significant investment of $188 million towards the conservation of economically and ecologically significant forestlands across the nation. This funding, part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will support 34 projects aimed at preserving […]

Washington Scene

New Steps For Climate Resilience And Forest Conservation Announced Public Comments Accepted Through Mid-June For Parts Of Policy The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) recently announced actions to foster forest conservation, enhance forest resilience to climate change, and inform policymaking on ensuring healthy forests on federally managed lands […]

Washington Scene

Inflation And Rising Housing Costs Show Signs Of Cooling The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently reported that the overall inflation rate, along with the cost of housing, showed signs of cooling in March, which is the latest data available, with the shelter index (housing inflation) experiencing its smallest monthly gain since November 2022. […]

USDA Forest Service Announces $20.5 Million In Grants To Protect Water, Increase Wood Processing Capacity

The USDA Forest Service, in Washington, DC, announced toward the end of 2022 a total of $20.5 million in grants to help states or federally recognized tribes establish temporary bridge programs to protect water resources during forest-related operations and to assist wood processing facility owners to establish, reopen, retrofit, or expand. The grants are focused […]

Washington Scene – September/October 2022

Canadian Lumber Tariffs Cut By More Than Half The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) efforts calling on the Biden administration to eliminate — or at the very least reduce — duties on Canadian lumber shipments into the United States has taken a step in the right direction, according to the NAHB, with the Department […]