OFA Update
Book Your Room for OFA Annual Meeting Today
Make your reservations online here or call the hotel at 614-463-1234 and ask for the OFA rate using code G-MBS0. The room block closes today, so do not miss out on OFA’s special rate!
2025 OFA Annual Meeting Agenda
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
1:00 PM Registration Opens
Exhibitors Setup
Silent Auction Setup
4:30 PM - 5:00 PM Shuttles run to Land-Grant Brewing
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM President's Reception at Land-Grant Brewing
Join us for our Annual President's Reception. Try your hand at keg curling, ride the ice bumper boats or just hang out in a heated igloo and catch up with friends. Hors D'oeuvre and Land-Grant Beers will be served.
6:45 PM - 7:15 PM Shuttles return to the Hyatt
Thursday, February 6, 2025
8:00 AM-6:30 PM Registration Opens/Exhibits Open
8:00 AM Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM-8:45 AM Fellowship of Christian Lumbermen's Meeting
8:00 AM Silent Auction Opens
9:00 AM-10:00 AM Keynote: — Tariffs, Trade Wars and EUDR: Exports Remain Vital to the US Hardwood Industry but Challenges and Uncertainty Continue to Grow--Mike Snow, American Hardwood Export Council
10:00 AM-11:00 AM Networking Break
11:00 AM-11:30 AM State of OFA—Jenna Reese
11:30 AM-12:00 PM ODNR/DOF Update—Chief Dan Balser
12:00 PM-2:00 PM Awards Luncheon w/State of Ohio Forestry Association
2:00 PM-2:45 PM Washington D.C. 2025: Hardwood Industry Policy Priorities and the Trump Administration—Dana Cole, Hardwood Federation
2:00 PM-2:45 PM Ohio Tree Farmer of the Year—Chris Moser
2:45 PM-3:15 PM Effects of Prescribed Fire on Timber—Jim Downs, OSU Extension
2:45 PM-3:15 PM Parasitoid Wasps and Ash Trees—John Kinne and Mark Hitchcox
3:15 PM-4:15 PM Networking Break/Tree Farm Silent Auction Bidding Closes
4:15 PM-5:00 PM Hardwood Market Report: Andy Johnson, Hardwood Market Report
4:15 PM-5:00 PM Hazelnut Trees—Scott Unger
Donations for OFA Foundation and Ohio Tree Farm Silent Auction
Please bring any items you are interested in donating for the OFA Foundation and Ohio Tree Farm Silent Auctions with you to the annual meeting.
Market Update
HardwoodReview Forecasting
We project relative stability in hardwood lumber pricing through mid-Mar, with low production holding in balance with seasonally slow demand, before springtime domestic housing and export increases kick in. Of course, that hinges on there being no major tariff-related disruptions to international trade in the first 54 days of President Trump’s second term. We’re betting that a fair amount of saber rattling will happen before any tariffs are imposed, and we’re hopefully optimistic that the president will see enough movement on the drug trafficking and immigration issues that Canada and Mexico will be spared. Absent tariffs, contacts throughout the hardwood supply chain forecast solid improvements in 2025, though meaningful consumer demand improvements will take some time to materialize. Demand increases for hardwood components will accelerate in Q2, both seasonally and due to expected year-over-year gains in new home construction, remodeling and RV sales.
U.S. hardwood lumber exports rose in Nov but fell short of expectations, especially with some of that volume resulting from delayed Oct shipments. Hardwood log exports, however, were at a seven-year Nov high, and pacing 15% ahead of 2023 for the year. Despite lackluster U.S. demand in 2024, imports of hardwood moulding and flooring rose and will continue to challenge domestic manufacturers’ market share.
Legislative Update
Inauguration Day
Today, Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the nation's 47th President at a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda due to winter weather. JD Vance of Middletown, Ohio, was inaugurated as Vice President and is the first alum of The Ohio State University to hold the position. Go Bucks!
The following update is provided by our national partner, Forest Resources Association
Fix Our Forests Act 2025
Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR-04) and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA-50) reintroduced the Fix Our Forests Act on Thursday. The swift reintroduction into the 119th Congress underscores the urgent need to enhance forest management processes to mitigate fire risks. The full House is scheduled to take up the legislation next week, in part as a response to the California wildfires. We expect a Senate version of the bill to be introduced in the coming weeks. The House passed the Fix Our Forests Act in September 2024 with bipartisan support. FRA has endorsed the Act.
The legislation would:
Simplify and expedite environmental reviews for forest management projects.
Make communities more resilient to wildfires by better coordinating existing grant programs and promoting new research.
Promote federal, state, tribal, and local collaboration.
Deter frivolous litigation that delays essential projects.
Create a framework for prioritizing treatments in the forests at the highest risk of wildfire and near vulnerable communities.
Encourage the adoption of state-of-the-art science and techniques for federal land managers.
Encourage active management to improve the safety of powerlines and other infrastructure.
Strengthen tools like Good Neighbor Authority and Stewardship Contracting.
Support wildland firefighters and their families by ensuring continuity in casualty assistance programs.
"As tragic wildfires rage in Los Angeles, we're working in Washington to help prevent these types of catastrophes in the future with the Fix Our Forests Act. It's time to take an all-hands-on-deck approach and use proven science to restore our forests to a healthy state and protect communities in the wildland-urban interface from wildfires. This legislation will leave our nation's forests more resilient and ensure they can be responsibly enjoyed and managed for generations to come." - House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR-04).
FRA Submits Comments on Employer Heat Standard
FRA submitted comments on the Department of Labor's proposed rule "Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings." The nearly 400-page rule would provide a burdensome national standard for employers to address heat-related illness in the workplace. In the letter, FRA states that:
"Safety is a core value of the forest industry. Throughout the forestry sector, employers encourage and expect employees to report work-related safety incidents, illnesses/injuries, and near misses, including those related to working in high-heat conditions. Forestry employees routinely receive safety training that includes heat stress prevention."
FRA concludes our response by encouraging the agency to recognize that states are in the best position to develop a heat standard addressing region-specific variables:
"We urge OSHA to reassess the approach proposed in the NPRM and to recognize that the states are in the best position to determine whether any type of heat standard is needed in response to the specific weather and workplace conditions that exist in that state. OSHA should focus on its existing standards, continue its outreach and educational efforts, and leave the development of standards to states, which are in a better position to evaluate and respond to any potential heat-related issues at the local and state levels."
Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment
Trump announced through his transition team and Truth Social that he is nominating Richard Fordyce as USDA undersecretary for farm production and conservation, Dudley Hoskins as undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, Luke Lindberg as undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, and Michael Boren as undersecretary for natural resources and environment.
Michael Boren is a businessman who has founded six companies, including Clearwater Analytics. He has also served as a volunteer fireman for Sawtooth Valley Rural Fire Department and as a board member of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.
"Michael will work to reinvigorate Forest Management at a time when it is desperately needed," Trump stated on Truth Social, then shared on X.
FRA additionally signed on to a letter of support led by the US Farm Bureau for USDA Secretary nominee Brooke Rollins.
Tax
Republican leaders announced this week that a budget resolution would be ready for consideration in early February. This is important as the passage of a budget resolution kicks off the budget reconciliation parliamentary process that GOP leadership intends to use to extend or make permanent the business tax benefits enacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). The resolution will include "instructions" to the relevant Congressional policy committees to assemble legislation to change spending, revenues, deficits, or the debt limit by specific amounts. Each committee then compiles legislation to achieve its target, and if more than one committee is told to act, the Budget Committee bundles each measure into one large bill.
The current timeline has the House acting on the resolution in early February with the Senate following suit mid-month. Speaker Johnson's goal is to have budget reconciliation legislation ready in April, with the final passage completed by Memorial Day. This timeline may be optimistic, however. Recall that the TCJA was enacted at the very end of President Trump's second year in office, so these efforts are complicated and take time to mature. The other issue under discussion is whether there will be two reconciliation packages or just one. Senate leadership has advocated for a first reconciliation bill to address border security, energy production, and military readiness, with a second follow-on package dealing solely with tax. The situation is fluid.
Items to be included in a tax reconciliation bill are extensions of the 100 percent bonus depreciation tax benefit, extension of the research and development tax credit, and renewing the 20 percent deduction for S-Corporations and pass-through entities. Regarding the latter, FRA signed onto a letter this week in support of legislation that will be introduced by Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) and Representative Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11), known as the Main Street Tax Certainty Act of 2025. This bill would make the Section 199A deduction for pass-throughs permanent. We will share that letter with you when it is final.
The FRA team will be actively engaged in the process moving forward over the next several weeks and will keep you regularly informed of developments.
Fun Fact:
The last time an inauguration was held inside due to cold weather was Reagan's second swearing-in ceremony in 1985.
Coldest January 20th Traditional Date (and overall): 1985 - President Ronald Reagan's second swearing-in ceremony on January 21 had to be held indoors, and the parade was canceled. The outside temperature at noon was only 7°F. The morning low was 4° below zero, and the daytime high was only 17°. Wind chill temperatures during the afternoon were in the -10 to -20°F range.
Safety Update
Safety First: Preparing for Emergencies in 2025
Author: Jeff Jenkins | FRA Appalachian Region Consultant
As we step into the New Year, it’s a good time to focus on preparedness and ensuring safety in our work environments. For me, this involves finalizing 2024 documents, organizing records, and exploring new resources on logger safety and continuing education. One such resource that has proven valuable is the Tree Care Industry (TCI) Magazine. Although it’s primarily geared toward arborists, it often contains insights applicable to loggers.
In a recent issue, an article on first aid for deep lacerations stood out. Here are some key takeaways:
The human body can’t tolerate acute blood loss greater than 20% of total blood volume (about 1 liter).
Uncontrolled bleeding is the primary cause of death in one-third of trauma cases.
Direct manual pressure is the most effective way to manage a laceration. Tourniquets are recommended as the best initial treatment for life-threatening extremity bleeding.
Hemostatic dressings, which contain chemicals to promote blood clotting, are useful but require careful cleaning from wounds if the individual takes anticoagulant medication.
The same article also addressed heat-related emergencies, which, while not a current concern during sub-freezing temperatures across much of the nation, are critical to understand before summer arrives. Key points included:
Heat exhaustion occurs when body temperature rises between 100-103°F, while heat stroke occurs at 104°F or higher.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion include headaches, nausea, lightheadedness, reduced urine output, profuse sweating, and pale, clammy skin.
Treatment for heat exhaustion involves moving the individual to a cooler environment, loosening clothing, and providing cool drinks.
For heat stroke, immediately call emergency medical services and begin cooling the individual using ice packs placed on areas where large blood vessels are close to the skin, such as the groin, neck, and underarms.
These reminders underscore the importance of hydration year-round. Mixing powdered Gatorade with water is a simple way to stay hydrated, crucial for preventing heat-related illnesses and hypothermia. Having personally experienced heat exhaustion, I know firsthand the value of being prepared.
Another key aspect of preparation is maintaining an updated first aid kit. Recently, I inventoried mine and discovered expired medication—including Benadryl that had been out of date since April 2022. While it may be tempting to keep expired items, ensuring all supplies are current and effective is essential. Emergencies require quick, decisive action, and outdated materials can compromise outcomes.
A personal experience reinforced this lesson. During a chainsaw safety training session, I inadvertently disturbed a yellowjacket nest and was stung multiple times. Thankfully, a quick-thinking participant offered me Benadryl, which alleviated my symptoms within minutes. An EMT friend later advised that breaking Benadryl tablets and placing the pieces under the tongue allows for faster absorption—a tip worth remembering.
As we begin 2025, let’s prioritize readiness. Take time to review and restock your first aid kit, ensuring all medications and supplies are up to date. Visit the Red Cross website to refresh your knowledge of CPR and first aid protocols. By being prepared, you’ll be better equipped to respond to emergencies and protect those around you.
“Be Prepared in 2025”—it might just be the most important resolution you make this year.
Upcoming Events
2025 Annual Meeting
2/5/2025 » 2/6/2025
Location: Hyatt Regency, Columbus, Ohio
OFA Proudly Supports
Commentaires