Timber Talk 11/4/2025

Jenna Reese
Nov 3
11 min read

OFA Update

Go Vote!

Today is Election Day. You may be wondering why you haven't been bombarded with negative campaign ads if there is an election today, but I promise you there is. Elections without a presidential, congressional, or gubernatorial candidate experience chronic low voter turnout even though they are arguably the most important. The local races on your ballot today often impact your business's daily operations far more than what happens in Washington D.C.

One common challenge for loggers and sawmills in Ohio is weight limits on local roads. Local officials have a great deal of power in Ohio to enforce limits through frost law, posted roads, and permitting structures. Having good relationships with local officials is critical to the bottom line of your operation, and a good relationship begins with the right person in office. You can look up your poll location and sample ballots here.

Make sure your voice is heard today and go vote!

Funding Available for Conservation Projects

The OFA Foundation Conservation Education Grant Program is designed to provide funding for activities that align with the overall Mission Statement of the OFA Foundation. These grants will generally be small-scale grants designed to assist an organization with a project, with a maximum individual grant amount of $2,500. The grants to be awarded will be reviewed and chosen by the OFA Foundation Board of Directors from the applications received. Applications will be accepted between October 8 and November 5 this year, with grant awards being selected and announced by December 1 for funding to be used in the following year. Scan the QR code above or visit the events section on our website to apply for the 2025 program.

End-of-Year Membership Renewals

As a reminder, the OFA board approved an end-of-the-year membership renewal process in 2023 to replace the anniversary renewal system we had been using. This is the third year for this change, and we have already seen an improvement in operations. You can expect to receive a renewal packet in early December by mail including a letter highlighting any major changes for OFA in the last year, an inventory of the benefits you received in 2025, corporate sponsorship opportunities, an agenda and lodging details for the 2026 annual meeting, information about the Real American Hardwood Coalition and how to get involved, and your membership invoice. Please return invoices with payment by January 1, 2026, to ensure your membership remains uninterrupted. Please feel free to renew your membership online at any time by logging in to your account. Please email kalah@ohioforest.org if you need assistance logging in or making a payment.

CSAW Level 1 Class - The Wilderness Center

Level 1 is a full 8-hour class with a lecture portion in the morning and a hands-on portion in the afternoon.

Lecture topics: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), safety features of the chainsaw head, five-point safety check, maintenance of the power head and guide bar, components of the saw tooth, angles and their functions, proper filing, and the reactive forces of the chain and guide bar.

Field topics: benefits of open-face felling, benefits of using a hinge and bore method, five step pre-felling plan, tree felling demonstration, participant tree felling. Register now and don't forget to bring PPE!

Save the Date for Giving Tuesday!

We invite our members to celebrate Giving Tuesday with us by taking the opportunity to make a charitable contribution to the Ohio Forestry Association Foundation. The OFAF supports charitable activities related to the forest products industry, including hosting events like the Lumberman's Outing, which benefits the Lumberman's Benevolent Fund and Camp Canopy, which educates the next generation of forestry industry professionals.

Market Update

HardwoodReview Forecasting

This is the 250th edition of Hardwood Review Forecasting, formerly the Hardwood Leader. We began in Jan 2005, on the eve of the Great Recession, and continue this month during what is now the third major industry contraction since. The current market downturn has now extended beyond three years, and has been as or more difficult than the prior two. Contacts say lumber sales are slowing earlier than they would expect for this time of year, and though prices for most items are anticipated to remain stable, most of those that are forecasted to change through mid-Dec in Appalachia and the South are expected to decline, with already historically low production getting ahead of even lower seasonal demand. The big wildcard moving forward is China. Though the tariff threats dropped China’s share of total U.S. exports to just 27% from Apr-Jul, that’s still 24 MMBF of monthly demand that’s at risk if the announced 100% tariff on Chinese imports goes into effect Nov 1. Any re-shoring of upholstered furniture and cabinet manufacturing that results from the new 30%-50% Section 232 tariffs will take significant time to materialize, and it will not generate an equal increase in hardwood component demand, given the shift away from hardwood frame stock and the availability of substitute materials for cabinets.

Legislative Update

The following is brought to us by our national partner, the Forest Resources Association (FRA)

Government Shutdown Update – Day 24

Despite 13 attempts to pass a clean continuing resolution in the Senate, Congress remains at an impasse as the federal government shutdown enters its 24th day. The Senate stayed in session through Wednesday, voting on short-term funding measures, but none reached the 60-vote threshold required to advance. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed this week that TSA agents will miss their next paycheck absent a funding deal—a development that echoes the tipping point of the last prolonged shutdown. November 1 remains a critical date, as WIC and SNAP benefits begin to wind down.

Military Pay Proposal Blocked:

On Thursday, the Senate rejected a bill from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) that would have ensured continued pay for active-duty military personnel and select federal employees working through the shutdown. The measure fell short in a 54–45 vote, with three Democrats—Sens. Ossoff, Warnock, and Fetterman—joining Republicans in support. While back pay is guaranteed once the government reopens, the bill aimed to ease financial pressure on those currently working without compensation.

European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)

On Tuesday, the European Commission (EC) issued a proposal that reverses its previous statement that EUDR implementation would be delayed by one year. The announcement may be found HERE.Under the proposal, the one-year delay to December 2026 would still apply to “micro and small enterprises,” but for medium and large-sized companies, the implementation date remains December 30, 2025. A six-month grace period is offered under the proposal “for checks and enforcement.” Other notable elements of the proposal are:

Downstream operators and traders of products already placed on the EU market will no longer be required to submit due diligence statements (DDS).
Micro and small primary operators will only have to submit a one-off declaration to the IT system rather than for each shipment.

In response to this proposal, the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) issued the following statement:

“This proposal does not address real concerns with an EU Information Technology (IT) system that is still not fit for purpose, and does not address concerns raised by micro- and small businesses part of the integrated supply chain for larger organizations. We would like to see practical simplification of the EUDR, that appropriately recognizes low-risk third countries such as Canada, as well as EU Member States. We are committed to work quickly with global partners to find an improved proposal, that will both meet the intent of the Regulation, while also enabling strong and vibrant trading relationships, as committed to in the June 2025 strategic partnership between the European Union and Canada. We urge the Canadian government to engage with EU counterparts to ensure an improved proposal, that appropriately recognizes simplified traceability for countries that pose negligible risk to global deforestation.”

Statement by German Federal Minister for Agriculture, Food, and Homeland, Alois Rainer: "Today’s proposal fails to include the most important demand: a zero-risk variant. The bureaucratic burden remains excessively high and continues to place unnecessary strain on businesses. In its current form, the proposal is unacceptable and urgently needs revision. There is no deforestation in Germany, and that must be reflected in the regulation. I will continue to push for the inclusion of a zero-risk variant in the EUDR, as outlined in our coalition agreement. Only then can we fully avert the massive and entirely unnecessary burden on our economy. The fact that the EUDR is now only being postponed for small businesses is unacceptable and has caught many companies off guard. Despite some improvements, this proposal remains wholly inadequate and fails to reflect the reality faced by people across Europe. We need a new, practical version that provides legal certainty and does not further hinder our economy."

In terms of next steps, the EC proposed measures must be approved by the EU Parliament and Council. In sum, this measure does nothing to address U.S.-based company concerns with EUDR compliance, nor does it reference the U.S. as a negligible deforestation risk. FRA will be working with our forestry and forest product sector allies in communicating the urgency of this situation with the White House and Congress, as well as directly with the EC.

Resources: 2025 EUDR Letter to President von der Leyen

Fix Our Forests/Federal Forest Management

On Tuesday, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee held a markup to consider a number of bills, including the Fix Our Forests Act—S. 1462. The legislation was approved by the panel on an 18-5 vote. The bill would facilitate increased management of our federal forest landholdings by expediting permitting of projects and providing additional policy tools to the Forest Service to conduct this critical work. Similar legislation (H.R. 471), led by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR), passed the House in January. The Senate committee adopted an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute and a manager’s amendment to refine technical language and implementation details. Heading into the markup, it was expected that an amendment would be offered to revise the definition of “renewable biomass” under the Renewable Fuels Standard. The existing definition, enacted in 2007, largely disqualifies forest-based biomass as the statute only allows merchantable trees derived from tree plantations or logging residues and pre-commercial thinning from naturally regenerated stands. An amendment was not considered during the hearing. However, Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) offered support for changing the definition during his opening statement but conceded that this issue is not in the jurisdiction of the Senate Agriculture Committee. FRA will continue to closely monitor developments on this effort.

H-2B Supplemental Visas at Risk—TAKE ACTION ALERT

Representatives Andy Harris (R-MD-01), John Moolenaar (R-MI-02), Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11), Nick LaLota (R-NY-01), Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28), and Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), along with Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Mike Rounds (R-SD), are circulating a bipartisan letter urging the Secretaries of Labor and Homeland Security to promptly publish a temporary rule releasing 64,716 supplemental H-2B visas for Fiscal Year 2026. The letter emphasizes that these visas are critical to helping employers meet seasonal labor needs, maintain operations, and plan their workforce with greater certainty. FRA will be contacting congressional offices to encourage sign-ons, and we urge our members to reach out to their representative and two senators to express support for this effort. Member engagement is essential to ensuring timely visa relief for seasonal businesses, including employers of H-2B forestry workers.

FRA Take Action Alert

FRA H-2B Issue Brief

H-2B Economic Study

The Jobs in the Woods Act (S. 1336, H.R. 4575)

This bipartisan, bicameral bill would establish a targeted USDA grant program to address workforce shortages in the forestry sector by supporting training, recruitment, and skill development for forestry careers. FRA is encouraged to announce recent sponsors of the legislation (Red).

S. 1336

Sponsor: Sen. Angus King (I-ME)

Cosponsors:

Name	District	Party	Date Added
Ossoff Jon	GA	Democratic	10/23/2025
Crapo Mike	ID	Republican	4/8/2025
Collins Susan	ME	Republican	4/8/2025
Klobuchar Amy	MN	Democratic	4/8/2025
Merkley Jeff	OR	Democratic	4/8/2025
Risch Jim	ID	Republican	4/8/2025
Shaheen Jeanne	NH	Democratic	4/8/2025
Smith Tina	MN	Democratic	4/8/2025

H.R. 4575

Sponsor: Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03)

Cosponsors:

Name	District	Party	Date Added
Bynum Janelle	OR-05	Democratic	10/17/2025
Goodlander Maggie	NH-02	Democratic	10/17/2025
Salinas Andrea	OR-06	Democratic	9/26/2025
Golden Jared	ME-02	Democratic	9/4/2025
Moore Barry	AL-01	Republican	8/1/2025
Lawler Mike	NY-17	Republican	7/22/2025
Fitzpatrick Brian	PA-01	Republican	7/21/2025
Pingree Chellie	ME-01	Democratic	7/21/2025
Rouzer David	NC-07	Republican	7/21/2025
Stauber Pete	MN-08	Republican	7/21/2025
Thompson G.T.	PA-15	Republican	7/21/2025

FRA Legislative Fly-In Rescheduled to February 24–26, 2026

Due to the ongoing federal government shutdown, FRA made the difficult decision to reschedule the Legislative Fly-In to February 24–26, 2026. If these new dates open the door for you to attend, you can register here.

Although a shutdown restricts physical access to Capitol Hill, our advocacy efforts will continue without pause. FRA’s Issue Updates and Action Alerts remain valuable tools to keep you informed about policies affecting the wood supply chain and to help you engage directly with your elected officials on the issues that matter most to our industry.

FRA remains committed to advocating for the forest products supply chain and ensuring your voice is heard on Capitol Hill. We look forward to welcoming members to Washington, D.C. in February.

Safety Update

Sedgwick Safety Services

Situational Awareness at Work

In today’s fast-paced work environment, having an acute awareness of our surroundings is a crucial skill that helps employees recognize and avoid potential hazards and dangers around them. The term ‘Situational Awareness’ refers to one’s ability to observe and understand their environment, comprehend potential hazards and predict their impact. Everyone has this ability, but it is not always used to its fullest potential.

Heightened situational awareness is very helpful to all workers, but can be especially effective for those who have a changing work environment or those who are required to perform a variety of different job tasks, each with their own unique hazards. Examples include operators of powered industrial vehicles or heavy machinery, outdoor workers where changing weather conditions occur, construction workers on job sites, service providers, educators and even healthcare workers.

To gain a better understanding of this concept, let’s take a look at the three core elements of situational awareness:

Observation - this is the ability to recognize what is happening in the environment around us. This may sound simple, but in today’s world with countless distractions, it can be challenging.
Comprehension – understanding the importance of how the actions of co-workers and the things we observe relate to our current tasks and situation. This is a form of hazard identification.
Predicting - anticipating future outcomes based on the current situation and assessing how they may impact not only ourselves, but also our work tasks and our coworkers. By identifying and recognizing hazards, we can develop the necessary steps to eliminate or minimize concerns.

Simply put, as we observe the environment in motion around us, we continuously assess for potential threats and respond quickly and appropriately to minimize danger to ourselves and others.

As we gain a better understanding of what situational awareness is and how it plays a role in the workplace, training employees is the next step. The benefits of training on situational awareness include the following:

ü Enhanced Safety: Improved situational awareness helps employees identify hazards before they become accidents, thereby reducing the risk of workplace injuries and incidents.

ü Better Decision Making: Employees adept at situational awareness are better equipped to assess risk, choose appropriate response actions and make informed decisions quickly, which is vital in an emergency situation.

ü Increased Efficiency: By being keenly aware of one’s surroundings, employees can detect obstacles, avoid redundant tasks and better coordinate work efforts with colleagues.

ü Improved Communication: Employees attuned to their environment can communicate more effectively about ongoing tasks, potential hazards and production or workflow changes, leading to better teamwork and synergy.

ü Creating a Safety Culture: A better understanding of the workplace fosters an environment where open communication about safety is encouraged. Employees are more apt to report hazards and share concerns without fear of reprisal, reinforcing the importance of situational awareness.

Situational awareness isn’t just a skill—it’s a mindset. By staying alert and engaged, employees contribute to a safer, more efficient workplace. Organizations can build this culture through training, leadership and continuous improvement.

If you would like to know more about Sedgwick’s safety services or would like to schedule a confidential consultation, please contact Andy Sawan at andrew.sawan@sedgwick.com or 330-819-4728.