OFA Update
Annual Meeting
Plans are being finalized for the 2025 Annual Meeting, and registration should be available soon. Save the date for February 5-6, 2025. The meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. The event begins on Wednesday, February 5 with our President’s Reception to be held at Land-Grant Brewing. We have reserved the Land-Grant Extension and the Winter Garden. This is sure to be a fun evening of networking with your peers. Try your hand at brewery curling, ride the ice bumper boats or just hang out in a heated igloo and catch up with friends. The meeting will continue Thursday with a full day of industry sessions, ½ day of landowner sessions and our annual awards luncheon. We hope to see you there!
If you would like to be a sponsor of the meeting and be listed on the registration brochure, please see the options below and let Kathleen know of your interest. Kathleen can be reached at 888-388-7337 ext. 3122 or by email.
We are seeking sponsors for the following:
President's Reception $1000 - Includes 1 Registration for the Annual Meeting
Awards Luncheon $1,000 - Includes 1 Registration for the Annual Meeting
Shuttle Bus Sponsor $750
Continental Breakfast/Break Sponsor $750
Bar Sponsor During Breaks $750
Student Attendee Sponsorship $250
It is not too early to confirm your hotel room. You can make your reservations online here or call the hotel at 614-463-1234 and ask for the OFA rate code G-MBS0.
Conservation Award Nominations are open; please submit your nominations online here.
Legislative Update
Election Day!
Today is Election Day, so be sure to vote if you haven't already!
The following update is provided by our national partner, the Forest Resources Association
Congress
The Lame Duck session of the 118th Congress will be convened the week after next. Expectations of significant policymaking activity are low, with only "must-pass" items being addressed. One of these is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which reauthorizes and funds our nation's defense programs and military readiness. One little-known but important provision in this year's legislation directs the Department of Defense and the General Services Administration to expeditiously move away from using endangered tropical apitong for its truck and trailer beds and begin procuring sustainable, domestically produced red oak for these applications. There is little doubt that the NDAA will pass and be sent to the President. Typically, a year-end budget deal would also be in the mix as a must-pass item. It appears, however, that a Fiscal Year 2025 budget deal may be a bridge too far for the Lame Duck, and Congress will pass a short-term Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government into the first quarter of 2025. FRA was hopeful that critical business tax benefit extension legislation would be enacted this year, but Congress has also opted to punt it to next year when over $4 trillion in tax benefits are scheduled to expire. While we will be closely engaged in the process through November and into December, the FRA team is beginning to focus on the 119th Congress and preparing to introduce our sector and policy priorities to the dozens of new Members sworn in on January 3.
Principles for Strengthening Logging and Hauling Capacity
Over the past several months, FRA, the American Loggers Council, the National Alliance of Landowners, and the American Wood Council have collaborated to develop shared principles to address the sector's logging and hauling capacity. These principles focus on improving communication, addressing capacity issues, boosting efficiency, and enhancing safety through direct actions and federal policies that respect the independence and entrepreneurial spirit of these vital service providers. The goal of this initiative is to ensure a viable logging and log-hauling sector for the wood supply chain and the forest industry. FRA encourages our members to incorporate these principles in their relationships with logging and log-hauling businesses. FRA will also engage our National Operations and National Supplier/Consumer Relations Committees to identify opportunities and actions that will secure the long-term viability of the logging and log hauling sector.
H-2B Visas
This week, over 40 members of the House sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, urging the release of nearly 70,000 supplemental H-2B visas for FY2025. The letter highlights the ongoing labor shortages faced by seasonal employers, which have been exacerbated by the changing dynamics of the American workforce since the pandemic. This House letter follows a similar request from the Senate, which was delivered to the DHS last week. FRA continues working with Members of Congress to include language in the FY2025 spending bill that would direct the DHS to release supplemental visas when the H-2B visa cap is met.
Tax
An event was held earlier this week in Oklahoma City by the Main Street Employers Coalition to discuss the importance of maintaining the 20 percent tax deduction for S-Corporations and other pass-through entities. Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK-01), a House Ways & Means Committee member and an original cosponsor of legislation to make this deduction permanent, was on hand to provide remarks. Before his time in Congress, Rep. Hern was an entrepreneur and owned and operated several businesses. He relayed his first-hand knowledge and experience with the challenges that smaller Main Street businesses face in the current economy and the need to preserve this critical tax deduction.
Trucking Rates Show Increase
An analysis completed by JBF Consulting reported that the Truckload Breakeven Price Per Mile increased by 4.4% compared to its estimate in September 2023. Breakeven costs per mile are now at $2.72 per mile. What makes up the $2.72/mile breakeven costs: 37% Wages, 20% fuel, 15% empty miles cost, 9% repairs and maintenance, 4% insurance, and 2% permits/licensing/tolls.
Workforce Development
The Department of Labor (DOL) announced that up to $20 million in grants would be made available for national "out of school time" organizations to expand work-based learning opportunities for young adults between the ages of 14 and 21. These Workforce Pathways for Youths grants enable prospective employees to travel to local employers' job sites after school hours and/or during the summer for hands-on training and work-based learning opportunities.
The DOL's Employment and Training Administration is administering the grants and processing applications through December 4. Interested applicants can apply for grants here.
Also, 25 business owners ranging from restauranteurs to banking, manufacturing, farming, and others were on hand to provide their perspectives. In every situation, these owners highlighted the need to extend Sec. 199A beyond 2025 and, preferably, make the deduction permanent for these key job creators.
This critical tax deduction, along with 100 percent bonus depreciation, the research and development tax credit, and the estate tax, will feature prominently early next year when the 119th Congress convenes.
Countdown to Election 2024
KEY POLLS (Source: RealClear Politics)
KEY BATTLES (Trump vs. Harris, 2024 Elections)
Arizona Trump +2.3
Nevada Trump +1.5
Wisconsin Harris +0.3
Michigan Harris +0.8
Pennsylvania Trump +0.5
North Carolina Trump +1.5
Georgia Trump +2.6
Market Update
HardwoodReview Forecasting
While most contacts still indicate demand for hardwood lumber is historically low, production has clearly fallen below demand, and five of our six headline price forecasts are for increases over the next two months. And, of the 28 other items we forecast, only Cherry, upper-grade White Oak, flooring-grade Red Oak, and crossties are expected to decline. Modest demand increases get partial credit for market stability, including a surprise late-summer jump in exports to Europe, which came before the announced delay in EUDR implementation. And, single-family U.S. housing starts were actually higher this year than last year in six of the eight months through Aug, providing some additional demand lift. There remains some concern that sea[1]sonally slower log exports will stimulate more lumber production than the market can handle by early next year, but, at least through Dec, logs will remain scarce and expensive. In addition, weak #2 Com demand and softening low-grade markets will disincentivize large production increases.
Sustained stress on U.S. consumer budgets will continue to provide inroads for less-expensive imports of wood and nonwood substitute products. Through Aug, hardwood moulding imports were up 54%, and engineered flooring receipts have climbed 54% since the spring of 2023.
Partner Update
Ohio Woodland Stewards Estate Planning for Landowners
Upcoming Events
Master Logger Chapter Meetings
Paint Valley Loggers Chapter Meeting
11/11/2024
Location: Bainbridge, Ohio Time: 7:00 PM
Muskingum Valley Loggers Chapter
11/12/2024
Location: F.O.E., McConnelsville, Ohio Time: 7:00 PM
Southern Ohio Loggers Chapter Meeting
11/12/2024
Location: Lucasville, Ohio Time: 7:00 pm
East Central Ohio Loggers Chapter
11/18/2024
Location: Fresno, Ohio Time: 6:00 PM
Steel Valley Loggers Chapter Meeting
11/21/2024
Location: DeNoon Lumber, Bergholz, Ohio Time: 5:30 PM
Scioto River Valley Loggers Chapter Meeting
11/21/2024
Location: Scioto Township Fire Hall, Wakefield, Ohio Time: 7:00 PM
Northeastern Ohio Loggers Chapter Meeting
12/11/2024
Location: Middlefield, Ohio
Northwest Ohio Loggers Chapter Meeting
12/11/2024
Location: Findlay, Ohio
Southeastern Ohio Loggers Chapter Meeting
12/11/2024
Location: Shawn Sexton's Lodge, Jackson, Ohio Time: 6:00 PM
2025 Annual Meeting
2/5/2025 » 2/6/2025
Location: Hyatt Regency, Columbus, Ohio
2026 Annual Meeting
3/11/2026 » 3/12/2026
Location: Hyatt Regency, Columbus, Ohio
OFA Proudly Supports
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