OFA Update
Annual Meeting Recap
OFA held its annual meeting and awards luncheon on February 6, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. Loggers, hardwood manufacturers, forestry professionals, and tree farmers from across the state gathered to hear important industry updates and present outstanding service awards. Top of mind for attendees was the economic uncertainty of trade wars and tariffs impacting Ohio’s hardwood industry. You can access slides from the industry sessions here.
During the luncheon, the following individuals were recognized:
2024 Logger of the Year – Mike Sissel (Sissel Logging, West Portsmouth)
Outstanding Individual in Government Service Award – Stephanie Downs (ODNR Division of Forestry, Columbus)
Outstanding Individual in Industry Award – Adam Conway (Superior Hardwoods of Ohio, Inc., Wellston)
Outstanding Individual in Private Service Award – Don Rawn (TTG Forestry Services, Jackson)
Outstanding Logging Activist Award – Irene More (Jefferson County Soil and Water District, Steubenville)
Walt Lange Conservation Education Award – Eric Hayes (Keeping it Native Land Management, Coolville)
2025 Tree Farm of the Year – Chris Moser (Moser Woods, Bluffton)
Tree Farm Inspector of the Year – Tom Mills (Findlay)
Master Logger Certification Class
Registration for the next series of Master Logger trainings is now open. Participants can register on the Ohio Forestry Association Events page.
The dates are April 16th and 17th at Fernwood State Forest in Bloomingdale, Ohio. This is a two-day training consisting of three separate training types: BMP, CSAW, and First Aid/ CPR. All are needed to gain the Ohio Master Logger Certification. We will be holding in-class portions at the Fernwood State Forest, Forest Service Center, beginning with the in-class portion of CSAW on the 16th and followed by First Aid/ CPR and BMP the 17th.
Consulting Forestry Workshop: Information and Updates on Landowner Incentive Programs
When: Thursday March 13, 2025 8:00 – 4:30
Where: Secrest Arboretum Welcome and Education Center at OSU—Wooster Campus, 2122 Williams Road, Wooster, OH 44691
Cost: $10.00, Free for OFA Members
Tentative Schedule:
8:00 – 8:30 Registration and Coffee/Donuts
8:30 – 9:15 Overview and Updates on CAUV and OFTL
9:15 – 10:00 Overview and Updates on EQIP/CSP
10:00 – 10:15 Break
10:15 – 11:00 County Auditor Panel
11:00 – 11:30 FP3 Language and BMP Updates
11:30 – 12:00 Moderated Question and Answer Time
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch (on one’s own)
1:00 – 2:30 Site Visit # 1
3:00 – 4:30 Site Visit # 2
Having a detailed and up-to-date Forest Management Plan is required when it comes to enrolling in or accessing different landowner incentive programs. These programs can be quite valuable to the landowner. It is often up to Consulting Foresters to communicate the important details of these programs to landowners. However, with each program changing requirements over time and new programs arising, it can be difficult to keep up with the most current and accurate information to share with landowners. And some of these updates should be reflected in forest management plans. To this end, this 1-day workshop will bring together individuals who can provide overviews of different programs, explain changes to the programs and help all of us better understand the value and processes associated with these programs.
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
the following is brought to us by our national partner, the Forest Resources Association (FRA)
Jobs in the Woods Act 2025
The FRA policy team has held several Hill meetings over the past couple of weeks, working to have the Jobs in the Woods Act reintroduced. Senators King (I-ME) and Risch (R-ID) are currently leading the effort and are actively seeking cosponsors before the bill’s introduction. Yesterday, an FRA association member informed us that their Senator asked if they support the Jobs in the Woods Act. Naturally, the association’s response was affirmative. We encourage FRA members to reach out to their Senators and urge them to cosponsor the Jobs in the Woods Act before its introduction on February 24. If your Senators wish to be cosponsors, have them contact Cole Cerabona (cole_cerabona@king.senate.gov) before February 24. If you need contact information for your Senators, please contact FRA.
Brooke Rollins Confirmed
The Senate voted 72-28 to confirm Brooke Rollins to serve as USDA Secretary on Thursday. Rollins received bipartisan support with all Republican Senators voting in her favor. Secretary Rollins will have jurisdiction over a wide range of responsibilities related to agriculture, food, and related services. This includes the management of national forests through the US Forest Service and promoting rural economic development in rural areas.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, prior to the Rollins confirmation vote, had this to say, “…she promises to get right to work after she is confirmed on four key priorities: First, getting disaster and economic aid out the door and into the hands of farmers. Second, getting the bird flu and other animal disease outbreaks under control. Third, getting the farm bill done. And finally, revitalizing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to focus on its core mission and put America – and American agriculture – first.” Senator Thune continued “The Black Hills National Forest – among others across the country – has seen its timber industry decimated by bad management policies. So, I look forward to working with USDA under Secretary Rollins to provide relief from the dire situation in western South Dakota.”
Corporate Transparency Act
On Monday, legislation to extend the deadline for an estimated 32 million small businesses to report their beneficial ownership information (BOI) as mandated by the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) passed the U.S. House unanimously.The House passed H.R. 736, Protect Small Businesses From Excessive Paperwork Act of 2025, 408–0. The bill, which proceeds to the Senate next, extends the deadline for filing BOI reports to January 1, 2026. The deadline for most reports previously was January 1, 2025, but the reporting requirements have been caught up in numerous court cases and are now on hold.Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced a companion bill in the Senate on Tuesday. Both bills only affect reporting companies that existed before January 1, 2024. Companies formed after that date are not affected.
Tax
On Thursday, the House Budget Committee approved a comprehensive budget resolution by a 21-16 party-line vote. Committee approval of the resolution—the first step in moving a budget reconciliation package— provides significant momentum in the House Republican leadership’s effort to enact President Trump’s domestic policy priorities in a single bill. The measure would extend key business tax benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as appropriate funds for border security and advance energy exploration and development policies. In the Senate, Republican leadership continues to pursue a two-bill approach, with the second budget resolution addressing tax policy. The House is in recess next week for the Presidents Day holiday but will be back in the capital the following week, during which it is expected to consider the House Budget Committee-passed resolution.
Trade
On Thursday, President Trump signed a memorandum titled “Reciprocal Trade and Tariffs,” which outlined a plan to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that already have tariffs on products from the U.S. in place.The memo directs the Secretaries of Commerce, Treasury, the U.S. Trade Representative, and others to create a “Fair and Reciprocal” trade plan to “counter non-reciprocal trading with trading partners by determining the equivalent of a reciprocal tariff with respect to each foreign trading partner.” The memo also requires this plan to be finalized and ready in accordance with President Trump’s America First Trade Policy and the various reports that are due on April 1. The Administration’s reciprocal tariffs will consider tariffs imposed on the U.S. as well as non-tariff barriers. Section 2 of the memo includes five categories the Administration will examine: tariffs on U.S. goods, “unfair” taxes, including VAT, non-tariff barriers, exchange rate policies, and other practices. In the coming days and weeks, we may see additional details about how the Administration plans to implement this plan. There are several existing avenues to pursue, including through Section 338 of the Trade Act and an investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to determine if discriminatory action has occurred. According to Section 338 of the Trade Act, an ITC investigation could view “discrimination” in a variety of relatively broad ways, including a country directly or indirectly placing the commerce of the United States at a disadvantage compared with the commerce of any foreign country. That could be through regulations, practices by or with respect to any customs, tonnage, or port duty fee, charge, exaction, classification, restriction, or prohibition on products. FRA is monitoring the situation closely and will keep you apprised of developments.
Quote of the Week—Underscores Importance of Safe Routes Act Provisions
Congressman Rouzer’s statement during a hearing on highway safety underscores the importance of allowing trucks hauling raw forest products at state legal weight limits to access interstates for short distances. FRA is currently working to reintroduce the Safe Routes Legislation in the 119th Congress. The provisions of the Safe Routes Act aim to make the transportation of raw forest products safer.“[vehicle] Fatality rates remain one and a half times higher in rural areas than in urban areas, our rural roads often have narrower lanes, limited shoulders, exposed hazards and limited clear zones.” [Rep. Rouzer (R-NC-7) House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Highways and Transit Subcommittee, 2/12/25].
Safety Update
OSHA Top Ten Violations
As the new year begins, many organizations look at ways to improve their safety programs. One way I have found effective over the years is to compare your safety program to OSHA’s Top Ten Violations List. Identifying what OSHA sees in the workplace during their inspections and comparing that to your organization is an excellent opportunity to find any gaps or deficiencies within your safety process.
OSHA publishes a top ten list every fiscal year which runs from October to September. For fiscal year 2024, OSHA identified the following on their top ten list:
Fall Protection—General Requirements (1926.501): 6,307 violations
Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 2,888 violations
Ladders (1926.1053): 2,573 violations
Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2,470 violations
Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 2,443 violations
Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 2,248 violations
Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503): 2,050 violations
Scaffolding (1926.451): 1,873 violations
Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1,814 violations
Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,541 violations
The full text of OSHA’s regulations can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR): https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber or by clicking on the hyperlinks included above for the specific topics.
General Industry Regulations are found in Part 1910 and Construction Industry Regulations are found in Part 1926.
Agriculture Regulations can be found at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1928.
For this month’s article, we will discuss the top five violations and follow up next month with the second five.
Fall Protection—General Requirements (1926.501)
Generally speaking, fall protection is required if employees work at heights 4 feet or greater in General Industry and Agriculture and 6 feet or greater for Construction. Typically, fall protection for employees can be in the form of guardrail systems, safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems. If these fall protection options are not feasible, then an approved alternate system may be used if it meets the requirements of the standard. Fall protection is required for employees working near unprotected sides and edges, holes, excavations, ramps, runways and other walkways that meet the criteria of the specific height for that industry. The main violation OSHA is finding with this standard is failure of employers to assure proper fall protection is worn when employees are working at the heights identified for that industry.
Hazard Communication (1910.1200):
Known as OSHA’s Right To Know standard, this regulation requires employers to inform their employees about the hazards of the chemicals they work with. OSHA violations in the workplace uncovered employers with no written hazard communication program, no list of chemicals, missing or out of date safety data sheets (SDS’s) and no employee training.
Ladders (1926.1053)
You may think ladders would not require much in the safety arena, but they show up on OSHA’s Top Ten List quite often. Ladders are not something you just set in place and climb; there are specific guidelines to follow. Violations found by OSHA during inspections include: incorrectly accessing upper landing surfaces, ladders not being used for the purpose they are designed for, using the top step of the ladder as a step, carrying objects or loads that could cause the employee to lose balance or fall and not conducting pre-use inspections to ensure they are structurally sound. If your facility uses ladders, review the standard's requirements and ensure employees follow the proper procedures.
Respiratory Protection (1910.134):
The respiratory protection standard is essential when employees are exposed to chemicals above their Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL’s). OSHA has thousands of chemical exposure limitations and employers must ensure their employees are not overexposed to them or are properly protected. If employees are determined to be overexposed to any chemicals, employers are required to review engineering options (for example, using a ventilation system) and must implement a respiratory protection program. Citations in this standard include improper medically testing and fit testing employees so they can wear a respirator safely, no employee training on the proper use of the respirator and lack of a written program.
Lockout/Tagout (1910.147):
OSHA’s Lockout Tagout (LO/TO) Standard is important when maintenance is performed on machinery in the workplace. The main purpose is to prevent a piece of machinery's unexpected energization (startup) while maintenance is being performed. Lockout Tagout procedures are implemented to prevent crushing injuries, amputations and even death. An effective lockout/tagout program includes developing procedures for each piece of machinery required under the standard and training and communicating those procedures to staff. In the Lockout/Tagout Standard, OSHA is finding noncompliance that includes: unwritten energy control procedures, improper training and communication, incomplete annual periodic inspections and failure to follow procedures.
Since this is intended to just be a high-level summary of the Top 5 Most Frequently Violated Standards, it is important to review the regulations thoroughly in order to achieve and maintain compliance. There are several ways to become more familiar with the regulations, including online training classes, brochures and pamphlets, reputable online sources, consulting organizations and the Bureau of Workers Compensation Division of Safety & Hygiene. Once you become familiar with each regulation, compare that to your company's safety program and identify gaps. If you find gaps in your program or areas needing improvement, take the appropriate steps to make the changes and retrain employees if needed.
Next month we’ll explore violations 6 through 10 on OSHA’s list.
For more information, please contact Sedgwick’s Andy Sawan at 330.819.4728 or andrew.sawan@sedgwick.com.
Additional Links
Sedgwick Worker's Comp Article
ECOFA March Newsletter
Upcoming Events
Consulting Forestry Workshop
3/13/2025
Location: Wooster, Ohio Time: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Logger Chapter Meetings
Southern Ohio Loggers Chapter Meeting
3/11/2025
Location: Lucasville, Ohio Time: 7:00 pm
Scioto River Valley Loggers Chapter Meeting
3/20/2025
Location: Scioto Township Fire Hall, Wakefield, Ohio Time: 7:00 PM
Northwest Ohio Loggers Chapter Meeting
3/26/2025
Location: Findlay, Ohio
Muskingum Valley Loggers Chapter
4/9/2025
Location: F.O.E., McConnelsville, Ohio Time: 7:00 PM
Southeastern Ohio Loggers Chapter Meeting
4/16/2025
Location: Shawn Sexton's Lodge, Jackson, Ohio Time: 6:00 PM
Master Logger Certification Class
4/16/2025 » 4/17/2025
Location: Bloomingdale, Ohio
Camp Canopy
6/8/2025 » 6/13/2025
Location: Carrollton, Ohio
2025 Lumber Grading Short Course
6/16/2025 » 6/19/2025
Location: Millersburg, Ohio Time: 8:00 - 4:00 Daily
2025 Paul Bunyan Show
10/3/2025 » 10/5/2025
Location: Old Washington, Ohio
2026 OFA Annual Meeting
3/11/2026 » 3/12/2026
Location: Hyatt Regency Columbus
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