Timber Talk 9/16/26

Jenna Reese

4 days ago

8 min read

OFA Update

2026 Lumberman's Outing Recap

Each year the OFA Foundation has the pleasure of hosting a clay shoot and golf outing in the name of a great cause. The Lumberman's Benevolent Fund is a special community resource that supports industry workers and their families in times of hardship due to work-related injuries, and the Lumberman's Outing bolsters that fund.

With competitions, a catered reception, and beautiful weather, this year's event was another great success. Cash prizes were awarded to winners of shoot-out and golf challenges, who were later commemorated at the reception that closed out the day. Many participants then donated their winnings back to the event, further showcasing the generosity of the folks within our unique industry.

OFA extends our sincere gratitude to the participants and generous sponsors who make this event possible year after year. If you are looking for a way to give back to the community that makes the forest products industry so great, don't miss the Lumberman's Outing next year. If you missed it this year but still want to support the endeavors of the OFA Foundation, click the link below.

SUPPORT OFAF

Volunteer at the 2026 Paul Bunyan Show

We are just 2 weeks away from the 2026 Paul Bunyan Show and we can't wait to celebrate our 20th year at the Guernsey Co. Fairgrounds! Over 160 exhibitors will join us to showcase their products and services to thousands of excited attendees. Hundreds of hours of work and commitment from our staff and committee have set things up for PBS '26 to be our best show yet, but there is still room for you to help us bring it all to life. If you would like to be more involved and see what it's like behind-the-scenes, click the link below to view available volunteer opportunities.

Save the date for our Logger Luncheon!

Join fellow logging professionals, forestry partners, landowners, and woodland enthusiasts for an engaging lunch gathering designed to build connections, share practical insight, and strengthen our working woodland community. This event offers an opportunity to network with peers, exchange field experiences, and learn more about the value of active forest management and responsible harvesting practices. Discussion will highlight how thoughtful harvesting can support the next generation of oak-hickory stands, improve wildlife habitat, and promote long-term woodland health. Whether you manage land, work in the forest products industry, support forestry education, or simply want to connect with others who care about Ohio’s woodlands, we welcome you to attend and be part of the conversation. This event is free of charge for loggers to attend.

Event Details: Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at Secrest Arboretum Welcome & Education Center, 2122 Williams Road, Wooster, Ohio 44691

Master Logger series of classes:

Registration is also open for the Fall master logger series of classes (covering CSAW level 1, BMP, and First Aid CPR), which will take place at Tar Hollow State Forest on October 26th and 27th. See our event calendar below for more details and contact our Director of Forestry Programs at william@ohioforest.org with additional questions.

Market Update

HardwoodReview Forecasting

After months of relative price stability—with supply and demand equally low—the summer lull has knocked quite a few KD prices lower in Aug, some rather significantly. Green prices have been edging slowly lower since Feb, in contrast, and remain weaker still than KD prices. However, a rebound is not out of the question.

The EUDR is slated to go into effect on Dec 31. Though AHEC has developed a scientifically robust deforestation-free assurance program, which is actually workable for U.S. hardwoods, European authorities have not yet accepted it as an alter-

native to EUDR’s geolocation requirements. Absent such approval, or last-minute revisions to EUDR, U.S. hardwood shipments could slow markedly in Jan—not just to EU member nations but also to all nations supplying manufactured products to the EU, most notably Vietnam. On the one hand, European buyers could be scrambling by year-end to get lumber in before Jan. On the other hand, Vietnam and other suppliers may soon begin slowing purchases of what could be non-compliant U.S. hardwoods. Should a short-term spike to Europe materialize—and be greater than combined reductions to other nations—U.S. producers will struggle to meet the demand increases and prices will respond accordingly.

Legislative Update

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

Farm Bill

FRA is picking up that the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 15, to resume consideration of the Agricultural Act of 2026—the Senate’s Farm Bill reauthorization measure. Recall that the committee discontinued consideration of the bill on August 6 after votes were insufficient to move the measure to the Senate floor. The reason was that Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) were absent during the markup. It is anticipated that both will be on hand Tuesday when the Committee resumes consideration.

We do not anticipate any amendment votes during Tuesday's meeting. Just to recap, the bill largely mirrors the House-passed Farm Bill reauthorization measure in that it—

Reauthorizes both the Wood Innovation and Community Wood Grant programs
Amends the RISE workforce development program to include forestry and forest products sectors
Includes binding biomass carbon neutrality language
Reauthorizes the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels

H-2B Visas

In a September 9, 2026, letter, the H-2B Workforce Coalition urges the U.S. Departments of State, Homeland Security, and Labor to implement administrative improvements to alleviate processing delays and errors that undermine seasonal businesses. To streamline the program without reducing security screening or worker protections, the Coalition specifically requests a time-limited interview-waiver pilot for low-risk returning H-2B workers. This dedicated intake-error review process preserves an employer's original filing date when USCIS erroneously rejects a petition, expedites review for H-2B portability cases, and modernizes the electronic filing system with concurrent processing between DOL and USCIS modeled after the H-2A program. FRA serves on the H-2B Workforce Coalition Steering Committee.

Canadian Tariffs

Just after midnight on September 8, Canada implemented its counter-tariff package, which targets approximately $1.4 billion in paper products and a host of wood building materials. In total, these tariffs cover $27.6 billion in U.S. exports, a significantly larger amount than the original U.S. announced Section 338 tariffs.

You can read more from the Department of Finance Canada here.

Roadless Rule Rescindment – Comment Period Extended

The USDA announced today that it will extend the comment period for the proposed rule, Special Areas; Roadless Area Conservation, which would rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The comment period was originally scheduled to close September 21, but has been extended by 15 days to October 6, 2026. The 2001 Roadless Rule established prohibitions on road construction, road reconstruction, and timber harvesting across nearly 60 million acres of inventoried roadless areas, with limited exceptions. Today, the rule applies to approximately 45 million acres of National Forest System lands, including lands in Alaska.

The draft EIS evaluates three alternatives:

Alternative 1 (No Action) would retain the 2001 Roadless Rule
Alternative 2 would fully rescind the rule, providing the greatest flexibility for road construction and timber management
Alternative 3 would rescind the rule while retaining additional Forest Plan direction, providing more flexibility than Alternative 1 but less than Alternative 2.

Future projects under Alternatives 2 and 3 would still be subject to Forest Plan requirements and site-specific environmental review.

Jordan Steps Down from Judiciary Gavel

Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH-04), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced on September 9, 2026, at the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas that he will step down from his committee leadership roles at the end of this Congress. Jordan, 62, said he will not seek a waiver from the House GOP's three-term limit on committee chairs to remain atop the Judiciary Committee, nor will he return to lead Republicans on the House Oversight Committee, where he previously served as ranking member. Among its areas of jurisdiction, the Judiciary Committee oversees immigration law — including the H-2B temporary nonimmigrant worker visa program, which industries such as forestry, landscaping, hospitality, and seasonal manufacturing rely heavily on to meet workforce needs. Jordan's departure raises uncertainty around the program's near-term legislative outlook, as the identity and priorities of his successor as chairman will largely determine whether H-2B cap relief or program reforms advance through the committee in the next Congress.

CPI Rises to 3.4%: What It Means for Fall Homebuyers and Interest Rates

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 0.4% increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for August, bringing annual inflation to 3.4%, slightly above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. This uptick has raised expectations of a Fed rate adjustment at its upcoming September meeting, pushing the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate near 6.71%. While home values continue to appreciate at a modest 1.3% annual pace, high rates present a major hurdle for fall buyers and home construction. Today’s higher borrowing costs can increase a monthly payment by roughly $500 and add nearly $175,000 in total interest over a 30-year loan for a $350,000 home.

Ratepayer Reduction Act

The full House is expected to vote next week on the Ratepayer Reduction Act (H.R. 9340), legislation that would require major technology companies and data center developers—not residential households or small businesses—to bear the full incremental costs of new power generation, transmission lines and distribution upgrades. An earlier version of the bill created concerns for heavy manufacturing as the definition of “large load customer” was so broad that it would have included pulp and paper facilities. After hearing from the manufacturing sector, the Committee revised the bill to focus exclusively on data centers.

The bill was reported from the House Energy and Commerce Committee in July on a unanimous (52-0) vote. The legislation is on the suspense calendar, meaning it will require support from two-thirds of Members present and voting.

Safety Update

Sedgwick Safety Services

BWC’s Safety Grants program

On August 17th, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) announced it is reopening its Safety Grants program, making more than $41 million available in fiscal year 2027 to help Ohio employers invest in equipment that keeps workers safe and reduces injuries. Eligible employers may now begin submitting new applications online.

Three different grant programs are available for eligible employers:

Safety Intervention Grant (SIG)

This program is available to any Ohio private or public employer covered by the State Insurance Fund. It allows employers to purchase equipment to significantly reduce or eliminate injuries and illnesses associated with a particular task or operation. Recipients are eligible for a 3-to-1 matching grant, up to a maximum grant award of $40,000 for each three-year eligibility cycle. This means you receive $3 for every $1 you contribute as the employer. In return, employers must submit a one-year case study one year after the implementation date of the intervention.

Firefighter Exposure to Environmental Elements Grant (FEEEG)

This grant aids firefighters’ protection from exposure and dangerous environmental elements. Eligible safety equipment includes turnout gear, lifting tables, diesel exhaust systems, extractors/washing machines for turnout gear or personal protective equipment, hoods with barrier protection, turnout gear drying machines and washable gloves.

School Safety and Security Grant (SSSG)

This grant helps employers ensure the safety of staff who instruct children throughout the state. Eligible equipment includes safety items such as slip-resistant flooring, safe food fryers, floor cleaning machines, secured keycard systems, security doors, trauma kits and many other items.

Refer to the BWC safety grants webpage for exclusions, additional details on eligible items and to apply: https://info.bwc.ohio.gov/for-employers/safety-services/safety-grants or email Sedgwick for additional information at sedgwickohriskservices@sedgwick.com.

Additional News and Links

Ohio Now Home to Tallest Mass Timber Student Housing in the U.S.

INTRO Columbus is the first mass timber building in Columbus, containing 12 stories of Glulam beams and columns and cross-laminated panels. Many of the beams, columns, and ceilings will remain exposed in the final design of the interior. The Ohio State University project is spear-headed by Harbor Bay, the same firm who brought INTRO Cleveland to Ohio. The Columbus project was able to source timber from Alabama instead of Europe; a small but necessary step in the right direction. See the article here for more details.