The Hardwood Federation produces a “D.C. Cheat Sheet” e-newsletter to maintain the business up-to-date on the most recent information from Washington D.C. Try the August seventeenth version under and join to obtain your copy.
Trade Advocates Use of Hardwood Sustainability Information in Federal GHG Accounting
On August 10, the Hardwood Federation submitted feedback to USDA responding to its Request for Info associated to a federal technique that may extra precisely measure and monitor greenhouse gasoline (GHG) emissions and seize for the agriculture and forest sectors. The Hardwood Federation used the chance to showcase the sustainability advantages of hardwood merchandise, citing latest Environmental Product Declarations for hardwood flooring as examples, and to proceed advocacy for authorization of a Forest Merchandise Laboratory (FPL) research that may quantify the quantity of carbon saved in wooden merchandise. Though USDA said that the present RFI is not going to essentially end in a proper rulemaking as a subsequent step, it would inform efforts throughout the federal authorities to assemble information associated to carbon accounting packages.
Hardwoods, Enterprise Neighborhood Oppose Extra Stringent Air Emissions Commonplace
In response to a research from the Nationwide Affiliation of Producers displaying that stricter EPA requirements for particulate matter (PM) may place greater than 800,000 manufacturing jobs in danger nationwide, the Hardwood Federation is signing a letter led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce urging EPA to maintain the present PM requirements in place. In March, the Hardwood Federation submitted feedback to EPA outlining arguments that the usual presently in place continues to enhance air high quality whereas tightening the usual would require as much as 217 U.S. sawmills to conduct costly testing to guarantee compliance with a brand new commonplace. The present rulemaking is discretionary on the a part of EPA, not being pushed by statutory mandates or court docket orders. EPA is predicted to decide about whether or not to tighten or hold the present EPA commonplace by the top of the yr.
USDA Warns Forests Might Grow to be Internet Carbon Emitters
In step with business advocacy on forest administration and old-growth points, USDA has issued a report displaying that forests might be categorised as web emitters of carbon somewhat than absorbers, based mostly largely on the ageing and decay of forestland managed by federal companies. Based on USDA, starting in two years, the power of the forests to retailer carbon may see a steep decline, leading to emissions of “100 million metric tons of carbon a yr as their emissions from decaying bushes exceed their carbon absorption.” Until policymakers intervene, U.S. forestland may rank as a “substantial carbon supply by 2070,” USDA says.
Supply: Hardwood Federation