NEWS

An important part of our mission at DHA is promoting decorative hardwoods. We have taken that to a new level in the last two months: the number of architects and designers who have completed our continuing education courses has surged. The first course we added to the GreenCE site—an online platform that educates architects, engineers, and designers—introduces this important audience to the benefits and sustainability of hardwood plywood, veneer, and engineered wood flooring.

In addition, DHA will be featured in every Surface and Panel Magazine with a new, standalone column. The latest edition focused on key trends and challenges; future columns will be longer, with room for broader topics. Please reply to this email with your suggestions for content.

If you have questions or comments, contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.

Keith A. Christman, President
Decorative Hardwoods Association

In May, DHA partnered with GreenCE, an online platform that provides education on sustainable design, to deliver our course that highlights the beauty, sustainability, and climate benefits of decorative hardwoods. By the end of June, more than 500 architects and designers had already completed the course, which qualifies for continuing education credit at the American Institute of Architects, American Institute of Building Design, and Green Building Certification.

Participants in the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association's monthly survey reported a nearly 13% drop in the volume of cabinet sales through May vs. last year, while year-to-date revenue increased by about 6.1%. Revenue in May alone, however, fell by 7.8% vs. April.

The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have completed the inventory of old and mature-growth forests that was mandated by the Biden administration. The inventory shows that there is no deficiency in forests managed by the two agencies: old-growth forests cover 18% of lands managed and mature forests cover 45%.

DHA and Hardwood Federation continue to advocate Congress include a grant in the farm bill that will educate the public on the value of carbon captured by hardwood products, as documented in USDA's carbon accounting programs. We will also continue to push to make temporary changes in tax rules permanent, including the ability to expense 100% of industrial equipment and the 20% deduction for small businesses, and to restore full deductibility of business expenses.

Canada's regulation on formaldehyde emissions from wood composite panels will be amended to address oversights in the standard, including quality testing, recordkeeping, and alignment with U.S. regulations such as TSCA Title VI.

The U.S. Forest Service will invest $188 million to conserve some of the most economically and ecologically significant working forests across the country. The investment includes both public and private forestland, funding 34 projects to conserve more than 245,000 acres critical to rural economies in 22 states.

The plywood market grew to 15 million cubic meters in 2022 and is expected to reach 18.1 million cubic meters by 2028, a compound annual growth rate of 3.3%. One of the key factors driving the increase is the growing construction industry. In addition, plywood's versatility and ease of installation make it an ideal choice for interior paneling, cabinetry, furniture, and other decorative applications.

DHA will be featured in every issue of Surface and Panel Magazine with a new, standalone column. This month, we talk about trends in finishes and consumers' increasing demand for sustainable products like decorative hardwoods.

Canada and the U.S. have formalized an agreement to more efficiently share firefighting resources. More than 1,500 U.S. firefighters are already battling fires in Canada this year. Several thousand firefighters from nine countries have also pitched in to help.

Understaffed, overworked firefighters are facing more—and more dangerous—wildfires every year, while their wages have stagnated. A temporary pay raise of $1,500 per month ends in September. It's anticipated that 50% of firefighters will quit at that time. Without the raise, most firefighters earn less than $40,000 per year.

To slow the spread of the destructive emerald ash borer, the Oregon Department of Agriculture reinstated a quarantine in Washington County that bans transporting any element of any ash or white fringe trees outside the county.

Beech leaf disease continues to spread throughout the Northeast. The disease has no treatment or cure and is jeopardizing large swaths of trees and even entire forests. Beech leaf disease was found in Ohio more than a decade ago and has spread through every one of Pennsylvania's 67 counties.

Stockholm Wood City will be the world's largest wood construction project, covering nearly 3 million square feet. Construction begins in 2025. The real estate industry is crucial in the transition to eco-friendly, sustainable construction: buildings account for as much as 40% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions.

Germany is pushing for more wood in residential construction and intends that by 2030, more homes will be built of wood than of concrete or stone. The reason: the German government stands firmly behind wood construction as more climate-friendly, particularly as trees store carbon as they grow.

Source: Royal Bank of Canada

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