NEWS

A bipartisan bill, the Promoting Effective Forest Management Act of 2023, has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. The bill directs the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to establish yearly acreage targets for mechanical thinning and address the shortages that plague the logging workforce, and mandates a scientific basis for changes in definitions of old-growth and mature forests.

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In the National Kitchen & Bath Association 2024 Kitchen Trends Report, designers, architects, and remodelers showed a clear preference for wood cabinets. After years of white cabinetry, wood is making a comeback. When surveyed about the most popular kitchen color trends, 28% chose wood, outpacing the 25% who chose "white."

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DHA sponsored the USDA Forest Products Laboratory's life-cycle assessment of prefinished engineered wood flooring in the eastern U.S. Last week, the laboratory published the results. In a win for our industry and the environment, the assessment states, "This study showed that engineered wood flooring can be considered a carbon-negative material that stores carbon (22.85 kg CO₂eq/m² flooring) for decades and thus can help to mitigate climate change."

Decorative Hardwoods Association (formerly HPVA) eNews Volume XVI, Issue XIX: EU Restrictions Disrupt The Veneer Industry | DHA Partners On New Material Guide For Hardwood Plywood | EPA Invests $100M To Support Manufacturers Of Building Materials | Congress Acts To Help Regenerate White Oak Forests | EPA Invests $100M To Support Manufacturers Of Building Materials

DHA collaborated with the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to host a briefing for DHA members to clarify the new European restrictions on hard maple exports. Despite high-temperature processes used in the U.S. that prevent the spread of pests and disease, France and Spain pushed for a new interpretation of requirements: now, the EU requires "area freedom" from Davidsoniella virescens, a fungus that infects hardwood trees.