NEWS

Decorative Hardwoods Association (formerly HPVA) eNews Volume XV, Issue XIV: Farm Bill Panel Highlights Wood Products | Real American Hardwood Launches Consumer Website | EU Regulations Pose Challenges For U.S. Hardwoods | U.S. Imports Of Hardwood Plywood Surge, But Growth Rate Is Slowing | U.S. Imports Of Engineered Wood Flooring Continue To Rise

The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry held a hearing about potential forestry-related provisions for the 2023 farm bill reauthorization, where representatives from both parties emphasized the crucial role of wood products in preventing wildfires, capturing and storing carbon, and growing the economy.

American Hardwood Export Council commented on draft EU deforestation regulations that would require geolocation data for the specific "plot(s) of land" where all regulated materials—including wood—were sourced. This could be challenging for materials sourced from small landowners, typical for U.S. hardwoods. AHEC urges companies that export to Europe to ask their customers to comment on this important issue before it is put to a vote as early as September.

Which curious forest animal's activities can change an entire forest?

Answer: Mice, shrews, squirrels and other small animals disperse around 95% of tree seeds found in a forest. How these mammals disperse those seeds affects things like how many seedlings take root and what species of tree will dominate the forest.

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U.S. imports of hardwood plywood have grown 45% year-to-date through May. However, this is lower than the 60% year-to-date growth through April. In May, imports from Russia dropped to 26 million square feet from an average of more than 51 million square feet per month through April. The skyrocketing growth in imports from Vietnam also appears to have slowed somewhat in May, reaching 108% year-to-date, after surging to 183% year-to-date through April.