Page 24 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Fourth Quarter 2020

LEGISLATIVE/ASSOCIATION NEWS
Legislative Review of 2020:
The Results of Our Advocacy
Despite the limitations created by COVID-19, the NCFA remained steady in its advocacy efforts during 2020. The NCFA would like to thank all of its members and partners
that made our advocacy efforts a success over the last year.
REGULATORY ISSUES
The NCFA is pleased to announce that
a long, two-year rulemaking process
for methyl bromide emissions for log fumigation operations ended on Thursday, Sept. 10. On that day, the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission passed, with near-unanimous support, rules for these facilities that are favorable to the forest products industry. At the time of this writing, these rules will still have to go before the Rules Review Commission prior to enactment.
THE NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
At the Statehouse, the North Carolina General Assembly convened the 2020 short session on Tuesday, April 28. Both chambers wasted little time taking up legislation on COVID-19 relief. The Senate and House passed bipartisan-supported omnibus
bills covering economic relief, education, government operations, and healthcare.
The NCFA joined other members
of the business community to educate legislators on HB 1056 (WC/COVID-19/ Cover Essential Workers) and HB 1057 (WC/COVID-19 Front Line Coverage/ Funds). Both pieces of legislation would have adversely affected the state’s workers’ compensation system by creating a presumption that forces an employer
to prove the employee contracted COVID-19 outside of work. The North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act already provides a fair opportunity for an employee with COVID-19 to file a workers’ compensation claim. Thankfully, neither of these bills was taken up by substantive committee during the 2020 short session.
The North Carolina General Assembly’s Fiscal Research Division testified before the Senate Committee
on Joint Appropriations/Base Budget on Tuesday, May 26. Their initial revenue forecast for 2019-2021 projected General Fund revenues to decrease by $4.2 billion and Transportation revenues to decrease by $774 million relative to the September
2019 forecast. The Fiscal Research Division should have a revised forecast before the end of 2020.
The Farm Act of 2019-2020 became law on June 12. The bill contains provisions on the disposition of certain unused utility easements and a notification requirement
to landowners being disqualified from the present-use value tax program.
FEDERAL
On June 22, President Donald J. Trump issued a proclamation that would have prohibited H-2B guest workers from entering the United States through December 31, 2020. On Wednesday, August 12, the U.S. Department of State released guidance providing a pathway
for forestry H-2B guest workers to
obtain exemptions to President Trump’s proclamation suspending entry into the U.S. by immigrants and non-immigrants. The NCFA would like to thank the National Alliance of Forest Owners, Forest Resources Association, Forest Landowners Association and all of our members who engaged our elected officials on this important policy matter.
TARIFFS
The United States and China signed a phase-one trade agreement on January 15. As part of the agreement, China has pledged to purchase approximately $200 billion in U.S. manufacturing, energy, and a wide array of agricultural and forest products over the next two years. Despite limited trade due to COVID-19, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue remains optimistic that China will fulfill its commitments.

22 ncforestry.org / FOURTH QUARTER 2020