Page 22 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Fourth Quarter 2022

LEGISLATIVE/ASSOCIATION NEWS
New Funding for Forestry at State and Federal Levels
FEDERAL MATTERS
President Joe Biden signed the Infrastruc- ture Investment and Jobs Act into law
on Monday, November 15, 2021. The act contains a key provision that the NCFA, our members, and the North Carolina Congressional Delegation worked on. It will grandfather existing gross-vehicle-weight limits on state roads that are transitioning into the federal interstate system. The
$1.2 trillion package also contains several major funding provisions important to the forestry sector, which include:
• Grants to educational institutions
or state departments of transportation for workforce development in the transportation sector
• Authorization of a pilot program for drivers 18-21 years of age to operate trucks across state lines upon completion of rigorous operational and safety training
• $125 million for grants for the creation of a pilot vehicle miles traveled (VMT) program to collect data on whether a VMT is a feasible option for replacing the gas tax to fund highway programs
• $2.1 billion in assistance to help manu- facturers to improve energy, water,and material efficiency, load management, and onsite generation to reduce waste and pollution while increasing profit
• Language creating a new federal system for subsidizing sawmills and other wood processing facilities in close proximity to federal land, along with $400 million in new financial assistance
• $12 million for each fiscal year 2022- 2026 for the community wood energy program and the wood innovation grants program
• $3.3 billion for wildfire risk reduction
• $2.1 billion for ecosystem restoration
• $1.5 billion allocated for state and private forestry
STATE MATTERS
The North Carolina General Assembly finished off the year’s legislative work
the week before Thanksgiving 2021.
On Thursday, November 18, 2021, Governor Roy Cooper signed the 2021 Appropriations Act into law. The budget, passed on a bipartisan vote, contains many provisions, which include:
• $5 million for the Be Pro Be Proud initiative
20 ncforestry.org / FIRST QUARTER 2022
2022 Forestry Day in the Legislature
WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2022
The NCFA sponsors an annual Forestry Day in the Legislature. The event provides an opportunity for NCFA members to come to Raleigh and meet with their elected officials in a relaxed atmosphere on the Halifax Mall.
The event begins at 9:30 a.m. with a briefing from NCFA staff on the current legislative issues affecting forestry and the forest products industry in North Carolina. Members are then given information to discuss with their elected officials. At the adjournment of the briefing, NCFA members are asked to visit with elected officials from their district and invite them to the NCFA luncheon that starts at 11:30 a.m. and ends at 1:30 p.m.
Forestry Day in the Legislature is a highly anticipated and popular event with the members of the North Carolina General Assembly and their staff. The NCFA encourages all of its members to make attending Forestry Day a priority.