Page 10 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Second Quarter 2023

ANNUAL REPORT 2022
READ THE
WINNING ESSAYS HERE.
The measure also included a provision that redirects 2%
of sales tax revenue — approximately $193.1 million — to the Highway Fund for transportation needs, increasing to a redirect of 6% of sales tax revenue in 2024-25 and thereafter.
In addition, this session the North Carolina General Assembly confirmed the following appointments:
• Eddie Buffaloe as Secretary of the Department of Public Safety • Regina Adams to the Board of Review
• Myra Griffin to the Industrial Commission
• Karen Kemerait to the Utilities Commission
Log A Load
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NCFA FACTS
FIRST & ONLY
LOGGER SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM IN NC
• Kody Kinsley as Secretary of DHHS Federal Issues
On Tuesday, August 16, 2022, President Joe Biden signed H.R. 5376 – Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 into law. The measure includes $5 billion in forestry spending, including:
• $1.8 billion for hazardous fuel mitigation • $700 million for forest legacy projects
• $100 million for wood innovation grants
In addition to many other provisions in the bill, it:
• Makes no changes to capital gains rates
• Sustains the 1031 like-kind exchange program • Makes no changes to carried interest provisions
Waters of the US
On Monday April 18, 2022, the NCFA joined the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) and other interested forestry associations in filing an Amicus Curiae brief on the Waters of
the United States (WOTUS). The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Army Corps of Engineers announced on September 3, 2021 a reversion to a pre- 2015 definition of WOTUS. The announcement followed a ruling by the US District Court in Arizona, which found that the rule issued in 2020 was inconsistent with the federal Clean Water Act. The Supreme Court likely will not be taking up this case until this fall, with a final decision expected in early 2023.
Northern Long-Eared Bat
The NCFA joined the National Alliance of Forest Owners and other state forestry associations in submitting comments to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) on the endangered species status for the Northern Long-Eared Bat (NLEB). The forestry community recognized the decline of the NLEB due to the spread of white-nose syndrome, while stressing the benefits private working forests have on the long-term survival and recovery
of the NLEB and other bat species. In addition, the forestry community urged the USFWS to expressly recognize in the final rulemaking that forest management will not negatively impact the species’ conservation and recovery efforts and is necessary for long-term survival and recovery of the NLEB. At press time, the USFWS is working with stakeholders to develop final tools and guidance. The forestry community will be requesting that the USFWS adopt final guidance similar to the 4(d) rules that allowed active forest management to occur while the NLEB was listed as threatened.
P
PR RO O L L
8 ncforestry.org / SECOND QUARTER 2023
The NCFA’s ProLogger program, which consists of a base course
and an annual continuing education requirement, is one of the nation’s top logger training programs.
Since 1995, the ProLogger program has
been teaching loggers how to be smart, safe, and environmentally conscious in the woods. The base course runs two days; one-and- a-half days take place in the classroom, and the final half-day is
a field demonstration where soon-to-be ProLoggers learn proper felling techniques, in addition to updates from Occupational Safety and Health Division officers, and a water quality review session from members of the NC Forest Service.
Currently, more than 1,400 ProLoggers have successfully maintained their certification status by taking the required course. The NCFA conducts the base course online and in three different locations each year. NCFA member companies also
hold the continuing education course, referred to as a module, throughout the year across the state. The annual training calendar for the program runs from July 1 to June 30.
The NCFA coordinates input from the North Carolina SFI Implementation Committee and the NCFA’s Safety, Logging, and Transportation Committee to develop the topics featured in each training module.
EDUCATION
Sustainable Forestry Teacher’s Experience
The Sustainable Forestry Teachers Experience (SFTE) is a summer professional development workshop for North Carolina educators. During the workshop, educators tour North Carolina forests and forestry facilities, learn about sustainable forestry practices in North Carolina, and gain knowledge and resources to bring back to their classroom/program. In 2022, 39 educators participated
in SFTE. After attending, 100% of educators indicated they think forestry is practiced sustainably in North Carolina.
Forest Products Week Essay Contest
To celebrate Forest Products Week, the NCFA, along with its sponsors, host a statewide essay contest to help students draw the connection between our forests and our everyday products. The 2022 winners are Kristabel Mondragon Escobar, 5th Grade, Fuller Elementary School, Raleigh; Melissa Hernandez Rojas, 8th Grade, Hobbton Middle School, Newton Grove; and Noah Kastner, 9th Grade, Clover Garden School, Burlington.