Page 20 - Tree Line - North Carolina Forestry Association - Fourth Quarter 2022

LEGISLATIVE/ASSOCIATION NEWS
Recap of the General Assembly’s 2022 Short Session
Members of the North Carolina General Assembly delivered on a true “short” session in 2022. Little time was wasted
in considering legislation that crossed over during the 2021
long session, confirming gubernatorial appointments, and crafting the 2022 Appropriations Act.
FEDERAL ISSUES
H.R. 5376 – Inflation Reduction Act of 2022
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 the many 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 ■
STATE ISSUES
HB141
The NCFA worked with members of
the North Carolina Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee on House Bill 141 – Promote NC Sawmills. The NCFA was successful in opposing an amendment that would have weakened the certification requirements for grading lumber. Ultimately, this bill died in the Senate Rules and Operation Committee.
HB 1095
The NCFA and other members of the business community were successful
in opposing House Bill 1095 – PFAS Pollution and Polluter Liability. If enacted, the bill would have unilaterally bypassed the traditional rulemaking process, enabling the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to work together and impose new regulations and giving DEQ the ability to create new environmental regulations without public comment, stakeholder involvement, or General Assembly-appointed Rules Review Commission oversight.
HB 103
Governor Cooper signed House Bill 103 – 2022 Appropriations Act into law on July 11, 2022. The purpose of this budget was to adjust the 2021 Appropriations Act based on the availability of additional funds
and agency requests. NCFA members will be pleased to know that the measure contained several appropriations of interest for forestry, including:
•$1.2 million for the North Carolina Forest Service for new equipment and overtime pay
•$1 million recurring for the Forest Development Program
•$1 million recurring for prescribed burning
•$1.5 million nonrecurring for the
Be Pro Be Proud initiative, bringing the state’s total contribution to this initiative to $6.5 million.
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.
North Carolina General Assembly appointments
In addition, this session the North Carolina General Assembly confirmed the following appointments:
EDDIE BUFFALOE
Secretary of the Department of Public Safety
REGINA ADAMS
Board of Review
MYRA GRIFFIN
Industrial Commission
KAREN KEMERAIT
Utilities Commission
KODY KINSLEY
Secretary of DHHS
18 ncforestry.org / FOURTH QUARTER 2022