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News, Issues & Information

(05/26/23) Pig Poison: Mark Smith, Wildlife Extension Specialist at Auburn University, presented earlier this week A Short and Practical Review of the Science Behind Toxicants for Wild Pig Control. It is the latest in Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 61 minutes.

(05/25/23) U.S. Supreme Court decided today that a water of the U.S. must be "a relatively permanent body of water connected to traditional interstate navigable waters," and holds that “the Clean Water Act extends to only those ‘wetlands with a continuous surface connection to bodies that are “waters of the United States” in their own right,’ so that they are ‘indistinguishable’ from those waters.” Source: Pacific Legal Foundation, 5/25/23. See also: Supreme Court Protects Property Rights from Federal Overreach.

(05/24/23) "Log supplies ... at sawmills in 2023 vary widely based on weather and 'whether.'" The stumpage market when seen through the eyes of railroad tie manufacturers may give forest owners a better understanding of the complexities in the wood supply chain. Source: Crossties, March/April 2023.

(05/23/23) The Forest Technology program at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College "trains students for the position of forest technician. The technician is an employee who works under the direction of a professional (BS degree) forester and will undertake the fieldwork that is necessary to manage the forest. A career as a forest technician involves a variety of challenging jobs including timber inventory, procurement, maintenance of forest roads, forest management, forest stand improvement, fire and pest control, soil and water conservation, wildlife management, harvest planning, logging, cartography, and surveying. Technicians work outside in all kinds of weather and have to do some office work."

(05/19/23) The Alabama Mushroom Society Newsletter, April 2023, contains a report with photos on their recent morel foray, the "mushroom of the month," a new book on edible Alabama mushrooms, and an "In The Kitchen" recipe. Read more at https://alabamamushroomsociety.org/.

(05/18/23) US Wood Pellet Exports Up In March, reported USDA Foreign Agricultural Service on May 4. That's good news unless you own Enviva stock. WFAE 90.7 in Charlotte, North Carolina reported on May 5, Shares of Wood Pellet Maker Enviva Plummet As Losses Widen. As of May 18, 2023 at 1:13 PM CDT Enviva shares were worth $8.40. A year ago they were valued at $72.86.

(05/17/23) Forisk News, Q2, 2023, contains lots of market related information you may find interesting. If you are planning to buy forestland, you will likely find helpful the map in Southern Pine Timber Inventory Outlook under Research Highlights. Hint: Avoid dark green areas where pines are growing twice as fast as they are being harvested.

(05/16/23) Volatile Timber Markets and Implications for Future Forest Management by Billy Rye was published in Cooperative Farming News, February/March 2023.

(05/15/23) Three bills being debated in Montgomery may be of interest to forest owners:

• Safe Dams - SB 284
• Rural Logging Support Act - SB 76
• Sweet Trails Alabama - SB 298

(05/12/23) Introduction to and Management of Pine-Hardwood Mixtures with David Clabo, University of Georgia, is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 63 minutes. You may also want to watch Managing Stands of Mixed Pine & Hardwood presented by John Willis at our 2019 Annual Meeting.

(05/11/23) Alabama gets $1 million to map mineral resources, AL.com, 5/5/23. "The survey will be concentrated in an area of [East]-Central Alabama known as the Graphite Belt, and look for minerals such as aluminum, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, germanium, graphite, rare earth metals, tin, tungsten, vanadium and others." 

(05/09/23) What's My Timber Worth? Understanding the Variables That Affect Timber Prices by Billy Rye was published in Cooperative Farming News, December 2022/January 2023. If you plan to grow pine sawtimber, it might be a good idea to study the map on the second page of Billy's article.

(05/08/23) Jackson Pellets held a ribbon cutting ($21 million investment from Denmark), and Kronospan in Oxford, Alabama announced construction of new, state of the art, Oriented Strand Board manufacturing plant ($350 million investment from Austria). Both announcements were good news for forest owners who need markets for first thinnings and low quality wood.

(05/05/23) Paxton Furniture shifts production from China to Mississippi reported Woodworking Network on May 1, 2023. "Reshoring." It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

• Supply chain woes boost reshoring
• Reshoring surges to record high; 1 million jobs have returned since 2010
• A win for reshoring: Hekman Furniture to return to U.S. after 10 years

(05/04/23) Never take no for an answer. Even though the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service concluded in October 2022 that "the risk factors acting on the gopher tortoise and its habitat, either singly or in combination, are not of sufficient imminence, scope, or magnitude" to warrant threatened or endangered status, The Center for Biological Diversity and Nokuse Education filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over its decision.

(05/03/23) Forest Finance Simplified, 6th Edition, by Brooks Mendell, Ph.D., "distills forest finance themes into a question-and-answer format for those who want an accessible reference or introduction to forest management decision-making and timber investments." Cost: $35 plus shipping & tax.

(05/02/23) The Southern Fox Squirrel with Mike Conner, The Jones Center at Ichauway, is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 55 minutes.

(05/01/23) It is with great sadness that we report today that William A. "Will" Freise, President of Alabama Forest Owners' Association, passed away last Thursday, April 27, 2023. Will joined the association back in 1992 and frequently made suggestions to the staff on how to improve the information and services provided to the members. Will joined the Board of Directors in 2011 and was elected President of the Association in May of 2021. 

(04/27/23) Housing Market Forecast 2023-24: The Myth of Massive Underbuilding by Bill Conerly, Forbes, April 18, 2023, suggests the demographic push to build more houses, especially single family houses that use more lumber, may not be as strong as many projections have indicated.

(04/26/23) Common Ticks of North Carolina: An Identification Guide by Bertone, Reiskind, Crawley, and Watson contains the best pictures of ticks that we have seen. The tick that has been biting us lately in Shelby County is the lone star tick. You are likely to be surprised when you learn where their eyes are located.

(04/25/23) The Land Report and F&W Forestry Report bring you news about landowners and for landowners, respectively. Both are always interesting.

(04/24/23) The National Deer Association is offering Deer Steward 1: Habitat Management. "Learn all about food plots, how to manage the woods and open fields, herbicide applications and using prescribed fire by completing NDA’s Habitat Management online module." Instructors are Dr. Craig Harper, Professor of Wildlife Management and the Extension Wildlife Specialist at the University of Tennessee, and Dr. Marcus Lashley, Assistant Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida.

(04/21/23) "Every Day is Earth Day for Private Forest Landowners. Private forests provide clean air, clean water and essential wildlife habitat." "Fifty-six percent of forestland in the United States is privately owned and sustainably managed by families and private companies. That’s 445 million acres." Source: Forest Landowners Association, 4/20/23.

(04/20/23) Forest Inventory Basics For Family Forest Landowners by Barlow, Maggard, and Kush is an interesting new handbook published by Alabama Extension System which includes well-done narratives as well as video tutorials. "This handbook provides the basics of forest measurements and inventories, how and why they are taken, and how to interpret the results of those measurements. Applying the information will help landowners (1) understand the need for a forest inventory, (2) set goals and communicate more easily with natural resource professionals who assist them, and (3) understand the importance of a quality forest inventory conducted by a professional."

(04/19/23) Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes: Ecology & Conservation with Jayme L. Waldron is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 1 hour and 26 minutes. See below: Help Us Keep Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes Off The List.

(04/18/23) Seize property to build wind and solar farms, says JP Morgan chief, reported yahoo!finance on April 4, 2023. Everyone doesn't agree, as you might imagine. "In Iowa, state legislators on Monday passed a bill that aims to protect private property owners from eminent domain use by carbon pipeline companies."

(04/17/23) Participate in the 2022 Costs and Trends of Southern Forestry Practices Survey. Dr. Adam Maggard, Auburn University, is again looking for information on the cost of managing forestland. If you paid someone to plant trees, conduct a prescribed burn, mark boundary lines, or several other management activities, Adam wants to know what you had to pay to get the job done. Adam will share the information with us later. See below, 11/16/22 and 10/27/21.

(04/12/23) Two Tax Topics that we saw in DeLoach, Barber & Caspers, P.C. April Newsletter that might be of interest:

• What Is the Net Investment Income Tax?
  The Net Investment Income Tax tends to affect wealthier individuals, but in certain circumstances, it can affect moderate-income taxpayers too.

• Defer Capital Gains With Sec. 1031 Exchanges.
  If real estate's your game, did you know that it's possible to defer capital gains by taking advantage of a tax break that allows you to swap investment property on a tax-deferred basis?

(04/11/23) Repeal the Death Tax, urge 40+ U.S. Senators, including Senator Britt and Senator Tuberville. AFOA recognizes that this bill will not pass both houses, and even if it did, would never gain the President's signature, but we are glad that both of our Senators are on the right side of the issue.

(04/10/23) Casualty Loss and the Forest Landowner is the topic of the latest Episode (#07) of Timber University, a podcast series sponsored by Mississippi State University Extension and Arkansas Center for Forest Business. Podcast: about 26 minutes. AFOA hasn't listened to past episodes, so if you listen to one or more and think we should feature it here, let us know: send recommendation to RLL@AFOA.ORG.

(04/07/23) PRT Growing Services Ltd. Acquires International Forest Company reports the headline of an April 5, 2023 PRT Press Release. PRT will now have the capacity to produce 630 million seedlings each year. Both companies have been advertisers in AFOA's monthly newsletter, Capital Ideas (see PRT ad on page 3 and IFCO ad on page 8). Some may remember our visit to PRT's nursery in Atmore during our 2019 Annual Meeting.

(04/06/23) To Sweden's lumber producers, "what really stands out is the U.S. market. Imports from Europe and Sweden have strengthened dramatically and in 2022 the U.S. has been established as Sweden's most important lumber product market after the UK." One wonders why more sawmill investments haven't come to the U.S. South, where we are covered up with standing trees ready to be harvested.

(04/05/23) Citizen Ownership of Gold Outlawed by President on April 5: Executive Order 6102. How fragile freedom was in 1933 when Roosevelt signed that order. "After Prohibition was repealed later the same year, the sober man with gold in his pocket was the criminal while the staggering drunk was no more than a nuisance."

(04/04/23) Everything You Need to Know About Property Access -- Part 2 by Felicia Cristofaro, Compass Land USA. Part 1 was featured here on 2/21/23.

(04/03/23) 3 Promising New Ways to Detect CWD, Dead Deer Not Required by National Deer Association's Lindsay Thomas, Jr., describes how the deadly disease-causing prions can be detected in scrapes, at feeders, and by trained dogs. Learn more about Chronic Wasting Disease when Kevin McKinstry, Chairman of the CWD Coalition, talks to us on April 15 at Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge.

(03/30/23) Putting the Management Back Into Streamside Management Zones with Tim Albritton is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 56 minutes.

(03/29/23) JamisonMoneyFarmer's Timber Tax Talk earlier today featured JMF's CPA Rachel Taylor interviewing JMF's Timber and Natural Resources practice group leader Orman Wilson on most of the basics for owning timber land and how it is taxed. They touch on the most common ways to calculate your tax basis of land and timber, timber farming, a forestry management plan, and estate and inheritance strategies around timber. Video: about 30 minutes.

(03/24/23) Recordkeeping: A How-to-do-it Guide for Small Woodland Owners, by Elwood and Gregory, may be something you can use in the future. "Capturing the facts and figures from your woodland operation and turning the seemingly disjointed and unrelated data into usable information is what recordkeeping is all about. It’s just as important as other management activities done on your property."

(03/23/23) If your progress towards improving your wooded land is not moving as smoothly or as quickly as you'd hoped, perhaps it's time to look back at where you've been. Family business coach Lance Woodbury suggests Moving Forward by Measuring Backward.

(03/22/23) The Southern Group of State Foresters (Alabama Forestry Commission is a member) reminded Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack last month that "Current international market restrictions, and overly restrictive trade measures that are not science-based, are negatively affecting U.S. exporters as well as the sustainability of the private forests that supply the fiber." Read the full letter here.

(03/21/23) Should I Sell My Land? Interesting 5-minute video with Pat Porter, RecLand featured on LandThink.com.

(03/20/23) Banned by the FDA. "People might be surprised that root beer, one of the most iconic of the fizzy drinks, was originally made from actual roots. Even more surprising, the main ingredients of those natural root beers have been banned by the FDA." In The Roots of Root Beer, Northern Woodlands, Winter 2022, Ben Lord describes various forms of root beer and even provides a recipe to cook some up yourself. Question: Have you ever pulled up the roots of a sassafras seedling and taken a sniff? If not, try it.

(03/17/23) Managing Hardwood Forests for Deer and Turkeys with Forest Stand Improvement and Prescribed Fire with Mark A. Turner, University of Tennessee, is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 60 minutes.

(03/16/23) The Top Five Strategies Forest Landowners Use to Save Taxes webinar, presented by Andrew Bosserman, Tax Attorney & CPA, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, and hosted by Clemson Cooperative Extension, includes "qualifying for capital gains taxation on timber sales." About 65 minutes. The final topic is specific to South Carolina. Alabama forest owners can apply for current-use assessment on their forestland and should be able to keep property taxes below $2.50 per acre or so. Watch a video on applying for current-use in Alabama.

(03/15/23) "Governor Kay Ivey has proclaimed March 2023 ‘Prescribed Fire Awareness’ Month in the state of Alabama. A coalition of state, federal, and private organizations under the umbrella of the Alabama Prescribed Fire Council requested the proclamation to raise awareness of the essential role that fire plays in both the stewardship of our natural resources and the protection of lives and property."

(03/13/23) Tax Implications When Employed in the Family Business. When a family member employs someone, the tax implications depend on the relationship and the type of business. Taxpayers and employers need to understand their tax situation. Click here for details. Source: DeLoach, Barber & Caspers, P.C., March 2023 Newsletter.

(03/10/23) Message to Lawmakers: If you want the forests of Alabama to flourish, Encourage Us! Read How to Get the Most Out of Others, Foundation for Economic Education, 3/7/23, for some encouraging advice. Hint. Congratulate the private owners of Alabama’s forests for providing millions of acres of wildlife habitat, clean water, clean air and the raw materials for thousands of jobs. 

(03/09/23) "Biden budget plan calls for raising stock buyback, capital gains, corporate taxes. ... and taxing capital gains at that 39.6% rate for households with more than $1 million in income." Source: Pensions & Investments, 3/9/23. Most pundits predict that none of these increases are likely to be passed by Congress.

(03/08/23) Sawmill Closure and Other Big Changes in Southeast Lumber Market, Forest2Market Blog, 2/17/23, by Trip Jobe, highlights the ripple effect as lumber prices fall.

• Market prices for lumber decreased as demand softened.
• Low lumber demand and higher operating costs contributed to the closure of West Fraser’s sawmill in Perry, FL.
• Within weeks of this announcement, the reduced supply has allowed other sawmills to improve their yield.
• Better yields in the sawmills mean fewer byproducts and other waste used by pulpmills and chipmills.
• Pulpmills and chipmills will have to buy pulpwood and chips directly at higher costs than sawmill byproducts.
• This will continue to play a role in where and how additional product prices will respond.
• In areas where sawmills increase minimum specifications--and if these changes hold long-term--timberland owners may reassess current thinning regimes and/or silviculture treatments.
• This will reduce the financial impacts of product specification changes on future harvest plans and potentially identify other opportunities for improvement.

(03/07/23) Forest Taxation: Just The Basics features U.S. Forest Service Research Forester Gregory Frey, one of the authors of Tax Tips (see below, 1/9/23), which was published in AFOA's January issue of Capital Ideas. This webinar was produced by Forest Landowners Association on February 15, 2023. About 56 minutes.

(03/06/23) Carbon credits: a contested tool to fight deforestation. "Planting trees or safeguarding tropical rainforests have become popular tools for companies seeking to offset their carbon emissions and proclaim their commitment to the environment. However, recent scandals have cast a shadow over the carbon credit industry, revealing a landscape rife with opportunities for greenwashing." Source: Radio France Internationale, 2/27/23. Plan now to attend AFOA's 42nd Annual Meeting and learn more about the controversies swirling around various carbon credit schemes.

(03/03/23) The Forestry Project is the child of Auburn University graduate research assistant Jace McCauley (see below, 1/12/23). Let us know if you see something on the Project that we should pass along to other forest owners. The Project's YouTube Channel has several videos available.

(03/02/23) Creating Open Woodlands to Promote Regeneration & Development of White Oak with Dr. Wayne Clatterbuck, Professor of Silviculture & Forest Management at the University of Tennessee, was produced by Southern Regional Extension Forestry. "Oaks grow slowly and can be outcompeted by faster growing species, but a few management practices can make a difference. This is the first of three webinars in the Woodland Stewards 2023 webinar series titled: Exploring Practices to Create and Maintain Woodlands in Open Forest Environments."

(03/01/23) Vernal Pools hold water only a few months of the year; they're not connected to any other body of water, and they can be critical habitat for a number of species, like the wood frog. "Learn more about the importance of vernal pools and the cool critters that use them from Virginia Master Naturalist Judy McCord in this Fifteen Minutes in the Forest video." Source: Forest Update, March 2023.

(02/28/23) Master Tree Farmer Course: "Clemson Cooperative Extension has recently opened registration for The Master Tree Farmer course. The goal of this course is to build on basic forestry knowledge to enhance timber and ecological resource management." Source: SREF News Digest, 2/27/23. One of the four registration options is "Online Classroom Only."

(02/27/23) Managing Forests for Wildlife and Forest Health is a 45 minute webinar featuring Dr. Mark McConnell, Mississippi State University. McConnell discusses "management strategies to achieve a multi-use forest in the southeastern U.S. by covering topics including preferred tree species for wildlife and different management approaches for various wildlife species, all while maintaining a productive and healthy forest ecosystem."

(02/24/23) Winners of the 2023 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest Announced. Enjoy.

(02/22/23) Another company that didn't get the memo about carbon credits? "Three months ago, it was announced that a consortium led by T. Rowe Price Group subsidiary Oak Hill Advisors paid $1.8 billion to acquire 1.7 million acres of timberland in 17 states from The Forestland Group. This standout transaction was even more noteworthy because the ultimate goal of the purchase was not to maximize timber production. Instead, carbon storage was the highest priority." Source: The Land Report, 2/23. See "memo" comments below. Plan now to learn more from Trip Jobe, Forest2Market, when he speaks to us about "Why We Should Ditch Forest Carbon Credits" at our Annual Meeting on April 15.

(02/21/23) Everything You Need to Know About Property Access -- Part 1 by Felicia Cristofaro, Compass Land USA, will give you some ideas about questions frequently forgotten when buying forestland. If I sell timber, does the logger have a right to cross my new neighbors to get to the county road? If I build a cabin on the property, will I always be able to cross my neighbors' land to get to it, even if my neighbors sell their land? If I lease my land to a hunting club, will they have the right to enter the property by crossing my neighbor's land?

(02/16/23) Forest Landowner Academy, an online course offered by University of Florida Extension, is now open for enrollment. Seven modules include:

• Understanding your forest resources
• Developing your management plan
• Timber management
• Marketing forest products
• Other forest enterprises such as pine straw and hunting leases
• Wildlife management
• Planning for the future

(02/15/23) "Financial aid available to help Alabama landowners fight cogongrass spread." Source: AL.com, 2/14/23. "Potential applicants are directed to the Cogongrass Mitigation Program web page of the AFC website. Landowners may also email cogongrass@forestry.alabama.gov."

(02/14/23) "Overcoming the Timber Harvest Blues" and "Top Quality Hardwood Veneer" are the latest issues of Back Porch Forestry produced by Dr. David Mercker, Extension Forester at the University of Tennessee.

(02/13/23) Tuscaloosa County Farmers Federation Weighs In on Tomorrow's Property Tax Increase Referendum. See also 2/1/23, below. (02/15/23) The property tax increases were defeated by about a 4 to 1 margin. About 13,000 people voted. Source: Tuscaloosa Thread.

(02/10/23) "JP Morgan just bought a massive forest..." to be "...managed for both carbon capture and timber production." Source: yahoo!finance, 2/1/23. AFOA wonders if JP Morgan read the "memo," below.

(02/07/23) Why We Should Ditch Forest Carbon Credits in 2023 by Harvey Greer on Forest2Market Blog will surely worry the folks who have built an industry around carbon credits. Greer quotes Pete Stewart (see below) in his concern for greenwashing, "Carbon credits -- of any type -- only provide justification to pollute more."

(02/06/23) Pete Stewart, CEO of Forest2Market, is at it again. This year he shares 6 Predictions for 2023 Global Forest Industry. Last year he made 8 predictions. The surprise this year is number 6: The death of forest carbon credits is coming.

(02/03/23) Contrasting Headlines: Pellets Up; Lumber Down.

• Drax announces $50M expansion to Aliceville facility

• 2022 Ends With A Decline in Single-Family Starts For the First Time Since 2011

(02/02/23) "Have you ever wondered what type of deed you ought to get when you're buying land, or what the difference is between different types of deeds that you've heard about or read about or seen on the internet?" RecLand Realty Broker Pat Porter describes a few in a short video. About 11 minutes.

(02/01/23) Property Tax Increase on Ballot February 14 for Tuscaloosa County Voters. The proposed 8-mill increase would, we think, be an 80 percent increase for school taxes in the county. "Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon took to social media on Sunday to oppose a proposed property tax increase..." The vote will take place on Valentine's Day, so plan your schedule accordingly. Please send more information if you have any to RLL@AFOA.ORG. Thanks.

(01/31/23) Running on Empty: The BC (British Columbia, Canada) Forestry Crash by Ben Parfitt discusses the wood shortage predicament Canadian sawmills find themselves in (40,000 direct jobs lost in past 20 years). If you are ever presented with the opportunity, we hope you will make sawmill investors from Canada welcome in Alabama.

(01/30/23) "The Nebraska Department of Revenue found that conservation easements, such as those issued by the Natural Resource Conservation Service, devalue the land by 40 percent. This directly decreases tax revenue to the local government reducing their ability to provide necessary services but also causes the tax bill of other landowners to increase." Armed with this information, "Oklahoma State Senator Casey Murdock (R) has filed Senate Bill 980 that gives local governing authorities the ability to approve or deny a conservation easement placed on private land within their jurisdiction."

(01/27/23) Publicly Available Mapping Tools with John Gilbert is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2023 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 56 minutes. Editor's Note: If you have any interest in mapping your property, this video is a must watch. Packed with great information! It was originally presented to the members of the Alabama Prescribed Fire Council, which explains why John included the smoke management tools in the presentation. John will talk to us about maps at our Annual Meeting at Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge on April 15.

(01/26/23) 84% Hasn't Got Anything to Do with Farms or Forests. Have you ever wondered why the giant welfare programs related to food (some may remember food stamps) and the giant welfare programs related to farm and forest land are all clumped together in The Farm Bill? Did you know that the nutrition programs (food stamps) make up most of the spending (76% of the current Farm Bill and 84% of the likely 2023 bill)? Since the farm and forest welfare programs are largely supported by rural interests and the nutrition programs are largely supported by urban interests, would it make sense to separate these two programs if one were trying to pare them down a bit? Asking for a friend.

(01/25/23) Land Market Update with Ryan Folk, co-founder of LandFlip.com and the University of Montevallo's President's Outdoor Scholars Program with William Crawford were both featured on Episode 377 of The Land Show. The two interviews are numbers 1 and 2 of the program. See also: Outdoor Scholars Video.

(01/24/23) Don't Eat!   PFAS Pollution Causes Venison Consumption Advisories in Four States. Not an announced problem in Alabama, but may be soon. PFAS stands for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which contain a strong carbon-fluorine bond that allows them to accumulate over time in the environment and in the bodies of animals and people, posing health risks." See also 2-minute video: What Are PFAS?

(01/23/23) Foreign Ownership of Ag Land: Federal & State Legislative Update was presented last week by Micah Brown, Staff Attorney at the National Agricultural Law Center. One segment of the webinar reviewed Alabama Senate Bill 14 which was proposed in last year's legislative session. SB 14 stated "...a nonresident alien, foreign business, or foreign government, ...may not purchase or otherwise acquire agricultural land in this state." Forestland was included in the definition of agricultural land. The Bill failed to pass. See also, Foreign Investments in Agricultural Land: FAQs & Resource Library.

(01/19/23) Map of Storm Paths -- January 12, 2023. "On January 12, 2023 the State of Alabama suffered damages throughout several counties as a result of severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes. There was approximately a 218-mile stretch of storms that produced several tornadoes across Alabama and Georgia. An EF-2 with winds of 130 MPH impacted Selma, Alabama, and an EF-3 tornado with winds of 150 mph ran 76.7 miles leaving a path of destruction across several counties. The Alabama Forestry Commission is encouraging landowners affected to reach out to their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices to request the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP). Landowners will need to put in a request for EFRP in order to have an Environmental Assessment done in regards to their storm related damages. Once landowners have reached out to the FSA, the FSA office will request EFRP implementation." Click here to find the contact information for your local FSA office. Source: Draft News Release, Alabama Forestry Commission, 1/19/23.

(01/18/23) 10 Things Landowners Should Do Before They Sell Their Timber by Billy Rye was published in Cooperative Farming News, June/July 2022. First on the list is "Understand the Timber Sale Process," followed by "Understand the Tax Implications of a Sale."

(01/17/23) Great Video Series on Pond Management, Stocking, etc. reports Alabama Fish & Pond. Topics include Principles of Pond Management, Construction of a New Pond, Management Practices Prior to Stocking, Stocking and Management of New Ponds, Management Maintenance of Established Ponds, Pond Problems, Reworking an Old Pond, and Other Pond Options.

(01/16/23) "Create and Share Interactive Maps," says MapRight's website. AFOA has talked with the folks at LandGlide, onX, and HuntStand and found them all to be useful additions to our landowners toolbox. If you have used MapRight, send a note to RLL@AFOA.ORG and tell us about your experience. Thanks.

(01/13/23) A Guide to Owning Forestland, Part One and Part Two were written by consulting forester Billy Rye and published in Cooperative Farming News, February/March 2022 and April/May 2022. Topics covered in the articles are:

• Know What You Have
• Know What You Want
• Know How to Get There
• Know Whom to Call

(01/12/23) When you and your consulting forester talk, do you think you're being heard? Communication between landowners and consulting foresters is important, so Auburn University forestry graduate research assistant Jace McCauley is doing research that might be useful to us. Jace would like to hear what you have to say about communications with consulting foresters and has developed a survey to help him understand the issues. If you are a landowner and wish to participate, click here. Please note, the survey will close on February 28th, 2023.

(01/11/23) "Land Market Predicted to Falter Within the Year in Wake of Slowing Home Sales," predict respondents to LandThink Pulse survey conducted in November. "For land owners, the return on investment of owning land with merchantable saw timber is reduced when the housing market is in a slump, making timberland a less desirable investment."

(01/10/23) "Many Android phones to get satellite connectivity," reported BBC News on 1/6/23. "A new partnership between the satellite phone firm Iridium and chip giant Qualcomm will bring satellite connectivity to premium Android smartphones later in the year. It means that in places where there is no mobile coverage, handsets can connect with passing satellites to send and receive messages." See also 8/31/22.

(01/09/23) Tax Tips for Forest Landowners: 2022 Tax Year is now available online and also in the January issue of Capital Ideas, pages 3 through 6. Headlines include:

• Understand Timber Sale Income and Recovery of Timber Basis
• Consider the Reforestation Tax Incentives
• Deduct Operating Expenses and Carrying Charges
• Recover Other Major Capital Costs
• Claim Casualty Loss Deduction When Natural Disaster Hits

(01/06/23) In case you've been worried about the threats of rising temperatures and extreme weather events, Dr. David South, retired Auburn University forestry professor recently sent us some graphs of 100+ years of Alabama summer temperatures (Source: A Practical Guide to Climate Change in Alabama by John Christy). Also, yesterday, PowerLine Blog posted a story, Extreme Weather Events Declining, that may reduce your fears that hurricanes or tornadoes will blow away all your trees (they might, but that would not be abnormal).

(01/05/23) Each year at about this time, a few forest owners decide to go into the Christmas tree business. If you are one of them, click here to read the latest newsletter of The Southern Christmas Tree Association. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for a little encouragement. Ha Ha

(01/04/23) The Land Report 100 features short stories about the largest landowners in the U.S. and includes quite a few forest owners including several in Alabama. The article in the Winter 2022 issue of The Land Report begins on page 114.

(01/03/23) Bonus Depreciation Will Be Phased Out. Forest owners have used the Bonus Depreciation when buying computers, vehicles, off-the-shelf software, machinery and equipment and more. A short paper, Big Tax Payoff for Bonus Depreciation, by JamisonMoneyFarmer's Bobby Bragg provides more information.

(12/29/22) Are you thinking about buying a portable sawmill? "Sawmill Exchange is North America's largest source of used portable sawmills and commercial equipment for woodlot owners and sawmill operations."

(12/28/22) Alisha Millican, President of the Alabama Mushroom Society, joined The Land Show, Episode 371, to talk about "the fascinating work of exploring and researching mushrooms and fungi around the state." Audio: from 3:03 to 18.25. Links mentioned during the interview: https://alabamamushroomsociety.org/  and https://www.amazon.com/Mushrooms-Gulf-Coast-States-Mississippi/dp/1477318151.

(12/27/22) County Tax Maps: We published the links to county property tax maps almost 3 years ago and thought it might be a good time to update the links and remind you that the list is still available. You can use the maps to find your property, the names and addresses of your neighbors, and much more.

(12/21/22) "Check Rural Broadband Map," says American Farm Bureau Federation. The Federal Communications Commission's "new map displays specific location-level information regarding broadband services availability." If they think you have adequate access, they may move on to other areas that have requested assistance.

(12/20/22) The 2023 Alabama Phenology Calendar is available from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and will ship in January. "Phenology is the study of the timing of seasonal events in nature, such as the blooming of dogwood trees and the mating of white-tailed deer. Wildlife emerging from hibernation, birds nesting and migrating, and flowers blooming are some of the phenological events happening around us yearly." Keep your own records with the Alabama Phenology Calendar. $20.

(12/19/22) Freeze Warning for Tree Planters: "In the next few days, specifically Friday the 23rd of December 2022 through Tuesday the 27th of December 2022, we will experience an extended freeze event across the eastern US. The extremely cold weather conditions combined with wind over this time period may affect newly planted seedlings. ... These cold temperatures are of concern for landowners who have recently planted or are in the process of planting seedlings for reforestation. Freeze injury or seedling death is a possibility."

(12/15/22) Potential Pests Issues in Alabama Forests with Meredith Shrader is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 52 minutes. Reviewer's comment: "This eclectic tour of pests might be best watched as an entertainment alternative to the evening news. Interesting but not much useful information here."

(12/14/22) Timber University is a new monthly podcast produced by Mississippi State Extension's Brady Self and Shaun Tanger. Click here to access the first three episodes.

(12/13/22) Year End Tax Planning Strategies for Individuals is a brief (15 minutes) discussion that covers a wide variety of topics, most not related to forestland, but hopefully useful to forest owners. The video features CPA Bobby Bragg and Rachel Taylor, both with the firm JamisonMoneyFarmer, PC. Questions? Call 205-345-8440.

(12/12/22) "What kind of binoculars should I buy? It’s hard to give a blanket answer: with hundreds of models at price ranges from under $100 to more than $3,000, the market can be bewildering." The birdwatchers at The Cornell Lab looked at two dozen 8 x 42 binoculars (budget and mid-range) to help you make a decision.

(12/09/22) "The Main Benefit is Peace of Mind," Paul Jeffreys reminds us in his recent TreeLines article, Why You Should Work with a Forestry Consultant. To find a consulting forester in Alabama, go to www.ForesterSearch.com.

(12/08/22) Successful Investment and Management of Pine Plantations, a report by Mossy Oak Properties published at LandThink.com, 10/31/22, provides a brief summary of planting and growing pine trees in the South.

(12/07/22) Do you think Alabama's low property taxes encourage you to own and manage forestland? What about the lower tax rate for capital gains income? Is that an encouragement to you? The Tax Foundation's recent report, The Weird Way Taxes Impact Behavior, describes how taxes influence human behavior and how tax policies can encourage positive economic behaviors. Enjoy.

(12/06/22) Georgia Pacific to invest $160 million in Brewton mill. "It reinforces GP's long-term operations plan and our commitment to the Brewton community and the region." Source: The Brewton Standard, 11/29/22.

(12/05/22) "I burn a lot of it by myself....I'm very comfortable in doing that now," explains Jess Martin, Alabama Tree Farmer of the Year for 2022. Video: about 7 minutes.

(12/02/22) "Stop Federal Funding for Listing the Northern Long-Eared Bat as Endangered," demands Congressman Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4), ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee. "Landowners are about to be punished," Westerman points out in a letter to be sent to leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. To help you encourage your House member to sign on to the letter, the Forest Resources Association has provided a spreadsheet with the names and contact information for house staff members.

(12/01/22) "Dogs can do amazing things for conservation," says Lindsay Ware, founder of Science Dogs of New England, Scent Detection for Research and Conservation. Read her story, Learning About Conservation Dogs with Lindsay Ware, at Northern Woodlands, 11/30/22.

(11/30/22) Woody Invasive Species Impacting the Southeast features Alabama Extension's Dr. Nancy Loewenstein. Webinar: about 53 minutes.

(11/29/22) Planning, Designing, and Installing Shallow Wells is a webinar featuring Joseph Ayotte, Supervisory Hydrologist, and Manuel Diaz, Agricultural Engineer. The webinar is presented by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Science and Technology, National Technology Support Centers. If you have never drilled or dug a well, you will very likely learn something new by watching this webinar. About 1 hour 43 minutes.

(11/28/22) Data Request from Forest Landowners Association: Help Us Keep Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes Off The List. Last month the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced their decision not to list the eastern population segment of gopher tortoise under the Endangered Species Act. This success can be credited in large part due to private landowners sharing data about gopher tortoise occurrences on their property. Now the USFWS is seeking data and input on the eastern diamondback rattlesnake to determine whether the species is warranted for listing as threatened or endangered.
     Use this link to learn more about how to submit data on your property. This data will be collected through a trusted third-party source, the National Council of Air and Stream Improvement, and anonymized before sharing with USFWS. Information can be as detailed or as general as you are comfortable with sharing. Please submit data on or before November 30th, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Moss at kmoss@forestlandowners.com.

(11/25/22) "I've been blessed with a labor of love." Winston Bryant described his lifelong land adventure in a video presented at the Alabama Landowners Conference on October 28. Video: about 3 1/2 minutes.

(11/22/22) 4th Generation Forest Owners, Adair Gilbert and Earl Whatley, describe their Houston County forest and farmland in a video presented at the Alabama Landowners Conference on October 28. Video: about 4 minutes.

(11/21/22) Trey & Pam Montgomery's Leavellwood Lodge and Forestland were recently featured at the Alabama Landowners Conference on October 28. We think you will enjoy their discussion of how they started out and what they've accomplished. Video: about 3 1/2 minutes. After story.

(11/18/22) The Forest Landowners Association has produced 6 webinars which "explore all aspects of voluntary carbon markets."

• From the Basics to a Deep Dive on Forest Carbon Markets

• Anew/Bluesource -- A Turnkey Forest Carbon Development

• Forest Carbon Works -- Accessible and Affordable Carbon Projects for Small Landowners

• NCX -- America's Forest Carbon Market

• Family Forest Carbon Program: Bringing Together Forest Owners, Companies and Policymakers

• Finite Carbon and CORE Carbon -- Big Opportunities for Small Landowners

(11/17/22) The Land Show, Episode 367, had a wide ranging discussion this week which included:

• Christmas Tree Farm Activities in Mid-November
• Deer & Duck Hunting Seasons Opening Soon
• What to Do about Abandoned Tires on Your Property
• Will Active Hunting Lease Hurt the Sale of Your Property
• Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes from The Sporting Chef.

(11/16/22) Costs and Trends of Southern Forestry Practices with Adam Maggard is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 52 minutes.

(11/15/22) "Duties of An Executor or Trustee: To avoid frustration and confusion at a trying time, know what to expect and prepare for responsibilities." "One important move that we see missed often is getting an appraisal on inherited real estate. The heirs get a stepped-up basis to the fair value on date of death. To support that date of death value, the IRS will want to see you either sell the property in short order or get an appraisal from a licensed appraiser. We sometimes see the heirs retain the property for several years before liquidating it and then have no support for their stepped-up basis." Source: Successful Farming, 10/3/22.

(11/14/22) The true threat to the survival and recovery of the tricolored bat is white-nose syndrome (WNS). Forest conditions are not limiting for this bat species. The National Alliance of Forest Owners submitted comments to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service yesterday urging the Service "to state in the final rule its willingness to work collaboratively with private forest owners for conserving bat species, including the tricolored bat."

(11/11/22) Tree planting season is here, and with that, it is essential to store seedlings properly for best results. Watch this informative video (about 3 minutes) from Jeff Smith of Scotch Land Management & Plywood and Paul Jeffreys, Ph.D., ArborGen Reforestation Advisor.

(11/10/22) Property Tax Questions were on the ballots in four counties on Tuesday (see below, 10/4/22). The results, as copied from the Secretary of State's website, demonstrate the importance, sometimes, at least, of making your wishes known on election day.

• Autauga County    15 mills      failed     67 votes

• Chambers County    4 mills      passed  2,246 votes

• Choctaw County     1 mill       failed    866 votes
                     3 mills      failed  1,002 votes
                     5 mills      failed  1,008 votes

• St.Clair County   10 mills      failed    501 votes
                    15 mills      passed     83 votes

(11/08/22) Hiring a Consulting Forester: "A consulting forester (consultant) is a professional forester with a forestry degree from an accredited university program. A consultant’s principal business activity is providing forestry advice to the public on a fee or contractual basis. Consultants do not have financial interests in a timber purchasing or procurement entity. Consultants are usually self-employed or work for another consultancy with a handful of other employees. Their main focus is on the private forest owner who hires them." Source: National Woodlands, Vol. 45, No. 4. To find a consulting forester who seeks work in your Alabama county, go to www.ForesterSearch.com.

(11/07/22) Pine Pulpwood Stumpage in Alabama was selling for an average of $8.39 per ton (much lower in the north than the south) during the third quarter of 2022 (July - September) according to TimberMart-South. But in Europe industrial wood pellets (burned to produce electricity) are trading on the spot market at $453 per metric ton and "the German bulk price surpassed $760 per ton earlier this fall."

(11/04/22) Welcome to Forestry and the Forest Industry: "Juniors and seniors from Falkville High School [in north Alabama's Morgan County] participated in a Forestry Field Day as part of Alabama Woods to Goods Week Oct. 17. The event included visiting Moon Logging’s operation in Hartselle and touring Littrell Lumber Mill in Decatur."

(11/03/22) Land Surveys Do More Than Mark Property Corners. In a short 7-minute video, RecLand Realty Broker Pat Porter discusses several ways to turn survey costs into profitable investments.

(11/02/22) What kind of educational information would you like Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System to provide for forest owners? If you would like to put in your 2 cents worth, you are invited to participate in the Alabama Landowner Study. Click here to open the survey.

(11/01/22) Message to Game Wardens: NO TRESPASSING! "89% of respondents [to a recent LandThink Pulse question] indicated that game wardens SHOULD NOT have the right to come on private property to search and surveil without permission, without probable cause, and without a warrant." See also: "Big Win for Landowners Confronted with Trespassing Game Wardens."

(10/31/22) NO LONGER LOOKING (11/2/22) Looking for landowners with tracts of timber: As part of receiving a degree from Auburn, forestry students are required to complete a class with a management plan on a tract of timber. This class is the culmination of their college education. Each group (about 4 students) needs a tract that is approximately 400 acres of timber. Preferably it is within 40-50 miles of Auburn. The students will meet with the landowner to understand their objectives, inventory the tract, and make forest management recommendations to attain those objectives. The field work is completed during the early part of the Spring semester. The final report is summarized in an oral presentation to the landowner and faculty in late April. We ask that the landowner attend this presentation. A final written copy of the management plan is also supplied to the landowner. If you are interested in being part of this important portion of the student’s degree, please contact Tom Gallagher at 334-844-1095 or send an email to tgallagher@auburn.edu. Thank you for your help.

(10/28/22) "Pure Farmland" in northeast Iowa recently sold for $26,250 per acre. Source: The Land Report, 10/12/22. Do you think inflation had anything to do with the sale price? Here's a primer entitled How Does the Federal Reserve Create Money? Source: Foundation for Economic Education Stories, 10/26/22.

(10/26/22) What voters should know about constitutional items on the November ballot, a report from The Alabama Policy Institute (API), 10/21/22. While some of us will be faced with property tax decisions on November 8 (see below, 10/04/22), we'll all probably need to do a little research on the "constitutional items" described by the API. Page 3 of Alfa Voter Guide 2022 describes Constitutional amendments -- for some, neutral on others, but not opposed to any.

(10/25/22) How to Choose a Tax Professional by Dr. Tamara Cushing, includes the important question: "Will you represent me if I am audited?" Source: National Woodlands, Vol. 45, No. 4. Click here for a list of tax experts ready to help Alabama forest owners: 1) Tax Preparers, (Code = t); and 2) Tax Educators (Code = u).

(10/24/22) What would be best, do you think? Would you like it if Alabama's population were growing or falling? If you want to sell your land, you'd probably like it to grow to give you more potential buyers. But some might be quite happy if the population were falling - less demand for houses in the woods, less trespassing ... you get the idea. The Tax Foundation has produced an interesting map of State Population Changes Attributable to Interstate Migration showing Alabama as ranking #16 in the U.S. with a 0.35% net in-migration. Idaho ranks #1 and New York ranks last at #50.

(10/20/22) "Plant Seedlings Early for Best Survival and Maximum First-Year Growth," recommends ArborGen in its October 2022 edition of TreeLines newsletter.

(10/19/22) Estate and Gift Tax Exemption Changes: "The lifetime estate and gift tax exemption (also known as the unified credit), will jump to $12.92 million in 2023, up from $12.06 million in 2022. Since couples share their exemptions, it means a wealthy couple that starts making gifts in 2023 can pass on $25.84 million." Source: Forbes, 10/18/22.

(10/18/22) Rescue of Alabama hunter involved training and new remote sensing equipment. Interesting story.

(10/17/22) Tame the Game: Safe Preservation of Wild Game with Christy Mendoza is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 37 minutes.

(10/14/22) Fish Day: Save on delivery fees when Alabama Fish & Pond holds Pond Stocking Fish Days across Alabama. Fish (catfish, bass, bluegill, grass carp, tilapia, minnows) are delivered to local feed stores and co-ops -- see map for locations and dates.

(10/13/22) "Aerial ATV Aims for 2023 Launch," reports Progressive Farmer, October 2022. "The Recon, aiming for a spring 2023 release at a price of $150,000, has a flight time of 24 minutes, a top speed of 63 mph and a 250-pound advised weight limit." The Recon will be demonstrated at the Sunbelt Ag Expo, 10/18-20/22. Watch videos at https://ryseaerotech.com/.

(10/12/22) The Westervelt Company has decided to not allow baiting/supplemental feeding on their deer hunting leases (600,000+ acres in several states) with the hope that the ban will slow the spread of chronic wasting disease. Kevin McKinstry, Westervelt Recreation Director, discussed the history of leasing hunting land in Alabama and optimum hunter numbers in a club, among other things, in an interesting interview on The Land Show, Episode 362, 20:30 to 39:30.

(10/11/22) Listing Gopher Tortoise as threatened or endangered not warranted in the eastern segment of its range (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and most of Alabama), says U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

(10/10/22) Reduction in Hunting Accidents Reaches Milestone reports the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on October 6, 2022. "Last year was a good year," [Hunter Education Coordinator Captain Marisa] Futral said. "There were no fatalities in firearms or treestand accidents. We had fewer treestand accidents than firearms incidents, which is unusual."

(10/07/22) Killing Kudzu with Herbicide Delivered by Drone: Forester T. R. Clark "said he has found the UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle or drone] application costs to be very similar and competitive with backpack or skidder treatment methods, although again on larger tracts, helicopters will still be the most economical option." Read more: F&W Forestry Report, Fall 2022, page 7.

(10/06/22) Land Ownership, Liability and the Law with Robert Andrew Branan, JD is a webinar produced by Southern Regional Extension Forestry. The webinar was presented on 8/31/22 and is about 55 minutes long.

(10/05/22) Ecology and Management of the Firebird with Mark Sasser is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 49 minutes.

(10/04/22) We scanned the 67 sample ballots on the Secretary of State's website today and found several county ballots with local amendments and questions that may be of interest to forest landowners. Also be aware that there are statewide amendments in all 67 counties. We are not "amendment experts," so please send a note if you see an error or omission in the following list.

• Autauga - Property Tax Increase for portions of the county -- 15 mills - more details posted 11/7/22
• Baldwin - A Referendum -- we're not sure if this is important to forest owners
• Butler - New school district prohibition and golf carts on local roads
• Chambers - 4 mill property tax for hospital
• Choctaw - 1, 3, & 5 mill property tax votes plus a fee increase for vehicle tags for county rescue squad
• Cleburne - Question about Limited Self Governance Act
• Covington - Municipalities to be authorized to allow golf carts on public streets and roads
• Mobile - $69 million bond issue for roads, bridges and drainage
• Pickens - Fire protection funds from existing property tax to also be used for emergency medical services
• St. Clair - Property tax increases for Odenville and Springville school districts; 10 mill and 15 mill, respectively
• Shelby - Municipalities to be authorized to allow golf carts on public streets and roads

(10/03/22) Selling Timber: Key Considerations for Landowners by Tom Brickman will be a useful read for many forest owners who are thinking about making their first timber sale.

(09/30/22) Dixie paper plates: Georgia-Pacific Manufacturing announced that it will be investing $425 million in our neighboring State of Tennessee to produce Dixie tableware products.

(09/29/22) Selecting the best tractor and implements for your land-use needs. Dale Gamble, with Cahaba Tractor in Pelham, joined The Land Show, Episode 359, to provide equipment tips. Dale's interview begins at about 3:30.

(09/28/22) How to Buy Things That Make You Money, a story from the Foundation for Economic Education, may have a secret buried in the article that you can pass along to children or grandchildren. Good luck!

(09/27/22) Caution Urged On Any Outdoor Burning. Wildfire Advisory for Most of Alabama issued by the Alabama Forestry Commission.

(09/26/22) Forbes asks, "Which Industries Are Impacted The Most By Lumber Prices?" Key takeaways:

• The price of lumber impacts many industries, from construction to transportation. When the real estate market cools down, fewer people spend money on home improvements and home construction, which means less demand for lumber.

• Lumber suppliers couldn’t keep up with the unique demand in 2021 due to supply chain issues and labor shortages. This led to the price of lumber skyrocketing.

• With the Fed raising interest rates, the entire economy is slowing down, influencing everything from real estate to discretionary spending. This means that folks aren’t as keen on spending money on home improvements as they were in 2021.

(09/22/22) “What landowner wants [the Fish & Wildlife Service] to show up at their gate? Really, who in the hell actually trusts [the Fish & Wildlife Service] anymore?” Source: Alabama forest landowner Gray Skipper describing his discontent with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in Conservation Nightmare as Landowner Fights Feds Over Property Regulations and Phantom Snake, AgWeb.com, 9/21/22.

(09/21/22) Estate Planning with Wills and Trusts is a 12 minute video with slides presented by the Ladd Firm based in Mobile, Alabama. The slide show is an ad for the law firm, but packed with useful information.

(09/20/22) Do you worry about things that probably won't happen? Like a nuclear reactor melt-down similar to the Chernobyl Disaster back in 1986? If you owned forestland downwind from a nuclear power plant, how long would it be before you could enter your land, harvest timber, hunt, or camp after an accident? Is there insurance to pay for third party losses caused by a meltdown? Read more here. There are five nuclear power reactors in Alabama. 3 at Browns Ferry on the Tennessee River and 2 at Joseph M. Farley near Dothan.

(09/19/22) Prescribed Fire: A Promising Tool for Reducing the Risk of Tick-borne Diseases with Elizabeth R. Gleim is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 46 minutes.

(09/16/22) "Forest Stands." Early in the process of forest management, foresters divide the property into unique "stands." In the latest issue of Back Porch Forestry, Dr. David Mercker, Extension Forester at the University of Tennessee, describes Forest Stand Delineation.

(09/15/22) Two Wood Product Expansion Projects Coming to Dothan, Alabama.

• SmartLam North America, which makes cross laminated timber products at a Dothan factory, has announced it will invest $62 million to build a new manufacturing facility to produce large beams and columns for construction, creating 43 jobs.

• Peak Renewables also announced it will build a $30 million wood pellet production facility in Dothan, which will use sawmill residuals to make pellets used in renewable power generation. The project will create 26 jobs.

(09/14/22) Copperhead Bites Pell City Woman. Fortunately, their venom "is considered the least toxic venom among venomous snakes found in the United States and is rarely fatal." Baby Copperhead Season Is In Full Swing says Garden & Gun magazine, 9/8/22.

(09/13/22) "U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes to List the Tricolored Bat as Endangered Under the Endangered Species Act. Ongoing spread of white-nose syndrome is primary threat, increasing risk of extinction." For what it's worth, White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) Spread Map shows WNS not occurring in south Alabama.

(09/12/22) "...loggers are pickier and tracts with tough access are much harder sells now." Source: F&W Market Update, 9/7/22.

(09/09/22) Rabies Vaccine to be dropped from the air: "The U.S. Department of Agriculture has begun scattering millions of packets of oral rabies vaccine from helicopters and planes over 13 states from Maine to Alabama. ... The vaccine has been found safe for more than 60 kinds of animals including domestic dogs and cats."

(09/08/22) Timber! How to grow money on trees, an article in the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan, September 2022, by Henry Clay reports: "In times of economic uncertainty, asset diversification within an investment portfolio can provide a hedge against market drops as well as protection against inflation."

(09/07/22) The Surprising Lives of Bark Beetles: Mighty Foresters of the Insect World is a new book by Jiri Hulcr and Marc Abrahams published by the University of Florida press. One reviewer wrote, "unconventional and downright funny to read." Source: SFEF News Digest, 9/5/22.

(09/06/22) Logging Impacts to Soil and Water Quality with Richard Cristan is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 55 minutes.

(09/02/22) "Growing oak trees to maturity begins with two ingredients: viable acorns and competitive seedlings. USDA Forest Service scientist Stacy Clark wrote a cookbook to help managers with the regeneration process in healthy, productive oak forests." You may also want to read: Guidelines for Securing and Planting Upland Oak Seedlings in the Southern Region.

(09/01/22) "Owning Rural Land Offers Returns that Exceed the Financial. Now more than ever, people desire space, freedom and want to feel a connection with the land. Rural land has emerged as an investment that can retain and appreciate its value over time while you have a great time owning it." Source: LandThink.com, 8/31/22.

(08/31/22) Apple, too, may be ready to connect to satellites for cell service in remote areas.

• Kuo: Apple Has Completed Hardware Tests for iPhone 14 Satellite Connectivity, But Launch Depends on Partners

• With iPhone 14, Apple could beat everyone to the satellite smartphone

• (09/07/22) Apple picks Globalstar for emergency satellite service on iPhone 14

(08/30/22) Wood pellet producers urge consumers to stock up on fuel now, announces a headline in Biomass Magazine, 8/23/22. While not many people use wood pellet heaters in Alabama, many homes and businesses in northern states are heated with wood pellets. Last night, Tucker Carlson reported that in Germany, "They're burning wood again, as they did during the feudal period. In Poland, families are standing in line for days to buy coal..." Read or, preferably, watch the 16 minute segment.

(08/29/22) "'The vine that ate the South': How kudzu infested Alabama one vine at a time," by Zach Hester, WHNT.com, 8/25/22, describes kudzu and how Alabama has grown it so successfully. Auburn's Nancy Loewenstein and Stephen Enloe tell us how to control kudzu in their publication: Kudzu Control in Forests, Rights-of-Way & Natural Areas.

(08/26/22) "T-Mobile and SpaceX Starlink say your 5G phone will connect to satellites next year."

(08/25/22) "There Is No Climate Emergency," claim 1,100 scientists and policy experts who signed a statement put forward by a group called Climate Intelligence (Clintel for short). Clintel was "founded in the Netherlands with the express purpose of combating the extremism of the climate change campaigners."

(08/23/22) AFOA's Lee Laechelt was a guest on The Land Show, Episode 354, last week. Lee and host Jonathan Goode talked about timber markets, leased hunting land markets, and lots more. The 20 minute interview begins at 38:00.

(08/22/22) Inflation and Timberland Returns -- Update by Jack Lutz, Forest Research Notes, 2Q22 reports "timberland returns have always exceeded inflation over any and all 10-year investment periods since 1960." Click here for an archive to all past Forest Research Notes.

(08/19/22) Trophy Pond Management Strategies with Norm Haley is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 52 minutes.

(08/18/22) Forest Industry Analyst Brooks Mendell: "Thinking About Timberland Investment Exposure to Interest Rates and Default Risk." Source: LandThink, 8/9/22.

(08/17/22) Why are Canadian timber processing investments moving south? An August 9 press release from West Fraser (over 60 mills around the globe with 3 in Alabama) politely reports in a press release announcing operations cutbacks in Canada: "Access to available timber is an increasing challenge in British Columbia and ongoing transportation constraints have impaired the Company’s ability to reliably access markets. These capacity reductions are necessary to better align West Fraser’s operating capacity with available timber and transport availability."

(08/16/22) Landlocked Property: "Three things that I tell people who want to sell a tract like this ... ," advises Pat Porter, a real estate broker in Louisiana. Video: about 6 minutes.

(08/15/22) Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) in Alabama: The Alabama Forestry Commission conducts SPB monitoring flights (pilot and one or two rangers in a Cessna) in areas where SPB infestations are suspected. The infestation spots are mapped and published on the Commission's website. "This year is good; we have not had a lot of SPB spots detected." "The southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) is the most destructive forest insect in the South. Weakening of trees by flooding, windstorms, and especially drought commonly precede outbreaks."

(08/12/22) 20 percent off through September 30th. All About Birds: Southeast is published by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology along with 6 other regional field-guides. Enter promo code BIRDS on the Princeton University Press website.

(08/11/22) Wellborn Cabinet plans $17 million investment, 415 jobs in Oxford expansion project. Based in Ashland, Alabama, the cabinet maker, which has its own sawmill and employs 1,336 workers, told AFOA yesterday to let landowners know that they are seeking sweetgum logs.

(08/09/22) Timberland Liability Insurance is what we call it here at the Alabama Forest Owners' Association (AFOA). Vacant Land Insurance is the name featured in Vacant Land Insurance Explained for Landowners written by Josh Honeycutt on Great Days Outdoors a few days ago. AFOA's Timberland Liability Insurance costs only $36.60 plus 38 cents per acre. Click here to fill out an application.

(08/08/22) Do you have a water well at your cabin? If your answer is yes, then you will want to watch Private Well Program with Jessie Curl. It is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 32 minutes. Here is a resource list provided by Regional Extension Agent Bence Carter:

• Alabama Private Well Program Webpage
• Need your irrigation water or soil tested? Contact the Auburn University Soil, Forage, and Water Testing Lab
• Are you a fresh produce farmer interested in free microbial water testing? The Extension AgWater Safety Program is available to you
• Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Your Well Water Tested
• Want to find a record for a well on your property? visit the Geological Survey of Alabama's webpage
• Well Water Treatment Options
• Coliform Bacteria in Well Water
• Decommissioning Unused or Abandoned Wells
• A Homeowner's Guide to Rainwater Harvesting in Alabama
• List of Certified Well Drillers
• Water Testing Options in Alabama
• Facebook: Alabama Extension Water and Auburn University Water Resources Center
• Instagram: @ACESWATER and @AUBURNWATER
• Auburn Water Resources Center Newsletter: Email rem@auburn.edu to sign up!

(08/05/22) Tell me a story: Why do you own forestland? Do you plant trees? Do you hire loggers to harvest your trees? What wild animals live on your land? Did you ever get lost in your woods? Do you build campfires? Please read Eric Kingsley's blog, We Need to Tell Our Story -- At Every Opportunity. It will be a good way to close out your busy week.

(08/04/22) Birth Control for Wild Hogs. HogStop "is composed of ingredients, commonly found in some livestock feeds, that inhibit the fertility of the male hogs when eaten." A couple of feeders designed to exclude access by deer and other critters are recommended on HogStop's website. AFOA isn't sure if HogStop works as claimed, but we thought some forest owners would be interested in learning about its existence.

(08/03/22) "Clear-cut land is excellent deer habitat and a valuable wildlife management tool. The reason deer love cutovers is that in the South, within 6 months of being clear-cut, a property will be completely re-stocked with young, vigorous, thick growth. And, you don’t have to lift a finger or spend one dollar!" Source: Clear-Cut Land: Nature’s Food Plot and Good Investment Land by Tom Brickman, LandThink, 7/26/22.

(08/02/22) "Oklahoma Becomes First State in Nation to Make Full Expensing Permanent," exclaimed the Tax Foundation on July 6. Full expensing probably won't matter much to most forest owners, but it might be a lot easier at tax filing time, even for those of us with small investments like a tractor or a pickup truck. Our tax advisor says, "Alabama conforms to federal law. So, if the federal government decides to quit 100% expensing, Alabama will follow suit." Phaseout begins in 2023.

(07/29/22) Geographic Information Systems (GIS): The 13th Southern Forestry and Natural Resource Management GIS Conference was held last year on December 6-7, 2021. Elizabeth Martinez, The Forestland Group presented Navigating the Maze of GIS Tools and Solutions. Several other conference presentations can be found here.

(07/28/22) "How a Georgia Pine Farm Became a Significant Tax Deduction: A minister’s bequest underscores the lucrative market for conservation easements and shows why some deals are scrutinized by the IRS." Source: The Wall Street Journal, 5/2/22 (behind paywall). Pirated copy here on blogger Abhay Rawat's webpage.

(07/27/22) Two publications highlighted in the "Burning Hardwoods" webinar, below, 7/25/22, are:

• Learning to live with fire: managing the impacts of prescribed burning on eastern hardwood value

• Photo Guide for Predicting Fire Risk to Hardwood Trees during Prescribed Burning Operations in Eastern Oak Forests

(07/26/22) Some Canadians don't like it when their forest industry folks invest in sawmills and forestland in the U.S. South. Read: Letter to the Editor: Stop logging money from going to the U.S., Prince George Citizen, 7/11/22.

(07/25/22) Burning Hardwoods: Why Fire is Necessary for Upland Oaks with Heather D. Alexander is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 42 minutes.

(07/22/22) While you're waiting for stumpage prices to improve, "there are a number of creative ways for timberland owners to incrementally increase cash flows during and in-between harvests. A broad overview of some of those options is presented..." by F2M's John Greene in Creative Markets & Opportunities for Southern Timberland Owners.

(07/21/22) "BLM Purchases 35,000 Acres of Land Southwest of Casper" states a headline in Wyoming's Cowboy State Daily, June 3, 2022. The BLM (U.S. Bureau of Land Management), along with other federal agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service, own more than 600 million acres in the U.S. A member of a Property Rights Group wrote: "No reporter has asked any questions about how we taxpayers can continue to afford to add acres to our federal estate as we watch our natural resources squandered under federal control. No reporter has asked why we need more acres of federal lands when we obviously have not and cannot manage what we already own."

(07/20/22) In his article, Bird Calls: Birding as a Hobby in Alabama, Alex Horn introduces his readers to Merlin Bird I.D. "This app will use the GPS capability on your phone to determine the species of birds that are most likely to be in your area. It also has recordings of the different calls and sounds you could potentially hear while you are out, which could help you identify the species of bird you are after." Source: Alabama's Treasured Forests, Vol. XLI No. 1 - 2022, page 13.

(07/19/22) "Wood-burning stoves and firewood have become scarce [in Germany] in the wake of the Ukraine war. Furnace builders and installers can hardly save themselves from orders from concerned customers who want to install an additional heating option in their house or apartment." Source: DETV.US, 7/1/22.

(07/18/22) Trust but verify. The family of former Alabama Secretary of State Mabel Amos filed a lawsuit against Regions Financial Corp. claiming that Regions mismanaged a charitable trust. "The lawsuit states that Regions began charging 'outrageous' fees when oil was discovered on Amos’ property. For example, in the suit the plaintiffs claim that Regions was paid about $7,000 for spending five hours a week administering the trust in 2010. Within a year, that same five hours a week cost $92,736." Source: WVTM13.com, 7/16/22.

(07/15/22) MORE On Carbon Markets from the Georgia Forestry Association: Carbon sequestration accrediting group, Verra, declined to adopt the tonne-year accounting method which may have an impact on NCX's (spoke to us at AFOA 2022 Annual Meeting) current and future contracts with private forest owners. AFOA is no expert on any of the carbon programs, so we could use some feedback. If you have a contract with NCX, are you confident that you will be paid? Do you think NCX will offer contracts in the future? Send your comments to RLL@AFOA.ORG.

(07/14/22) On Carbon Markets from Marshall Thomas, President, F&W Forestry Service: "Regardless of your position on climate change, it is important for forest landowners to understand what is going on with carbon markets. For example, in New Zealand, which has a robust governmental carbon market that pays landowners for the carbon sequestered in growing trees, carbon has become perhaps just as or more important of a part of the economics of forestry than sales from harvests." Read more in F&W Forestry Report, Summer 2022, page 1.

(07/13/22) Honey Bees In Forestry: Potential for diversifying forest land use with William "Jack" Rowe is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 45 minutes.

(07/12/22) If you want high-speed internet access from your rural home or woodland cabin, we listened to two conversations about Starlink today on The Land Show, Episode 349, that may make you want to rush out and buy the service. The first interview is with Ryan Folk, founder of LandThink.com (see below) (from 17:45 to 26:30) and the second is with Robert King, who uses Starlink to "stream television at their family farm in Clay County." (from 53:10 to 57:20)

(07/11/22) For landowners who plan to regenerate longleaf pine stands from natural seed fall, you should be aware that the U.S. Forest Service 2022 Longleaf Pine Cone Crop Report says this is likely to be only a "fair" year to have the ground ready to catch the seeds. "The 2022 results were highly spatially variable, with some areas reporting a 'bumper' crop and other areas reporting a 'failed' crop in the upcoming fall." "[T]herefore, you are encouraged to go to the woods with your binoculars and conduct your own cone counts on longleaf pine stands in which you have a specific interest."

(07/08/22) The recently published Forest Atlas of the United States contains a wealth of information about the trees and forests of the U.S. Lots of beautiful maps and illustrations. The information is available in a 95 page book (pdf) format that you can print or in an interactive web format.

(07/07/22) A recent LandThink Pulse Survey asked their readers, "Do you think we are in a land real estate bubble?" "74% of respondents believe that the warning signs of a land real estate bubble are flashing." Read more here.

(07/06/22) A revised version of the manual Managing the Family Forest in Mississippi has just been published by Mississippi State University Extension. 100 pages. Comprehensive. Thanks to Brady Self, John Kushla, Marcus Measells, John Auel, Adam "Butch" Bailey, Shaun Tangers, and Adam Rohnke.

(07/05/22) Starlink: Promising Internet Solution for Rural Land Buyers. "For many people in remote rural regions of the U.S., it’s like living in an undeveloped nation when it comes to internet connectivity." Source: LandThink, 6/28/22. How to order Starlink.

(07/01/22) Control erosion with Streambank Soil Bio-engineering -- that's "the use of live and dead plant materials in combination with natural and synthetic support materials for slope stabilization, erosion reduction, and vegetative establishment." It looks good, too. Webinar, presented on June 30, 2022, about 1 hour 25 minutes.

(06/30/22) ForestryWorks has created some short virtual reality videos that you will find fun to use. Open them with your smart phone or tablet or a VR viewer, and then move around a bit. Turn to the left and right, look up. Topics are Tree Farm Tour, Processor, Fellerbuncher, Loader, Sawmill. Enjoy.

(06/29/22) In a case of lots of pots calling the kettle black, Grist, 6/29/22, reports, "More than 150 conservation, environmental, and social justice organizations have accused The Nature Conservancy of 'promoting false climate solutions.'" A cynic might say, "Couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

(06/28/22) Economist Laurence Kotlikoff says Congress should "Fully index the federal income tax to inflation," including taxes on real estate gains. Read What Congress can do to lower the cost of inflation, Goodman Institute, June 21, 2022.

(06/24/22) Global land cover "photos" updated every 2-5 days are available for you to play with. If you learn how to spot tornado tracks or other land disturbances using Dynamic World, please let us know. If it works, it may be a useful tool to quickly map the damage caused by the next tornado spawning storm. Thanks. RLL@AFOA.ORG

(06/23/22) The Returns on Well-Marked Borders: "When you look at the impact that having properly marked boundaries can have on the resale value of your property, it makes the time, money and effort needed to establish them a drop in the bucket. Buyers want secure investments and if the property has quality gates, well-established fences and/or marked lines, they will feel more at ease that problems such as trespassing and poaching will be avoided." Source: Property Lines: Boundaries are an Integral Part of Management, LandThink, 5/3/22.

(06/22/22) "My planted pines died. What do you suppose caused that?" Nursery and Regeneration Consultant Dr. Tom Starkey answered the question in his report in TreeLines, June 2022 - 1st Edition.

(06/21/22) Hunting Lease Contract: "A legally enforceable promise." Rusty Rumley, National Agriculture Law Center, presented Hunting Leases and Liability: What Should the Landowner and Hunter Look for in a Lease? on June 15, 2022. Webinar - about 1 hour.

(06/20/22) "How Lost Hikers Can Send an SOS to Space. The Sarsat satellite system is a kind of celestial lifeguard for explorers, boaters, and aviators who might be in need of search and rescue." Source: Wired, 6/14/22. You may not be an explorer, but if you need help and have no cell phone coverage, this emergency system may be of interest to you or your family.

(06/17/22) F&W Market Update (6/7/22) reports, "it appears that mills aren’t responding to the fuel price increase, putting a significant burden on the backs of loggers." See story about logging business closure below.

(06/16/22) "Family logging business forced to close after nearly 40 years due to inflation, gas prices," WCTI12.com, 5/15/22. This story is taking place in North Carolina, but similar stories are unfolding all across the South.

(06/15/22) Sustainable Forestry vs. Diameter Limit Cutting is the latest video in the Back Porch Forestry series featuring the University of Tennessee's Dr. David Mercker. About 25 minutes. See the entire series here.

(06/14/22) Bat Legislation: Keeping in mind that the Northern Long-Eared Bat (NLEB) "thrives in managed forests and White-Nose Syndrome is the reason these bats are perishing, not sustainable forestry," "once this bat is bumped up to 'endangered,'" timber harvesting will be subject to strict, federally imposed restrictions from April to October each year. "Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN-08) is expected to roll out legislation [click here to read bill and comments about it - 6/24/22] that would allow the existing 4(d) rule that enables forest management in the NLEB’s 38 state range to continue once the bat is listed as 'endangered' as expected." Source: Forest Resource Association, Issue Update, 6/10/22.

(06/13/22) Classifying Your Hardwood Timber for Harvest Purposes is a new publication by David Mercker, Forestry Extension Specialist, University of Tennessee. "For most forest landowners, the opportunity to harvest their hardwood trees doesn’t happen often. Species such as oak, hickory, maple, poplar, cherry and others require decades to reach financial maturity. Waiting for the crop to mature requires patience. When the time arrives, knowing which trees to harvest and which to retain for future revenue can be challenging." Mercker talked to us about Managing for Quality White Oaks at our 2018 Annual Meeting in Rogersville. Worth watching.

(06/10/22) Alabama doctors launch nation's first follow-up clinic for snakebites. "Between 7,000 and 8,000 people are bitten by snakes every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only about five or six die and death is unlikely for those who receive medical treatment. However, between 10 and 44 percent of bite victims sustain lasting injuries that can include losing muscle control or part of a finger, according to the CDC." Source: AL.com, 6/10/22.

(06/09/22) Pine Bark Beetles of Alabama: Biology, Control, and Preventive Management Strategies with Drew Metzler is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 40 minutes.

(06/08/22) Notes on Inflation and Forestry Investments from Forest Economist Brooks Mendell on LandThink.com, 5/10/22. "Generally, institutional investors and individuals prefer illiquid assets during inflationary periods. These assets – including well-managed private businesses, infrastructure, manufacturing assets, and timberland – tend to appreciate and increase cash flows when prices rise."

(06/07/22) Gold Standard or Tree Standard? "Opponents of the gold standard want us to believe that gold is old-fashioned, that a more 'enlightened' perspective is that money shouldn’t come from a hole in the ground. Think about that. They are telling us that money should instead come from—drum roll—trees!" Source: When Thoughts Turn to Gold by Lawrence W. Reed, Foundation for Economic Education Stories, 5/29/22.

(06/06/22) "A Spokane, Washington-based real estate investment trust [PotlatchDeltic Corp.] is acquiring an Atlanta-based investment group [CatchMark Timber Trust], and in the process, concentrating almost 154,000 acres of Alabama timberland." "Prior to the deal, PotlatchDeltic owned about 87,000 acres of Alabama timberland, growing southern yellow pine, red oak, sweetgum and other commercial hardwood species. The timber is used for regional wood products and pulp mills, according to the company. Catchmark owns 66,900 acres in Alabama, part of its 365,300 acre portfolio, which includes Georgia and South Carolina." Under the photo in the AL.com article, writer probably meant: Alabama timberland is taxed at the same rate as agricultural land and owner-occupied dwellings.

(06/03/22) Summer Camp. "Camp is a magical place where all the social hierarchies break down. Here there’s no baggage. You get to be your own true self." Maybe not true for everyone, but we thought you might enjoy reading Widening the Circle: How Three Summer Camps Are Introducing More Children to the Outdoors by Jack Beaudoin, Northern Woodlands, Spring 2022.

(06/02/22) The Land I Want is Under Contract ... Am I Out of Luck? Forester/Real Estate Agent Tom Brickman advises to do something: "Buy the Contract or Submit a Backup Contract." Source: LandThink, 4/5/22.

(06/01/22) The folks that grow pecans and other nuts on their land have association homes. Here are a few:

• Alabama Pecan Growers Association
• Southeastern Pecan Growers Association
• Northern Nut Growers Association
• Chestnut Growers of America
• Walnut Council

(05/31/22) Last week, the Forest Resources Association (FRA) urged the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to "recognize, if the Northern Long-Eared Bat (NLEB) is listed as endangered, that forest habitat is not limiting, and that well-managed forests maintain and create environments required for the survival and recovery of the NLEB. The USFWS should allow timber harvest to continue and not impose seasonal harvest restrictions. USFWS guidance should be like the current 4(d) rule being applied under the threatened status of the NLEB." FRA Comments. National Alliance of Forest Owners Comments.

(05/27/22) President Biden wants 30 percent of our land and water "conserved" by 2030. Recently the State of Vermont passed a law to "protect" 50 percent of the land within the state by 2050. Alabama already has forest cover on more than 70 percent of the state, but, unfortunately, our forests are privately owned and probably not considered "protected" by the folks who push this stuff. Be aware.

(05/26/22) A Health Reform Whose Time Has Come. "The basic idea: take all the spending and tax subsidies we now provide to private health insurance and use that money to give every American not on a government health plan a refundable tax credit. This money could be used to purchase health insurance and make deposits to Health Savings Accounts, from which people could purchase health services directly." Source: Goodman Institute, 5/21/22

(05/25/22) Managing Pasture and Hayfields for Wildlife with Joshua Elmore is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 32 minutes.

(05/23/22) "What do you know about the 'Statewide Amendment 1' issuing $85 million in bonds for state parks?" The amendment will be on all ballots tomorrow, May 24.

• Here's something we received from the State Parks.
• And here is something we received from The Alabama Policy Institute.
• And here is a sample ballot (Shelby County GOP) with the amendment in lower right corner of the first page and a full second page that tries to explain the ballot measure.
• And here are Sample Ballots for All Counties.

(05/20/22) Export of logs and other forest products will soon be more cost effective as the Alabama Port Authority completes several important projects, including a $367 million channel project that will allow much larger container ships to enter and leave the Port of Mobile. Source: Alabama, Mississippi seaports beefing up rail, roadway links, American Journal of Transportation, May 18, 2022.

(05/19/22) How can we encourage people to become truck drivers (who haul our logs to the mill and lumber to the builders, and just about everything to everywhere)? The Forest Resources Association reported a few days ago on a bill that has been introduced in Congress that might get passed if lots of people gave it a push. Read details here. Alabama U.S. House of Representatives Members and U.S. Senators.

(05/18/22) A Glimpse and a Hope. The Progressive Farmer's Tax Columnist Rod Mauszycki wrote about Biden Tax Policy in the May issue. He touched on 1) increasing  top tax rate for individuals to 39.6%, 2) increasing capital gains rates for income of more than $1 million to 39.6%, 3) limiting 1031 exchanges to $500,000, 4) partial elimination of stepped-up basis, and more. He concludes: "I will write more if anything gets traction. For now, hope that there is gridlock and nothing passes."

(05/17/22) The U.S. Northwest timber people lament that the Southeast timber people are having all the good luck. In the Southeast, most forestland is privately owned. In the Southeast, the people are still mostly, more or less, economic conservatives. In the Southeast, the trees grow pretty fast. In the Northwest, not so much.

(05/16/22) Coyote Impacts & Management with Dr. Wes Anderson is the latest issue of Alabama Extension's 2022 Natural Resources Webinar Series. About 46 minutes.

(05/13/22) Annual Meeting 2022: Taxes and Carbon Credits. Tamara Cushing's Tax Tips for Forest Owners and Alex Macintosh's NCX Carbon Market are now available to view on AFOA's website.

(05/12/22) Some of our forest owner members who are part of a family business may appreciate the title of this Family Business Consulting Group essay: If You’re Not All In, You’re Not in at All. .Enjoy

(05/11/22) Durhamtown Off Road Park in Georgia hit with $22 million wrongful-death verdict. "The wrongful death suit was heard last week by a jury that awarded damages to Debra Ann White, the wife of Dr. Adam White. Adam White was killed when he was hit by a falling tree while riding his dirt bike." Source: Athens Banner-Herald, 5/3/22. AFOA interviewed Durhamtown's Mike McCommons back in 2004. The topic was "Durhamtown Plantation: Family Entertainment."

(05/10/22) New Red Tape for Rural Landowners: Securities and Exchange Commission's newly proposed climate-related disclosures may create new "burdensome reporting requirements" and "create multiple new sources of substantial costs and liabilities." Alabama Farmers Federation urges landowners to send strong message to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Click here to learn more and compose message to SEC.

(05/09/22) Is there a housing bubble? "The average mortgage payment is now $1,800 a month. That’s 70% higher than the pre-Covid high. The only other time home payments were this high was in 2007 on the eve of the Great Financial Crisis." Source: Committee to Unleash Prosperity Hotline, #527, 5/4/22.

(05/06/22) "Wood Pellet Mill Stopped in Lumberton, North Carolina." There are groups of tree-loving folks who believe that the wood pellet business is destroying all the trees. Forest owners know that only a small percentage of the wood we grow ends up as wood pellets, and most of that comes from sawmill sawdust and other mill by-products, and from low-grade trees that cannot be used to make lumber, ties, veneer, poles, etc.

(05/05/22) Wildfire News Of The Day gathers all the news about forest fires from around the world and sends several dozen news stories daily to subscribers 5 days a week. Anyone who wants to receive the free Wildfire News service, click here. Thank goodness, Alabama doesn't make the news very often.

(05/04/22) Annual Meeting 2022: Landowner Uses for HuntStand Pro App was presented by Brian Murphy during the Saturday morning, April 9 session in Pelham, Alabama. Among the many features Brian described, we think you might be interested in Check in/Check out to help landowners and their hunters keep track of one-another, Friend Finder, and Monthly Satellite View. In the past we've described the ownership maps and markers and traces for sharing locations of property corners, roads, and trails.

(05/03/22) "It's a good time to sell standing timber," reports Consulting Forester Billy Rye in his latest Timber Market Update, 5/2/22.

(05/02/22) Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD): Earlier this year two white-tailed deer in northwest Alabama tested positive for CWD. Feeding and baiting, which may cause the spread of the disease, have been restricted in the local area. Alabama Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries Deer Program Coordinator Chris Cook provided an update on CWD on 4/27/22. Webinar - about 35 minutes.

(04/29/22) Big timber investment management organization (TIMO) was scammed, over an eight-year period, of more than $4 million. While something like that is not likely to happen to most of us, certainly not to the tune of $4 million, we suspect that from time-to-time acreages of planted trees or herbicide application estimates may be exaggerated on contractor invoices. It's not a bad thing to check invoices, perhaps take a drone photo of planted areas in order to measure acreage.

(04/28/22) Herbicide and Fertilizer Prices Going Up. National Deer Association's Kip Adams wrote yesterday: "Given the continued impacts of the pandemic, April snowstorms and foreign wars, spring food plot season is a welcomed return to a little normalcy. What's not normal, unfortunately, is the cost of herbicide and fertilizer. If you haven’t priced those items yet, get ready to hold onto your hat."

(04/27/22) Cogongrass made it into the popular "press" earlier this month when Dennis Pillion wrote, Meet cogongrass, the fire-loving, stabby demon plant invading Alabama on AL.com on 4/7/22. If you think your land is not threatened by cogongrass, check the map in the article and think again. See also, Cogongrass Fires by Loewenstein and McGuire. Good luck.

(04/26/22) Trail Building and Maintenance with Kids is a report on the Run Wild My Child website by Jared Ryan, an Oklahoma dad of 2 and "trailblazer."

(04/25/22) Alabama Mushroom Society's recent Morel Foray was so popular, they had to turn people away. Read more and view morel photos in their April newsletter.

(04/22/22) The upcoming May 24 Alabama Primary Election includes a statewide amendment that, if approved, will cost $85 million. Voters in two counties will make property tax decisions: Butler (Republican Democratic); and Choctaw (Republican Democratic). School board candidates, judges, and many other choices will be on the ballots. Sample ballots are available here.

(04/21/22) Words Matter: Lance Woodbury, DTN (Progressive Farmer) Farm Business Adviser, highlighted three critically important words for family business participants in his April, The Dispatch.

• Share
• Trust
• Forgive

(04/20/22) Gift Tax: "The interaction of gift tax reporting and estate taxes is widely misunderstood. Most people think that if they give away more than $16,000 (the new 2022 limit), someone will owe some kind of tax on it. Not so, unless you give away over $12 million in your lifetime." Source: Be Aware of Current Laws on Estate Taxes, Successful Farming, April 2022.

(04/19/22) "Redfin Reports the Pandemic-Driven Second-Home Boom Is Coming to an End. After last year’s frenzy for vacation homes, buyers are now backing off amid rising mortgage rates and an increase in loan fees for second homes." So, if you didn't sell that 20-acre isolated tract while the market was hot, you may have missed your chance.

(04/18/22) Trail-Camera Position Statement From National Deer Association: "Given the recent bans on the use of trail-cameras in some western states, the staff and Board of the National Deer Association believed it was time to state an official position on this issue. In brief, NDA supports the use of all trail-cameras as hunting, wildlife observation and deer management tools." See also, Trail cameras have been banned in Arizona, 7/21/21.

(04/15/22) F&W's T. R. Clark, LaFayette, Alabama, "expressed concern about how inflation may impact tree planting" next year. "Chemical for site preparation is already in short supply and is expected to have a significant price increase. Nurseries have already expressed that their prices will rise. If prices rise 'too' much, there will be some landowners who choose to delay a year in hopes that prices settle and some who decide not to replant at all."  Source: F&W Forestry Report, Spring 2022.

(04/14/22) People used to call it camping. Some now call it "Forest Bathing." "From reducing stress to sleeping better at night, there is a wide range of benefits that come with digitally detoxing and reconnecting with nature."

(04/13/22) Wood Pellet Fuel in the News:

• Drax Group Commissions New Pellet Production Facility in Demopolis, Alabama
• Enviva to build new wood pellet plant in Bond, Mississippi

(04/12/22) Tick Season is upon us. Follow these guidelines before going outside:

• Wear light-colored long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Tuck the shirt tail into the pants, and tuck the pants legs into socks.
• Put long hair in a bun or pull it up into a hat.
• Wear close-toed shoes.
• Use repellents that contain greater than 20 percent DEET on exposed skin and clothing.
• Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5 percent permethrin. This is the most effective preventative measure when used according to the label.
      Source: Ticks and Tick-Borne Illnesses in Alabama by E. Merritt and A. Brodbeck.

(04/11/22) 645,000 Tons of containerboard and fluff pulp capacity in Panama City, Florida to be closed by June 6, 2022. WestRock Company made the announcement last Thursday, 4/7/22.

(04/07/22) Must-Know Tips for First-Time Land Buyers is a short (about 7 minutes) discussion featuring real estate brokers Jonathan Goode and Pat Porter. "Being a first time land buyer is both exciting and overwhelming. While buying land can be a great decision, there are quite a few steps from where you are now to the moment you can relax and enjoy owning it."

(04/06/22) Why a Billionaire’s Tax Could Be Bad for You: "The Biden administration is proposing a new tax on households worth more than $100 million. Tagged as a 'billionaire tax,' the new levy would apply not just to ordinary income, but also to unrealized capital gains. If a wealthy person owns shares of stock and the stock is worth more today than when it was purchased, Biden wants the federal government to take 20 percent of the increase. So, what’s wrong with that?" Source: Goodman Institute.

(04/05/22) Federal Reforestation Deduction and Amortization is a video produced by MSU's Curtis VanderSchaaf. "The use of these incentives can help to recover/offset and therefore reduce landowner reforestation costs. A deduction is a provision that reduces your taxable income, while an 'amortization', or an amortized deduction, is a deduction that is spread out over several tax years. A landowner can deduct up to $10,000 annually of any qualified reforestation costs per Qualified Timber Property (QTP), and can then amortize any amount of qualified reforestation costs per Qualified Timber Property (QTP) incurred within a particular year in excess of $10,000, within an 84-month period over 8 tax years."

(04/04/22) The Alabama Forestry Commission will pay landowners to participate in its Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) Prevention Program. The goal of the program is to assist landowners financially with forest management practices (first thinning and tree planting) that would decrease the chances of their pine stands becoming infested with SPB. The program launched on April 1, 2022, and the application portal will remain open for a few months.

(04/01/22) Bear Cubs Collared in Northeast Alabama near Mentone: “It’s not uncommon to encounter three cubs on average in a den,” reported Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries' Traci Wood.

(03/30/22) Pine Straw Management in the Southeastern U.S. is a brand new webinar featuring the University of Georgia's David Clabo. For landowners who have reasonably level land that will support longleaf pines and raking/baling equipment, pine straw may be a very good source of income. Video: about 54 minutes.

(03/29/22) All that glitters is not green. While we don't want to dampen your interest in selling carbon credits (NCX will visit with us at our Annual Meeting on April 9), you should be aware of the strong criticism of some carbon credit schemes as voiced by Lyme Timber CEO Jim Hourdequin in a 3/17/22 Bloomberg news story: This Timber Company Sold Millions of Dollars of Useless Carbon Offsets.

(03/28/22) Three new Back Porch Forestry videos have been published since the last time we checked. They are How do Acorns Develop?, Grazing Livestock in Woodlands, and A Lesson in Forestry Best Management Practices. Click here to review Dr. David Mercker's entire collection of the University of Tennesee's Back Porch Forestry video series.

(03/24/22) Big Win for Landowners Confronted with Trespassing Game Wardens: A Tennessee court decided in favor of landowners who complained about law enforcement officers of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency entering their land to search for wildlife violations without a warrant or consent. AFOA interviewed Institute for Justice attorney Josh Windham about this case back in November 2020. See also: "They even install cameras..."

(03/23/22) The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has proposed that the Northern Long-eared Bat be classified as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Forest owners with caves on or near their property and forest owners who have trees with shaggy bark may be impacted. Read past news items on the bat below.

(03/22/22) What's going on in Montgomery? Alabama Farmers Federation produces a weekly  Capitol Connection Newsletter to let you know what they think is the most important Agriculture [and Forestry] Related News from the Alabama Legislature. Read the 3/18/22 issue here.

(03/21/22) Timeline: A History of Creosote Wood Preservation: In 2020 – "Over 20 million railroad crossties produced, 95% of which are creosote-treated. Approximately 95% of all new railroad ties are preserved wood, as opposed to non-wood products of concrete, steel, or plastic. Of the wooden ties purchased, 98% are either creosote or creosote-borate treated."

(03/18/22) Carbon Markets: Mississippi State Forestry Extension Specialist Curtis VanderSchaaf dives deep into an explanation of how carbon markets work and how landowners earn income from sequestering and/or storing carbon on their land. Video: about 51 minutes.

(03/17/22) "Glamping, or glamorous camping, allows you to enjoy all the benefits of being out in mother nature while staying in a tent with five-star amenities. In Alabama, The Destination Resort off Lake Martin is the place to experience this trend." Featured recently on Simply Southern, Rhonda and Skip Courtney have created on their 103 acres on Sandy Creek, "a place where people can escape from their normal routines and get back to nature." Video: about 8 minutes.

(03/16/22) F&W Market Update's (3/7/22) only bright spot for Alabama (and then only close to Alabama) was the following: "The one exception is Southwest Georgia, where the managers report that markets are above normal with increasing prices. They say there continues to be strong demand for stumpage sales, which they expect to last through late spring/early summer."

(03/15/22) Chuck Sykes, Director of the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries reports in Public Support of Hunting, Great Days Outdoors, March 2022, "that approximately 85% of American adults support hunting when it is for the meat. On the opposite end of the scale, less than 30% of these same people support hunting for a trophy." Read his short, but important story here. Turn to pages 68 & 69.

(03/14/22) Fire Lines, Volume 12(1), the bimonthly newsletter of the Southern Fire Exchange, is overflowing with news, information and events focused on interests of the pyromaniacs among us. Enjoy.

(03/11/22) Alabama Farmland Cash Rental Rates by Wendiam Sawadgo and Julia Holley, Alabama Extension System, may help you if you are trying to figure out how much you should charge a farmer who wants to rent your farmland. However, an Auburn economist wrote to AFOA: "This data is from USDA and is based on surveys returned to the National Ag Statistics Service. For now, it is the best data we have although some might argue that the data aren’t terribly reflective of the actual market."

(03/10/22) Tree Planters -- Freeze Alert! "In the next few days, specifically Friday the 11th of March 2022 through Saturday the 12th of March 2022 we will experience an extended freeze event across the Central and Eastern US. The extremely cold weather conditions over the next few days may affect newly planted seedlings especially after the recent warm weather that has occurred over most of the region." Source: Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative, Management Alert 22-03.

(03/09/22) Nontimber Forest Products and Bioeconomy: "In the United States, the deep and long cultural connections to nontimber forest products are embedded in contemporary American society, yet the products often go unnoticed. While revenues generated from the sale of these 'invisible' products support households in rural communities and contribute to local, regional, and the national economy, not much is known or understood about the economic importance of NTFPs in the U.S." Video about 1 hour 12 minutes

(03/08/22) Braggin' or Complainin'? Sometimes it's hard to tell, when we're talking about Alabama's low taxes. However, in the case of The Retirement Systems of Alabama, they're always unhappy when you aren't paying higher taxes. See page 2 of their February newsletter where they report that Alabama had the Second Lowest State and Local Taxes Collected Per Capita in 2019 of Ten Southeastern States.

(03/07/22) Fire related stories in the news recently:

• Bush Hog Sparks Woods-Field Fire

• Firefighter Dies Working Alabama Wildfire

• Firefighters From Alabama And Florida Battle Multiple Brush Fires Near Flomaton

• Get a Permit Before You Burn -- Call 800-392-5679

(03/04/22) War disrupts forestry markets and other headlines seen in Forest Markets Newsletter today:

• Building Material Costs & Availability Likely Impacted by Russian War

• Russia's invasion of Ukraine likely to halt investments in Russian forest industry

• Ukraine crisis and its effect on European timber imports

• IKEA pauses operations in Russia and Belarus

• Stora Enso stops all production and sales in Russia

• WAR - What is it good for?

• Due to sanctions, Russian exporters face struggles in supplying lumber to Europe

• Pulp and paper industry in Ukraine at a standstill

• Putin blows up NetZero and the green reset

• Ukraine Calls On EU To Ban Import Of Russian Forest Products And Wood Products

(03/03/22) Russian Pulp & Paper Mill May Shut Down: "Facing inadequate supplies of critical raw materials, Sylvamo (NYSE: SLVM) may curtail or temporarily shut down pulp and paper production at its Svetogorsk, Russia, mill later this week. The mill is currently operating while the company takes steps to mitigate the supply chain issues and continue production." Source: Business Wire, 3/2/22.

(03/02/22) "Are Southern Log Prices Finally Catching up to High Lumber Prices? ... Due to the South’s competitive costs and deeply embedded forest supply chain, we expect it to remain the center of North American forest industry expansion over the next decade. While this new capital might not be enough to drive the kind of price spike many landowners have been hoping for, it will help to reduce the large oversupply of standing timber throughout the South. Based on current data, the rise in log consumption now appears to be affecting prices at the stump." Source: Forest2Market Blog by John Greene, 3/2/22.

(03/01/22) Wood Pellet Fuel Market Threatened by Current Energy Chaos? "Slowly you can hear the gears grinding toward some changes." Will a return to energy realism impact the market for imported wood pellets in Europe? Read more at PowerLine Blog, 2/27/22.

(02/28/22) Dividing Jointly Owned Property: Understanding the Process of Partition by Robert Tufts and Ken Kelley (pages 12-13) AND A Guide to Owning Forestland, Part One by Billy Rye (pages 38-41) are both in the February/March 2022 issue of Cooperative Farming News. Consulting Forester Billy Rye will moderate a forest landowner panel discussion at AFOA's Annual Meeting in Pelham, Alabama on April 9.

(02/25/22) "For British Columbia (B.C.) forest companies and pension plans, the future is in the U.S. Opinion: Agency that invests public-sector pension funds is following B.C. forestry companies to greener pastures of Texas and Louisiana." Read more in the Vancouver Sun, 2/18/22.

(02/24/22) The February 2022 issue of The Overstory, Mississippi State Forestry Extension's newsletter has been published. Topics include upcoming workshops and a Mississippi Timber Price Report, 4Q21.

(02/23/22) "Professional Shortage Looms," says Business Editor, Katie Dehlinger in the February 2022 issue of The Progressive Farmer. Dehlinger quotes Tax Columnist Rod Mauszycki, "'The concerning thing that we're seeing is the number of CPAs [certified public accountants] that are just quitting.' Frequent changes to the tax code and the high penalties for mistakes are fueling a wave of retirements. There just aren't enough young CPAs with agricultural knowledge to take their place." Click here to view AFOA's list of forestry tax experts.

(02/22/22) Forever Wild Carbon Income Would Be Credited to County General Fund: "The Alabama Farmers Federation is closely monitoring HB 65 by Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, which was scheduled for a public hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee this week. The bill would propose an amendment to the Constitution to provide any income from carbon credits generated from the management of Forever Wild forest resources would be credited to the county general fund in which the Forever Wild land is located." Source: Capitol Connection, 2/18/22.

(02/21/22) Rural forest owners with slow internet connections will be interested in these two headlines:

• Alabama Senate approves broadband legislative package streamlining expansion process

• Alabama House passes bill to allow local grants to expand high-speed internet

(02/18/22) Family members who don't work directly with the forest property may still have much to contribute. Read more: Developing a Family Enterprise Owner's Mindset from The Family Business Consulting Group, February 15, 2022.

(02/17/22) Coping with Losses from Nature and Chance, with Tamara Cushing, University of Florida and Yanshu Li, University of Georgia, is the fifth of five Woodland Stewards Webinars on Forestry Taxes. About 1 hour.

(02/16/22) "American Farm Bureau Federation Adopts Policy Opposing 30 x 30," reports American Stewards, 2/15/22. And a Roll Call headline on 2/7/22 reads: "Biden's rebranded conservation plan has critics on all sides."

(02/15/22) Newbern, Alabama Farm Offers Bird-Watching Tours on Property. "People will go to different areas of the country at different times of the year looking for certain birds. It’s like treasure hunting with animals," landowner Christopher Joe says. "We’ve had birders come here from New York and California. Once people found out what we were doing here, it just took off." Read more about Birding Festivals and Events.

(02/14/22) Sign-up Today for Alabama's Cogongrass Control Program. Managed by the Alabama Forestry Commission, the Program webpage contains Eligibility Requirements, Rules, Landowner Agreement and a link to an Application Form.

(02/11/22) Alabama is #1 in the Land Category of CATO Institute's Index of Personal and Economic Freedom!

(02/10/22) Keeping More of Your Income Following a Timber Sale, with Andrew Bosserman, CPA, Esq., Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP and Yanshu Li, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Forest Taxation & Economics, University of Georgia, is the fourth of five Woodland Stewards Webinars on Forestry Taxes. About 1 hour.

(02/09/22) Managing White Oaks: Harvesting & Regeneration Strategies is an informative webinar led by forester and wildlife biologist Drew Metzler. About 43 minutes.

(02/08/22) The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board owns 870,000 acres of "high-quality Loblolly pine" spread throughout the U.S. South. "The timberland portfolio provides significant diversification benefits ..., including diversity of locations, customers and tree age classes." Source: Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Press Release, 1/26/22.

(02/07/22) Elmore County Board of Education to ask for significant property tax increase. Source: The Wetumpka Herald, 2/1/22. We thank and appreciate the Elmore County forest landowner who sent us the news article. If you know about property tax increases in other counties, please let AFOA know. RLL@AFOA.ORG

(02/04/22) Prescribed Burn Contractors: Who You Gonna Call? The Alabama Prescribed Fire Council maintains a webpage (a map of the state with counties outlined) which contains individuals and firms who want to help you burn your land. There's a link on the page, too, for prescribed burners to add themselves to the "Prescribed Burn Vendor" list. Burners aren't available in every county, so if you click on a county and no names pop up, you may need to check nearby counties. LINK NOT WORKING. SORRY. 5/2/22.

(02/03/22) Forest owners probably never know the people who harvest their trees and deliver them to the mill. That's just the way the system works. So, we want to thank the Florida Forestry Association for introducing us to Dunieski Garcia, a logger with Loncala, Inc., High Springs, Florida. Video about 4 minutes.

(02/02/22) Forestry Taxes -- the third of five Woodland Stewards Webinars is available for you to watch: Timber Management Expenses and Deductions. About one hour.

(02/01/22) Three Encouraging Southern Timber Market Headlines:
   o   Southern Timber Prices Continued Upward Trend in 4Q2021
   o   New Year Starts On A Good Note With Upward-Sweeping Timber Price Graphs
   o   South-Wide Average Stumpage Prices Increased (near top of right column, page 2)

(01/31/22) Getting Started with Prescribed Fire on Private Land is an excellent 8-minute video produced by The Longleaf Alliance in Georgia. If you are not now a prescribed burner, you'll want to become one after watching this video. Question: Who, in Alabama, do you go to for prescribed fire information and encouragement? Send your answer to RLL@AFOA.ORG.

(01/28/22) Wood Power Poles Canceled! "San Diego Gas & Electric and the Cleveland National Forest completed a fire hardening and safety project, replacing thousands of wooden poles with steel to better protect the electrical grid from the impact of forest fires." We don't know where the poles came from that were removed and we don't know where the replacement wood poles would have come from in the future, but cancelling the use of wood poles is a serious condemnation of one our most valuable forest products, no matter where it's happening. TimberMart-South reported in the 4th Quarter of 2021 that pine power pole stumpage prices in south Alabama were 91.5 percent higher than pine sawtimber stumpage prices.

(01/27/22) Legislature Set to Pass Federal Relief Spending Bill. "The bills call for spending the majority of the federal relief money on broadband; water and sewer projects; and health care." Watch 11 minute video discussion between Alfa's Preston Roberts and Senator Greg Albritton, R-Atmore. You might also want to hear Alabama Finance Director Bill Poole discuss Gov. Ivey's Philosophy on Relief Money. Click here - about 6 minutes.

(01/26/22) Forestry Taxes -- the first two of five Woodland Stewards Webinars introduced to you on 12/22/21, below, have now been presented, recorded, and published to the web. 1) Seeing the Forest for the Trees: An Overview of Forestry Taxes and 2) Basics of Timber Basis.

(01/25/22) Growth & Yield Part II: If you found VanderSchaaf's discussion on Growth & Yield interesting (see below 1/19/22), we think you will find the Texas Forest Service's Timberland Decision Support System lots of fun and perhaps useful. Forest economist Dr. Weihuan Xu put together the Timberland Investment Calculator for you to play some what-if games with your timberland investment. AFOA interviewed Dr. Xu here. He is no longer with the Texas Forest Service.

(01/21/22) Ten things you can do to improve white oak stocking on your land is a list we saw on the White Oak Initiative's website. It's never too late to take the first step. Good luck.

(01/20/22) "Bill Would Keep Foreign Buyers from Alabama Farm Land, Forests," states the headline in The Montgomery Independent, 1/5/22. Foreign ownership is "a concern to Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, who has pre-filed a bill to restrict purchases of agriculture and forest land in Alabama." Editor's note: While we generally agree with the thrust of Senator  Melson's bill, we suspect the news article exaggerates the size of foreign ownership in Alabama. We learned in the USDA report, Foreign Holdings of U.S. Agricultural Land, that foreign ownership means "a 10-percent or more interest in the entity...," not the same as 100-percent ownership.

(01/19/22) Growth & Yield: How many trees are on my land? How much pulpwood and sawtimber will I be able to harvest in 20 years? Mississippi State Forestry Extension Specialist Curtis VanderSchaaf discusses these and many other questions in a well-done 48 minute video: Utility of Forest Growth and Yield to Landowners.

(01/18/22) Private forest ownership rests on the support of our neighbors and our elected and salaried officials to protect our "right" to own and manage forestland. That right is seriously threatened when property theft becomes an everyday affair as is occurring right now in Los Angeles (Powerline Blog, Midnight Trains and Daylight Crime, 1/17/22). The ransacking of 90 cargo containers a day in LA presents a frightening image for those of us whose timbered property is safe only because of the protection we receive from neighbors and local law enforcement.

(01/17/22) "Seedling to Sawmill" and "Sawmill to Site" are a collection of five short videos that the Westervelt Company has produced in order to make the organization and its employees look good -- and it does and they do. But, just because you may be a small landowner (Westervelt owns over a half million acres - see story below) doesn't mean the values you produce on your land are any less important than theirs. Keep up the good work!

(01/14/22) America's Largest Landowners are profiled in the Winter 2021 issue of The Land Report. Flip the pages to # 114. There are Alabama forest owners on the list. We've probably overlooked several, but check out #97, McDonald Family; #85, Scotch Families; #60, Gene Taylor; #52, T.R. Miller Family; #20, Westervelt Heirs.

(01/13/22) Wilcox County landowners have brief opportunity to halt a proposed property tax increase. Read more here. If you can provide more information about the proposed tax in Wilcox County, or if you know of any property tax increases that have been or will be proposed for other Alabama counties, please send details to RLL@AFOA.ORG. HB-375 posted here 2/23/22.

(01/12/22) The 7 Safest Mushrooms to Forage and Eat by Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 12/7/21. "Perfect for novice foragers, these mushrooms are delicious, easy to find, and are not easily confused with toxic species."

(01/11/22) "Southern log market will pick up steam," and... "Capital will continue to flow into forest industry manufacturing in the US South," are two of eight Predictions for the Global Forest Industry in 2022 made by Forest2Market CEO Pete Stewart. Cross your fingers.

(01/10/22) Chronic Wasting Disease has been detected in a white-tailed deer in Lauderdale County, Alabama. When we alerted a wildlife biologist friend to the news, his response was, "I wonder what it will do to hunting lease prices?"

(01/07/22) U.S. Forest Service Tax Tips is back! After a 1-year hiatus, Yanshu Li, University of Georgia, Tamara Cushing, University of Florida and Gregory Frey, USDA Forest Service, have authored Tax Tips for Forest Landowners for the 2021 Tax Year. 4 pages.

(01/06/22) Timber Tax, an Alabama Extension webinar presented yesterday by Dr. Robert Tufts is available for you to listen to and read. About 1 hour. Click here for PowerPoint slides. Sound problem at about 5:08 lasts about 10 seconds.

(01/05/22) Pharmaceuticals, Etc. in the 1800s: Dr. Gary Freeze, Historian and Professor of History and American Cultural Studies at Catawba College talked to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences today about Wallace Brothers, wholesale southern herbalists, sellers of "Every Variety of Crude Southern Roots, Herbs, Barks, Flowers, Seeds, Mosses, Gums, and Berries." About 1 hour.

(01/04/22) If you plan on having trees planted this year or "in the future," you will benefit from reading Alabama Extension's Tree Planting Contracts for Landowners: FAQs. If you are looking for a tree planting contractor, call AFOA for a list of planters who seek work in your county - 205-624-2225.

(01/03/22) Wood Ducks in the Woods with Jason Fisher is an interesting episode of Virginia Tech's 15 Minutes in the Forest.

(12/30/21) "Shallow planting is a major cause of [loblolly and slash pine] seedling mortality." That is the message ArborGen's Paul Jeffreys urges us to remember in their December 2021 TreeLines. Oh, and don't cut the roots!

(12/29/21) "With lab help, whiskey distillers skip oak barrel-aging. But how does it taste?" asks Reuters' Nathan Frandino. If whiskey researchers Martin Janousek and Stu Aaron (Bespoken Spirits) are successful, their distilling and flavoring process might dramatically reduce the demand for white oak barrel staves. As taxpayers, we hope the state and federal forestry folks and their enablers in state and federal capitols recognize the futility of predicting drinking fashions 5 or more decades in the future.

(12/28/21) Impacts of the Supply Chain Crisis to the Forest Products Industry: Forest Resources Association's Tim O'Hara describes several supply chain problems being faced by various segments of the forest industry. Not a good story.

(12/22/21) "Forestry Taxes -- Learn Plan & Save Money. Join this webinar series to learn how to save money on your timber taxes." Mark your calendar and then register here. We'll link to recordings when the sessions are published online.

• Jan 18: Seeing the Forest for the Trees: An Overview of Forestry Taxes
• Jan 25: Basics of Timber Basis: Re(setting) the Table
• Feb 1: Keeping More of Your Timber Income Following a Timber Sale
• Feb 8: Timber Management Expenses and Deductions
• Feb 15: Coping with the Losses from Nature and Chance

(12/21/21) Which Mapping Software Do You Use? is a useful short report by Jonathan Goode on LandThink.com, 12/7/21. The report is very good and introduces us to software we hadn't heard of before. Editor's note: Readers interested in ownership maps should be aware that HuntStand Pro, like LandGlide mentioned by Jonathan in the report, sells for $29.99 per year, much lower than LandGlide's $10 per month.

(12/20/21) Tissue manufacturing to continue at Calhoun, Tennessee mill, but pulp and paper operations to be idled, Resolute Forest Products Inc. announced on December 16. Resolute's "state-of-the-art facility in Calhoun has a production capacity of 66,000 short tons per year of premium, private-label tissue, including bath and towel, aimed at the growing retail market."

(12/17/21) Do you have young friends or family members who might enjoy working in the forest industry? You might suggest they watch this video produced by the Tennessee Forestry Association: Come be part of something big happening here in your state. More than twenty-five job ideas in the industry are described with videos here.

(12/16/21) 2021 Policy Wrap-Up: Property Rights and Regulations Affecting Private Forest Landowners was produced and recorded by the Forest Landowners Association on December 14 and is now available on line. About 27 minutes.

(12/15/21) Health Insurance: If you are still looking for reasonably priced health insurance that meets your and your family's needs, read John Goodman's How the States Can Reform Health Care. We suspect that for the dedicated insurance hunter, the article will contain information that could help you find what you're looking for.

(12/14/21) Rural Residents, Take Note: "The Alabama Digital Expansion Authority (ADEA) on Thursday held a public meeting during which leaders discussed strategies to bring essential broadband services to all corners of the Yellowhammer State."

(12/13/21) The Third Attempt to Empty Rural Vermont is an interesting essay by John McClaughry about attempts to remove people from rural areas - this time in the name of reducing their carbon footprint.

(12/10/21) Plant Early This Winter: "The southern tier of the United States is expected to be warmer and drier than normal during La Niña winters. Therefore, if seedlings are planted too late in the season, survival rates may decrease. The Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative is again recommending limited storage time of seedlings and earlier planting dates than those traditionally followed." See similar alert from last year.

(12/09/21) "Be careful who you are supporting with your gifts this time of year," warns Sportsmen's Alliance and National Deer Association spokesmen during an NDA Coffee and Deer podcast entitled Protecting Our Hunting Heritage From Animal Rights Groups. Editor's note: Access to hunting land is a growing portion of land values in the South, so a discussion on the threats to hunters and hunting merits your time and attention.

(12/08/21) A Christmas Story: Since Boise, Idaho has lately been the destination of people fleeing the over-regulated states of California, Illinois, New York and several others, we were surprised to read about a property rights issue and Idaho's State Capitol Christmas tree that recently made the news.

(12/07/21) In Alabama: After stumpage prices peaked in mid-October, "they have settled at a place that is stronger than the last several years." Source: F&W Market Report, 12/3/21.

(12/06/21) How Many Widgets are in that Tree? is the title of a 15 minute video produced by the Virginia Cooperative Extension. It's one of the best sessions we've seen on how to use a Biltmore Stick. For many years, AFOA has featured an outdoor tree measurements session at our annual meetings, and sometimes we've given Tree Scale Sticks as prizes. If you buy one, we suggest you order the Scribner Scale. $23.15 right now at Forestry Suppliers.

(12/03/21) Alabama Timber Market Assessment and Outlook was presented Wednesday to a landowner audience by Auburn University's Adam Maggard. Very good. About 56 minutes.

(12/02/21) Cahaba Pressure Treated Forest Products, Inc., with 2020 sales of $56 million of poles, crossties, and posts, was recently acquired by Canada's Stella-Jones Inc.

(12/01/21) Plan now to improve next year's hunting lease arrangements. Virginia Tech's Jason Fisher discusses Hunting Lease Best Practices in a "15 Minutes in the Forest" video. Find hunters using AFOA's www.HuntingLand.bz webpage and protect yourself from risks by using AFOA's Group Hunting Lease Liability Insurance Policy.

(11/30/21) Tree Planting Drones, Equipment Delivery Drones, and Herbicide Application Drones: They're getting bigger and the services are improving.

(11/29/21) "The coming 'owners' of nature and natural processes will be the only real beneficiaries," says Whitney Webb in her Unlimited Hangout, 10/13/21, article, Wall Street's Takeover of Nature Advances with Launch of New Asset Class. Editor's note: In the future, values now worthless to forest owners, such as clean water, clean air, solitude, wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, and others may completely outshine traditional values such as timber and hunting leases. The message: don't sell or give away rights that currently are not valued by society.

(11/24/21) Google Earth and GPS for the Rest of US and From Apps to Maps are two presentations on using GPS (global position systems) and GIS (geographic information systems) produced by Peter Smallidge, New York State Extension Forester, Cornell University.

(11/23/21) Marketing Hardwood Timber, Why Herbicides Sometime Fail, Planning a Tree Planting Project, and Identifying Hickory Trees are the titles of the most recent issues of the University of Tennessee's Back Porch Forestry series. The entire collection of Back Porch Forestry videos. 

(11/22/21) Special Tool to Sharpen Chain Saws: Mr. Chainsaw, Tim Ard, who teaches chain saw use and safety all across the U.S., reports that the Pferd Chain Saw Sharpening Tools can help you improve the results of your sharpening attempts.

(11/19/21) "Bare root and containerized tree seedlings must be handled carefully from the time they are harvested at the nursery until they are transplanted in the field. Equally important is planting seedlings correctly." ArborGen's Seedling Care & Planting Guidelines will tell you how. 16 pages.

(11/18/21) Selling Carbon Credits in Alabama: Alabama forest owners were the target audience for NCX's November 11 presentation. Alex MacIntosh made a brief presentation and then answered questions from the audience. Check out their website: https://ncx.com/our-story/.

(11/17/21) The Biden administration's U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service last week did a big favor for forest owners in the South when, in the name of protecting the spotted owl, it "struck down a rule that would have opened millions of acres of West Coast forest to potential logging." Would it be wrong for private forest owners in the South to be concerned that, as government agencies acquire and/or control more forestland through programs such as Forever Wild, Forest Legacy, and thousands of conservation easements, timber harvesting lockdowns, such as occurred in the Northwest, might be imposed here?

(11/16/21) The current issue of the Temperate Agroforester contains articles on growing and marketing pawpaw fruit and the eastern US chestnut industry (edible chestnuts). An archive of past issues is here.

(11/15/21) The 2021 National Register of Champion Trees (the most massive specimens of trees of their species) is maintained by American Forests. The 2021 Champion Trees of Alabama is maintained by the Alabama Forestry Commission. Four Alabama trees are national champions: Alabama Black Cherry, Post Oak, Durand White Oak, and Southern Shagbark Hickory.

(11/12/21) The American Chestnut: Donald E. Davis, an independent scholar and the author of The American Chestnut: An Environmental History, published this month by the University of Georgia Press, gave a lecture last week entitled, Giving Character to the Landscape: An Environmental History of the American Chestnut. The video lecture is about 41 minutes plus about 25 minutes of Q & A.

(11/11/21) Listen to interviews with experts in the November issue of Capital Ideas - Live!

• How to Prevent Timber Theft
       Maintain property lines. Know your neighbors.
• What Are the Best Months to Plant Tree Seedlings?
       December planting gives roots time to grow before warm weather.
• Precautions Pregnant Landowners Should Consider
       Livestock and some chemicals can raise red flags.
• What's Up with Timber Prices?
       New sawmill construction offers hope for better prices.

(11/09/21) Direct Seeding: Purdue University's Extension Forester Lenny Farlee, in a 3 minute video, discusses and demonstrates sowing seeds of hardwoods such as walnuts and oaks into forested areas lacking in those species. Farlee was a guest on Capital Ideas - Live!, March 2014, when he spoke to AFOA members about Crop Tree Management.

(11/08/21) Timber and Goats: A Perfect Pair. Progressive Farmer writer Dan Crummett described a Georgia forest landowner's work managing his 75 acre tract of timber using goats to reduce brush. Landowner Jerry Bird was quoted in the article: "All that brush I used to burn I'm now selling for about $2 a pound."

(11/05/21) 10.3 percent of Alabama residents bought a hunting license in 2020, according to Stacker. California had the lowest percentage of hunters at 0.7 percent. South Dakota ranked at the top of the list at more than 24 percent. Source: Stacker, 10/11/21. Editor's Note: Some of the hunting license numbers seemed a bit different from numbers we've seen in the past from other sources, so it may be best not to quote Stacker's numbers far and wide.

(11/04/21) Turtles of Alabama was the title of Extension Specialist Wesley Anderson's webinar yesterday. In the recorded presentation, Anderson describes numerous turtle species, the laws regarding turtles and gives us ideas on how to improve habitat for turtles on our land. Video; about 53 minutes.

(11/03/21) "Wood products production and consumption in the US grew from 1961 through 2005, when the housing bubble popped and the Great Recession began. Consumption of logs, lumber and panels has increased since the recession, but not to prerecession levels. Pulp production and consumption has leveled off." Source: Forest Research Notes, Vol. 18, No. 3, Third Quarter 2021. Complete Research Notes archive.

(11/02/21) Legislative Learn and Burn: "Seven members of the Alabama Legislature gained first-hand experience last week in carrying out one of the most important parts of managing the state’s forests: the controlled burn." Source: YellowHammer, 10/27/21.

(11/01/21) Elon Musk suggests writing to your Congressman about proposal to Tax Unrealized Capital Gains: Musk retweeted a message from Rick McCracken, CEO of ADA, who wrote, "The Wyden proposal [to tax unrealized capital gains] takes new tax hikes a step closer to imposing unrealized capital gains tax on the average investor." Read the sample letter proposed by McCracken. Scroll down to 2) Elon Musk Is On To The Liberal Playbook. Or read cached version here.

(10/29/21) The Alabama Butterfly Atlas collects, interprets, and shares information about Alabama's butterfly populations for the purpose of education and conservation. Enjoy.

(10/28/21) "Pregnant Farmers Must Take Extra Precautions: While farm safety is important for every family member and worker, expectant moms have even more hazards to consider." This article from Successful Farming, 9/23/21, may not be of interest to all forest owners, but for those of you who may have livestock on your land, you will want to pay attention to some of the cautions raised.

(10/27/21) What does it cost to practice forestry in the South? Auburn University's Dr. Adam Maggard provides answers to that question in his report, 2020 Costs and Trends for Southern Forestry Practices. Maggard discusses the report in a video, Gain Insights Into Cost Trends and Management Practices of Working Forests, produced by the Forest Landowners Association. The program starts at 1:50. About 1 hour.

(10/26/21) White Oak Acorns Wanted in Tennessee. The Tennessee Forestry Association and the University of Tennessee are asking the public to collect white oak acorns that can be sown at the East Tennessee State Nursery. White oak acorns begin to germinate within a few days of falling to the ground, so special care needs to be taken of the nuts once collected. If you want to learn more about collecting acorns, even if not for the Tennessee nursery, watch their How-To Video. About 9 minutes.

(10/25/21) "Property line maintenance is one of the most important aspects of land ownership." Penn State Extension presents a written discussion and a 4 minute video that includes a great paint (and clothes) saving device.

(10/22/21) Attorney and Visiting Professor with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System Robert Tufts discussed Landowner Liability, Timber Trespass (theft) and Adverse Possession on Wednesday of this week. Audio recording with PowerPoint slides -- about 54 minutes.

(10/21/21) Defer Capital Gains Using Like-Kind Exchanges: Did you know that it's possible to push off (defer) payment of capital gains taxes by taking advantage of a Section 1031 exchange that allows you to swap investment property on a tax-deferred basis? Read more in the October 2021 Newsletter of DeLoach, Barber & Caspers, P.C.

(10/20/21) Property taxes became due on October 1 and will be delinquent if not paid by January 1. Dave and Johnny have a brief, but interesting discussion about property taxes on Episode 313 of The Land Show. They mention that some counties are no longer sending out property tax notices -- that it is the landowner's responsibility to pay the taxes before January 1. Slide to 53:20 - about 4 1/2 minutes.

(10/19/21) "At the height of his popularity, Thornton Burgess was widely acknowledged as the voice of American conservation. While there were more talented writers working in the genre, and more knowledgeable scientists in the field, no one understood how to communicate these ideas better than the author of Old Mother West Wind, which has been continuously in print since 1910." Source: Old Mother West Wind, Laughing Brook, and the Stories that Inspired Generations, Northern Woodlands, Autumn 2021. Did someone read to you about Grandfather Frog, Longlegs The Heron, Whitefoot The Wood Mouse and the rest of the gang?

(10/18/21) Growth, Inflation and Time: If you sell $100 worth of healthy trees today, the growth in size and quality (perhaps 6 percent) plus inflation (5.4 percent - see FEA article) will benefit the buyer when the trees are harvested a year from now ($100 + $6 + $5.40 = $111.40). Read: September Consumer Price Index Increases 0.4% Month-Over-Month and 5.4% Year-Over-Year, Forest Economic Advisors, 10/13/21.

(10/15/21) "Alabama Forest Owners' Association warns about illegal fees," reported NBC15 News in Mobile, Alabama on 10/14/21. Jessica Little, who was interviewed by NBC15, also reported today to AFOA that some of the property tax bills of her landowner clients in Montgomery County and Jefferson County contain illegal fire district fees. See an example of a fire fee on a tax notice and, most disturbing of all, a refund letter from the Mobile County Revenue Commissioner at Jessica's segment of the October issue of Capital Ideas - Live!

(10/14/21) How To Build a Fishing Pond. "When it comes to how to build a fishing pond, it is a lot more detailed than just contracting with an excavating company and digging a hole in the ground," says Norman Latona, Southeastern Pond Management. Source: Great Days Outdoors, 9/13/21.

(10/13/21) Check out the headlines for the October issue of Capital Ideas - Live!

• Repeal of Step-Up in Basis Will Affect Nearly Everyone
       Previously untaxed estates could see huge tax increases.
• Why Are We Getting Illegal Fire District Bills?
       Most rural forestland not required to pay fire district fees.
• Updates in Vegetation Management
       New drone technology could cut herbicide use.
• Squirrel Hunting – Good for the Future
       Enjoy a fun day in the woods with the kids.

(10/12/21) Marginal vs. Effective Tax Rates: The October 2021 Newsletter of DeLoach, Barber & Caspers, P.C. contains an interesting section on that topic. What percentage of your income do you pay in taxes?

(10/11/21) "Pine pulpwood prices skyrocketed by an astounding +78 percent QoQ and YoY," reported Forest2Market Blog, 10/11/21, Southern Timber Prices Hit 14-Year High. The high prices are the result of a very rainy summer -- and the prices aren't being paid to people with good timber in a swamp. To sell at these rain-driven highs, your land has to be high and dry.

(10/08/21) It's important to stay in touch with state lawmakers. Between 1995 and 2014, Wisconsin forest landowners allowed anti-forestry interest groups to raise their property taxes 434%  --  from $7.78 per acre (which is much higher than here in Alabama) to $33.75 per acre. There are special interest groups here in Alabama that would do the same to us. To become politically active, consider becoming involved in Alabama Forestry Association's ForestPAC or Alabama Farmers Federation's FarmPAC.

(10/07/21) "Mississippi Forestry Foundation's new children's book, Family Trees, is now available for $15 per copy plus a flat $5 shipping fee for up to 8 books in one order! Written by MFA staff member Lauren Hawkins, Family Trees is the story of a boy who grows up on a tree farm, eventually takes over the farm, and then teaches his children about sustainable tree farming. In addition to highlighting the benefits of trees, the book also focuses on the jobs created and products made from the family's trees. Order your copy today at Family Trees." Read book report by AFOA staff writer.

(10/06/21) Top Ways to Lose Money Selling Land was the topic of discussion on Episode 91 of Huntin' Land Podcast. Good discussion -- begins at about 5:05.

(10/05/21) Selecting the leader of the Bureau of Land Management is not a big deal in Alabama, but it's a big deal in the U.S (BLM manages 58 million acres of forestland in 12 western states). So we were surprised to learn that Alabama's Senator Tuberville chose to be absent when votes were counted on the appointment of Tracy Stone-Manning, who has been credibly accused of involvement in an Idaho tree spiking incident. Read comments from a New Hampshire Tree Farmer. Cached copy of Tree Farmer comments.

(10/04/21) CM Biomass "plans to locate a wood pellet plant at the port [on the Tombigbee River] that will create 20-25 new jobs. [Jackson] Mayor Paul South said the city and the industrial development board have been working on the $17,000,000 project for eight months." Source: The South Alabamian, 9/29/21. CM Biomass is a Danish company.

(10/01/21) "As Congress considers President Biden’s proposal to tax unrealized capital gains at death, the history of previous efforts suggests it faces a perilous road ahead. Lawmakers must resolve tricky design and implementation details that derailed past attempts to change how capital gains are treated when assets are passed from one generation to the next." Source: Tax Foundation, 9/28/21.

(09/30/21) Survival Playing Cards: Thanksgiving isn't far off, so if you think conversations after dinner might be difficult, why not prepare ahead. Survival Playing Cards are a playable survival guide. This unique deck features 52 survival tips to help you make it through your next great adventure. Cost: About $17.

(09/29/21) Braun & Gresham Attorney Chris Bell discusses Creative Ways to Deal with Neighbor Disputes. Webinar: about 55 minutes.

(09/28/21) "We are currently swimming in wood," wrote forest economist Brooks Mendell in Mississippi Forestry Association's Tree Talk, Summer 2021. "We don't need more tree-planting subsidies," admonished F&W Forestry's Marshall Thomas in F&W Forestry Report, Spring 2020, right column, page 1. So what do you suppose lawmakers in Washington are proposing? You guessed it -- a government tree planting program: America's Revegetation and Carbon Sequestration Act. Bill Summary. Bill Text.

(09/27/21) "Buyer demographics are trending younger," Says Earl Musick of United Country Musick & Sons, a PotlatchDeltic Preferred Broker in Idaho: "We mostly worked with retiree buyers in the past. Now it’s people in their late 30s to about 55." Source: A Peek Into Fall: 6 Standout Trends in Recreational Land, LandThink.com, 9/7/21.

(09/24/21) Do you plan to hunt from a tree stand this fall? Will someone in your family or will some of the hunters who lease your land hunt from a tree stand this fall? If there was a yes in there somewhere, please take a minute and a half to watch the National Deer Association's short video on the A-B-C-Ds of Treestand Safety.

(09/23/21) Tall Timbers Research Station, "home of the study of fire ecology," publishes eNews quarterly (Summer/Fall 2021 and archived collection) and Quail Call: Quail Research Report (20+ years archive). If you want to learn more about prescribed burning and/or quail management, Tall Timbers offers serious expertise.

(09/22/21) "Based on announced sawmill builds and expansions, the U.S. South could add an additional four billion board feet of softwood sawmill capacity by 2022." Source: Forisk Blog by Amanda Lang, 9/15/21.

(09/21/21) Should you sell your land and timber together, or should you harvest the timber before you sell the land? Dave and Johnny discuss that question during the last five minutes of Episode 292 of The Land Show.

(09/20/21) Would you like to know what the folks at Auburn University's School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences have been up to lately? An archive of the School's triannual newsletters is available at https://sfws.auburn.edu/newsletter-archive/.

(09/17/21) "Bird migration forecast maps show predicted nocturnal migration 3 hours after local sunset and are updated every 6 hours. Colorado State University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently produce these forecasts." Editor's note: They're quite small, but we suppose the chimney swifts that grew up in our old chimney in Helena, Alabama will soon be lighting up the map as they head south to Peru, South America.

(09/16/21) Stepped-Up Basis: "Biden’s proposal to end a tax break on inheritances known as 'step-up in basis,' which wipes out the capital gains tax on assets, was not included in the House bill; Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (OR) hopes to include it still, but opposition in the House means he is unlikely to succeed. This is a positive development, especially for family-owned companies and small businesses." 1031 Like-Kind Exchanges: "These were not included in the House bill and are unlikely to be included in the Senate, meaning the existing program would remain as-is." Source: National Alliance of Forest Owners, House Budget Reconciliation Legislation Update, 9/16/21.

(09/15/21) Latest proposed top federal Capital Gains Tax Rate is now 25 percent plus 3 percent surcharge and 3.8 percent net investment income tax. Source: Tax Foundation, 9/14/21.

(09/14/21) Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material is a 500+ page resource published by the Forest Products Lab. It will be useful to anyone who would like to know more about using wood -- furniture makers, builders, architects, etc.

(09/13/21) To prevent timber theft, you should:

• Visit your property frequently.
• Have someone you know and trust report any cutting on your land immediately.
• Never sign a contract without checking several references of the buyer.
• For the best price, insist on getting bids for your timber.
• Mark all property lines to assure cutting on adjacent property does not encroach on yours.
• Utilize trail/deer cameras on your property that can record suspicious activity or individuals.
• Always hold your timber contractor to the agreed upon terms.
         Source: Pleasanton Express, 9/8/21

(09/10/21) What Should You Ask a Consulting Forester? Joe Baya, Huntin' Land podcast, August 12, 2021, leads Forest Appraiser Denson Helms through a great discussion on how and why a forest landowner should use the expertise of a consulting forester. Audio: about 1 hour or save 8+ minutes by sliding to 8:50. Worth your time if you are thinking of hiring a consulting forester. Find a consulting forester at www.ForesterSearch.com. "Transcript" of the podcast appeared in the November 2021 issue of Great Days Outdoors, pages 58-61.

(09/09/21) Check out a new video on the identification, history and control of kudzu created by Clemson Extension. Kudzu is a prolific invasive species throughout the U.S. Originally introduced in the 1870s as an ornamental plant, people then tried to use it for erosion control. Unfortunately its rapid spread soon earned it the name: “the plant that ate the south."

(09/07/21) "According to the July LandThink Pulse results, 38.1% of respondents indicated that they would prefer to purchase rural land for sale that was located in the Southeast region of the U.S."

(09/03/21) Two stories in the news:

• Wood you look at that: Lumber is cheap again, Fortune, 8/28/21
• In Alabama, stumpage "prices are rising" tied to "strain on supply due to extraordinarily wet summer," F&W Market Update, 9/2/21

(09/02/21) Storm Damage and Salvage Safety Video from Forest Resources Association was produced to help professional loggers avoid injury while cleaning up after tornadoes and hurricanes. If there is someone in your family who is likely to be doing some clean-up work this weekend, you might want to watch this video together. Good luck.

(09/01/21) Little Timber Damage from Hurricane Ida: The Alabama Forestry Commission reported today that they have not heard any reports of storm damage to any large forested areas. Their Mobile County office said there was "wide-spread damage from tornadoes," but not enough to merit an aerial survey. We'll update this article if future AFC reports indicate significant damage somewhere in the state. If you suspect your timber may have been damaged by the storm, this may be a good time to ask your consulting forester to do a damage assessment. If you don't have a consulting forester, find one at www.ForesterSearch.com. If you need tax advice to help you deduct storm damage losses, a list of forestry tax experts has been posted to the web, here.

(08/31/21) How about some good news on this rainy Tuesday?  Wellborn Cabinet in Clay County [broke ground earlier] this month on a $15 million expansion, projected to add another 200 jobs. The manufacturer of kitchen and bath cabinets [many of them made from Alabama grown hardwoods], a mainstay of the economy in Ashland since 1961, already employs about 1,400 people. Source: AL.com, 8/20/21.

(08/30/21) Aunt Fanny Asks About Forest Carbon is a new episode of Brooks Mendell's Aunt Fanny series.
   o   Aunt Fanny Learns Forestry  The Book, $12
   o   Aunt Fanny Analyzes Her Timber Market
   o   Aunt Fanny Asks About Bare Land Value (BLV)
   o   Aunt Fanny Asks About Timber Taxes
   o   Aunt Fanny Asks About Forest Rotations and Financial Maturity
   o   Aunt Fanny Asks About Forestland Appreciation
   o   Aunt Fanny Asks About Timberland Returns
   o   Aunt Fanny Thins Her Forest
   o   Aunt Fanny Asks About Cash Flow
   o   Aunt Fanny Asks About Timber Prices
   o   Aunt Fanny Tours Her Forest

(08/27/21) Do carbon payments do anything to solve the carbon dioxide problem or are they just a form of greenwashing? Ryan Dezember, the Wall Street Journal writer who has written a number of forestry-related articles in the past year or two discusses the issue on The Journal podcast with host Kate Linebaugh. Audio about 15 minutes - with transcript if you can't listen. Greenwash: disinformation disseminated by an organization so as to present an environmentally responsible public image.

(08/26/21) How to Get Rid of Armadillos is an interesting article in Great Days Outdoors , August 2021, by David Strickland. Turn to page 26.

(08/24/21) "In reality, wildfires in the West aren’t evidence of a lack of funds, forest mismanagement, or climate change. They happen because the West is a fire plain, and, just as a flood plain floods, a fire plain is going to burn. For as long as we’ve kept records, about one-half to one percent of the West burns each year, and nothing we can do is going to stop it." For an interesting discussion on western forest fires, read Randle O'Toole's "The West Is a Fire Plain. Get Over It." Liberty and Ecology Blog, 8/23/21. O'Toole spoke to AFOA in July of 2013.

(08/23/21) It all adds up. If you are looking for something to discuss with your children or grandchildren during your next visit, read The Simple Math of How to Retire with Millions by Kurt Rotthoff, Foundation for Economic Education, 8/21/21.

(08/20/21) The Sandhill Crane hunting season presents an interesting new opportunity for landowners in the Tennessee Valley and the Weiss Reservoir on the Coosa River. Hunters will begin registering to win the 400 hunting permits on September 8. The hunting season is split into two segments: December 3 to January 9 and January 17 - 31. AFOA members can find interested hunters by listing land for lease at www.HuntingLand.bz.

(08/19/21) Home Power magazine provided information on powering up remote, off-grid property. An archive of 31 years of the magazine is available at no cost, but you have to register to access the mags.

(08/18/21) Are No Till Food Plots Worth It? Listen to wildlife biologist Dr. Grant Woods describe the pros and cons of using no-till technology to install and maintain game food plots. Huntin' Land Podcast #87, 7/29/21. Audio about 1 hour.

(08/17/21) Boundary Line Issues: "Where does one property begin and another end? It seems like a simple question, because most landowners have a sense about where their land starts and ends. But over a period of years, neighbors can develop vastly different interpretations as to where the boundary line exists." Listen to Pat Porter, Broker, RecLand Realty, discuss problems and solutions on LandThink.com, 8/10/21. About 4 minutes.

(08/16/21) "With stumpage prices seemingly stuck at historically low levels, many southern timberland owners are asking the obvious question: Why continue growing timber at all?" Joe Clark discusses opportunities in his 7/26/21 blog: Creative Markets & Opportunities for Southern Timberland Owners.

(08/13/21) "The U.S. is the largest lumber market in the world and is very dependent on imported lumber. Imports have consistently accounted for about 30% of consumption over the past 10 years." Source: Global Lumber Supply to Shift, building-products.com, 8/10/21.

(08/11/21) Online Master of Forest Business & Investment Degree is now being offered by Auburn University. Collaboratively taught with Auburn University’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business and the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, "this non-thesis master’s program enables non-traditional students in Alabama and beyond to conveniently acquire these specialized skills from a top-ranking university with minimal disruption to their home life and current employment."

(08/10/21) The US Sawmill: How Hardwood Lumber is Made is a 9-minute video produced by Banks Hardwoods. Since their mills are located in Michigan and Wisconsin, there will be references to cold weather, otherwise the lumber making technology is similar to that used in Alabama and the South. Hardwood lumber is in demand and hardwood stumpage prices have been very good in Alabama for the past several years. Hardwood pulpwood and oak sawtimber prices reported by TimberMart-South, 2Q21, can be found in the top left corner of page 2 of AFOA's July newsletter, Capital Ideas.

(08/09/21) Preppers - a never-ending variety, from being self-sufficient, 'Preppers' Quietly Stock Up For The 'Perfect Storm', Zero Hedge, 8/6/21, to "looking for a hedge if things get bad," Weathering A Social Storm…In Style, Forbes, 7/30/21.

(08/06/21) Your Final Harvest is Complete: So, What's Next? Tom Brant from Clemson University answers some frequently asked questions. For most forest owners in the South, the automatic answer of the past has been to plant pines, but many of us are thinking twice before giving all our land to Mr. Pine. We may let Mr. Oak climb a little further up the hills than in the past. See: Managing Stands of Mixed Pine & Hardwoods, John Willis. See also: Managing for Quality Hardwoods, Callie Schweitzer.

(08/05/21) "Firefighters in France are using a balloon to spot forest fires as soon as they start," reports Euronews, 8/2/21. A camera mounted on a tethered balloon almost 2,000 feet in the air "that can automatically detect fires within minutes of them starting and alert nearby firefighters"  is being tested in the French city of Marseilles.

(08/04/21) 12 Steps for Building a Bridge: NWOA's Wednesday Woodland Word, 8/4/21, featured a story from MyFarmLife.com on building a simple wood bridge for ATVs, wheel barrows and lawn mowers. Detailed plans are provided.

(08/03/21) Why the Middle Class Should Start Paying Attention to the Death Tax. Currently, estates valued at less than $11.58 million are exempt from the death tax in the US tax code. That may soon change. Source: Foundation for Economic Education, 7/28/21. See also: New CTUP Study: Biden’s Double Death Tax Destroys Up to a Million Jobs, Costs the Economy $10,000 Per Household. Source: Committee to Unleash Prosperity, 7/27/21.

(08/02/21) So,... you don't like the vaccination or mask rules in your part of the world. We wonder what you'd think about the forcible conscription - press-ganging - of civilians to fight forest fires, as was done in British Columbia as recently as the '60s. Read: How the government can still forcibly conscript you to fight forest fires, National Post, 7/22/21.

(07/30/21) Feral Hog Traps: Even if you don't have feral hogs on your property, we think watching these videos will hold your attention. Cell phone triggered trap. Pig Brig trap (net) (read the comments under the video). Also, for information on the Alabama Feral Swine Control Program, click here and here.

(07/29/21) In a recent episode of the National Deer Association's Deer Season 365 podcast, Brian Grossman talked with Mark Olis of Moultrie Mobile about the benefits of cellular trail-cameras, some tips for getting maximum performance from your cellular trail cams, as well as some trail-camera strategy. Mark also discusses some of the very cool new features of the Moultrie Mobile app. Scroll to about the 25 minute mark in the podcast to focus on the cellular connected cameras and the mobile app.

(07/28/21) Timber Market Update: Forest Management Specialists sent us a fairly optimistic timber market update today. If you think it might be time for you to put some of your timber up for sale, find a consulting forester who seeks work in your county at www.ForesterSearch.com. Forest Management Specialists' contact information is included on the search website here.

(07/27/21) The native common elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is "high in antioxidents, vitamin C, vitamin A, bioflavonoids, beta carotene, iron, phosphorus and potassium. Although long used medicinally and in many other ways by Native Americans and rural dwellers, there is a renewed interest in its use as an antiviral and anti-inflammatory agent." Source: Alabama Gardener by Lois Chaplin, Neighbors, July 2021.

(07/26/21) If you have coal on your land, don't give up hope. “Coal prices have climbed to their highest level in a decade, making the fuel a hot commodity in a year when governments are pledging reductions in carbon emissions…. Prices for thermal coal—which power plants burn to boil water into steam, spin turbines and generate electricity—have more than doubled over the past year as a result." Source: The Wall Street Journal as quoted by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity (CTUP), 7/13/21. Subscribe to free CTUP daily news commentary here.

(07/23/21) "Ozark Forest Mushrooms harvests between 100 and 500 pounds of mushrooms a week year-round, and drives them to St. Louis where they are sold wholesale to restaurants and specialty grocery stores for $10 a pound and for a couple of bucks more at farmers markets." Source: St. Louis Public Radio, 7/19/21.

(07/22/21) Forest and small business owner, Allen McBride, describes business survival skills needed in era of increasing taxes. Source: National Federation of Independent Business, 6/21/21. You may have crossed through McBride's Camp Mac if you've ever driven the windy road from Talladega heading up the mountain to Cheaha State Park.

(07/21/21) Trail cameras have been banned in Arizona. Read an article from an Arkansas perspective, Arizona trail cam ban cautionary tale for Arkansas, and listen to a podcast, The Politics of Trail Cameras, from CFACT with Gabriella Hoffman and Trent Marsh. Slide to minute 22:47 to 31:07. "Besides Arizona, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and Nevada restrict the use of trail cameras during hunting season." These stories are hard to believe.

(07/20/21) Do you need help controlling beavers or coyotes or some other animal pest on your land? Read more about Nuisance Animal Control on the Alabama Conservation Department website. Click here for a list of nuisance animal control experts on Alabama Trappers and Predator Control Association website. List on ADCNR website.

(07/19/21) Absentee Landowners: Spot canopy changes on your land when trees have been removed (new roads, timber harvesting - theft? sale?, new greenfields, etc.). HuntStand Pro now provides a monthly satellite imagery update which can alert you to timber theft and other canopy change surprises. Open https://huntstand.com/pro/ and scroll down to "Monthly Satellite Imagery." While we would like the imagery to be sharper, this new service is a huge first step towards obtaining real-time information about your land. AFOA members receive a 20% discount when purchasing from a desktop or a laptop. Discount code: AFOA20.

(07/16/21) The National Rifle Association may have dropped their support for the Biden administration's 30 x 30 program, and, if so, we commend them for it. See 7/8/21, below. Yesterday AFOA received the following message from American Stewards of Liberty.

     We just had a call from one of our readers who had called NRA to cancel her membership because they support 30 x 30. Whomever she talked to said that is not their position.
     We checked the link to their statement, which is now missing. Here is the original link. You now see a "Sorry, the requested page is not available." https://www.nrahlf.org/articles/2021/6/24/nra-joins-hunt-fish-30x30-to-conserve-30-of-lands-and-waters-by-2030/
     However, the "Hunt & Fish 30 x 30" document still lists the NRA Hunters Leadership Forum and NRA Institute for Legislative Action as supporting the effort. [scroll down for list of supporters; AFOA has a copy of this webpage in case it should be deleted in the future]
     So, it appears they have changed their position, which is a huge win for landowners.
     Thanks for your help on this.

(07/15/21) Morgan Stanley answers questions about the Biden Tax Proposal.

1. Will my federal income and capital-gains tax rates change?
2. What is the proposed change to federal capital-gains taxes on inherited assets?
3. Would the proposed reforms limit how much wealth I can give away free of federal estate and gift taxes?

(07/14/21) Solar Farm in Butler County: For those of you who worry that Alabama might be following Texas into a brown-out phase of power generation, this AL.com article, Alabama Power receives approval for Butler County solar facility, might give pause for thought. At the level of technology we are at today with batteries and solar collectors, we suspect that the land area that will be dedicated to solar power production could produce a lot more usable energy if it were used to grow fuel wood, constantly and forever (even though fuel wood would likely not be the best forest product that could be produced on the land). And … the electricity generated from fuel wood could be produced 24/7/365 with technology that exists today. Just sayin'.

(07/13/21) We were surprised when we added up the number of AFOA members who bought the Huntstand Pro map sharing and property owners app using AFOA's 20 percent discount. Less than 2 dozen of you are on the list. We know people who bought the app using their smartphone or tablet, and suspect they didn't receive the discount because that method of purchase doesn't allow the buyer to give the discount code, AFOA20 (all caps). We suggest you buy it from your desktop or laptop computer, since you will then have the opportunity to input the discount code. Read more about the app.

(07/12/21) Is there a difference? We're not lawyers, so there are probably a million legal reasons why it's OK for a game warden to enter private property without the owner's permission, but now, after a U.S. Supreme Court decision, it's not OK for union organizers to enter a private workplace without the owner's permission. Source: Supreme Court Upholds Landowner's Right to Exclude, Liberty Matters News Service, 7/6/21. Be sure to see Pacific Legal Foundation's report. Also read related story below.

(07/09/21) During a recent Carbon Program for Hardwood Landowners webinar on June 15, 2021, a number of questions were posted for future follow-up. The questions and answers are available here. Source: Wednesday Woodland Word, 7/7/21.

(07/08/21) The National Rifle Association has put itself on record as being in support of the Biden administration's 30 x 30 program, according to Liberty Matters News Service, 7/6/21. About 10 years ago the NRA supported using state funds to purchase hunting land in Alabama. Would it be fair to suspect that the leadership of the NRA, both in Alabama and at the National level, lack faith in the ability of private landowners and the free market system to provide their members with hunting opportunities? See Gov. Ivey's reaction to 30 x 30.

(07/07/21) "Almost nobody wants to raise the estate tax," especially when they take into consideration that an increase might cause job losses. Source: Kudlow, Fox Business News, 7/6/21. See graphs, Capital Gains Tax at 5:34, and Estate Tax at 6:24. Video is 9 minutes long.

(07/06/21) Labor Shortage Impacting Timber Sales and Harvesting: A few quotes from F&W Market Update, 7/1/21:
  o   "...because of the trucking shortage, they’re looking close in harder than ever..."
  o   "...logging shortage, trucking shortage, and related labor shortages are impacting..."
  o   "...reluctant to strongly pursue timber sales in many situations..."
  o   "...not sawing what they could due to a lack of personnel."

(07/02/21) "I have absolutely no idea whether our tax returns and our tax payments are accurate," wrote Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to the IRS on April 15, 2014. Rumsfeld died Wednesday at the age of 83.

(07/01/21) Be careful if you're planning to celebrate the Fourth by shooting tracer ammunition or incendiary rounds. "Those will cause fire almost every time if they land in receptive fuels. And sometimes people use exploding targets. These are made of ammonium nitrate and aluminum powder and they blow up when hit by a bullet." We lifted these comments from a dry Utah radio station (KUER 90.1), so you probably won't cause a wildfire in wet Alabama... but it could happen. Be careful.

(06/30/21) Forest Economist Jack Lutz discusses the Southern Timberland Index in this quarter's Forest Research Notes. The Southern Timberland Index "allows timberland owners in the South to estimate how the value of their timberland is performing compared to an average southern timberland property." In the discussion he mentions the NCREIF Timberland Index (NCREIF = National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries), and he refers to an earlier report in 2016 on the Southern Timberland Index.

(06/29/21) Have you taken on debt to invest? We suspect that most forest owners won't find themselves in too much trouble here, but you may have family members who need your advice. View graph here ("Gen Z and Millennials—just one bear market away from bankruptcy") from Powerline Blog, The Geek in Pictures: Summer Solstice Edition, 6/24/21. Scroll down to the 15th graph/chart.

(06/28/21) Southern Pine Beetles -- and other insects and diseases -- are mapped by the Alabama Forestry Commission. Rangers crisscross each county in light aircraft marking beetle infestations on a map. Beetle monitoring flights will begin soon. Infestations will be posted on the AFC website at this link: Insect and Disease Map. Zoom in to see exact locations. Satellite imagery layers are available in the menus. Check back about once a week for updates.

(06/25/21) "...you even want to buy rural land in front of major demographic moves in the US..." Source: Hayman Capital's Kyle Bass on CNBC's Closing Bell, as quoted by Zero Hedge, 6/25/21.

(06/24/21) Is Fed Bringing About Another Housing Bubble? In an online analysis, CNN (6/19, Egan) said that even with home prices that are climbing at the quickest “pace on record, the Federal Reserve continues to prop up the housing market by purchasing $40 billion of mortgage bonds each month.” Though the Fed was at last “‘talking about talking about’ removing some of its support, some fear the US central bank is creating another housing bubble as it deliberates.” CNN added, “That’s because the Fed’s emergency strategy is artificially lowering the cost of mortgages, and further boosting prices that already looked stretched in many markets.” Source: NFIB Small Business Weekly, 6/22/21.

(06/22/21) Wood pellet industry not causing overharvest of our forestland. "The growth of the forest products industry, including the wood pellet sector, continues to create new demand for biomass, which has resulted in an increase, rather than a reduction, in forest inventory. In other words, healthy demand is driving reforestation, not deforestation across the US South." Read more: New Markets for Wood Products Help Preserve Forests for Future Generations by Larry Sullivan, F2M Blog, 6/21/21.

(06/21/21) Common insect pests of trees in Tennessee (and Alabama, too, sometimes) is the topic covered by Dr. David Mercker in this recent episode of Back Porch Forestry. Tree Insects: Something Old Something New.

(06/18/21) The June 2021 issue of Mississippi State's The Overstory newsletter contains a Timber Price Report that may be interesting to AFOA members with land in west Alabama and Mississippi. Oak sawtimber: $39.38 per ton.

(06/17/21) "How to Make Oak Trees Produce More Acorns for Deer. It's Not What You Might Think." Source: National Deer Association Video with Lindsay Thomas, Jr. About 3 minutes.

(06/16/21) A Hunter's Perspective: Forest owners who allow hunters to hunt on their land may find it useful to learn what a hunter thinks is important to discuss with non-hunters. Read What I Learned From Talking to Non-Hunters by Zack Vucurevich, National Deer Association, 6/9/21.

(06/15/21) GIFT TAX: "In 2021, you can give any amount up to $15,000 per person per year with no gift tax liability. However, gifts exceeding that amount are counted against a gift tax exemption of $11,700,000 and are subject to gift tax." Source: DeLoach, Barber & Caspers, P.C. Newsletter, June 2021.

(06/14/21) INFLATION! Focusing on the Consumer Price Index (an indicator of inflation), our sarcastic and cynical friend at PowerLine Blog, Steven Hayward, said this on June 10: "With today’s bad inflation number, here’s what the trend looks like — but not to worry, I’m sure it’s nothing, and I’m sure the Biden Administration and the Fed are on it."

AFOA's question to forest owners: Is this a good time to be invested in productive timberland, gold, Bitcoin, stocks, or cash under the mattress?

(06/11/21) Buy, Borrow, Die: "Using that strategy, wealthy households purchase assets that appreciate (increase in value), and then borrow money against their assets to consume their wealth without paying tax. When the household passes away, the assets with unrealized gains escape taxation due to step-up in basis, which removes the unrealized gain and associated tax liability for the heirs." Source: Taxing Consumption Progressively Is a Better Way to Tax the Wealthy, Tax Foundation, 6/8/21. Editor's request: If you can describe a "Buy, Borrow, Die" scenario that has actually worked for you or a client, please send a note to RLL@AFOA.org. See also: Tax Planning 101: Buy, Borrow, Die.

(06/10/21) Black Walnut management videos (free) and a book ($15) are available from the Walnut Council. The video topics include pruning, thinning, soils & sites, and markets. The book is Black Walnut: The History, Use and Unrealized Potential of a Unique American Renewable Resource by Walnut Council member Bob Chenoweth.

(06/09/21) "The Associated Press (AP) ... recently published [an article] largely critical of the wood pellet industry. Sadly, [The AP did] not provide a full-spectrum view of the forest supply chain or the environmental benefits of sustainably managed forest resources." Read more: Inaccurate Portrayals of Forestry & Wood Biomass Persist by Larry Sullivan, F2M Blog, 6/9/21.

(06/08/21) If Alabama state employee and teacher pensions are underfunded because of lack of legislative support or because of poor investment strategies, where do you think lawmakers will look for funds when the money runs out? The Tax Foundation recently asked the question, "How Well-Funded Are Pension Plans in Your State?" Alabama's state pensions are not in as bad a condition as New Jersey's (only 36% funded) and not as good as South Dakota's (99% funded). Did we hear someone say "Property Taxes"?

(06/07/21) CBS News reported from Vestavia Hills, Alabama on the high lumber prices and their effect on new home costs. The reporter failed to report on low stumpage rates -- the amounts paid to landowners for their trees.

(06/04/21) "Since COVID-19 struck in the early days of March 2020, the number of people swapping city life for country living has risen. According to the April LandThink Pulse results, 77.6% of respondents believe that the migration of people from big cities and metropolitan areas to rural locations will continue post-pandemic." Source: LandThink.com, 5/18/21. Editor's note: I suspect that the majority of respondents to the survey were rural real estate agents. Just a guess. Someone will probably set me straight soon.

(06/03/21) The Hurricane Michael [and Lee County tornadoes] Block Grant will provide $10 million in financial relief to qualifying non-industrial private forest landowners of Alabama with a one-time payment. Eligible citizens must own timber in the following counties: Barbour, Bullock, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lee, Montgomery, Pike, or Russell. Read Alabama Forestry Commission Press Release and Eligibility Requirements and Sign-Up Procedure.

(06/02/21) The Biden administration wants to impose capital gains taxes on the growth in value of estates "when assets transfer ownership at death." They would do this by repealing the step-up in basis that currently applies to estates. For example: Joe bought 400 acres of forestland at $50 per acre back in 1970. Joe dies in 2021 after the capital gains tax rate is raised to 43.4 percent and step-up in basis is repealed.  He leaves the land, now worth $3,000 per acre, to his daughter. He had no other assets. The estate must pay 43.4 percent of the $1,180,000 capital gain ($1,200,000 minus $20,000) resulting in a tax lien on the estate of $512,120. The land, or at least the timber, may have to be sold to pay the tax. Fortunately for forest landowners, we are not facing this dilemma alone. Small business owners face similar and maybe even worse situations. Read: Over 120 Associations Join Coalition to Support Continuation of Stepped-up Basis, NFIB, 5/25/21. Editor's note: We are not tax advisors, just speculators. Read more on Stepped-up Basis and Family Forests by Tom Straka.

(06/01/21) After reading an interesting story about wooden toothpicks, A tiny Maine town was once the 'toothpick capital of the world', Bangor Daily News, 5/24/21, we learned that some toothpicks are still being made in the U.S., Penley, for example. Editor's note: You may see some rather aggressive and deceiving ads from Penley's Chinese competitors when reading these stories. Or have we been deceived?

(05/28/21) Simply Southern TV Episode 708 features the Learn and Burn program. Learn and Burn events are a great way to be introduced to prescribed burning. Attendees are given hands-on opportunities to set back fires and try out some of the tools used by prescribed burners. Lee and Eyvon from AFOA's office participated a couple of years ago and thought it was a great experience.

(05/27/21) Northern Woodlands shared a refreshing forestry family story today. We think you will enjoy meeting Mary Hull: at Home and at Work in the Woods.

(05/26/21) Wild Turkeys: An Alabama Extension System recorded webinar, Wild Turkey Mortality: Populations, Predators, & Disease, and a South Carolina DNR research report, Collaborative Research on the Future of Wild Turkeys, both landed in AFOA's mailbox this week. We hope you find them useful.

(05/25/21) Deducting business-related vehicle expenses is one of the topics covered in DeLoach, Barber & Caspers, PC, Certified Public Accountants, May Newsletter. Depending on how you, as a forest landowner, are viewed by the IRS, you may or may not be allowed to deduct mileage or vehicle expenses. Be sure to clear it with your personal accountant before going to a lot of trouble.

(05/24/21) Forest landowners can now participate in forest carbon markets via short-term timber harvest deferral agreements (watch the May 6 Florida Land Stewardship webinar). SilviaTerra's program asks the landowner to defer harvest for one year on mature timber and pays for the costs of delaying the harvest. See Forisk's analysis, below, to estimate the cost of delaying the harvest and, thus, arriving at an estimate of the amount that should be paid by the carbon renter.

(05/21/21) "Practical, Helpful." Property Lines, Fences, & the Law is a seminar (video) presented by D. Mitchell Henry, J.D. and produced by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

(05/20/21) "'We'll get you again': Victim of timber theft warns thieves across Tennessee," reported WKRN News 2 Plus in Nashville on May 8, 2021. Landowners whose trees have been stolen in Alabama should report thefts to their local sheriff or the Alabama Law Enforcement Rural Crime Unit. Based on reports AFOA has received from landowners during past few years, don't expect much help from either of those sources.

(05/19/21) "Why Invest in Timberland? The fact that makes timberland real estate an attractive option is that trees grow physically. Moreover, past records have proved that timberland returns can be as good as those from equity investments. The added advantage is, it comes with lesser risk." Read more on The Basics of Timberland Real Estate Investing by Christian Saunders, LandThink, 5/11/21.

(05/18/21) Wouldn't it be nice ... if an Alabama law firm were to conduct a training session for landowners entitled, Tips for Navigating Property Tax Protests? It would be especially nice, if an Alabama law firm, or perhaps a loosely knit collection of firms, were to provide a low-cost service which would represent landowners who have valid property tax complaints. Watch Texas law firm Braun & Gresham's recorded Tips and give us suggestions on how we might produce a similar program for Alabama. Please give us the name of someone who could teach such a class. 

(05/17/21) "Because birds use a variety of forest types and conditions, management prescriptions intended to benefit birds can be complicated." Learn more from a new booklet: Bird Friendly Forests: Opportunities for Private Forest Owners in the Southeastern U.S.

(05/14/21) Makers Mark is working with the University of Kentucky to make sure they don't run out of quality white oak trees used to make their bourbon barrels. Source: Lexington Herald Leader, 5/10/21

(05/13/21) Do you jointly own your forestland with siblings or cousins? If yes, you may enjoy listening to From Partners by Chance to Partners by Choice: Building Trust-based Partnerships with Siblings and Cousins, a webinar produced by The Family Business Consulting Group.

(05/12/21) "West Fraser Timber Co., the world’s biggest lumber producer, plans to expand capacity at five of its lumber mills in the U.S. South. Interfor Corp. is rebuilding a sawmill in Georgia that is on track for completion by the end of 2021. Both companies expect home-building and renovation demand to continue supporting strong prices for wood products in the near future." Source: Bloomberg, 5/6/21

(05/11/21) Population Change. You may have invested in your forestland hoping one day to develop it into home sites or business lots. Others may own forestland in undeveloped areas of the state and hope no one will ever move to their neck of the woods. Whichever hat you wear, you will likely find interesting AL.com's May 8, 2021 article, Alabama's fastest growing and fastest shrinking counties from 2019 to 2020. 

(05/10/21) Brooks Mendell, forest industry analyst, sheds light on "voluntary short-term 'rental' program" in Break-Even Analysis for Forest Carbon Contracts. So, if you delay harvest on one acre for one year in order to rent its carbon, you'll lose about $10 (see graph). Therefore, you should rent the carbon for at least $10. Easy-peasy.

(05/07/21) If you have an interest in gopher tortoises, we think you will find this 4-minute video interesting: How Foresters Protect Gopher Tortoise Burrows. We thought Rayonier's idea of leaving high stumps to mark burrows a useful heads-up tool (scroll to about 2:05 if you're in a hurry).

(05/06/21) "Few Specifics" offered on whose land will be taken when the 30 by 30 plan is activated. Would it be wrong to guess that targeted lands will be near national forests like the Bankhead or Talladega, or near federal wildlife refuges like the Cahaba River or the Eufaula? Read Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful (Cached Copy), commentary in The Washington Post, 5/6/21: A narrow path for Biden's ambitious land conservation plan, and a DOI News Release: Biden-Harris Administration Outlines "America the Beautiful" Initiative.

(05/05/21) Roots and Branches -- Tree growth characteristics are discussed in a new "Back Porch Forestry" by Dr. David Mercker, University of Tennessee. He has also recently published Firewood Harvesting as a Forest Management Tool. Click here for the entire collection of Back Porch Forestry.

(05/04/21) A time lapse of Google Earth aerial images of Alabama "shows something special: forests as a renewable resource. Large tracts of land turn brown immediately after harvest, but just as quickly re-green as the forest grows back. Active forest management helps maintain forests as a sustainable industry. Click here to see 35 years of sustainable forestry in 10 seconds!" Source: National Association of State Foresters Weekly Newsletter, 4/23/21.

(05/03/21) F&W Market Update reported Friday that in Florida many sawmills will no longer take sawlogs larger than 18 inches in diameter at the butt. The Update also reported that fire "devastated the East Alabama Lumber Company sawmill on April 22.

(04/30/21) If you're thinking about harvesting timber on your land, you need to find out what some of the experts are telling the loggers. Timber Harvesting Guidelines for Forestry Best Management Practices by Richard Cristan and Carey Potter is full of information that will help you and your forester spell out your requirements for maintaining clean water on your land. A PDF version is available as well as a link to Alabama's Best Management Practices for Forestry. Assistant Professor Cristan assisted with the demonstration of the portable sawmill at our Annual Meeting at the 4-H Center.

(04/29/21) "Property taxes are generally the most hated of all taxes," wrote Jonathan Williams in The Heartland Property-Tax Rebellion, National Review, 4/26/21. While property taxes have been reasonable in Alabama, appraisals of forestland are frequently inconsistent between counties and even within counties. We think you will find Williams' discussion interesting.

(04/28/21) Fence It Right The First Time: Adverse Possession in Alabama by John Allen Nichols, Neighbors, April 2021.

(04/26/21) "As a forest landowner, one of the most important questions you must answer is when to conduct a harvest. How you make that decision can involve several factors specific to your circumstances and objectives." Read more from Cut or Wait Decision-Making for Landowners by Shaun Tanger, Mississippi State University.

(04/23/21) "Biden Eyeing Tax Rate as High as 43.4% in Next Economic Package." Source: Bloomberg, 4/22/21. Read commentary on the proposed increase from Daniel J. Mitchell, 4/23/21, here. Editor's Note: Of course, most forest owners won't make million dollar timber sales, but we suspect the proposed rate changes will reach down to affect many more than a few at the top.

(04/22/21) Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a letter yesterday with 14 other governors objecting to policies that would increase federal ownership and/or control of land.  "Fifteen Governors signed a joint letter notifying President Biden that section 216 of the Climate Crisis Executive Order (14008), to conserve 30 percent of America’s lands by 2030, 'infringes on the sovereignty of the states and rights of the citizens.'" Source: Liberty Matters News Service, 4/21/21.

(04/21/21) "Tight Supplies and Higher Prices for Softwood Lumber Has China Looking at Alternative Solutions," reports Forest Economic Advisors (FEA), 4/20/21. The last sentence in FEA's brief International Markets article reads: "There are several solutions emerging in China, and one of the most practical options is using imported softwood logs to produce lumber products by Chinese domestic sawmills."

(04/20/21) "A FEW SPOTS AVAILABLE." "Live Fire Event." "Interactive Field Day in Walker County." The Alabama Forestry Foundation and Tree Farm are doing a Learn and Burn Live Fire Event in Walker County one day during the week of April 26-30.

(04/19/21) In a recent study published in the journal Forests, John Willis, US Forest Service Researcher and his colleagues discuss mixed stands as a reasonable alternative to pine plantations or exclusively managing for hardwoods. Source: CompassLive, 3/30/21. Listen to Willis when he spoke to AFOA on Mixed Pine & Hardwood Management on April 27, 2019 in Atmore.

(04/16/21) Awaiting Governor's signature, according to ALFA's Capitol Connection, 4/16/21:

• Police Jurisdiction Bill Passes House, Goes to Governor

• Feral Hog, Coyote Night Hunting Bill Awaits Governor Signature

(04/15/21) Attorney Banks Ladd is offering several Estate Planning Workshops next week. He plans to cover the following topics:
  o   How to protect your belongings against your kid’s debts, divorce, or disability.
  o   How to maximize the inheritance you leave to your children.
  o   How to protect your belongings if your spouse remarries.
  o   How to plan with blended families.
  o   How to understand the difference between a will and a trust.
  o   How to avoid the expenses and delays of probate.
​  o   How to keep your affairs private.

(04/14/21) Controlling Feral Pigs is on the top of many landowners' ToDo lists. If you want to see demos of trapping devices (some old-school, some high-tech), plan to visit with Mark Smith, Extension Specialist and Auburn University Professor, between 1:30 and 4:30 on April 17 - this Saturday - at AFOA's Annual Meeting at the Alabama 4-H Center, a few miles east of Columbiana in Shelby County.

(04/13/21) "We're still enjoying a booming morel season and we have plenty of time to keep finding those." If you don't know where to look for morel mushrooms or how to cook them once found, you may want to join the Alabama Mushroom Society - $20 per year. Their address is way down at the bottom of the April newsletter, a little ways below a recipe for Morel Cream Sauce - mmmm.

(04/12/21) Editor's Note: I can't think of many things that are more disturbing of a quiet day in the woods than to have a dog hunting group (hunting for deer) drop off their dogs on a road a mile or two east your property and then block the road along side of your property while they wait to get a shot at a fleeing buck.
That said, an AFOA member wrote today, "The Senate has passed out of committee Senate Bill 381 doing away with bans for dog deer hunting in Alabama. Please make forest owners aware that we may lose our property rights should this bill pass." Read more from Alabama Political Reporter, 4/9/21. Find your Senator.

(04/09/21) Hardwood Silviculturist and American Chestnut Expert Stacy Clark has produced two excellent short videos on work being done to restore the American Chestnut to our forests. Part 1 -  Introduction (9 minutes 44 seconds) and Part 2 - Science in Action (10 minutes 15 seconds).

(04/08/21) Drones with "dragon eggs" are being used to start prescribed burns in Virginia. Make plans now to see how it's done by attending AFOA's Annual Meeting on April 17. The Alabama Forestry Commission's Kelvin Daniels will demonstrate the drone technology similar to that used in Virginia at the 4-H Center in Shelby County. Register online here or by mail and check here.

(04/07/21) CURB APPEAL: "When the time comes to sell your land, you can maximize your return by making a few simple land improvements, as Pat Porter, broker at RecLand Realty explains. Curb appeal is a term that is usually associated with the general attractiveness of a house, but the concept can also be applied to land." Source: LandThink, 3/30/21

(04/06/21) Brown Gold falls from longleaf pine trees, says The Washington Post, 3/31/21, "generating an estimated $200 million in annual sales across the Southeast." Pine straw harvesting will be featured at AFOA's Annual Meeting on April 17. David Sherer, Sherer Straw Supply, and Zachery Hind, MTE Pine Straw will describe Sherer's straw marketing business and MTE's straw harvesting system on Saturday afternoon, April 17 at the 4-H Center in Shelby County. Register online here or by mail and check here.

(04/05/21) National Association of Home Builders wants cheaper lumber, so they are asking federal officials to increase the supply of domestic timber. One wonders how a big organization like NAHB can know so little about their supply chain that they think cheaper stumpage will somehow improve the supply of lumber. Got a problem? Call Uncle Sam to fix it. Sad day. Read more here and here.

(04/02/21) "Just last week I was reading about a western Massachusetts solar project that’s enormous, that’s going to clear forest, and the town can get 450 thousand dollars in tax revenue by allowing it to occur. That’s pretty tempting for some rural towns." Read more from interesting discussion of pros and cons of solar farms, ecoRInews, 3/24/21.

(04/01/21) The Emmett F. Thompson Endowed Deanship was established last week at the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. Dr. Thompson is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Alabama Forest Owners' Association (AFOA) and past Chairman of AFOA's Consulting Forester Scholarship Committee. Read more about the scholarship program below.

(03/30/21) A recent attack by NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education on private investment advisor, Suze Orman, whose message "is basic financial common sense combined with some discipline," should probably worry all investors, including those who own forestland. Read more on PowerLine Blog, Steven Hayward, 3/29/21.

(03/29/21) "Introduction to Handguns" courses scheduled this spring. "As firearms sales continue to set records, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division’s Law Enforcement Section recognized a demand in basic training for handgun safety and use. Eight million new gun owners were created in 2020 alone."

(03/26/21) Forestry Extension Specialist Becky Barlow talks about her work at Auburn's School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences (starts at 2:34), Alabama Farmers Federation's Preston Roberts describes his efforts to rein in regulatory activities of cities outside their city limits (SB107) (starts at 17:27) on The Land Show Episode 280. Becky will speak to forest owners at AFOA's Annual Meeting on April 17.

(03/23/21) "Tax Tips for Timberland Owners: Maximizing Your Deductions" is the headline for today's Forest2Market Blog.

(03/22/21) Should forest owners be allowed to conduct prescribed burns on their land? What about harvesting timber? That discussion is going on right now in Florida as landowners tell why active forest management is good for the state's economy and environment. Lynetta Usher Griner in The Gainesville Sun, 3/17/21. Jim Karels in Florida Politics, 3/17/21. (04/29/21) Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 88 this morning.

(03/19/21) Mass Timber is a semiannual publication of The Architect's Newspaper. We think you will enjoy the photos in the Winter 2021 edition demonstrating the numerous ways architects are putting wood to work. Enjoy.

(03/18/21) The cost of a 3D-printed concrete home reported to be competitive with the cost of a stick-built home in New York. What might happen to our stumpage market if interest in the new technology were to catch on across the country? Might high lumber costs push builders in this direction?

(03/17/21) The completion of Westervelt Lumber’s Thomasville, Alabama, mill was celebrated on Friday, March 5. The first load of lumber left the facility, purchased by Great Southern Wood Preserving. Second shift to start up in second quarter of this year.

(03/16/21) Back Porch Forestry's creator David Mercker, University of Tennessee, has been busy this winter. He has released 5 new training programs for forest landowners. They are Forest Measurement - Part 1, Forest Measurement - Part 2, Forest Measurement - Part 3, Options for Treating Degraded Hardwood Stands, and Hardwood Log Defects. See a menu of all Back Porch Forestry episodes here.

(03/15/21) Workaround to mitigate some of the adverse tax effects on timber investors arising from 2017 tax law changes is described by University of Georgia's Dr. Yanshu Li. If your tax advisor treats your forestland activities as an investment, you may want to forward Dr. Li's short explanation to him.

(03/12/21) Red Bugs! Chiggers! It's about to be that time of the year again. David Strickland wrote about the pests in the March 2021 issue of Great Days Outdoors magazine, Chigger Bites: How to Prevent, Identify, and Treat (turn to page 20). Editor's note: Last spring we learned (in May), to our discomfort, that our permethrin treated clothing did not prevent chigger bites, so we added Deep Woods Off to our armor (in June). End of problem.

(03/11/21) Should a city have the right to condemn your property to create a biking or hiking trail? Senate Bill 105, sponsored by Senator Tom Whatley, would prevent that from happening. Read the Alabama Forestry Association's Legislative Alert.

(03/10/21) "Caution Urged with All Burning," reported the Alabama Forestry Commission on March 8. WSFA12 (Central Alabama) and WKRG5 (South Alabama) reported on numerous wildfires in the the state. If you do plan to burn in or near your forestland, burn permit information from the AFC is available here.

(03/09/21) Easements, Agreements, Contracts and Emails. Braun & Gresham's Landowner Newsletter today contains an interesting discussion on the legality of agreements made only by email. Scroll down to Easement Contract Considerations.

(03/08/21) “At 3:30 a.m., with such dignity as I can muster of a July morning, I step from my cabin door, bearing in either hand my emblems of sovereignty, a coffee pot and notebook. I seat myself on a bench, facing the white wake of the morning star. I set the pot beside me. I extract a cup from my shirt front, hoping none will notice its informal mode of transport. I get out my watch, pour coffee, and lay notebook on knee.” - Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac. For bench building plans, click here. Topic idea source: Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association, 3/8/21.

(03/05/21) When we purchased this land, never in my wildest dreams did I think we would spend such a high percentage of our income on gravel and (my husband’s) time on road maintenance. We are in fact, the “road crew.” Read more from Virginia Forest Landowner e-Update (March 2021), including five linked publications on road building and maintenance.

(03/04/21) Earlier this week, we've been told, Case Western School of Law hosted a seminar entitled: Wildlife as Property Owners: A New Conception of Animal Rights. The speaker was Karen Bradshaw, an Arizona State University Professor of Law. Reading material here.

(03/03/21) Weyerhaeuser will acquire 69,200 acres of "high-quality" timberlands from Soterra in southwest Alabama for $149 million ($2,153 per acre). Highlights from Weyco's press release included:
o   Fee simple ownership
o   Excellent operability
o   Well-stocked timber inventory (76-percent in plantation average age 14)

(03/02/21) Municipal Planning & Police Jurisdictions which reach outside of city limits (SB107) and a Broadband Authority bill (SB215) were discussed by Preston Roberts, Alabama Farmers Federation, in a brief video. About 4 minutes.

(03/01/21) "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!" No, that's not what the south Alabama landowner said when filing a lawsuit last week against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service over their designation of critical habitat for the "endangered" black pinesnake, but the thought may have been hovering in the air nearby. Read the 35 page lawsuit.

(02/26/21) MARKETS: "Lumber Prices Are Soaring. Why Are Tree Growers Miserable? Sawmill operators harvest gains while Southern landowners struggle with tree surplus; 'I'm not making anything.'" Source: The Wall Street Journal, February 24, 2021. Cached version if you have trouble opening the WSJ.

(02/25/21) "Abnormally high amounts of rainfall we have seen over the last few months in the South have caused stumpage prices to surge in some pockets and based on the continued wet weather predictions, these prices will not reverse anytime soon." Read more at Forest2Market Blog by Mike Powell, 2/25/21.

(02/24/21) Two new webinars that you might find interesting are Getting Started Managing Your Land and The Digital Toolbox for the Woodland Owner: There's an app for that! We have not watched either of these webinars, so would very much appreciate a note to tell us if they were useful to you, or not. Thanks. RLL@AFOA.org.

(02/23/21) Use extra caution when using an electric chainsaw -- even when wearing safety chaps. Video - about 3 1/2 minutes.

(02/22/21) Advances in herbicide technology for pine management with Pat Minogue, Associate Professor of Silviculture at the University of Florida, is the follow-up workshop that Vegetation Management Primer (see below, 2/16/21) prepped you for last week. Starts at about 2:10; about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

(02/19/21) The new Northern Logger App is free and contains information you might find useful, such as "log volume rules, timber volumes, woody biomass tons per acre, lumber tallies, culvert sizing, gravel requirements and a retirement planning calculator." An introductory webinar is on line, but we had trouble viewing it. Let us know if you find the App useful. Thanks.

(02/18/21) Nature Trail Development on Small Acreages is a 36 page booklet published online by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. This is a good time of the year to plan a trail, since visibility in the woods is better now.

(02/17/21) The Overstory is Mississippi State University Extension's newsletter for forest landowners. Topics from the September 2020 issue included: Mississippi Timber Price Report, Successful Hardwood Plantings, and Can a Change in Pine Planting Strategies Provide for a Better Fit for a Changing Market? Past issues archived here. A new issue will be published in March.

(02/16/21) Controlling competition so your planted trees are free to grow, reducing fire hazards, maintaining roads and trails, reclaiming land taken over by kudzu or cogongrass -- these are few of the reasons we can think of that might encourage you to use herbicides (weed killers) on your property. Florida Extension Agent Chris Demers narrates Vegetation Management Primer: Why Use Herbicides? Starts at about 2:06; about 40+ minutes.

(02/15/21) IRS FORM T: "The purpose of IRS Form T is to provide information on timber accounts for your records and to be filed with your tax return when required. If your timber is held as an investment, not as part of a business, you are not required to file IRS Form T. This will be the case if you only make an occasional sale of timber (one or two sales every 3 or 4 years). You are, however, required to maintain records which, at a minimum, provide the information included on Form T. It is recommended that you complete the applicable Parts of Form T even if you are not required to file it with your return for the current tax year. The completed form should be maintained in your records." Source: Wednesday Woodland Word, 2/10/21.

(02/12/21) Freeze Injury Alert -- If you have seedlings on hand waiting to be planted, this message from the Southern Nursery Management Cooperative is for you.

(02/11/21) In an attempt to undo restrictions on expansive federal land purchases, 90 members of Congress sent a letter yesterday to the U.S. Department of the Interior. One AFOA member wrote: "If your Representative signed, you may consider giving him/her 'therapy,' as the late great Chuck Cushman said." We did not see anyone from Alabama on the list.

(02/10/21) Take a walk across Alabama with the winners of the Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest.

(02/09/21) Chinese Tallow or Popcorn Tree. If that tree has become a pest on your land, you might want to weigh in on the proposed release of two insects (a beetle and a moth) that could be used to control the tree's spread. The U.S. Department of Agriculture would like your comments before February 22.

(02/08/21) Forest products company stocks up. Raymond James today raised the target for PotlatchDeltic Corporation to $61 per share (it was $50.33 at the time of the notice). They did the same on 2/1/21 for Weyerhaeuser: Target to $37 per share (it was $32.04 at the time of the notice). Source: Raymond James Client Reports.

(02/05/21) LandThink: "When searching rural land for sale, which social media platform are you most likely to use?" Of course, we would be remiss if we didn't tell you to check out AFOA's www.ForestLand.bz.

(02/04/21) Legacy Planning: A Guide for Virginia Landowners is a new book published by Virginia Tech Extension Service. The 56-page book is available on line, but hard copies may be available - perhaps for a grandparent who is not comfortable with online publications. Check with Jennifer Gagnon, Coordinator, Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program - jgagnon@vt.edu.

(02/03/21) An Estate Planning Basics webinar for landowners was presented by Texas attorney Margaret Menicucci, Braun & Gresham, on January 26th, 2021. "This webinar highlights the 3 common challenges landowners face: protection against exploitation, leaving a legacy, and keeping up with changes in the law. It also identifies basic estate planning documents you should consider when meeting with an advisor." About 14 minutes.

(02/02/21) How much does it cost to plant an acre of loblolly pines? How much does it cost to prescribe burn 40 acres? How much does it cost to ... ? We've all asked questions like these and you may have recently spent money on forestry practices and know very intimately the costs of getting work accomplished. Auburn University's Professor Adam Maggard would like your help to produce a report: Costs and Trends of Southern Forestry Practices. Please consider sharing information with Dr. Maggard by answering a few survey questions. Click here to see 2018 report.

(02/01/21) Woodcock. Did you know the strange looking little birds live in Alabama and other parts of the South in the winter. According to Seth Maddox, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division’s Migratory Gamebird Coordinator, the ideal habitat for woodcock is forests that have been manipulated. "Logging operations really help,” he said. “Every time you clear-cut a patch of land, when it starts coming back up, that first five or 10 years provides the ideal cover for woodcock. When the trees get tall, the woodcock don’t use it as much because there is less underbrush.”

(01/29/21) We received a rather upbeat timber market report this week from F&W Forestry Services. The F&W Market Update of 1/27/21 contains one sentence that you should pay attention to, if you have marketable timber on land that can be logged in wet weather: "As is common this time of year, timber sales that are wet weather-operable and accessible can bring a significant premium."

(01/28/21) "Missouri Poacher Burns Down Landowner's Cabin in Retaliation," by Patrick Durkin in MeatEater, 1/19/21.

(01/27/21) "NO! We don't want to give anyone an almost unlimited right to raise our taxes!" That's what we think voters in southeast Shelby County said yesterday to proponents of a Southeast Shelby Rescue District when they voted overwhelmingly to prevent the creation of a new taxing authority. Source: Shelby County Reporter, 1/26/21. Alabama legislators must get this destructive method of taxation-without-representation under control. 

(01/25/21) Mark your calendar for 2022. If you are interested and concerned about the health and direction of Alabama state government, you won't want to miss the Alabama Forestry Association’s Governance Policy Seminar next year. Here is the Seminar's 2021 Agenda.

(01/21/21) The Age of Wood by Roland Ennos: "Brilliantly synthesizing recent research with existing knowledge in fields as wide-ranging as primatology, anthropology, archaeology, history, architecture, engineering, and carpentry, Ennos reinterprets human history and shows how our ability to exploit wood’s unique properties has profoundly shaped our bodies and minds, societies, and lives." For Wall Street Journal subscribers: 'The Age of Wood' Review: How to Carve a Civilization.

(01/20/21) Concerns for the comfort of your neighbors was one of the reasons you might want to use a silencer on your high-powered rifle. For an interesting discussion about suppressors or silencers, please listen to a Great Days Outdoors interview with expert Mike Pappas. Starts at 17:16.

(01/18/21) Just gobbledygook to most of us, but to the mushroom people among us, please enjoy the Alabama Mushroom Society's January 2021 Newsletter's Fungi Foragecast:

These colder months bring out familiar friends that may be a bit different depending on where you’re looking in the State of Alabama. Be on the lookout for Pleurotus (the oysters) which are much-less buggy while cold out, Lepista (such as L. nuda, the wood-blewit), many species of Cortinarius (the web-caps), an abundance of wax-caps of the family Hygrophoraceae (including Hygrocybe, Hygrophorus, and Cuphophyllus), Hydnum (hedgehogs), Tolypocladium, Clavaridelphus, Hericium species (including lion’s mane, H. erinaceus), Amanitas, especially in the Lepidella group, a cacophony of Stereum, Trichaptum, and more Trametes than you could count (T.’s versicolor, lactinea, hirsutum, betulina, aesculi, etc.)! Down South you may also find large amounts of Lacarria, Amanitas from the sections Amanita, Lepidella, and Validae, or even some winter Craterellus! Happy Hunting!

(01/15/21) So... What do you think will happen with timber markets this year? Forest2Market experts have made 18 Predictions for the Global Forest, Pulp & Paper, and Chemical Industries in 2021.

(01/14/21) "We've got to have wood and lumber," said Hal.
"Of course we have. But there won't be any unless we go in for forestry. It's been practised in Germany for three hundred years."
Two Pennsylvania boys discuss their future while camping on their parents' land along the Susquehanna River - about 1910. Here's a link to the Zane Grey novel, The Young Forester.

(01/13/21) Control the weeds and brush that slow down the growth of the little pines you plant. Extension's Ryan Mitchell and Richard Cristan have teamed up to help you pick the best herbicides for your special needs in their online publication: Forestry Herbicides for Site Preparation of Pine Plantations. You may find the PDF version handy if you plan to print and carry with you.

(01/12/21) Virtual Upland Hardwood Workshop. "This [16 hour Southern Research Station] workshop was designed to provide foresters and other natural resource practitioners with the most state-of-the-art, science-based information necessary to sustainably manage upland hardwood ecosystems of the Central Hardwoods Region of the US for a wide variety of goods and services. You can view the recorded presentations and course materials from each day!"

(01/11/21) Handbook of Alabama's Prehistoric Indians and Artifacts by David M. Johnson. "Alabama's diverse projectile points and other artifact types get concise and thorough treatment in this paramount book, as each example is eloquently brought to life with full scale photos, geographic distribution charts, and descriptions." $42.95 at Barnes and Noble.

(01/08/21) $50 per first 100 acres property tax proposed for forest landowners in south Shelby County! The not-yet-created Southeast Shelby Emergency Medical Services District proposes to lean heavily on undeveloped forestland for support. A vote open only for residents of the proposed district is to be held on January 26. Town hall meetings are scheduled for Jan. 12 at 6 PM at Risen Life Church and Jan. 14 at 6 PM at Wilsonville Baptist Church. Editor's Note: Alabama legislators must get this destructive method of taxation-without-representation under control.

(01/07/21) Does the South produce a lot of wood pellets? Jay Engle discusses (and shows) how much and where in his blog: How Much Energy is Produced Using Wood? A Forester's Perspective.

(01/06/21) Chronic Wasting Disease Detected in Two Additional Northeast Mississippi Counties. Now within 25 miles of Alabama. See also: CWD Roundup from NDA.

(01/05/21) Clean Water: Good Forestry. If you are planning to work on your woods roads or to make a timber sale, you will benefit from watching Dr. Richard Cristan's webinar, Best Practices for Forest Road and Skid Trail Construction, Maintenance, and Close-out BMPs. About 52 minutes.

(01/04/21) You are invited to join Clemson University forestry students on a Visit to Germany (and Switzerland) in July 2022. "A good way to understand the forest-management activities and limitations from other countries is to actually visit the country as part of a forestry tour or program." Source: Understanding the Other Party!, Journal of Forestry, 11/20. We'll post details and contact information for the visit as soon as they become available.

(12/30/20) How about some good news? "Jasper Lumber announces $45 million expansion, to create 60 jobs." AL.com's headline forgot to mention that the sawmill expansion will also create markets for lots of sawtimber stumpage grown by local forest owners. But that's OK. We'll take expansion any way we can get it. Happy New Year!

(12/29/20) Each month we receive, by email, the Alabama Wildlife and Conservation News from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. We copied two stories from the December issue for you to read. One is on measuring browse pressure on game food plots, the other is on the value of snags (standing dead trees) to wildlife. If you would like to sign up to receive the newsletter or other information from the Department, click here.

(12/28/20) "Some demographers say the baby who will live to 200 years old is already born," says economist Olivia Mitchell, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Source: The Wall Street Journal, 1/10/20. You could grow some mighty big trees in 200 years. Cached copy of WSJ article.

(12/23/20) "Is there a land bubble out there?" Georgia Consulting Forester Bob Hatcher asks that question in a Letter to the Editor to AFOA's Capital Ideas newsletter. Read Bob's letter here.

(12/22/20) How to Keep People Off Your Property. Huntin' Land podcast talks to Josh Phifer, Barn Owl Tech, "about how to keep people off your property, what you can do legally to prevent people from coming on your property, catching trespassers who already are, and the steps you need to take when you do." Interview begins at 6:26. About 26 minutes.

(12/21/20) Volunteers Needed! The folks who are trying to bring back the American chestnut tree are looking for volunteers to plant blight resistant trees in a seed orchard in Moore County, Tennessee, next week, Tuesday and Wednesday. Probably a fun day (or two) with nice people. Invitation and details...

(12/18/20) Volume 2 of Freshwater Fishes of North America is a "monumental, fully illustrated reference (936 pages, hundreds of photos and illustrations) that provides comprehensive details on the freshwater fishes of the United States, Canada, and Mexico." ($150) Volume 1 was published in 2014. ($120)

(12/17/20) Raymond James downgraded their rating of Rayonier Inc. (RYN-NYSE) ($30.48) Tuesday to Market Perform (from Outperform). RJ's headline included: "Covid Surge Limiting Mill Capacity."

(12/16/20) North American Softwood Lumber Capacity Continues to Shift South. "The South surpassed Western Canada to become the largest region in North America for softwood lumber capacity a few years ago, and the shift continues." Source: Forisk Blog, December 15, 2020.

(12/15/20) How Would a Biden Administration Increase Income Tax?, a slide presentation by Robert Tufts, Visiting Professor, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University. About 15 minutes.

(12/14/20) Forest Technology Instructor Wanted! Lurleen B. Wallace Community College Forest Technology Instructor, Mark Hainds (you may have met Mark at past AFOA annual meetings) is retiring, so the College is looking for his successor.

(12/11/20) Can I use my IRA to buy land? Carla McEwen of IRA Innovations discusses the possibility in Great Days Outdoors podcast. Starts at 12:53.

(12/10/20/) Learn more about growing Christmas trees on an excellent virtual farm tour with an Extension Agent in North Carolina.

(12/09/20) Becky Barlow, Auburn professor and Alabama Extension’s Forestry, Wildlife and Natural Resources coordinator, has been appointed the Harry E. Murphy Professor of Forest Measurements and Management in Auburn’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. Murphy was a consulting forester, a strong advocate of the free market system, and an early supporter of the Alabama Forest Owners' Association.

(12/08/20) World's Tallest Timber Tower Rising in Milwaukee (25 stories - what? about 300 feet?). World's tallest tree is a coast redwood named Hyperion -- 380 feet tall.

(12/07/20) Some truth about hurricanes from a real estate investor. From Ross Rant, 12/5/20:

The press has been playing up the line that climate change has spawned a major uptick in hurricanes. Here is reality. Until the 1970’s there was no way to know about all of the storms in the ocean that never hit land, or just lasted two days, unless a ship spotted it. Now we have satellite coverage of the whole ocean. In addition the former head of hurricane reporting and tracking, who has retired, said there are two day storms that today are labeled as tropical storms, that in the eighties, and prior, they were not even reported because they were classified as just bad storms, or were not even noticed due to no satellite coverage in those days. Since the 1880’s when records began to be kept, there has been no increase in frequency of major storms, just more naming of them and highlighted news about them. In 1950 there were 8 storms labeled as major hurricanes, in 1961 it was 7 and in 2020 it was 6. In summary, there has been no consistent recording of storms over the past 140 years, and no consistent terminology to identify severity of storms, so to try to claim now there are more major storms due to climate change is nonsense, and propaganda by the climate change press and politicians. It is simply that today every big storm is suddenly a name storm and makes the national news. Climate change has spawned a whole industry, and just look at the Biden focus on it. Be careful what you read, and are told about the effects of climate change. Some is true, but some, like hurricanes, is not.

(12/04/20) Thinking about building a cabin? A long list of Log Cabin Kits was provided along with contact information in an article by John Phillips in the December issue of Great Days Outdoors. Turn to page 39.

(12/03/20) Upcoming webinars, woodland owner retreats, and "Noon on Fridays" are topics included in the December Virginia Tech Forest Landowner e-Update from Jennifer Gagnon. Several Alabama Forest Owners' Association members have participated in Gagnon's "On-line Woodland Options for Landowners" in past years.

(12/02/20) Motley Fool discusses: Why Timberland REITS Are Riskier Than They Appear. See middle column at top of page 2 of each issue of Capital Ideas for quotes and links for several timberland REITS. 

(12/01/20) Alabama Mushroom Society Newsletter, November 2020. Enjoy.

(11/30/20) Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers recently completed a video project with marketing students from High Point University (North Carolina). The project is titled Appalachian Hardwood Forest to Finished Products and shows a student learning the process it takes to make beautiful hardwood products. About 5 minutes.

(11/25/20) If Sally or Zeta visited your forestland, you may need to salvage damaged timber and learn more about claiming a casualty loss on your 2020 tax return. University of Tennessee Extension Forester David Mercker wrote a piece for our December newsletter, entitled After the Catastrophe: Steps in Claiming a Timber Casualty Loss (page 4). On page 5 of the same newsletter, we printed Consulting Forester Ed Travis's Timber Sales and Timber Casualty Losses program notes from November 12. See also: Dr. David Mercker's AFOA interview, Back Porch Forestry, June 1, 2020, and When a Tornado Strikes.

(11/24/20) SmartMap, the mapping and drone class that Beau and Christian Brodbeck have led at AFOA's annual meetings for the past few years, is now available online. And while online courses are great, Beau and Christian have agreed to conduct the in-person class at AFOA's 2021 Annual Meeting on April 17.

(11/23/20) Your comments wanted: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently proposed to change the status of the red-cockaded woodpecker from “endangered” to “threatened.” The Service also proposed a “4(d) rule” – new regulations that will govern how landowners can manage their forests when this species is present. These proposals are open to public comment in the Federal Register until December 7, 2020.

(11/20/20) Chestnut Chats: The American Chestnut Foundation has been conducting Chestnut Chats on Fridays since April 17. Topics have included The Art of Grafting, Finding and Conserving Chestnuts in the Wild, Using Drones to Locate and Pollinate Chestnut Trees, Research on Large Scale Reintroduction of American Chestnut, and Cooking With Chestnuts.

(11/19/20) "This week, the Republican governor released a budget recommendation that proposed eliminating Mississippi’s income tax within the next decade in a bid to attract more residents." We wonder how Mississippi will balance its budget when the income tax is put aside.

(11/18/20) Do you need a water well at your cabin or do you have one already? If yes, you may find this University of Georgia webinar just what you need. Well... Let's Talk Water Safety & Protection. Two video recordings and speakers' PowerPoint slides are down near the bottom of the web page.

(11/17/20) A look at the future of forestry education: Forestry 350 at the University of British Columbia. Patrick Culbert, Assistant Professor in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, provides a taste of the future of forestry education in dozens of unique 360° view videos (use your tablet or smartphone to appreciate the videography - hint -- look up, look down, look behind you). Start with this example: Plant Identification Walk in Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Part 1 (360° Video)

(11/16/20) "In 2020 tax rates on capital gains [income for timber held longer than one year] and dividends remain the same as 2019 rates (0%, 15%, and a top rate of 20%)." Read more -- click, then scroll down to Investment Gains and Losses. Source: DeLoach, Barber & Caspers, P.C. Newsletter, 11/16/20.

(11/13/20) "Explosion of interest." "People tell us they want a place to get away." Read more: Seller's Market by Victoria G. Myers, The Progressive Farmer, November 2020.

(11/12/20) Should game wardens or others be free to trespass on your forestland? 1) Read this story from Tennessee, 2) listen to our interview with Institute for Justice attorney Josh Windham, and 3) read Windham's request for help from Alabama forest owners.

(11/11/20) Mill construction and expansion make a difference. Read F&W Market Update, 11/6/20, and listen to Markets Expert Amanda Lang, Capital Ideas - Live!, 11/11/20.

(11/10/20) The Natural Inquirer program provides a variety of science education materials for PreK through grade 12. We don't know much about the site (Developing a Testable Question looked like it might be interesting), so if you have any suggestions for parents or grandparents, please let AFOA know -- rll@afoa.org. Thanks.

(11/09/20) Critical Habitat for the Canoe Creek Clubshell, a freshwater mussel which lives in St. Clair County and Etowah County (see map in Frequently Asked Questions), has been proposed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The Service seeks public comments on their proposal with a deadline of January 4, 2021.

(11/06/20) Reports from Secretary of State on Local Amendments Related to Property Taxes (counties which voted against property tax amendments highlighted in red):
o    Crenshaw County:    Voting Results    Sample Ballot
o    Elmore County:      Voting Results    Sample Ballot
o    Fayette County:     Voting Results    Sample Ballot
o    Geneva County:      Voting Results    Sample Ballot
o    Greene County:      Voting Results    Sample Ballot
o    Macon County:       Voting Results    Sample Ballot
o    Marshall County:    Voting Results    Sample Ballot
o    Mobile County:      Voting Results    Sample Ballot
o    Montgomery County:  Voting Results    Sample Ballot
o    St. Clair County:   Voting Results    Sample Ballot
o    Sumter County:      Voting Results    Sample Ballot
o    Washington County:  Voting Results    Sample Ballot

(11/05/20) "Exposure to forest floor enhances young immune systems, study finds," reports Siobhán Dunphy in the European Scientist, 10/27/20. "Scientists have long suspected that increased hygiene, urban lifestyles, and insufficient contact with nature have played a role in the rise of chronic disorders such as asthma, diabetes, and allergies – which are all related to an overreactive immune system."

(11/04/20) Remember economist Milton Friedman? We think you will enjoy his brief comments on free markets and manufacturing a simple wooden pencil (about 3 minutes).

(11/03/20) How much carbon is stored on an average acre of Alabama forestland? Experts will be asking that question as different groups begin pilot projects next year testing out their carbon buying schemes with real Alabama forest owners (Finite Carbon, AFF's Family Forest Carbon, and Natural Capital Exchange). Hint: 24.2 tons in aboveground trees...

(11/02/20) Kith Kitchens opening cabinet factory in Florence, creating 131 jobs. Who is Kith Kitchens?

(10/30/20) Don't wait too long to thin your planted pines. "The importance of thinning at the right time overrides the desire to wait for higher prices" said Consulting Forester Stephen Butler at an Alabama Forest Owners' Association Forestry Field Day in Choctaw County on October 8. Source: Talking Trees by Dee Ann Campbell, The Choctaw Sun-Advocate, 10/21/20.

(10/29/20) Stephen Pyne discusses "The Pyrocene: How Humanity Created a Fire Age." The occasion is the Lynn W. Day Distinguished Lectureship in Forest and Conservation History presented by the Forest History Society.

(10/28/20) Wood or Plastic? David Song, a SoCal Edison spokesman (Southern California Edison is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California), "said that when SoCal Edison has the opportunity to replace a [wooden] pole with a plastic one, they’ll do it every time." Editor's note: TimberMart-South reports that a ton of pine sawtimber in Alabama brought $22.70 on the stump (3Q20); a ton of power poles brought $47.54.

(10/27/20) The Wood Yard "is a friendly hardwood and specialty lumber store that caters to the furniture and cabinet builder, the home hobbyist and craftsman." Most of us aren't interested in starting a business like The Wood Yard, but many landowners have hard-to-find or even rare species of trees on their land that might be in demand by craftsmen. The Wood Yard has a newsletter that you might find interesting.

(10/26/20) "The rare Chilean soapbark tree produces compounds that can boost the body's reaction to vaccines." Read about the COVID-19 connection in this fascinating story in The Atlantic, October 21, 2020.

(10/23/20) "National Forest Products Week reminds Americans that well-managed forests supply the wood and fiber essential to the production of everyday goods," said Scott Jones, CEO of Forest Landowners. "Demand for these products, and the timber that is used to create them, make it possible for private forest owners to be economically viable, which in turn provides them with the resources to maintain healthy and productive forests." Read the President's Proclamation on National Forest Products Week, 2020.

(10/22/20) "Plant Seedlings Early," says Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative. "Seedlings should be planted early enough to allow for root growth to start before bud break while seedlings are still dormant."

(10/21/20) Questions: Should we hold cash? buy land? buy gold? buy bitcoin? buy stocks? buy bonds?
o     How Long Can the Fed Keep This Time Bomb from Exploding?, Mises Institute, 10/21/20
o     Global Impact of a "Blue Wave" Election Outcome, Charles Schwab, 10/12/20

(10/20/20) "Dutch to phase out subsidies for wood fired power stations." "Imports [of wood pellets] are expected to reach 2.5 million metric tons this year, with the U.S. supplying up to 500,000 metric tons of that volume."

(10/19/20) Wood Duck Mates Determine Migration Routes, or in terms most of us would understand, "Boy meets girl; girl flies home; boy follows."

(10/16/20) "The prettiest mushrooms are often the tiniest... so get low." Read more in 10 Tips for Photographing Little Mushrooms in the Forest by Albert Dros, PetaPixel, 10/13/20.

(10/15/20) The Alabama Policy Institute shares their perspective (in plain English) on the statewide amendments to the Alabama Constitution that will be on everyone's ballot on November 3rd. Also, click here for local sample ballots and a list of the counties where voters will make property tax decisions -- up or down, etc. Here is a perspective on the amendments from AL.com and another from Alabama Farmers Federation. Here is an anonymous perspective on the first four amendments (posted November 2).

(10/14/20) Mouse Utopia Experiment might shed some light on how families can help children develop an interest in and take on the responsibilities of family land management.

(10/13/20) Migrant Workers and Tree Planting: Based on information gathered from employers of H-2B forestry workers, a video was created by Forest Resources Association and Rayonier "to inform and educate elected officials and decision-makers about the critical role of the H-2B visa program in renewing our nation's forest lands..." About 6 minutes.

(10/12/20) "The US Southeast region is the largest supplier of wood in the world," reports the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association in a 10/12/20 Forest2Market blog post. Read more: Is Southern Yellow Pine Good for the economy?

(10/09/20) In deciding to not designate critical habitat for the "threatened" eastern black rail, did the US Fish & Wildlife Service defer to the concerns of private landowners? If yes, we commend them for their decision. See highlighted words in the FWS press release, dated 10/7/20.

(10/08/20) "An escape from chaos." That is what a Georgia consulting forester and real estate agent attributes the growth in his forestland sales in 2020 as compared to 2019. Read more in the Matre Forestry Newsletter, 10/8/20.

(10/07/20) "Many ecologists believe dead wood is one of the greatest resources for animal species in the forest." Read more from Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association's When Dead Wood is Good Wood.

(10/06/20) "The right to private property can only be considered a secondary natural right," concluded Pope Francis in his Sunday criticism of free-market capitalism. Read the Foundation for Economic Education's response.

(10/05/20) "As of September, U. S. sales of paper tissue, including paper towels, were still 10% to 15% higher than before the pandemic..." Read more in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/29/20.

(10/02/20) "Ironically, having a cemetery on our property breathes new life into it." Forester Jennifer Gagnon opens the latest issue of Virginia Forest Landowner e-Update, Fall 2020, with a story about her personal forestland and the people with whom she shares it. Enjoy.

(10/01/20) Raymond James upgraded their rating of PotlatchDeltic Corporation (PCH-NASDAQ) ($42.10) today to Strong Buy (from Outperform) with a revised $51 target. RJ's headline included: "Cash Lumber Prices Still Near Record High."

(09/30/20) Georgia Public Broadcasting Education and the Georgia Forestry Foundation (GFF) have joined forces to launch MAKE THAT PAPER: CAREERS IN FORESTRY, a scenario-based educational game that teaches high school students about working forests and real-world forestry jobs by simulating workplace scenarios and testing forestry industry knowledge.

(09/29/20) Property tax votes or other fees will be on the ballots for the following Alabama counties: Crenshaw, Elmore, Fayette, Geneva, Greene, Macon, Mobile, Montgomery, St. Clair, Sumter, Washington, and Marshall (Volunteer Fire District 15). Property tax votes typically impose a tax for more than 25 years. All voters will be faced with 6 statewide amendments, and many county ballots contain local amendments. Click here to find your county's sample ballot on the Secretary of State's website.

(09/28/20) You've heard of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq Composite, but do you know anything about the NCREIF Timberland Index? Learn more from economist Jack Lutz in The Tao of Timberland -- another Update, Forest Research Notes, Vol. 17, No. 3.

(09/25/20) "Radical transformation of American medicine" discussed by healthcare policy expert John Goodman (Goodman starts discussion with good question at about 10 minutes into the video). We think some of the discussion on telemedicine and new "user friendly" technology will be of interest to many forest owners.

(09/24/20) Improving stumpage prices ahead? Read F&W Market Update, 9/22/20.

(09/23/20) "Hurricane Laura caused $525.4 million in damage to Louisiana farmers and $1.1 billion to the Louisiana timber industry, according to preliminary estimates by the LSU AgCenter."

(09/22/20) Report from Summerdale, Alabama Christmas tree growers to Mike Buchart, Executive Secretary, Southern Christmas Tree Association (SCTA): "Hi, Michael. Want a hurricane from Hell? If you can, please forward this note to as many SCTA members as you can. Sandra and I are fine but exhausted. Still no power, water, etc., but it is coming soon, we hope. Our house is fine. The farm suffered serious damage with all 20,000 trees blown over or down. We are gradually rescuing them and are learning a lot to share with everyone. Will have plenty of pictures and stories. This sure is a challenge, but might make us tougher. Sure makes us appreciate the modern comforts. Blessings to everyone and stay safe. Steve & Sandra Mannhard."

(09/21/20) "Oregon is the only state to have a private wildfire insurance policy and has been with Lloyd's of London since 1973. The $3.75 million premium is split between the state and private timberland owners. Landowners pay their share through a property tax formula." Learn more.

(09/18/20) "Since 1978, I have kept continual 8”x 11”, hardbound, blank-paged nature journals. Now numbering 54, when I finish one, I go buy another one. Why have I kept these going for so many years? Since the beginning, they have become my basic way of learning about the nature around me, recording it, making sense of it in relation to my own life. In fact, over the many years these piles of journals at my feet have become my best friends, as I often refer back to them, trying to see how my life and the life of nature has changed or not." Claire Walker Leslie, author of A Year in Nature: A Memoir of Solace.

(09/17/20) "The 'Paper Makers' film tells the story of the modern day paper industry through the eyes of the workers who cultivate sustainable forests, apply technologies that nurture and protect them for years to come, and help create nature-based sustainable products — all in one of America’s oldest natural industries." Source: AFA Newsroom, 9/16/20.

(09/16/20) Alabama forest owner Jeff Sessions, former U. S. Senator and former U. S. Attorney General, is returning home from Washington to control privet and kudzu and promote American values. Sessions spoke to a large audience at the Alabama Forestry Association's Annual Meeting in Orange Beach on September 14, 2020.

(09/15/20) Farming/Agriculture is looked upon more favorably this year than last year, according to a Gallup Poll as reported by PowerLine Blog on 9/11/20 (scroll down). We're not sure if Forests and Forest Landowners fit into the Farming/Agriculture category, but it would be nice, in this case, if we did.

(09/14/20) "$5 million power pole factory coming to Tallapoosa County." Source: AL.com, 9/14/20. TimberMart-South reported Alabama statewide average pine sawtimber stumpage at $23.28 per ton and pine power poles at $44.46 per ton in their second quarter report for 2020.

(09/11/20) Whether hurricane frequency has increased on not, favoring windfirm tree species should be of interest to forest owners, especially in south Alabama.
o     Climatologist Dr. Roy Spencer: Even with Laura, Louisiana Hurricanes Have Not Increased Since 1851
o     Hurricane Laura Causes Extensive Damage to Timber Industry
o     Hurricane Katrina Winds Damaged Longleaf Pine Less than Loblolly Pine
o     Longleaf pine stood firm to Hurricane Katrina’s winds

(09/10/20) The defense of property rights by our friends and neighbors and law enforcement officials is critical to those of us who plant little trees. So it may be unsettling to learn that National Public Radio (NPR) discussed looting with author Vicky Osterweil, In Defense of Looting, and didn't seem to raise an eyebrow when she made outlandish statements, such as: "[Looting is] taking those things that would otherwise be commodified and controlled and sharing them for free," she continues. "[Looting] demonstrate[s] that without police and without state oppression, we can have things for free." Please read the Foundation for Economic Education's Debunking NPR's Bizarre 'In Defense of Looting' Interview by Brad Polumbo, 8/31/20. See Copyright page from Osterweil's book.

(09/09/20) It's bird migration time again. Check out The Cornell Lab's Bird Migration Forecast Maps including a local migration alert tool to find out how many birds will be passing over your area tonight.

(09/08/20) Which beetle is killing my trees? Learn more from a video put together by the South Carolina Forestry Commission: Southern Beetles: Identification, Management and Risk Assessment. About 9 minutes.

(09/04/20) North American flying squirrels glow bright pink in response to ultraviolet light. For an educated guess as to why, read Amphibians Aglow by Brett Amy Thelen at Northern Woodlands, 8/24/20. UV flashlight, $12.99

(09/03/20) Remember back on May 21 when we told you about the HuntStand Pro App and it's property mapping and other features? Today we learned about 5 new very short tutorials that you can watch and listen to to get more out of the App. Topics: Getting Started, Adding & Deleting Map Objects (property lines, etc.), Syncing Hunt Areas, Offline Mapping, and Weather Forecasting.

(09/02/20) Have you considered moving closer to your children when you retire? You may want to study the Tax Foundation's Estate/Inheritance Tax Map before making the move. More than a dozen other states impose taxes on estates or inheritances of up to 18 percent.

(09/01/20) "Accumulation of capital under strong property rights gave us what we have today, and without it, we would still be living in the past realities of famine, sickness, and living at all times only a few degrees from death." Source: The Forgotten Horrors of Famine Show Why Americans Should Not Take Prosperity for Granted by J. W. Rich, Foundation for Economic Education, 9/1/20.

(08/31/20) $10 million made available today by Governor Ivey for forest landowners who sold timber during the months of March through July. According to an article in AL.com, the payment rate will be $1 per ton of timber sold. Read the Governor's press release here (the press release contains contact information to help you make your application). More details from Forest Landowners Association, 9/2/20.

(08/28/20) "Zippered wood (check out the photos in Architect magazine, 7/12/20) twists standard 2x4 to craft new forms."

(08/27/20) Electric Trail Boarding -- Maybe you've heard of Electric Mountain Boards, but we hadn't - until today. They are being featured at GoFar USA Park, up near Decatur, Alabama. The park also features Electric Trail Carts, a Paintball Shooting Range, Farm Animals, Pony Rides, Mountain Bike Trails, and Electric Scooters. Emily Fagerman, co-owner of GoFar USA Park, talks about the park on The Land Show, Episode 253 (23:28 to 38:08).

(08/26/20) Alabama forest owners who have a good understanding of the need for fire in the forest will appreciate this article on Forbes.com, 8/24/20: Stop Blaming Climate Change For California’s Fires. Many Forests, Including The Redwoods, Need Them.

(08/25/20) Let's say you own forestland here in Alabama, but for some reason you live in another state and will retire soon. If you have given any thought to coming back home, the Tax Foundation's purchasing power map comparing Alabama to other states might help you make a decision. Source, What is the Real Value of $100 in Metropolitan Areas?, 8/12/20.

(08/24/20) Have you ever been so eager to achieve something that you bit off more than you could chew? If you have, we think you will enjoy Declan McCabe's story of The Kingfisher and the Mussel, from Northern Woodlands, 8/17/20.

(08/21/20) Researchers reported "the likelihood of hitting a deer decreased from 35% (truck with headlights only) to 10% (truck with headlights and rear-facing light bar)." Source: Reverse-facing Lightbar Helps Reduce Deer Vehicle Accidents, Kip Adams, QDMA, 8/18/20.

(08/20/20) Read this Alabama Conservation Department 8/14/20 Press Release and then with a straight face tell us why a person who was not raised in a family of hunters would ever consider becoming a hunter. There are so many other outdoor activities that are not wrapped in red tape — red tape that, if not followed, can result in fines or more serious punishments.

(08/19/20) Hindsight is 20/20. Today we share a few "after the wildfire" stanzas from Foresters, a poem by Walter Stephens. Stephens is a member of the Georgia Forestry Association. Source: Georgia Forestry, Summer 2020.

Next day when walking on your land
Which once grew tall and graceful trees
The only things your eyes see now
Are snags which smolder in the breeze.

If only you had burned that ground
When moisture heat and wind were right,
You'd not now see this sterile scene
Of smoking spires against the light.

A burn controlled is man's attempt
To mimic nature's plan,
Except to choose the day that's right
To gently heat the land.

(08/18/20) "...we at the [Cullman County] sheriff's office are proponents of not only having a weapon for self-defense but also being proficient in how to use it," said Sheriff Matt Gentry in an 8/17/20 AL.com article headlined "1 of 4 burglars shot by Cullman County homeowner, sheriff says." Editor's Note: Forest owners are fortunate that nearly all of us have a safe place to learn to use a shotgun, rifle, or handgun. The next time you head to the woods, plan to teach someone how to safely load, fire, and reload. Not a bad thing to be "proficient" at. 

(08/17/20) "Move Over Gold. Wood is the Shelter of Choice in the Pandemic." Source: Bloomberg, July 24, 2020.

(08/14/20) CRYSTAL BALL GAZING: "The average pine growth-to-drain for the South in 2019 is 1.26, indicating a general oversupply of timber. Fast-forward six years to 2025 and the timber supply profile balances with a growth-to-drain of 0.95. During this time, 17 sawmills and pellet mills expand or come online in the region." Source: Amanda Lang, Forisk Consulting, at a meeting of the Cahaba Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, 8/11/20.

(08/13/20) Lumber "prices have been sent soaring by saw mills that failed to anticipate the coronavirus pandemic setting off a building boom. ... Restaurants and bars in cities across the country have scrambled to build outdoor seating areas in efforts to stay in business. And some Americans, stuck at home for months, have taken on remodeling projects and have been building decks." Source: The Wall Street Journal, 8/6/20. Of course, as forest owners know, those high lumber prices have not translated into high stumpage prices, because of the huge stumpage oversupply.

(08/12/20) "Today the Department of State issued a National Interest Exemption for H-2B applicants to facilitate the United States' immediate and continued economic recovery. Those working in forestry are considered essential workers and have been given an exemption from the June 22nd proclamation banning additional visas to H-2B workers. This decision means tree planters will have a path forward to get the labor needed to plant seedlings this fall for landowners." Source: ArborGen, 8/12/20 at 3:43 PM.

(08/11/20) "Become a Poll Worker!" beseeches Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill. "Serving as a poll worker is an amazing opportunity to learn more about the election process while contributing to your community."

(08/10/20) The "paper market, like everything else, has been rocked by the coronavirus." Verso Corporation, when announcing the closure of its Wisconsin Rapids coated printing paper mill, said "demand for printing paper fell 38 percent year-over-year in April." Closer to home, Domtar Corporation reported that it would close its Kingsport, Tennessee uncoated freesheet papermill and will spend $300 to $350 million to repurpose the mill to produce linerboard. "Linerboard is the facing material used in the production of corrugated and solid fiber shipping containers."

(08/07/20) "Most grade hardwood is moving again. ..hardwood sawmills ..." are "... paying good prices for most forms of hardwood sawtimber." Read Forest Management Specialists' Timber Market Update - Mid-South Region.

(08/06/20) If you like puzzles, please consider letting the US Fish & Wildlife Service know what you think of their proposed definition of habitat. We think they are concerned that it may not be proper to declare a location as critical habitat for a critter when none live there and the location is inhospitable for the critter. Although this is an important issue, AFOA does not have any answers here. We'd appreciate receiving your thoughts on the issue - if you decide to make an official comment. Comments are due by September 4. Read previous news entries here (11/29/18), here (01/24/18), here (08/25/16), and here (07/20/16).

(08/05/20) Chestnut Chat: Research Forester Stacy Clark will share results of an American Chestnut Tree re-introduction project that is taking place in forests of the southern Appalachians. The session will be conducted on ZOOM beginning at 10:30 AM Central Time on Friday, August 7 -- Details Here.

(08/04/20) What part of "vacant forestland cannot be billed for fire dues" do these folks not understand? Today (it's not too late to vote as we write this) Theodore/Dawes in Mobile County is trying to create its own fire district. One of our members told us they plan to collect $125 per tax parcel, but check this article from WKRG5 dated 8/4/20 for details.

(08/03/20) Georgia consulting forester Mike Matre gives a 3-minute perspective on growing and marketing pole timber (very straight pine trees valued per ton at nearly twice that of pine sawtimber in the latest TimberMart-South price report).

(07/31/20) Could the "work from home" phenomenon reduce property values (and property taxes) of large commercial buildings? Could the loss of property tax revenue from those buildings put pressure on lawmakers to raise property taxes on other properties such as homes and rural property? Scroll down in The Future of Everything to the last bulleted item in Future Feedback.

(07/30/20) $65,000 per drop plus $22,000 per hour! That's what those huge tanker planes (VLATs) which drop fire retardant on West Coast forest fires cost. Just think how many rangers, who could be working year round creating fire breaks and doing prescribed burns to prevent big wildfires, are displaced by those big machines.

(07/29/20) F&W Forestry Services' 7/28/20 Market Update includes a surprising statement from their southwest Alabama reporter: "Sawmills have actually been calling and asking us to put out a sale or are asking for an opportunity to negotiate."

(07/28/20) Spraying woodland herbicides with a drone may be just around the corner if a little company in Iowa continues to make progress on its ag spraying machines. Rantizo "became the first company [in the US] to begin commercial drone spraying," and was licensed in 10 states last fall, including Georgia. Common herbicides used to prepare planting sites for hardwoods and pines.

(07/27/20) The United States of America ranked among the top ten countries for average annual net gains in forest area in a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Read the full report, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, here.

(07/24/20) Consulting foresters Michael Heatherly and Jack Fillingham led an AFOA Forestry Field Day on Wednesday and we thought you would like to see their handout materials. On the third page they have pictured some "increment cores." Click here to learn more about using an increment borer to determine a tree's age or rate-of-growth. Video - about 4 minutes. Hint: Never leave your increment borer in a tree longer than needed to extract a core. They will sometimes get stuck and can be very difficult to remove.

(07/23/20) Lessons from my grandma - or - A quick-start guide to woodland management for women landowners (and smart men, too!) is the title of an Auburn ForestHer Lunch and Learn hosted on Zoom and recorded last Tuesday. About an hour.

(07/22/20) Trespass to steal ginseng roots may not be a big deal for most forest owners in Alabama, but it might be for some, and definitely is for forest owners in West Virginia. Source: Poaching ginseng is not a victimless crime, The Montgomery Herald, 6/26/20.

(07/21/20) "The state owned enough land in the county," (press F9 key to read) stated a county commissioner. "No more land should be taken off the tax rolls," said another. AFOA was glad to read what the commissioners said about converting more private land to public ownership, even if the message had to come from Wadena County, Minnesota.

(07/20/20) You may have missed Consulting Forester Larry Gibson's Forestry Field Day last week, but we wanted you to see the field notes Larry used with his presentation. In his Stand A example, ninety-six tons per acre of wood were harvested in the first two thinnings by age 22, and the final harvest is less than 10 years away. See also Larry's herbicide recommendations for killing kudzu, wisteria, and cogongrass.  Plan now to not miss Consulting Forester Jack Fillingham's Forestry Field Day, this Wednesday, July 22 in Tallapoosa County.

(07/17/20) Pond Management Basics is a one hour and twelve minute class taught by Extension Agent Bence Carter and recorded on July 9, 2020.

(07/16/20) Our second Dinner & Discussion (via Zoom) has been posted to the web. Just like our face-to-face meetings at local Birmingham area restaurants, we listened to the latest issue of Capital Ideas - Live! (David West from Forest Resources Association answered questions about the ban on migrant tree planters), we sampled a few topics from our News webpage, we shared where our forestland is located, and then had a brief open discussion. Our next face-to-face Dinner & Discussion is scheduled for August 13 at 6 PM at The Fish Market Restaurant on US 280 in Hoover.

(07/15/20) Forest2Market CEO Pete Stewart Talks Lumber, Forest Health on NPR’s Marketplace, reports headline on F2M July 14 blog. NPR conducted "fair and fact-based discussion about lumber industry," says F2M. Listen to 2 minute interview here.

(07/14/20) Heaven help us when "conservatives" begin pandering to the environmental community. That was the first thought we had when we read that Ivanka Trump would be highlighting administration environmental policies at the American Forestry Conference (Georgia Forestry Association's name for their virtual annual meeting) on July 27. Read the Newsweek article here (7/3/20) and tell us why we shouldn't be worried (cached copy). See Consulting Forester Marshall Thomas's comments about the Trillion Trees Act, below.

(07/13/20) Eminent Domain. Taking Private Property for Public Use. When should the power of eminent domain be allowed? not allowed? A Pennsylvania landowner questions the right to use the power when it's used only for the benefit of the pipeline company. Who decides?

(07/10/20) Sequestering greenhouse gas our only hope? Read the discouraging latest issue of F&W Forestry Report, Summer 2020.

(07/09/20) "Obviously." "Naturally." To regenerate an upland hardwood stand: "Obviously, enough desirable trees have to be present in the current stand [before logging] for the process to succeed, but when it is properly conducted, a young stand dominated by desirable species such as oaks will naturally regenerate with good results." If "obviously" and "naturally" don't immediately pop into your head when considering regenerating an upland hardwood stand, you might benefit from reading Upland Hardwoods: Natural Regeneration, a Mississippi State University publication.

(07/08/20) Market Headlines:
o     Japanese wood chip, wood pellet demand expected to grow, June 10, 2020
o     Netherlands to double wood pellet imports in 2020, June 29, 2020

(07/07/20) A video discussion of tree planting tools produced by and starring Dr. Brady Self, Mississippi State Extension Service, will be useful to forest owners who are planning to plant trees themselves or hire a tree planting crew next winter. 17 minutes. Send questions to Brady at brady.self@msstate.edu.

(07/06/20) Maintaining good water quality following a timber sale requires a coordinated effort between the landowner, the logger, and the landowner's consulting forester. Dr. John Auel, Mississippi State Extension Service, offers good (and bad) examples and good advice on how to implement Forestry Best Management Practices (BMPs) to prevent erosion and improve water quality on your land. 24 minutes.

(07/02/20) Have fun celebrating the Fourth, but if you're planning on working with your tractor this weekend, read Phil Bancroft's The Day Food Plots Almost Killed Me before heading to the woods! Editor's note: The following observation was in the last paragraph of Phil's story: "Phil’s hunting land is covered by QDMA’s Hunting Land Liability Insurance. His medical bills from his accident totaled over $200,000, including a $46,800 helicopter ride. His QDMA insurance policy helped defray the out-of-pocket medical costs not covered by his health insurance." AFOA's Hunting Lease Liability Insurance is similar to QDMA's and is purchased from the same insurance agency, Outdoor Underwriters, Inc.

(07/01/20) CANCELLED   The Southern Christmas Tree Association will hold their 2020 Annual Conference in Alabama on August 7 - 9. They'll be headquartered at The Lodge at Gulf State Park. Read their latest newsletter here.

(06/30/20) "Add it all up, and as the country mouse of old learned, the giddiness and opulence of the city are increasingly not worth the danger, noise, and mess of the city, at least after February 2020," says Victor Davis Hanson, American classicist, military historian, columnist, and farmer. He closes an interesting essay entitled, The Triumph of the Country Mouse with, "Wherever we live, in our dreams at least, we are all country mice now."

(06/29/20) "There's always some excitement in the air going with fire." The LSU AgCenter posted a video about the prescribed burn workshop they held on June 2-4, 2020. Their next prescribed burn workshop will be held October 7-9 in Hammond, Louisiana. Contact Extension Forester Whitney Wallace, for more information: wwallace@agcenter.lsu.edu.

(06/26/20) Carbon Credit Market Bill in Congress: A needed government assist for forest landowners, or a vote buying scheme?

(06/25/20) Tree planting crews will be hard hit by President Trump's ban on H-2B visa forestry workers. Read the Forest Resources Association's statement on the issue.

(06/23/20) OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR ONLINE COURSE: Forest Principles, Practices, and Stewardship for Landowners is the title of a 6-week course organized by Dr. Adam Maggard, Alabama Cooperative Extension. Read the course description with registration information here (updated 7/17/20).

(06/22/20) Maine Project Learning Tree facilitator, Anita Smith, shows how to be a Tree Detective using the rings and markings on stumps and logs to figure out what the lives of trees might have been like. She demonstrates a simple art project we can do to show the patterns of growth in our own lives, and we leave with a challenge to go outside and explore the stumps and logs in our own backyard! YouTube video about 11 minutes.

(06/19/20) Some of you may remember when the Kimberly-Clark paper mill in Childersburg, Alabama (Talladega County) produced newsprint for the Birmingham News and Post Herald. The mill is now owned by Canada's Resolute Forest Products and produces market pulp, not newsprint. (Resolute recently shut down 40 percent of its newsprint capacity (2 mills in Quebec).) The Childersburg pulp mill spends $51.2 million acquiring and hauling wood to the mill and spends a total of $169.4 million operating the mill annually.  

(06/18/20) May we ask how much land governments in the U.S. need to own? May we ask if anyone in Congress has any concept of the huge amount of land already owned by federal, state and local governments? May we ask if anyone in Congress recognizes that the productivity of our country is reduced when government acquires productive private land? The U.S. Senate is poised this week to spend, "forever," nearly one billion dollars a year on the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Please read The "Great American Outdoors Act" is a federal land grab slush fund.

(06/17/20) "Markets are hard to put a finger on at the moment," reports the F & W Market Update of 6/16/20.

(06/16/20) Back Porch Forestry creator Dr. David Mercker has produced a fifth program, this one titled, "Tax Treatment for Timber Casualty Loss." Bookmark this one, because when your trees are damaged in the next tornado, ice storm, hurricane, or wildfire, you'll want to watch it again. Click here for earlier Back Porch Forestry programs.

(06/15/20) "This year, Alabama is predicted to have a low number of Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) infestations. More specifically, high risk counties are expected to have no more than 6 to 9 SPB spots. The overall prediction for the state, Alabama has a 16% chance of having any SPB spots this active season." Source: 2020 Southern Pine Beetle Spring Pheromone Survey Results and Southern Pine Beetle Outbreak Prediction Maps: Alabama 2020, Alabama Forestry Commission, 6/12/20.

(06/12/20) "Produced mostly in the U.S.," supplies of lumber for Japanese furniture makers and whiskey distillers are tight, reports the Nikkei Asian Review, 6/6/20.

(06/11/20) Forty-two percent of respondents to a LandThink Pulse question "believe that demand for land will DECREASE for the remainder of 2020."

(06/10/20) We invite you to take a walk with Tree Farmer Angela Wells on her Montana land. She shares several good ideas on keeping track of things to do on your land. We hope you will enjoy the short walk with Angela.

(06/09/20) Fascinating! We found the speaker's notes and map from last week's Forestry Field Day (see 06/04/20, below) very interesting and think you will, too. The discussion and tour included viewing various ages of mixed plantings of oaks and pines.

(06/08/20) Is there a light at the end of the tunnel, and does the forest supply chain have a reason to be hopeful? Forest2Market President & CEO Pete Stewart speculates about the future in an interview with The Forestry Source, June 2020.

(06/05/20) "Forest School enjoys its moment in the woods." "Founded in the tradition of forest schools that dates to 1950s-era Scandinavia, the school teaches things such as the six ways to get a fire started, the difference between frogs and toads, and how to weigh the risks involved in swinging on a vine."

(06/04/20) Consulting Forester Bruce Lanier met about 2 dozen forest landowners in the Pickens County woods today to discuss Ways to Weather Current Pine Pulpwood Market Conditions, Managing Mixed Pine & Hardwood Stands, and Rethinking Planting Density. Bruce covered the topics well, but questions from the audience kept him on the job an hour beyond the planned adjournment time. His contact information is at www.ForesterSearch.com here.

(06/03/20) Log Truck Drivers are in demand. "Log truck drivers operate heavy trucks to transport logs and other wood products over the road. They can work directly for forest products companies, or they may be self-employed." Pass this message along to children or grandchildren who might be interested.

(06/02/20) Alligator hunters began registering today to win one of 260 tags available in Alabama this year. The world record was taken by Mandy Stokes of Camden in 2014: 15 feet 9 inches and 1,011.5 pounds.

(06/01/20) Why do a timber inventory? ... and a brief discussion about the basics of deciding which trees to measure. This 11 minute video discussion from NC State may help you better understand what your forester measures when cruising your timber.

(05/29/20) Why I Decided to Hunt My Own Food, by Kim Martin, gives us an idea about what goes through the minds of young people today. An interesting read.

(05/28/20) The film that shined too bright a light on green energy schemes, Planet of the Humans, has been removed from the web by YouTube. Source: The Guardian, 5/25/20. See 5/1/20, below. Watch on Vimeo, 6/4/20.

(05/27/20) Low property taxes are the reason many of us have invested in and/or continue to stay invested in forestland in Alabama. Alabama's reliance on property taxes to pay for government services is the lowest in the country, reports the Tax Foundation today. Even then, some studies have shown that the taxes paid for the services received on rural undeveloped land are excessive.

(05/26/20) "The Dove Daddy," Rick Bourne, gives tips on what you can do right now to produce a quality dove field for the fall on Episode 240 of The Land Show. Bourne's interview begins at 51:09.

(05/22/20) Managing for Top Quality White Oak, Fundamentals of Tree Identification, Why Do Trees Die?, and Clues in Determining a Quality Hardwood Stand are the first four of the "Back Porch Forestry" series created by Dr. David Mercker, University of Tennessee Extension Forester. Dr. Mercker presented Managing for Quality White Oaks at AFOA's 2018 Annual Meeting at Joe Wheeler State Park.

(05/21/20) HuntStand Pro, an excellent hunting and land management app for your iPhone or Android phone, is available at a 20% discount to AFOA members and the hunters who hunt on their land. Use the app to find out who owns a tract of land, mark game camera locations, share with your hunters to keep track of their locations on your property, measure distances, map your property, and more. The property ownership service is worth the price of the app: coverage of the whole US for a year for only $19.99 after the discount. The discount code is AFOA20. It is case sensitive.

(05/20/20) Black Walnut trees for valuable lumber and veneer, and for the nuts, too, is a big deal in the Midwest. The May bulletin of the Walnut Council is available on line. Past issues can be accessed here. Enjoy.

(05/19/20) Satellites Show a Decline in [Prescribed] Fire in the U.S. Southeast. Spring 2020 (January 1 through May 9) "had the fewest active fire detections of any spring in the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) record (which began in 2012)." "According to one recent estimate, about 70 percent of all prescribed fires in the United States occur in the Southeast." Editor's note: Sounds like a lot of fuel left in the woods to burn by accident later this fall.

(05/18/20) Markets Work and a host of other forestland oriented white papers are available from Forest Resource Consultants. If you are looking for a consulting forester in Alabama to help you make a timber sale, plant trees, paint boundary lines, kill cogongrass, or estimate timber volumes, find one at www.ForesterSearch.com.

(05/15/20) Alabama Timber Market Outlook was the featured topic of discussion last evening when the Alabama Forest Owners' Association hosted its Dinner & Discussion online. We wish to thank Dr. Adam Maggard, Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor, Auburn University for bringing this interesting and up-to-date perspective on the markets that pay the bills for forest owners.

(05/14/20) "Poor Savings Habits Have Left Americans Vulnerable to Economic Crises," shouts the title of a recent Foundation for Economic Education essay. AFOA suspects and hopes that most forest owners are savers and investors, but we also suspect that many AFOA members worry about the savings habits of their children and/or grandchildren. Potential savers might benefit from reading The Richest Man in Babylon.

(05/13/20) Two bills in Montgomery (HB369 -- you may need to click this link twice -- and SB263) sound like bail outs for the deer-farm industry in case a herd becomes infected with chronic wasting disease. Read the bills and let AFOA know what you think.

(05/12/20) "With school and university systems across the country now employing 'distance learning' for the foreseeable future, tens of millions of K-12 and college students are doing their work online. All of this adds up to a situation where printing and writing papers are simply not needed to accomplish tasks and take tests." Read more from John Greene's May 11, 2020 Forest2Market Blog, Structural Changes to Declining Pulp & Paper Segments Will Accelerate Under Pandemic.

(05/11/20) County Tax Maps are available for Alabama counties. AFOA compiled a list of county tax maps for you to use. They come in handy when someone wants to know where your land is located - like visiting friends, prospective timber buyers, or hunters who are interested in leasing hunting rights on your land. A few of the links may not be the best available URL, so please send additions or corrections to RLL@AFOA.org. Greene County updated 8/19/20.

(05/08/20) Wildfire Headlines from Florida as reported by Wildfire News of the Day, 5/8/20
o    Santa Rosa County: Florida Forest Service discusses new policies to fight wildfires in time of coronavirus
o    Walton County: 33 homes destroyed as result of South Walton wildfire ignited by illegal burn
o    Walton County: Firefighters battle 85-acre wildfire in Lake Wales near S.R. 60
o    Lake Wales: Firefighters battle 110 acre blaze in Washington County
o    Pace: Florida Forest Service says Pace wildfire is contained after burning 70 acres
o    Woodville: Officials warn of increased risk of fires in coming days

(05/07/20) Coloring Sheets and Virtual Field Trip Videos are available at John Deere for Kids.

(05/06/20) Forestry Newsletters from Clemson, Virginia Tech, and Mississippi State are now available.

(05/05/20) More details now available for the Montgomery County Proposed Property Tax Increase. WSFA12 reported that the bill to allow a tax vote, introduced Monday, 5/4/20, by Democrat Rep. Kirk Hatcher, might be blocked by Republican Rep. Reed Ingram. The WSFA story says the bill would raise property taxes for schools from 10 mills to 18.5 mills, while an earlier report by the Montgomery Advertiser said the proposed tax would raise the millage rate from 10 to 22. Editor's Note: We wonder if Ingram's threat to block the bill unless the referendum date is moved to next February or later is little more than virtue signaling to his base, since the referendum might more easily pass if the election is held on an obscure date next winter. Just a thought.

(05/04/20) Fire Lines is the newsletter of professional and part-time prescribed burners. The March-April 2020 issue contains sections entitled New Technology and Tools, New Fire Science Publications for the South, and Upcoming Events (included are a half dozen on-line webinars).

(05/01/20) So,... even if you nodded your head in agreement with Elon Musk's "forcible imprisonment" comments during a Tesla, Inc. first quarter earnings call, you may still be questioning the rationale behind government subsidies of Musk's electric cars, wind & solar energy, and wood-fired power plants. Questioning that rationale is exactly what the documentary Planet of the Humans does, available, at least today, on YouTube. 6/4/20: Watch on Vimeo.

(04/30/20) "While there has been a lot of ‘hand wringing’ about this asset when the stock market set records last year, we now see, from a risk standpoint, timberland serves well to preserve wealth and still generate cash, especially through tough economic environments." Source: Forisk Consulting LLC Press Release, 4/29/20.

(04/29/20) Alabama Forestry Association's Chris Isaacson discusses the virus panic impact on the forest industry in Alabama on Episode 236 of The Land Show (from 23:14 to 38:06). "It's the uncertainty."

(04/28/20) So, Alabama Forest Owners. You think you have problems? Be glad you only have an oversupply of timber and the virus panic to put up with!
o  Wildfires being fought in two spots of Chornobyl NPP exclusion zone
o  The stubborn Ukrainian tradition behind forest fires in Chornobyl
o  Case Study: Chernobyl wildfire extinguished with help of drones
o  "Absolute Apocalypse": Ukrainian film director uploads drone footage of Chornobyl wildfire aftermath (Video)
o  Radioactive Cesium measured up north could origin from Chernobyl forest fires
o  Wildfires Burning In Ukraine's Western Zhytomyr Region
o  National Guard conducts anti-sabotage operation due to forest fires
                            Source: Wildfire News of the Day.

(04/27/20) The Big Thinning, number one in The Little Foresters Adventures with Larry the Logger, has just been published, and forester/author Dana Bloome hopes your children will enjoy it. AFOA’s children’s books reviewer, Brinley Laechelt, reported, “It tells some pretty interesting facts. I like how people make stuff out of wood and how they stay strong. And the safety message, I like that. They’ve got safety gear and some of it is funny.” Illustrations by Vanessa J. Thompson. $16.99 at www.ForestryInBloome.com.