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| Calendar | |
Dec. 10-Jan. 28: Smithsonian Exhibit, Southern Forest Heritage Museum, free admission.
Tuesday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 - 4 p.m. Call (318) 748-8404 for information.
Dec. 23 and Dec. 26: LFA office closed for Christmas.
Jan. 3: LFA Board of Directors meeting, Country Inn and Suites, Pineville, 1:30
Jan. 3: SFI SIC committee,. LFA office, 10 a.m.
Jan. 3: LFA Administrative Affairs,
11:15 a.m., LFA office
Jan. 3: New Board Member Orientation, Noon, LFA office.
Jan. 20: Arbor Day seedling giveaway, LFA office, Alexandria.
Jan. 26: Grant Parish Landowner Extension Meeting, Colfax, $15. Call Robbie Hutchins at 318-767-3968.
Feb. 23: Cenla Forestry Forum, LSU-A Evacuation Center. More information to follow soon.
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Congress delays new H2B rules till Oct. 1, 2012
La. judge also sends case back to Pa.
Congress passed a provision in the Omnibus Appropriations bill that prevents the Dept. of Labor from enforcing the higher wage rule for immigrant labor at least until Oct. 1, 2012.
U.S. Dist. Judge Dee Drell in Alexandria also refused to rule in the LFA case against the Labor Dept. and the new rules for guest workers. He sent the case back to Pennsylvania where a similar case has been heard. Several groups challenged the new higher wages, which affect tree planters and other industries such as seafood. Pay for Mexican workers who make up over 90% of the planting crews would have gone up 70% to $16.31 per hour.
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Commission sets 2012 severance tax
Pine and hardwood sawtimber increase
The sawtimber and chip-n-saw severance tax rate is 2 1/4 percent of the sawtimber stumpage value. The pulpwood regular severance tax rate is 5 percent of the stumpage value.
The sawtimber taxes were slightly up but the tax on chip-n-saw and pulpwood declined.
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| Product | 2012 Stumpage Value | Severance Tax | | Pine sawtimber | $249.63/mbf $31.20/ton | $5.61/mbf $.70/ton | | Hdwd sawtimber | $337.34/mbf $35.56/ton | $7.60/mbf $.80/ton | | Chip-n-saw | $52.16/cord $19.32/ton | $1.17/cord $.43/ton | | Pine pulpwood | $22.43/cord $8.46/ton | $1.12/cord $.42/ton | | Hdwd pulpwood | $20.87/cord $7.32/ton | $1.04/cord $.37/ton |
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La. SAF meeting Jan. 9 in Baton Rouge
The Louisiana Society of American Foresters will meet Jan. 9-10 in Baton Rouge at the Crowne Plaze Hotel on Constitution Avenue. Room rates are $96 per night. For more information and to register go online click here. Some of the speakers include:
* Dr. Bill Carney, Callegari Envir. Ctr., LSU AgCenter - BioDiesel, Wood
Composting, & Tallow Trees.
* Jim Leist, Weyerhaeuser - Trees and Biomass.
* Hon. W. Henson Moore, former Congressman and Past President of AF&PA. * Dr. Les Groom, USFS SRS - Updates on the BioMax 25
* Danny Vines - President, Aspen Power LLC, Lufkin, TX.
* Barry Schaps, Sundrop Fuels · * Jody Hammett, CLECO
* Michael Goergen, Executive VP, SAF - Issues in Washington, DC.
Johnny Thompson with Landmark Systems will hold a technical conference
from 1-5 p.m. on Jan. 9.
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Final CLECO RFP ready Jan. 19
Deadline to submit bid is April 15
A Request for Proposals to supply wood biomass to CLECO Power willl be on their website by Jan. 19. A draft RFP is available now for comment and questions. The Public Service Commission has required that proposals be for at least 10 years with the only possible adjustment built in for the consumer or producer price index. Those who submit a proposal may also send an optional "informational" bid that could be for one year. For more information click here. |
Congress stops permitting for forest roads
Also included in Appropriations bill
Congress' Omnibus Appropriations Bill also included a provision declaring that storm water runoff from forest roads and other silviculture activities identified in EPA's regulations shall not be subject to NPDES permits for the duration of the fiscal year. This is a very significant advancement of the effort to permanently overturn the Ninth Circuit's decision in NEDC v. Brown defining forest roads as point sources under the Clean Water Act.
The Supreme Court also asked for opinions from the Solicitor General on the issue which leads some to think the court will consider the case.
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State institutes mid-year budget cuts
Revenues down for the year
The announced mid-year budget cuts will affect all state government but health care and higher education have the most problems from the cuts. The LSU AgCenter will be cut $3.4 million, but the reduction is subject to review by the Board of Supervisors.
The Louisiana Dept. of Ag and Forestry will also be cut $1.2 million more. The impact on the Louisiana Office of Forestry has not been broken out yet. Expectations are for $1 million in cuts to salaries and benefits (including unfillled positions) and $200,000 from travel. |
New foresters at Graphic Packaging
Three new foresters have been hired at Graphic Packaging in West Monroe, according to Tony Diaz. They are Jimmy Moss, Dennis Foster and John Taylor. They will work alongside Diaz and Desmond Clapp.
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No funds for emergency forest restoration
Lacks disaster designation
The LFA has been working to make Louisiana forest landowners impacted by the fires this summer eligible for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program, but that will not happen. The program requires a presidential declaration of an emergency in the case of a disaster. No declaration was made so funds will not be available.
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This is our email newsletter to our members! We send these timely bulletins only to our members who have an email address on file. You can always view this on our website at www.laforestry.com.