WVFA Spring 2019

I N D U S T R Y N E W S www.wvfa.org Spring 2019 |  West Virginia Forestry Association Mountain State Forestry 7 US Labor Shortfall According to Bloomberg News, a surprise shortage of blue collar workers is changing the contours of the U.S. labor market, boosting their pay, narrowing wage inequality and drawing more women into those jobs. The shortfall is being driven by a shrinking supply of manual and low- pay service workers as the labor force becomes more educated and less willing to take on such jobs, according to a new Conference Board study. Army Procurement of Hardwood The Hardwood Federation has been notified that the U.S. Army is working on moving procurement of hardwood decking for U.S. Department of Defense flatbed trucks from an imported species (Apitong or Keruing) to U.S. grown and milled hardwoods. This move has be initiated due the listing of numerous Apitong species as extinct, critically endangered or endangered. The U.S. Army uses approximately one million board feet of hardwood each year. Initial work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Products Lab and the Michigan Technological University School of Agriculture has identified White Oak to meet all criteria for U.S. DOD flatbed trucks. The U.S. Army is now conducting outreach to solicit interest from the U.S. forest industry and to identify potential commercial sources for White Oak trailer floor-boards. There is some expectation that other species of U.S. hardwoods could be included in future procurement rules if White Oak is successfully integrated. It is essential that the U.S. Army hear from producers and vendors of White Oak so they can assess availability and costs. If you know of other companies that supply white oak, please share this message or let me know so I can send it out. Information is due by December 28. Do not hesitate to contact the Hardwood Federation if you have any questions. Best Regards, Dana Lee Cole Executive Director, The Hardwood Federation WVFA Area Meetings Success WVFA has just completed the 2018 Area Meetings and we are pleased to report hosting about 300 members, Legislators and Congressional staff. Again, the Division of Foresty representatives attended most of the six meetings. Particularly significant, this year, was our holding the Charleston meeting at our new office at 2008 Quarrier St. We wish to thank our Area Directors for all their hard work: Mark Harper of Huffman Logging, Greg Tucker of Coastal Timberlands, Dan Abston of Weyerhaeuser Timberlands, John Holstine of Holstine Consulting, and Gene Shutler of Pixelle Specialty Solutions.