NEWS

In a recent Floor Daily Podcast, DHA President Keith Christman highlighted consumers' strong preference for the beauty and character of real wood. He emphasized DHA's priority policy issues, which include labor, the supply chain, and trade.

Photo © Timber Products Company

The new strategy calls for the U.S. Forest Service to treat up to an additional 20 million acres on national forests and grasslands and to support treatment of up to an additional 30 million acres. The recent infrastructure law provided nearly $3 billion to do so. In recent years, more than 10 million acres have burned nationwide.

Ingka Investments, the investment division of a large Ikea franchise group, has acquired 3,264 acres of land in Florida as part of the group's commitment to responsibly manage forests. The newly created forests will support increased biodiversity and help ensure sustainable timber production.
 

In the eastern U.S., white oak is facing challenges as changes in land management practices and forest ecology have made it difficult for seedlings and saplings to take root and grow. The same study shows that climate change and invasive insects have contributed to the problem.
 

Researchers studying the evolution of oak trees in three French forests over the last three centuries found that oaks evolve rapidly and can adapt to climate change in just a few generations.
 

One of the most destructive forests pests has expanded into Maine. The southern pine beetle, which has destroyed millions of acres of pine forests in its native South, has been found in Waterboro, ME.
 

The Indonesian government has revoked 192 forestry sector permits covering an area of nearly 8 million acres. The reason given: lack of recent activity. This decision is unprecedented in Indonesian history.
 

Research group Global Canopy rated the 350 companies most responsible for producing, using, or trading commodities that cause deforestation and the 150 biggest banks, investment firms, and pension funds that finance these companies. One-third of the companies assessed had no forest commitments at all. 72% addressed some but not all of the forest-related commodities in their supply chains.
 

U.S. companies imported nearly 1,600 metric tons of teak from Myanmar last year, mostly for decking and boats, despite sanctions against the military-controlled, state-run timber enterprise. New research counted 82 such timber shipments from Myanmar to the U.S. between February and November 2021.
 

Two siblings in Ohio have been accused of felony theft after chopping down a 250-year-old black walnut tree. They claim that the tree was on private property; prosecutors say that the tree was on the Cleveland Metroparks nature preserve.
 

Illegal logging has contributed to higher numbers of landslides and floods, which take a devastating toll on lives, livelihoods, and the environment. In Malaysia alone, the country's National Disaster Management Agency recorded 133 landslides during the current northeast monsoon period.
 

Vietnam's export value of forest products grew 20% to reach a record of $15.87 billion last year. The country's wood industry has already set its 2022 target at $16 billion.
 

The European Union is using the World Trade Organization to challenge Russian export restrictions on raw wood, claiming that the ban is illegal. Russia banned exports of some unprocessed hardwood and coniferous trees beginning January 1 in order to support its own wood processors.
 

Roseburg has appointed Stuart Gray to the newly created position of chief operating officer, effective immediately. The company's ongoing growth in a complex and fast-paced business environment drove Roseburg's executive team to create the role.
 

ASTM E648 critical radiant flux testing determines the level of radiant heat at which a floor covering material will extinguish itself, a critical component in evaluating fire risk. For in-depth answers to your questions on ASTM E648, visit the Capital Testing website.
 

Recent news about the pandemic's impact on our industry include:

• U.S. businesses fear never-ending liability from "take-home" COVID-19 lawsuits
• How the pandemic supercharged suburban sprawl
• A record 9 million Americans are out sick as COVID rates surge
• Some much-needed coronavirus humor

See the DHA coronavirus news and resources pages for more updates and information.

Which species of tree was planted in Europe in recent years—and may become the largest trees on the continent?