NEWS

Which hardwood tree was used to determine the causes of a pivotal moment in the history of Roman Britain?

Answer: The study used records of oak tree rings to reconstruct temperature and precipitation levels in southern Britain during and after the "Barbarian Conspiracy" in 367 CE.

The head of Vaughan-Bassett discussed how his firm, one of the few remaining U.S. manufacturers of wooden furniture, is navigating through the uncertainty created by tariffs and economic policy whiplash. Vietnam—not China—is the lead exporter of wood furniture to the U.S. and the 800-pound gorilla of the industry.

PHOTO © Vaughan Bassett

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a rule to rescind the regulatory definition of harm under the Endangered Species Act. Currently, "harm" includes modifications to habitat that severely disrupt vital behaviors such as breeding and feeding. Now, the USFWS says that this interpretation is too broad and extends beyond the intended scope of the statutory term "take," which refers to direct actions like hunting or killing.

The Missouri General Assembly has introduced legislation to "combat misleading or deceptive practices related to the wood industry." The act says that only products derived from wood can be advertised or marketed as "wood." The Missouri Forest Products Association stated that the law is a victory for the "forest products industry in the state of Missouri and most importantly, consumers."

DHA and allied organizations sent a letter to Congress advocating for the Disaster Reforestation Act. The act would allow landowners to deduct the true value of timber destroyed by disasters. This long-overdue policy would allow private landowners to replant, recover, and continue stewarding U.S. working forests—the forests that support rural jobs, provide critical environmental benefits, and form the backbone of the U.S. timber supply chain.

PHOTO © USFS