NEWS

Two environmental groups challenged the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's plan to kill up to 450,000 barred owls in the next 30 years. Northern spotted owl populations have declined rapidly for several reasons, one of which is competition from invasive barred owls that originated in the eastern U.S. Northern spotted owls are listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

The U.S. has filed a civil lawsuit against the president of a company that imported Chinese-made children's bedroom furniture into the U.S. The lawsuit alleges that false statements were made to customs officials and that the company avoided paying antidumping duties as a result.

U.S. Congress will convene this month for its final sessions of 2024. Lawmakers are expected to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes an important provision that directs the Department of Defense and GSA to stop using endangered tropical apitong for military truck and trailer beds and begin using sustainable U.S. red oak instead.

27 members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to push the Biden administration to follow the Supreme Court's unanimous ruling to overhaul the definition of "waters of the United States" (WOTUS).

The Hardwood Federation and American Hardwood Export Council met with USDA staff to discuss the status of the EU Deforestation Regulation and its potential impact on the U.S. hardwood industry. The good news: USDA understands the many challenges of the EUDR and has been working with the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to communicate concerns to their European counterparts.