AFA NEWSROOM - October 22, 2025

Rayonier and PotlatchDeltic to Combine in an All-Stock Merger

Rayonier (NYSE: RYN) and PotlatchDeltic (Nasdaq: PCH) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals, creating a leading domestic land resources owner and top-tier lumber manufacturer.

Based on the closing stock prices of Rayonier and PotlatchDeltic on October 10, 2025, the last business day prior to the execution of the agreement, the combined company is expected to have a pro forma equity market capitalization of $7.1 billion and a total enterprise value of $8.2 billion, including $1.1 billion of net debt. Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company will become the second-largest publicly traded timber and wood products company in North America and will be well-positioned to capitalize on an improving housing market as well as opportunities in higher-and-better-use (HBU) real estate and land-based / natural climate solutions.

State Agriculture Leaders Urge Federal Relief to Include Forestry & Timber

Agriculture commissioners and secretaries from 11 southern and eastern states-including Alabama’s own Rick Pate-have joined together to urge federal leaders to include the forestry and timber sectors in the next round of agricultural assistance.

In their October 14, 2025 letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, the group praised recent federal actions aimed at strengthening American timber production but emphasized that continued challenges-high interest rates, supply-chain disruptions, unfair foreign competition, and compliance concerns tied to the EU Deforestation Regulation-are still straining mills and landowners across rural communities.

AFA Back the Blue - Lineville, AL

Thursday - 10/30/2025

Tuberville Advocates for Forest Owners during Ag Meeting

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced an amendment to the Fix Our Forests Act during a U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee (Ag) business meeting. His amendment consists of the bill text of the Disaster Reforestation Act, which would help landowners recover from the loss of timber after natural disasters. Currently, forest landowners do not have financial assistance eligible to them after a hurricane, tornado, pest, or disease outbreak strikes. By making improvements to the casualty loss of uncut timber in the tax code, forest owners could deduct the value of their timber prior to the loss caused by a natural disaster. Sen. Tuberville introduced this legislation earlier this year.

During his remarks to members of the Ag Committee, Sen. Tuberville asked for their support in getting the amendment passed through the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, the committee of jurisdiction on this legislation, to deliver urgent help to foresters. Sen. Tuberville then withdrew the amendment from the Ag markup.

European Commission Issues Updated EUDR Proposal; Delay Limited to Small Enterprises

Today, the European Commission (EC) issued a proposal that reverses its previous statement that EUDR implementation would be delayed by one year. The announcement may be found by clicking the link below.

Under the proposal unveiled earlier today, the one-year delay to December 2026 would still apply to “micro and small enterprises,” but for medium and large-sized companies, the implementation date remains December 30, 2025. A six-month grace period is offered under the proposal “for checks and enforcement.”

Other notable elements of the proposal are:

Downstream operators and traders of products already placed on the EU market will no longer be required to submit due diligence statements (DDS).
Micro and small primary operators will only have to submit a one-off declaration to the IT system rather than for each shipment.

In terms of next steps, the measure must be approved by the EU Parliament and Council.

In sum, this measure does nothing to address U.S.-based company concerns with EUDR compliance, nor does it reference the U.S. as a negligible deforestation risk. FRA will work with our forestry and forest products sector allies to communicate the urgency of this situation to the White House and Congress, as well as to the EC directly.

Tim O’Hara

FRA President

Proposed Measures

EPA Issues Policy Guidance to Help Prevent Catastrophic Wildfires, Promote Use of Prescribed Fires for Mitigation Efforts

Today, in accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order “Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued policy guidance directing regional offices to work with local, state, Tribal, and federal partners to remove barriers in State Implementation Plans (SIPs) that discourage prescribed fires. In the past, various states have included air quality provisions in SIPs that impede the strategic deployment of wildland prescribed fires in areas vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires. Prescribed fires are a key tool to reducing the impacts of catastrophic wildfires on communities and businesses. The inability to perform strategic prescribed fires could leave American families more vulnerable to destructive fires.

Click the link below for more information!

2025 Alabama Loggers Council
Annual Meeting - Save the Date

December 6, 2025

Registration is OPEN!

Mark your calendars — it’s almost time for the 2025 Alabama Loggers Council Annual Meeting!

Join your fellow loggers, foresters, and friends of the woods for a full day of education, updates, and straight talk about the issues that matter most to Alabama’s logging community.

From boots-on-the-ground discussions to industry insights and policy updates, this meeting is your chance to connect, share ideas, and help shape the future of our state’s logging profession.

We’ll wrap things up the way we like it-good food, excellent company, and an opportunity to celebrate the 2025 ALC Logger of the Year!

👉 Registration details and sponsorship opportunities can be found by clicking the link below!

The Mass Timber Tipping Point Is Closer Than You Think

Mass timber is gaining momentum as a structural material that, along with many other attributes, can reduce the embodied carbon in new buildings and retrofits. Despite this potential, and widespread enthusiasm in the design community, the uptake of mass timber has been relatively slow.

Architecture 2030 and Pilot Projects Collaborative’s new report, Mass Timber Tipping Point, provides a cross section of experiences from design firms of all shapes and sizes and uncovers the most common challenges that hinder design firms in delivering these innovative construction systems. Authors Vincent Martinez, CEO of Architecture 2030, and Scott Francisco, Founder and Director of Pilot Projects, provide their insights on the findings.

AFF & Partners are Hosting Upcoming Events Across the State

Curious about how Prescribed Fire can enhance the health of your woodlands? The Alabama Forestry Foundation and its partners invite you to register for upcoming Learn & Burn events. Keep checking back - we will be adding more events across the state!

🔥 Hands-on learning

🌿 Expert insights

📍 Multiple locations – more counties coming soon!

Visit our events page to learn more about that county's upcoming Learn & Burn and secure your spot today!

Events Calendar

Online CE Available For PLM & CFE

Still need CFE hours? Check out AFA's online CE Classes available for CFE & PLM credit.... 2024 Bundle (5 Hours) is still available. Click the link below to see all the classes available.

AFA Online Education