AFA NEWSROOM - January 8, 2025
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AFA Tuscaloosa Regional Reception
Next Tuesday!
1/14/25 at 6:00 pm
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What better way to start the New Year than an evening with your local friends in forestry!
Kick off 2025 with friends old and new! Join AFA and your fellow forestry enthusiasts from the Tuscaloosa area for an evening of connection, conversation, and community. Don’t miss this opportunity to gather, share stories, and start the year right.
RSVP today to save your spot – we’d love to see you there!
A special thanks to our sponsors:
Title Sponsor: Warrior Tractor
Regional Reception Sponsors: Alabama AG Credit, JamisonMoneyFarmer PC, IFCO/PRT Seedlings, First South Farm Credit, & ArborGen.
Interested in being a sponsor? It's not too late? Sign up online or call us at 334-481-2135. We’d love to have you on board!
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2025 AFA
Public Policy Seminar
January 26 - 28, 2025
| Register now for our 2025 Public Policy Seminar at The Grand Hotel in Point Clear today! From AFA members to state and federal public officials, don't miss getting an update on the State of Alabama's Governance the week prior to the Alabama General Session, January 26 - 28, 2025. |
David Benefield - Workforce Development Coordinator With ForestryWorks® - Honored at National FFA Convention
| At the recent 97th National FFA Convention & Expo held in Indianapolis from October 23-26, David Benefield was awarded the prestigious Honorary FFA American Degree. This accolade recognizes those who have gone beyond valuable daily contributions to make an extraordinary long-term difference in the lives of students, inspiring confidence in a new generation of agriculturists. |
AFA Connect
January 16, 2025
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Join AFA Connect on Thursday, January 16, 2025, as Chris Chambers with The Westervelt Company shares his presentation Forests with Exceptional Conservation Value, an overview of ways forest sustainability promotes and protects water quality, biodiversity, and wildlife habitat. Learn about resources related to Alabama's unique ecological communities and threatened, endangered, and G1G2 species.
Earn one hour of CFE and PLM for attendance in this live online program.
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2024 Alabama Landowners Conference and ANRC
Awards Banquet
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Over 100 landowners from across Alabama gathered at the
scenic Gulf State Park for the three-day Alabama Landowner Conference. This event aims to provide educational resources and networking opportunities
for landowners and natural resource professionals. State
Forester Rick Oates noted, “This conference is a fantastic
chance for landowners to learn new practices and explore the latest technology in forestry. It’s inspiring to see organizations like Tree Farm, TREASURE Forest,
AFA, AFF, and ALFA collaborate to create this experience.” The final day featured an awards banquet recognizing individuals and county forestry planning committees for their significant contributions to conservation of Alabama’s natural resources.
| Property Taxes by State: 2023 | Nationally, across the 86 million owner-occupied homes in the U.S., the average annual real estate taxes paid in 2023 was $4,112, according to NAHB analysis of the 2023 American Community Survey. Homeowners in New Jersey continued to pay the highest real estate taxes, paying an average of $9,572, 30.6% higher than the second highest, New York, at $7,329 . On the other end of the distribution, homeowners in Alabama paid the lowest average amount of real estate taxes at $978. The map below shows the geographic variation of average annual real estate taxes (RETs) paid. |
As Helene Toppled Trees, it also Caused Billions in Timber Losses
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As insurers count the cost of the once-in-a-century Hurricane Milton, nearby Georgia, estimates that Hurricane Helene has already impacted more than US $1.28 billion in timber stock alone.
That is according to the Georgia Forestry Commission, which revealed that the Hurricane traversed more than 8.9 million acres of forestland—almost 40% of the state’s 24 million acres of timberlands…and causing havoc for landowners who don’t have ‘crop insurance’ to protect their ‘nest eggs.’
| Forests May be more Resilient to Climate Change Than Previously Thought: Study | |
Forests may be more resilient to climate change than previously thought.
A team of international researchers have found that increased inputs from plant roots can keep carbon levels in soil stable even as temperatures and nitrogen deposits in the atmosphere rise.
The collaborative research project, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, looked at the effects of increased temperatures due to climate change and increased nitrogen in the atmosphere released by burning fossil fuels – two environmental threats that had been studied separately.
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ResourceWise's 2025 Forest Products Industry Predictions
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The forest products industries faced a year of significant change in 2024, marked by shifting market dynamics and unexpected challenges. From fluctuating demand and pricing to an increasing emphasis on biofuel innovations, the sector underwent remarkable transformations.
As part of our annual tradition, ResourceWise is proud to share our key insights and forecasts for the year ahead. Here are eight pivotal predictions that will shape the forest products industry in 2025.
| Online CE Available For PLM & CFE | Still need CFE hours? Check out AFA's online CE Classes available for CFE & PLM credit.... New 2024 Bundle (5 Hours) is available now. Click the link below to see all the classes available. | |  |
Click sponsor links below | Ledkins Insurance Agency, LLC |
Thank you to our sponsors
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