Packaging and paper company Hood Container Corporation announced it will invest $118.9 million to modernize its paper mill in St. Francisville, Louisiana. The company said the project would boost production capacity and quality.
Hood Container expects the development to retain 295 positions and add 819 indirect jobs.
Read MoreForisk Consulting will hold a webinar on Timber Market Analysis Class in October and COFC foresters and Master Loggers can earn 3 CE credits to attend one day of the two-day event or 6 CE credits if they attend both days.
The live Zoom webinar will be held frm 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT Oct. 1 and 2. It is designed to help attendees "understand, track and analyze the price, demand, supply and competitive dynamics of local timber markets and wood baskets though the use of case studies," according to the Forisk website.
Read MoreWe turn off the highway and drive a couple of miles on a gravel road through the tall longleaf pines of Louisiana’s Kisatchie National Forest. This area in Vernon Parish is home to the once-endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. But now the small woodpecker is making a comeback. Thanks in part to the efforts of humans. Biologists have been tracking these woodpeckers for years, finding their nests dozens of feet above the ground in the trunks of tall pines. They raise a camera to peek inside.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, along with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, conducted a Longleaf Pine Restoration and Management Landowner Field Day and Workshop June 27 at the Marsh Bayou WMA in Evangeline Parish.
Longleaf pine forests offer a number of ecological and economic benefits. Longleaf pine savannahs are among the most diverse ecosystems in the world, with well-maintained sites providing optimum habitat for turkeys, quail, deer and numerous other game and non-game species.
Read MoreIt was a once-in-a-lifetime event for many across Central Louisiana and beyond as wildfires and drought destroyed over 60,000 acres of trees, drying up land in the summer and fall months of 2023 and costing the state $71 million in timber loss.
Dr. Mike Strain, the commissioner of Louisiana’s Department of Agriculture and Forestry, shared, “We have about 18.6 million acres total of timber. That’s 15 million acres of farm timber as well. It’s about 3.6 million acres of bottomlands and hardwoods. So, if you look at 85% of Louisiana, it is in timber or row crop type agriculture or aquaculture.”
Read MorePresident Donald Trump signed an executive order in March aimed at revitalizing America’s timber industry by increasing logging on federal lands, streamlining permitting, and reducing regulatory delays.
But in Louisiana, where the timber sector has been in long decline, early reactions suggest the impact has been minimal — at least for now.
Read MoreSumitomo Forestry Co. officially announced it has acquired 100 percent of interests in the Teal Jones Louisiana Holdings through its Sumitomo Forestry America Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary.
"With these acquisitions, we will begin the launch of our first timber industrial complex*1 in the US. In addition to dimension lumber*2 and other materials to build houses and multi-family residential buildings in Louisiana, this complex will consider manufacturing mass timber*3 to maximize the value of wood through the cascading utilization of logs where nothing goes to waste. Harnessing the synergy effect with our existing US operations in residential property development, real estate development and FITP,*4 we are aiming to further grow our businesses in the US," according to a press release.
Read MoreArclin, a leading material science company, has committed to a $500,000 contribution to Louisiana Tech University in support of the new Forest Products Innovation Center. The center is set to become a cornerstone of research and development for sustainable forest product technologies and will play a critical role in Louisiana Tech’s broader education and innovation goals.
Read MoreU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced a bold $200 million investment to implement the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service’s National Active Forest Management Strategy (PDF, 24.7 MB), a key initiative to increase timber harvest, improve forest health and productivity, reduce wildfire risk, and support rural prosperity in forest communities.
Read MoreRegistration has opened for the Louisiana Forestry Association 78th annual convention, Aug. 19-21, 2025, at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino Resort in Lake Charles.
This year's theme is "Focus on Forestry: The Future and Adapting to Change" and begins with the President's Reception on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Wednesday, Aug. 20 will be filled with fellowship includes a great slate of speakers.
Read MoreLouisiana Tech had a busy day on April 25, with two groundbreakings.
It began with the groundbreaking of the Origin Bank Center for Student-Athlete Success, a place where university leaders say student athlete’s educational demands will be met.
Tech’s expansion doesn’t end at the Student-Athlete Success Center. They also marked the start of the Forest Products Innovation Center, which will focus on the vast timber industry in Louisiana.
Read MoreWhen hurricanes, wildfires, ice storms, or pest outbreaks hit, the financial impact on forest landowners can be devastating. Timber, the most valuable asset in most family-owned forests, can be wiped out in an instant. Yet under current law, timber is excluded from the Federal Crop Insurance Program and casualty tax deductions are limited. With limited assistance from the government and no widely available private insurance options, forest landowners are exposed to decades of risk without financial protection.
Read MoreThe Women in the Woods program, developed by Louisiana Tech University professors Dr. Heidi Adams and Dr. Nan Nan, is designed to encourage young women to explore careers in forestry through mentorship, community outreach, and hands-on learning. The initiative, supported by the USDA NIFA Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program, has recently received a $200,000 grant.
Read MoreDr. Mike Strain, Louisiana’s Agriculture Commissioner, discusses the impact of tariffs on the state’s agriculture and seafood industries. He emphasizes the importance of promoting local seafood, which is a significant part of Louisiana’s economy, contributing about $1.6 billion annually. Strain highlights the need to enjoy and support local seafood, such as crawfish, shrimp, and crabs, which are currently abundant and reasonably priced.
Read MoreThe United States Department of Agriculture awarded Louisiana Tech University a $300,000 grant for a research project. Louisiana Tech officials say the grant will fund their efforts in monitoring and investigating the upcoming Forest Products Innovation Center on campus.
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