Louisiana 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.
Read MorePresident Donald Trump introduced some changes to the way the timber industry handles business.
Over the weekend, the president signed a pair of actions to increase domestic lumber production.
Read MoreCalling all educators! (Educator = anyone who interacts with children: formal teacher, non-formal educator, librarian, 4-H agent, FFA sponsor, Scout leader, natural resource professional, etc.). The Louisiana Forestry Association invites you to apply for the 2025 Educators Tour for Forestry.
Read MoreLouisiana Tech University School of Agricultural Sciences and Forestry received a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Wood Innovations Grant Program.
Read MoreState Representative Mike Johnson from Pineville says more than 12 million malnourished trees from the 2023 drought that have become infested with pine beetles need to be taken down. Johnson says Cleco and the Louisiana Department of Transportation have started the process by removing dead trees along roads and highways, but more needs to done with trees on private property.
Read MoreSome 450 employees of a Natchitoches Parish paper mill will lose their jobs by the end of April after their parent company announced the facility’s pending closure Thursday.
International Paper is shutting down its Red River Mill in Campti that makes containerboard, as well as a recycling plant in Phoenix, a box-making plant in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and sheet feeder facility in St. Louis.
Read MoreInternational Paper will permanently close its Campti containerboard mill in Natchitoches Parish in April, eliminating about 300 permanent jobs.
The company also said it will close its recycling plant in Phoenix and box plant in Hazelton, Pa., during the same time period.
Read MoreIn the wake of recent natural disasters causing severe damage to Louisiana’s timber economy, Congresswoman Julia Letlow has introduced legislation adding improvements to disaster relief programs for forest landowners.
Read MoreLouisiana produces 70% more forests than it is cutting down. The Forestry Association is trying to encourage industry to utilize those resources, including renewable fuel makers.
Read MoreArbor Day was founded in 1872, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. In its honor, the Louisiana Forestry Association gave out free trees on Jan. 17.
In Louisiana, we celebrate Arbor Day on the third Friday in January. According to the Louisiana Forestry Association, this is the best time to plant a tree because of the colder temperatures.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing an investment of more than $70 million in 357 projects in Fiscal Year 2025 through the 2008 Farm Bill’s Plant Protection Act’s Section 7721 program. The work will strengthen the country’s defenses against plant pests and diseases, safeguard the U.S. nursery system, and enhance pest detection and mitigation efforts. Universities, states, Tribal organizations, federal agencies, and others will manage these projects in 49 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
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