Gov. John Bel Edwards and Weyerhaeuser announced the company plans to make a two-phased capital investment in its Holden facility. The project would result in approximately $157 million invested over several years to upgrade equipment and modernize the sawmill. Phase one includes nearly $19 million to upgrade lumber kiln-drying capacity, while the second phase will include a major investment of approximately $138 million to completely modernize the facility.
Read MoreLegislation to provide relief dollars to the logging industry in Louisiana is headed to the House floor.
House Bill 642 would create the Louisiana Loggers Relief Program to issue a total of $10 million in grants for timber harvesting and timber-hauling businesses.
Read MoreForestry is the number one industry for Winn Parish, and a top industry for the state of Louisiana. Forestry-related employment accounted for 51,874 jobs in the state. Forest industries manufacturing employers in Louisiana provide about 19,969 jobs in 2017. The Louisiana Forest Festival is important to promote and stimulate the industry for not only the economic wellbeing of Winn and surrounding parishes, but also for the state.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared April 2021 as Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month (IPPDAM). The national outreach initiative enlists the public in the fight against invasive pests. These damaging invaders threaten our nation’s food crops, forests and natural resources. IPPDAM aims to raise public awareness about this threat, which can devastate agriculture, livelihoods, and food security.
Read MoreArson fires have been burning acres of the Kisatchie National Forest, and authorities are asking the public for help in finding the culprits.
During March, firefighters have responded to around 10 wildfires within different districts of the Kisatchie National Forest, which cover 600,000 acres across seven parishes. On Tuesday, Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain said five of those fires have been in his parish.
Read MoreA Louisiana woman accused of setting fires told investigators she and her boyfriend were trying to get rid of snakes, the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry says.
Robert Lee Ramirez, 34, of Leesville (map), faces two counts of arson and remained at large Tuesday, department spokesman Veronica Mosgrove said in an email.
Read MoreMultiple wildfires have occurred in Grant Parish this month which have caused damage to properties and even threatened some homes.
Grant Parish Sheriff Steven McCain said over the last 18 days, five separate wildfires have affected the parish.
Read MoreForestry professionals attending the online LSU AgCenter 2021 Forestry Forum on Tuesday heard presentations about a wide range of topics, including estate and tax law, the basics of prescribed burns, controlling a pervasive wild plant, possible tax increases, forestry economics and selling timber.
Video presentations from the sessions will be available later for participants who registered for the events.
Read MoreLouisiana's timberlands remain littered with trees that Hurricane Laura either snapped like toothpicks or yanked out of the ground by their roots as easily as a gardener pulling weeds, wiping out $1.5 billion in timber sales in the state's largest agricultural sector.
Read MoreLouisiana forestry’s $1.5 billion in losses from hurricanes was double the amount of revenue the industry generates annually, according to an LSU AgCenter forestry expert.
Speaking recently (March 10) at the 2021 Virtual Forestry Forum, Michael Blazier, LSU AgCenter forestry specialist, said the damages would be more if lost revenue, infrastructure damage and lost production during the storms are considered.
Blazier said Hurricane Laura that hit on Aug. 27 inflicted damage to 800,000 acres of timber in 22 parishes, with the worst in Vernon Parish. The resulting loss in saw timber, about 3 million board feet, could have supplied 25 sawmills for a year, he said.
Read MoreLouisiana forestry’s $1.5 billion in losses from hurricanes last year was double the amount of revenue the industry generates annually, according to an LSU AgCenter forestry expert.
Michael Blazier, LSU AgCenter forestry specialist, said the damage would be more if lost revenue, infrastructure damage and lost production during the storms are considered.
Read MoreOne hundred acres of trees felled by last fall’s hurricanes burned Monday at Sam Houston Jones State Park when a controlled burn jumped out of control.
Numerous Moss Bluff residents reported seeing flames and heavy smoke in the area.
Read MoreThe Forest Service says that a wildfire broke out Monday night near Melder just west of Forest Hill.
They say the wildfire was burning in an area with known unexploded ordnance from WWII in the Kisatchie National Forest, which kept firefighters from utilizing dozers or other heavy equipment to plow a control line.
Read MoreMost of the nation is facing unusually cold weather, as a winter storm moved coast-to-coast over the weekend. Winter storms create significant challenges and often result in catastrophic loss for agricultural producers, especially for those raising livestock, row crops and vulnerable crops like citrus.
Despite every attempt to mitigate risk, your operation may suffer losses. USDA offers several programs to help with recovery.
Read MoreThe LSU AgCenter state forestry extension team will host two virtual forums this year with two themes and held on two dates.
The first forum, set for March 9, will focus on hurricane recovery, while the second event on March 23 will cover forest management and tax advice. Both events will begin at 8:30 a.m.
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