The Hardwood Federation produces a “D.C. Cheat Sheet” newsletter to keep the industry up-to-date on the latest news from Washington D.C. Check out the March 26th edition below and sign up to receive your copy.
Hardwood Federation Fly-In Registration NOW OPEN: The annual Hardwood Federation Fly-In to D.C. will take place on June 9-10, 2026. Not only is it a chance to share your insights, concerns, and opportunities with your members of Congress, it is also a great way to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday. Washington will be in full celebration mode in June, with plenty of special events to enjoy. Our agenda this year is tight and focused to make the best use of your valuable time. As in the past, we will start with a welcome reception on Tuesday, June 9 and spend Wednesday, June 10 on Capitol Hill meeting with your elected officials. We will end the day with two select PAC events for our friends on both sides of the aisle.
A limited block of rooms is available at the Fly-In Host Hotel, the Embassy Suites D.C. Convention Center. Register today to take advantage of our special rate. Click Here to register TODAY!
Chairman Thompson Continues to Press for Hardwood Processor Relief: House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson continues to reinforce his position that U.S. hardwood processors must receive economic relief as part of the Senate’s proposed supplemental agriculture support proposal. In this week’s Ag-Pulse, an inside the beltway publication focused on agriculture policy and legislation, he noted that forest landowner, both public and private depend on a healthy U.S. hardwood processing infrastructure and the federal government should include hardwood mills and processors in any economic relief package that moves forward. The Hardwood Federation continues to work both sides of the aisle to ensure that hardwoods remain in the current language.
Administration Aims to Facilitate Home Building Loans: As part of President Trump’s March Executive Order “Removing Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Home Construction,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the Rural Housing Modernization Initiative, an effort to upgrade how USDA delivers affordable single-family housing through its Rural Development Mission Area. As part of the initiative, USDA is taking deregulatory action by providing delegated underwriting authority in the Guaranteed Loan Program, allowing qualified lenders to approve and close loans. The change allows lenders to close loans more efficiently and aligns USDA’s requirements with other federal home lending programs at the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs. USDA has launched the My RD Loan Portal for direct loan borrowers, providing secure 24/7 access to loan information, payments and account management tools.
Source: Hardwood Federation