July: Hot with Late Boomers Perhaps the most memorable weather-related observations in July were at the tail-end of the month, when severe thunderstorms on July 30 and 31st rocked many locations in Vermont. Considered by many the most intense storm of the summer, damage on July 30th included downed trees and power outages, notably in
Read More...Forest Health Report || Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation || June 2019 Sweater Weather in June Like May, June featured below-normal temperatures and above normal rainfall. According to weather reporter Matt Sutkoski, the Champlain Valley ended the month near normal temper-ature-wise, but areas away from the lake were cooler. In his July 1 blog,
Read More...China Hardwood Tariffs will depress prices for now, hurt U.S. sawmills. Of the hardwood lumber produced in the U.S., 24 percent is exported to China and 22 percent is exported to other countries. The new retaliation tariff by China on incoming hardwood lumber to their country from the U.S. will eliminate much of the sales
Read More...Do you own forestland in Vermont? Is it at least 25 acres? The Vermont’s Use Value Appraisal (UVA) program, also called “Current Use” or “Land Use,” enables landowners who practice long-term forest management to have their enrolled land appraised for property taxes based on its value for forestry rather than its fair market (development) value.
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The Vermont Legislature launched the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative in 2012. Working Lands funding is available for farm and forest enterprises at start-up and growth stages. In addition to business grants, Working Lands also funds service and technical assistance providers who can help with many types of business and technical services. The forest and wood
Read More...New cap on capital gains exclusion The existing 40% exclusion for capital gains will be capped at $350,000 under Act 71, Sec. 1, effective July 1, 2019. This means that any gain above $875,000 will be taxed at standard income tax rates. Taxpayers who are considering a sales of a large capital asset may want
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Final Ruling on the Northern Long-Eared Bat Summary The northern long-eared bat population has been devastated by the White Nose Syndrome (WNS) throughout the eastern United States. This disease has caused a mortality rate of up to a 90-100% where present. As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has listed the northern
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New safety program to help loggers and reduce workers’ comp Governor Phil Scott today announced a new initiative to address the high cost of workers’ compensation insurance for logging contractors in Vermont’s forest economy. The Vermont Logger Safety and Workers’ Compensation Insurance Program—developed collaboratively by the Departments of Financial Regulation, Labor and Forests, Parks and
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Planning Family Forests by Thom McEvoy In his seventh forestry book, Professor McEvoy after 9 years of research compiles stories of forest-owning families representing every major timber type in the United States; narratives and analyses that tell the trials, missteps and successes of an older generation of woodland owners sufficiently committed to keeping their forests
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For those of you with sawmills, or who hire someone to do custom sawing for you, sawing is just the first step in turning logs into quality lumber. The boards have to be stickered, dried, and stored under cover. One of the ways to increase the income from sawn lumber, especially hardwood lumber, is to
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