Crossties is published for users and producers of treated wood crossties.
Issue link: http://crossties.epubxp.com/i/468004
roducts P agle Metal E Janes Co. Gross & Hurdle Machine Works K oppers Inc. R TA WEBSITE BECOME A MEMBER CONTACT CROSSTIES • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 8 SAWMILL FOCUS WASHINGTON—After reviewing more than 950 comments about the proposed H ardwood Checkoff published in the Federal Register Nov. 13, 2013, the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has elected not to proceed further on the proposal, according to the U.S. Hardwood Lumber Industry Coalition, a group that has opposed the proposed checkoff. This decision was made based on the lack of industry support and over- whelming substantive concerns with the proposal, the coalition said. Jeff Edwards, co-chair of the coalition, said the vast majority of comments sub- mitted to USDA were in opposition. "USDA indicated that the opponents of the checkoff offered substantive, insight- ful and valid criticisms of the proposed checkoff's structure." Jeff Hanks, the other co-chairman of the coalition, said the coalition chose not to discuss publically the information communicated by USDA in December. "However, a press statement by the pro- ponent group, the Hardwood Checkoff Committee, asserting that the proposed checkoff has been given a 'green light' for further action has compelled us to set the record straight." In a letter to USDA's Agriculture Mar- keting Service (AMS) in December 2014, the coalition stated, "We believe that AMS would want to work with all parties to possibly achieve a new pro- posal that might be supported by a ma- jority of the industry. If discussion with AMS is precluded, this cannot happen." "Quite frankly, the proponents have not made a convincing case of the bene- fits of a checkoff for the industry," Hanks said. "It's almost like we're being asked to buy an insurance policy where we know what the premium is but aren't being told what the coverage will be." ■ —More info: www.ysnews.com YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio—Wright State University Biology Professor Don Cipollini discovered an emerald ash borer infestation in a white fringe tree planed along a bike path this summer, leading the U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture to officially confirm the white fringe tree as a host. Previously, ac- cording to a recent article in The Yellow Springs News, it was believed that the emer- ald ash borer could only reproduce in and kill ash trees. Cipollini's revelation has alarmed every- one from nursery owners to ento- mologists to policymakers because i t is feared the white fringe tree could be driven to extinction in Ohio, where the native species of tree is already threatened. It is also feared that the emerald ash borer could spread into the Southern cli- mates, where white fringe trees are more common in the wild. According to the article, Cipollini's discovery has major im- plications in that the federal gov- ernment could quarantine the ornamental tree. It could also potentially open the door to the potential that other species related to the ash may be under threat. Native to Asia, the ash borer has made its way through Ohio since 2013, which was home to 3.8 billion ash trees, killing many untreated ash trees in its path. Cipollini is a biology professor at Wright state and the director of its environmental sciences Ph.D. program. ■ —More info: www.ysnews.com The Hardwood Review recently asked hard- wood industry associations to provide a statement about their plans to advance the industry in 2015. The RTA was included in the request. Its statement follows: The RTA engages in more than 20 specific service areas that advance the hardwood sawmill industry. These include three annual educational meetings (conference, tie grading seminar, field trip), development/distribution of dozens of publications devoted to hardwood tie usage, including Crossties magazine; on- going research and product development ac- tivities that led to the industry-wide, game-changing implementation of dual wood treatment technologies; increasing the life and value of hardwood ties (with savings to the railroads in the billions of dollars over the next 50 years); an in-depth and compre- hensive website promoting the hardwood tie industry—www.RTA.org; free web-based video and CD-ROM hardwood tie-related educational programs; hardwood usage sta- tistics and demand forecasts for North Amer- ica; member directories for potential buyers; social media outreach with Facebook Twitter and Wiki feeds; and members-only research activities. In 2015, RTA will unveil a partnership with the University of Delaware to provide more than 10 hours of video training modules for both non-professional and professional engi- neers on the railroad operating environment. The modules will also address how hardwood ties provide optimal service for 95 percent of all track applications, furthering the goal of RTA being the premier educational resource for the use of hardwood ties in the engi- neered wood track system. ■ Coalition Says USDA Will Not Pursue Hardwood Checkoff Proposal RTA, Hardwood Review Note 2015 Plans To Advance Industry Biology Professor: White Fringe Tree In Ohio Is Host For Ash Borer MiTe Industr Industr MiTe