Historically wood has been used for almost anything that you can think of — fuel, shelter, weapons, fabrics, chemicals, naval stores, etc. More recent uses include building panels and cross laminated lumber. There are even plans for high-rise buildings. Not too much on the food front, although I have had some questionable meatloaf from a restaurant located next to a sawmill. As a building material, wood has always been valued for its strength, ease of use, versatility and dur

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Legislature voted Wednesday to override Gov. John Bel Edwards’ veto of congressional maps. The House voted 72-31, with Republicans and the three Independents in favor. The Senate voted 27-11 in favor. Despite the override, the matter likely will be determined in court. Several lawsuits relating to Louisiana’s redistricting efforts are pending already. Black legislators think the courts would rule in their favor. “At the end of the day, I feel prett

BATON ROUGE — Lawmakers tangled Monday over whether to create a new set of fines for holding a phone while driving even if the driver is not texting. The “hand-held phone ban” bill would allow law enforcement to fine drivers seen with a phone in hand while behind the wheel. “This is trying to promote safe driving,” the author of the bill, state Rep. Mike Huval, R-Breaux Bridge, said. The fine would be lower than the $175 to $500 for a texting-and-driving citation. The new fin

Even through COVID, natural disasters and the economic uncertainty of the past two years, the flow of potential capital investments considered by forest industry investors and clients remained steady. These included installing another CDK (continuous dry kiln), replacing boilers, rebuilding paper machines, buying skidders and building, buying or expanding sawmills. What’s the decision exercise associated with each project, regardless its type? Specify criteria. Rank projects

Noted Louisiana economist Loren Scott had good news for the Louisiana Forestry Association (LFA) about home construction but a more cautious note about overall U.S. economic recovery. Scott, who spoke at the LFA mini-conference in Alexandria in November, said demand for new homes would continue to climb with 1.54 million housing starts predicted for 2022 in the United States. Three new sawmills and three expansions have already been announced for the state to help meet the st

BATON ROUGE — The governor’s Climate Initiatives Task Force met Wednesday for the first time since unanimously passing a climate action plan in January, the first of its kind in the Gulf South. Fifty public meetings into its 16-month existence, the task force is shifting gears from planning to executing its 84-step action plan. A bipartisan infrastructure act signed into law by President Joe Biden provides a unique opportunity to fund these efforts. Louisiana is set to qualif