The U.S. Forest Service announced that significant recovery efforts across national forests and grasslands continue to progress following damage caused over three years of natural disasters, including hurricanes, wildfires and flooding.

These efforts were made possible by $6.35 billion in disaster recovery supplemental funding allocated to the agency through the American Relief Act of 2025. These supplemental funds are targeted to support the restoration of infrastructure and natural resources across half the National Forest System following disasters between 2022 and 2024.

The agency’s disaster recovery work is focused on restoring access, rebuilding recreation sites, reducing wildfire risk, restoring ecosystems, supporting communities, and preparing for future disasters.

The following actions are examples of how the agency work is progressing:

• Restoring Access: FS staff, partners and volunteers have been restoring critical access for emergency responders, private landowners, recreation seekers, and land managers. In California, road repair work continues across national forests affected by widespread damage from 2022-2023 atmospheric rivers. Recently, the Shasta-Trinity National Forest repaired and reopened 63.8 miles of roads, removed over 700 downed trees, regraded 35 miles of road and repaired eight landslides and four washouts. This work restored access to power infrastructure, private property, and firefighting routes. Nearby in the Six Rivers National Forest, 25 miles of roads were repaired within the Smith River National Recreation Area, improving access to campgrounds, trailheads, and active management sites.  

• Reducing Wildfire Risk: The Forest Service is using a combination of salvage logging and prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risk in the aftermath of disasters that damaged and killed trees. Following the effects of Hurricane Beryl, for example, the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas are focusing on reducing new hazardous fuels in the wildland-urban interface caused by downed trees, new growth and invasive species. To further bolster efforts, the agency established a Good Neighbor Agreement with the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians to leverage tribal crew capacity.  

• Rebuilding Recreation Infrastructure: In Virginia, construction access to the Virginia Creeper National Scenic Trail on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest was restored in late 2025, allowing repair work to begin. Hurricane Helene catastrophically damaged half of the 34 mile trail. The damaged portion of the trail is scheduled to reopen by the end of 2026. 

• Restoring Ecosystems: In Montana, the Bitterroot National Forest worked with partners and volunteers to install 35 structures that mimic natural beaver dams in a watershed damaged by the Trail Ridge Fire. These beaver dam analogs will promote vegetation recovery and improve the overall watershed. In Tennessee, the Cherokee National Forest removed about 47,000 cubic yards of debris after Hurricane Helene along the Pigeon River, seeded the sites to prevent erosion and invasive species spread, and collected 960 pounds of oak acorns to support reforestation.  

• Supporting Communities: In Oregon, the Willamette National Forest is working with a contractor and the community of Oakridge to provide no-cost firewood to low-income community members following the Cedar Creek Fire. This fuelwood comes from low-value, damaged timber salvaged from the burn scar. Across the west, the FS is also working to repair rangelands and range infrastructure, such as fencing, to support ranchers in the aftermath of wildfires.  

• Working Together: The Forest Service is working with state, tribal and county governments, as well as many non-governmental partners, to coordinate efforts and share capacity. In North Carolina, the Pisgah National Forest is supporting the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration in rebuilding I-40 by providing fill materials from the nearby national forest—speeding the project up an estimated threefold and saving taxpayers millions. I-40 is a critical route through the Appalachian Mountains, with thousands of vehicles traveling the highway each day.  

Preparing For The Next Event: Disasters occur year-round, and the agency is proactively preparing for those inevitable events. In Oregon and California, the agency partnered with Sierra-Pacific Industries to establish a system of new fuel breaks strategically placed at key sites in high-risk areas. In Utah and Nevada, the FS is supporting communities in acquiring equipment necessary for reducing hazardous fuels in high-risk communities, while also supporting on-the-ground thinning and restoration efforts on private forest lands. 

The American Relief Act and previous other disaster recovery supplemental funds have been vital in enabling crucial disaster recovery efforts. Disaster recovery is an agency priority, and the Forest Service will continue leading efforts to restore the national forests impacted and support the communities that depend on them.

Bibb County Economic & Industrial Development Authority (EIDA) announced that Manthei Wood Products, a nationally recognized, family-owned hardwood veneer manufacturer, has acquired Cahaba Veneer in Centreville, Ala. and will invest $10 million and create 37 jobs, while retaining 67 jobs.

Cahaba Veneer, founded in 1995, has been a vital part of Bibb County’s industrial base. Known for its high-quality hardwood veneer and ability to serve specialized markets—including engineered flooring, custom plywood, and niche applications such as skateboard veneer—the company has built a reputation for craftsmanship and adaptability.

Manthei Wood Products brings a legacy dating back to the 1940s, when the Manthei family began producing veneer in Michigan. Now in its third generation of family leadership, Manthei has grown into a respected leader in the hardwood veneer industry, known for innovation, quality, and long-term investment. 

The acquisition ensures continued operations at the Centreville facility. Not only is this important in terms of future economic impact, but it also helps secure the future for one of Bibb County’s oldest and best known places of business, as the facility Manthei is investing in dates back to around the year 1900, when it was owned by the Belcher family and over the years has made everything from hardwood flooring to broom handles.

“MWP is a third-generation family business based in Petoskey, Michigan focusing on converting North American hardwood timber into veneer and plywood, with the mission to cultivate God-given potential in our people and forests so our families, communities, and world flourish,” comments Abe Manthei, president of Manthei Group. “This new plant will be a key piece in our wood manufacturing business, allowing us to expand our plywood and veneer operations through both vertical integration and new product offerings.”

“The forest products industry is a cornerstone of Alabama’s rural economy,” adds Stephanie Fuller of the Alabama Forestry Assn. “Investments like this strengthen the entire supply chain and ensure long-term sustainability and innovation in our industry.”

The 10th Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE) lived up to its reputation as a can’t-miss industry event, bringing 470 attendees, 95 exhibitors, and 41 speakers to Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park on April 16–17.

Co-hosted by Panel World and Georgia Research Institute, the biennial conference—first launched in 2008—offers a timely pulse check on the panel and engineered lumber industries. The 2026 edition reinforced that role, delivering a mix of market realism, strategic clarity, and forward-looking optimism.

PELICE’s milestone 10th event carried added significance, including recognition of 18 exhibitor companies that have participated in all 10 conferences. Co-Chairmen Rich Donnell and Fred Kurpiel reflected on the event’s origins, with Kurpiel credited for first envisioning the conference and partnering with Panel World nearly two decades ago.

The audience included representatives from 25 producer companies, with executive leadership on hand to address a rapidly evolving business environment.

Leadership Perspectives: Strategy, Culture, and Discipline

Georgia-Pacific: Building Value Through People

David Neal, Executive Vice President of Building Products, Georgia-Pacific, opened with a message centered on culture and long-term value creation.

Neal emphasized the company’s “Principle Based Management” framework, rooted in stewardship and human progress, noting the importance of internal development and external relationships: “Building relationships and trust” remains fundamental to both business success and community impact.

He highlighted employees who rose through the organization, reinforcing how long-term investment in people translates into stronger partnerships and evolving customer solutions.

Boise Cascade: Staying Focused in a Volatile Market

Rob Johnson, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing Operations at Boise Cascade, addressed the company’s evolution into one of North America’s largest producers of engineered wood products.

Despite market pressures, Boise has resisted broad diversification, instead leaning into its core strengths: “We are an EWP-focused business. We consider plywood a byproduct of strength-rated veneer production.”

Johnson also pointed to the company’s integrated distribution model as a stabilizing force, helping smooth financial performance across fluctuating markets.

Roseburg: Billion-Dollar Investments, Tight Execution

Fresh off announcing the restart of construction on a new medium-density fiberboard (MDF) facility in Oregon, Jim Salchenberg of Roseburg detailed a sweeping capital investment strategy.

From 2021–2024, the company approved more than 400 projects totaling $1.1 billion, delivering them within 3% of budget despite post-pandemic challenges.

Salchenberg distilled that success into three principles: “Own the budget… protect the scope relentlessly… and never accept ‘it takes what it takes, and it costs what it costs.’”

Engineered Wood: A Structural Shift, Not a Cycle

One of the clearest themes at PELICE 2026 was the accelerating role of engineered wood products (EWP).

Lofton Beasley of Weyerhaeuser framed the shift in unmistakable terms: “These forces are structural, not cyclical.”

He pointed to long-term changes in construction, including labor shortages, demand for speed and predictability, and increasing reliance on prefabricated systems. These trends are driving adoption of engineered solutions that reduce variability and improve efficiency.

Beasley emphasized that EWP is central to long-term strategy. “The message is clear: EWP is not peripheral. It is a central mechanism for translating timberland strength into durable, higher-return growth.”

Weyerhaeuser is backing that strategy with capacity expansion, including a new TimberStrand facility designed to convert lower-quality logs into higher-value products.

Housing Market Reality: Short-Term Pressure, Long-Term Opportunity

Market analysis from Chris Beard of John Burns Research and Consulting provided a grounded look at demand drivers.

“New construction is the near-term drag,” Beard said, pointing to elevated housing inventory and slower starts. However, the broader picture is more nuanced.

With the median U.S. home now 44 years old, aging housing stock is fueling a surge in repair and remodeling activity—now rivaling new construction in total spending.

Beard highlighted several tailwinds, including rising home equity levels, larger tax refunds supporting renovation spending, and increasing frequency of disaster-related repairs. 

While new construction may soften in the near term, Beard said forecasts point to a rebound beginning in 2027.

Market Dynamics: Shifting Materials and Global Pressure

Guillermo Velarde of AFRY Management Consulting outlined broader structural changes across panel markets:

• OSB continues to gain share due to cost and performance advantages

• Plywood faces ongoing substitution pressure

• Particleboard markets are tightening under competition from large-scale European producers

• MDF investments are ramping up, with new capacity expected to compete more effectively with imports

AFRY’s recommendations focused on operational efficiency, supply chain optimization, and product diversification as key levers for future competitiveness.

In addition to keynote sessions, PELICE 2026 featured deep dives into:

• Artificial Intelligence in manufacturing

• Catastrophe and risk management

• Wood fiber sourcing and optimization

• Veneer and plywood production advances

• Fire and safety technologies

• Mass timber construction

• Energy use and emissions reduction

Nearly two decades after its launch, PELICE continues to fulfill its original mission: Bringing the industry together to share knowledge, confront challenges, and identify opportunities.

The 2026 event made one thing clear, while markets may fluctuate, the industry is actively adapting through innovation, disciplined investment, and a sharpened strategic focus on engineered solutions.

As Lofton Beasley put it, the forces shaping the future aren’t temporary—they’re foundational.

And based on the energy in Atlanta, the industry is ready to meet them head-on.

Gresham House, a specialist alternative asset manager, has announced an agreement to acquire a majority interest in Mississippi-based Molpus Woodlands Group, creating one of the world’s largest timberland investment managers with approximately $8 billion of forestry assets under management (AUM). Financial terms were not disclosed, and the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

Gresham House, with $5 billion of forestry AUM, and Molpus Woodlands Group, with $3 billion forestry AUM, will together form the third largest Timberland Investment Manager, globally with operations in the UK, Ireland, U.S., Australia and New Zealand, managing over 2.2 million acres.

Molpus Woodlands Group’s existing leadership team comprising Terrell Winstead, Michael Cooper, George Dahduh, Tyler Rosamond, Chad McElvany, and Ashley Harris will continue to lead operations in the U.S. They will also join the Gresham House global executive management team and investment committees for the enlarged forestry platform alongside members of the Gresham House executive team. The Molpus team will continue in their current role and will maintain day-to-day operations, investment process and client service. The combined business will remain privately owned, aligning employee incentives with client outcomes.

Tony Dalwood, Gresham House CEO comments, “The Molpus Woodlands Group team brings outstanding on-the-ground forestry expertise, a demonstrated track record, and deep client relationships in their local markets, which are a key area of growth for us.”

Gresham House and Molpus Woodlands Group have raised approximately $2.5 billion in timberland mandates since 2020, including more than $1billion in 2025. With global LP investors increasingly recognising natural capital as an asset class, the ability to offer a fully global service aims to set the business apart as the go-to-manager for institutional investors in this space.

A defining strength of both businesses is the specialization in silviculture. Forestry assets are managed through deep, on-the-ground expertise integrated with institutional investment processes and new technology, for example with geographic information systems management (GIS), to maximize forestry income and capital. This approach, rooted in biological growth, land stewardship and long-term value creation, provides a robust platform.

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins has announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has finalized a rule modernizing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations. This Final Rule adopts the changes introduced in the Interim Final Rule published on July 3, 2025, which consolidated seven agency-specific NEPA regulations into a single, department-wide framework, reducing the overall volume of regulations by 66%. This major action is also a linchpin in Secretary Rollins’ broader Deregulatory Agenda for the U.S. Agriculture and Consumers.

“NEPA is a procedural statute meant to ensure the government considers reasonable environmental analysis before making a final decision,” says Deputy Secretary Vaden. “It has morphed into the greatest roadblock to everything from protecting our National Forests from devastating wildfires to constructing much needed roadways. With this reform, we return NEPA to its intended role of requiring analysis and unleash the ability of USDA to once again get the American people’s work done.”

For years, USDA agencies observed how overregulation turned the NEPA process into a form of bureaucratic overreach that hindered American innovation, eliminated jobs, and increased costs for Americans. The changes in the Final Rule restore USDA’s NEPA implementation to its core purpose: ensuring federal agencies consider environmental impacts while maintaining the flexibility needed for efficient permitting and faster delivery of critical USDA services and funding relied on by farmers, ranchers, loggers, and rural communities.

Rayonier will maintain the Rayonier name after a thorough review of alternatives following its recent merger of equals with PotlatchDeltic, while also introducing a new corporate logo that reflects a fresh brand identity for the combined company.

“In a spirit of collaboration following our transformative merger of equals, we considered numerous alternatives for a new company name,” says Mark McHugh, President & CEO. “We also considered the rich history, considerable brand equity, and established market presence of both the legacy Rayonier and PotlatchDeltic corporate brands. Ultimately, the new Board of Directors and senior leadership team of the combined company agreed that the new organization would be best served by retaining the name ‘Rayonier,’ while also introducing a refreshed corporate logo that reflects the beginning of a new era as a combined company. This approach will allow us to honor our proud history and leverage our strong brand equity among stakeholders, while also mitigating the cost, complexity and potential risk of confusion in adopting an entirely new corporate identity.” 

Rayonier owns nearly 4.2 million acres of forests across 11 U.S. states, with a strong presence in the U.S. South and Northwest, and operates six sawmills, an industrial-grade plywood mill, residential and commercial real estate developments, and a rural land sales program.