If you’re not already concerned about the global decline of white oak forests, you should be — especially if you’re a bourbon drinker. While oaks provide habitat, food, and shelter for many species, they’re also the cornerstone for aging bourbon. By law, bourbon must be aged in new, charred American oak barrels. Most distilleries use white oak for its strength, flavor profile, and the rich color it creates… Oak tree reduction has been recorded in 39 countries, and 31% of the 430 known oak species are on the verge of extinction. Invasive species, drought, fires, and soil compaction are primarily to blame. While there hasn’t been much action or acknowledgment from policymakers, the bourbon industry recognized the potential threat as far back as 1998, understanding that without oak trees, they’d have no product.
ASHVILLE, North Carolina — Norfolk Southern Railway track running through Asheville, North Carolina, will be out of service for at least three months due to damage caused by Hurricane Helene. The deadly Hurricane Helene made landfall Sept. 26, severely flooding and damaging infrastructure and homes across multiple southern states. Hundreds of NS railroaders have been working to restore rail service on impacted rail lines as quickly as possible, NS said on its website. The railroad’s AS Line runs between Morristown, Tennessee, to Salisbury, North Carolina. Knoxville, Tennessee-based WBIR-TV reported yesterday on the status of the AS Line and its impact on the Asheville community. Service has been restored to AS Line track between Morristown and Newport, Tennessee, and between Salisbury and Old Fort, North Carolina. Track between Newport and Old Fort, which run through Asheville, will require significant repair and replacement.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Steady rain fell and winds began to gust in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday morning as a mighty Hurricane Milton churned toward a potentially catastrophic collision with the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay even after millions were ordered to evacuate. Stragglers face grim odds of surviving, officials said. The Tampa Bay region, home to more than 3.3 million people, hasn’t seen a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century. Milton fluctuated between categories 4 and 5 as it approached, but regardless of the distinction in wind speeds, the National Hurricane Center said, it would be a major and extremely dangerous storm when its center makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday. …Major bridges around Tampa Bay planned to close in the afternoon, she said, and public shelters were open for evacuees. 
Not even two weeks after Hurricane Helene swamped the Florida coastline, Milton strengthened into a major hurricane that is headed toward the state. The system is threatening the densely populated Tampa metro area — which has a population of more than 3.3 million people — and is menacing the same stretch of coastline that was battered by Helene. Traffic was thick on Interstate 75 heading north on Tuesday as evacuees fled in advance of Milton. Crews were also hurrying to clear debris left by Helene. …According to the National Hurricane Center’s 
FORT MILL, South Carolina — Paper Excellence Group companies Domtar Corporation and Resolute Forest Products announced $100,000 in financial support to assist four local communities following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Several communities where Paper Excellence Group operates facilities were in the path of the powerful storm, affecting employees and their loved ones. Company representatives worked in collaboration with community officials to identify four charitable organizations that provide direct aid to hurricane victims in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Additionally, Resolute Tissue is donating 10 pallets of tissue products for eastern Tennessee residents. Company employees in Fort Mill and Bennettsville, South Carolina, are organizing food and supply drives to support communities in western North Carolina and other areas. …When rebuilding begins, the company plans to donate several truckloads of lumber in the Cross City, Florida, area.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane Monday on a path toward Florida population centers including Tampa and Orlando, threatening a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and setting the stage for potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline. The storm is expected to stay at about its current strength for the next couple of days, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. Helene was also a Category 4 at landfall in northern Florida. Milton had maximum sustained winds of 150 mph over the southern Gulf of Mexico. Its center could make landfall Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area, and it could remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida. …Forecasters warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge in Tampa Bay and said flash and river flooding could result from 5 to 10 inches of rain in mainland Florida and the Keys.
MADISON — Effective Oct. 1, Hancock Lumber began the “indefinite curtailment of production at the company’s Madison Lumber Mill location and consolidation of that business into its Casco, Bethel, and Pittsfield mill operations,” according to a statement issued by the company on Wednesday. Erin Plummer, chief marketing officer for Hancock Lumber, said the Madison log yard will remain open to help support the procurement of eastern white pine. “This decision is in response to site-specific challenges and changing market conditions,” said Plummer, based out of the Hancock’s Casco, Maine office. She said “Hancock Lumber remains committed to the forest products industry as it has since 1848.” Hancock purchased Madison Lumber in October 2022. A source emailed the Sun on Wednesday, saying that “they have completely shut down the sawmill.”
Southern Pine dimension mills have attempted to keep supplies more in line with sluggish lumber demand in recent months, but perceptions remain mixed whether it has ultimately been effective in tempering downward price pressure. Several mills reportedly curtailed production through the summer months without making public announcements to indicate cutbacks. Most of the measures were modest, often limited in scope to simply reducing shifts, according to sources. …Production curtailments by Western S-P-F mills have also contributed to rebalancing supplies and demand, as buyers in northern-tier markets who purchase both species have encountered dwindling availability. However, some SYP traders are unsure whether the quiet production cutbacks have had any true effect on the overall market. New mills in some producing zones came online in early summer and ramped up output.
GEORGIA — Researchers at the University of Georgia have identified a promising approach to addressing a longstanding challenge for plant geneticists: balancing disease resistance and growth in plants. The breakthrough could help protect plants from disease in the future while also promoting higher biomass yields to support sustainable food supplies for both humans and animals, production of biofuels and lumber, and more. “Combating pathogens has been a top challenge in agriculture,” said C.J. Tsai, a professor in UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. “Solutions that balance disease resistance and growth are much needed.” …Salicylic acid-based strategies have long been known to enhance resistance to pests and pathogens, but practical applications were hindered by the reduction in yield. This study offers a method to separate growth suppression from the defense response, opening the door to use both salicylic acid and cold-regulated genes in agriculture without compromising crop success.
USDA is hard at work offering support for farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene. More than a week after its devastation, the agency is still working to grasp just how much has been lost. According to USDA Undersecretary Robert Bonnie, “We’re still assessing the size of the impacts to agriculture and forestry. We know they’re significant. We know there will be short-term impacts and we also know that the impacts on farmer livelihoods will last for potentially years.” With emotions running high, the stress of it all can be overwhelming. “Some of our own offices which were in nearby counties have been hit by the storm. The USDA family and other counties stepping up to triage in field farmer inquiries. …Senate Ag Chair Debbie Stabenow says that she is committed to getting farmers and ranchers the emergency assistance they need as soon as possible.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Forestry faculty from the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources will share findings of their recently published report showing wood products can play an important role in long-term carbon storage. A presentation will be held Oct. 24, on the MU campus. The report, “
