Political turmoil in the House squashed hopes for an on-time 2023 Farm Bill reauthorization, but on November 15, Congress passed an extension on the expired bill through September 30, 2024. The one-year extension will guarantee funding for key hardwood initiatives such as the Market Access and Foreign Market Development programs. …The Hardwood Access Program is an important milestone for the hardwood sector. …Timber Innovation for Building Rural Communities Act – The proposal includes establishing a USDA platform measuring, collecting, and sharing data related to the carbon benefits of wood products, and recognizing the value of carbon reduction and environmental benefits of wood in building design and furnishings in USDA grant programs. …Jobs In the Woods Act – a bill that would provide education grants ranging in size from $500,000 to $2 million to promote jobs in the understaffed timber industry and U.S. Forest Service.