A Guide to Sustainable American Hardwoods
April 2025. A comprehensive resource for understanding American hardwood species and the National Hardwood Lumber Association’s (NHLA) lumber grading system.
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April 2025. A comprehensive resource for understanding American hardwood species and the National Hardwood Lumber Association’s (NHLA) lumber grading system.
Read more
This month (September), visitors to the London Design Museum will be able to see the results of American Hardwood Export Council’s collaboration with leading design magazine Wallpaper.
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AHEC is the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, representing companies and trade associations engaged in the export of a full range of U.S. hardwood products, including – lumber, veneer, plywood, flooring, moulding and dimension materials.
American hardwoods are derived from sustainably managed forests in the United States. All forest owners in the United States are subject to Federal legislation to protect habitats for threatened species. Tough regulations governing other aspects of forest management on private land have been implemented by individual states. An estimated 106 million acres of forest are in totally protected areas, representing 14% of all forest land.
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Count to 25 slowly and that’s the number of seconds it takes for the forest to replace the American white oak logs used for the solid decking on the upper floor of USA Pavilion at Expo Milano…
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On 24 September, creative talent and industry experts from the natural materials sector gathered at the U.S. Embassy in London for the inaugural Only Natural Student Design Competition Awards. Organized by the Leather and Hide Council of America with natural fiber trade association partners, including the Softwood Export Council and the American Hardwood Export Council, the competition aims to challenge the future of design by championing the use of natural, sustainable materials.
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Alex Winters, a private forest owner from Washington County, Ohio, is dedicated to protecting his family legacy. When he was growing up, his parents owned an acre of land adjoining […]
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When federal government and agricultural producers collaborate on conservation, great things happen. And the Hardwick Planting Co in Newellton, Louisiana is a prime example, says Chad Kacir from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in conversation with New Food editor Josh Minchin.
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The Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC), representing U.S. agricultural producers across 574 federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages, has joined the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA). This brings USSA’s […]
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The United States has been practicing conservation and sustainability long before they became the issues they are today. Here are 10 facts about U.S. sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries: The […]
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April 2025. A comprehensive resource for understanding American hardwood species and the National Hardwood Lumber Association's (NHLA) lumber grading system.
Read more
This month (September), visitors to the London Design Museum will be able to see the results of American Hardwood Export Council’s collaboration with leading design magazine Wallpaper.
Read more
AHEC is the leading international trade association for the American hardwood industry, representing companies and trade associations engaged in the export of a full range of U.S. hardwood products, including – lumber, veneer, plywood, flooring, moulding and dimension materials. American hardwoods are derived from sustainably managed forests in the United States. All forest owners in the United States are subject to Federal legislation to protect habitats for threatened species. Tough regulations governing other aspects of forest management on private land have been implemented by individual states. An estimated 106 million acres of forest are in totally protected areas, representing 14% of all forest land.
Read more
Count to 25 slowly and that’s the number of seconds it takes for the forest to replace the American white oak logs used for the solid decking on the upper floor of USA Pavilion at Expo Milano...
Read more
On 24 September, creative talent and industry experts from the natural materials sector gathered at the U.S. Embassy in London for the inaugural Only Natural Student Design Competition Awards. Organized by the Leather and Hide Council of America with natural fiber trade association partners, including the Softwood Export Council and the American Hardwood Export Council, the competition aims to challenge the future of design by championing the use of natural, sustainable materials.
Read more
Alex Winters, a private forest owner from Washington County, Ohio, is dedicated to protecting his family legacy. When he was growing up, his parents owned an acre of land adjoining […]
Read more
When federal government and agricultural producers collaborate on conservation, great things happen. And the Hardwick Planting Co in Newellton, Louisiana is a prime example, says Chad Kacir from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in conversation with New Food editor Josh Minchin.
Read more
The Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC), representing U.S. agricultural producers across 574 federally recognized American Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages, has joined the U.S. Sustainability Alliance (USSA). This brings USSA’s […]
Read more
The United States has been practicing conservation and sustainability long before they became the issues they are today. Here are 10 facts about U.S. sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries: The […]
Read more
After more than three decades of tree farming, Jay and Kathryn Libby have won the 2025 Maine Outstanding Tree Farm Award.
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The Ellis family - Benjamin, Shannon and their son Tripp - farm in the environmentally sensitive and highly regulated Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
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As the public and private sectors increasingly choose building materials based on factors such as carbon footprint and renewability rather than solely on cost, sustainably sourced wood products offer a promising solution.
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The old Hawaiian proverb “The land is chief, and man is its servant” guides Parker Ranch and its cow-calf operation. The ranch raises cattle in a way that respects natural resources while ensuring cattle health, beef quality and food safety.
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May 2025. A detailed overview of U.S. agricultural exports in 2024, highlighting key export markets and top-performing commodities.
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May 2025. A comprehensive farmgate life cycle assessment (LCA) that enhances understanding of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. dairy industry.
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May 2025. The latest annual report from The Peanut Research Foundation, the American Peanut Council's research arm, highlights the latest research innovation and investments aimed at keeping the U.S. peanut industry competitive.
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April 2025. An updated study examining the contributions of U.S. grain exports to the U.S. economy.
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USSA News: latest agricultural trade export data, new dairy LCA, Maine's forest stewards.
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The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol has achieved its sixth consecutive year of growth. The voluntary sustainability program for U.S. cotton now represents 18% more acres and 14% more growers than in 2024.
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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins led a trade delegation to Rome, Italy, in early June as part of a program to expand market access for U.S. agricultural products in Europe.
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In 2024, the value of U.S. agricultural exports reached $176 billion, the third-highest total on record. The European Union (EU) emerged as the fourth-largest market for these exports, with tree nuts ranking as the top export commodity in the region.
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Whilst the USSA members work to exceed regulatory requirement, U.S. laws and regulations provide a robust framework, developed over many years, to ensure and promote the sustainability of its crop, livestock, seafood and forestry sectors. The policies look to immediate impacts on the environment and beyond to cover topics from employment to biodiversity to endangered species. The following pages provide context and an introduction to key federal legislation.
Focused on conservation and environmental stewardship, the USDA, working with The Natural Resources Conservation Service on technical assessment and the Farm Service Agency for enforcements, uses grant management to deliver best practice. A particular focus is on erodible lands and wetlands, with ‘sodbuster’ and ‘swampbuster’ rules, requires presentation of conservation strategies prior to conversion of lands to agricultural use. One result, that soil loss has been halved since 1982.
The U.S. recognizes that sustainability has many facets and action is required in explicit areas. This has resulted in the enactment of a wide range of laws from the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act to the Endangered Species Act, to research and regulatory action on Insecticides and Fungicides and Rodenticide Act; and, with the Lacey Act a focus on illegal trafficking of plants, fish and animals.
In the latest episode of This is U.S. Sustainability, we hear from two multi-generational farmers – an eleventh-generation grains farmer from Maryland and the owner of a centennial cattle farm in Louisiana – about how they have moved with the times while staying true to their roots. We cover rotational grazing, no-till cultivation, water conservation, biotech seeds, and more. And we discuss why going back to the natural cycle is sometimes the best approach.
Tune in to the latest episode of This is U.S. Sustainability to hear how Paul Catanzaro and Professor Tony D’Amato work together to reach family forest owners and ensure they have the information and resources to make the right decisions about their land. And learn about the vital role Tim Stout, a Vermont landowner, plays in amplifying their message.
Tune in for the lowdown on the innovative, often surprising ways the almond industry and the wider food sector are reducing waste. Jet fuel, beer, water filters and peat moss to grow mushrooms – these are just some of the many applications in use and under development.
Discover how softwoods were used in the architecture of PDX Main Terminal, Portland, Oregon, in this new series from the Softwood Export Council.
Watch nowThis new series from the Softwood Export Council spotlights the global reach and versatility of American softwoods in architecture, offering a behind-the-scenes look at sustainable forestry practices.
Watch nowThis new series from the American Feed Industry Association explores the $267 billion U.S. animal food industry, offering insights into its scale and impact.
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