The Return of the Hardwood Federation Fly-In

By DANA COLE, Executive Director of the Hardwood Federation

After three long years of closed offices, remote work, virtual meetings, and minimal face-to-face communications, Capitol Hill is once again open and ready to welcome visitors! This can mean only one thing. The Hardwood Federation Fly-In to D.C. is back! While virtual meetings are certainly a valuable and efficient tool in our advocacy toolbox, nothing beats sitting in a room with your federally elected representative and educating them about your business successes, threats, and needs. It has been a long wait, but we are thrilled to announce that the Hardwood Federation will gather industry leaders in Washington, D.C., this coming June for 48 hours of meeting key Members of Congress and the Senate, including those that represent you and your companies, advocating for a better hardwood business future, and networking with your peers.

The 2023 Fly-In will be an excellent opportunity for members of the hardwood industry to tell their stories and let their Members of Congress know just how businesses and employees are affected by the decisions being made on Capitol Hill. And no one tells your story as you do! From experience, we know that direct communication with knowledgeable industry members is vital to establishing and growing legislative contacts and their awareness of the Hardwood industry. Your participation is important . . . and very much valued.

As part of your experience, you will be briefed on key issues, armed with talking points and other briefing materials, assigned a group of state-based peers, provided with a scheduled list of appointments and a map, and turned loose in the halls of our nation’s capitol buildings.

The Hardwood Federation team is proud to represent the industry in Washington. But we can’t and don’t do it by ourselves. We rely on our member associations, like NHLA, to communicate with their member companies. Our voice in D.C. is made much stronger when we all work together to communicate with legislative offices on Capitol Hill. While many officials look to us for insight and guidance, it often takes a meeting, call, or letter from their actual constituents to push them one way or the other. You may register for the Fly-In on our website www.hardwoodfederation.com. We hope to see you in D.C.

If you can’t make it to the Fly-In this year, you can still join the advocacy effort. You have probably seen messages from us, either directly or shared by NHLA, asking you to “contact Congress” using our online tool. Many of you have responded . . . and federal offices have taken note! Keep pushing that send button. This year the Farm Bill, which contains a significant forestry section, will be reauthorized for five years. We will be working daily to ensure that programs beneficial to the industry are included in the new Farm Bill . . . but when we need that extra push in the offices, we will be reaching out and asking you to push the “send” button. Please be ready and willing to make your voice count.

And keep in mind . . . Washington, D.C., isn’t the only place to talk to a Senator. Elected officials spend significant quantities of time each month in their home states and districts. And they don’t just sit in an office . . . they are looking for places to go and voters to meet. I strongly encourage everyone in the industry to introduce themselves to your Member of Congress. Call their local, state-based offices and make an appointment. Participate in a town hall meeting, attend a “Meet the Candidate” event, invite your elected officials to your operation and give them a first-hand look at your business and your employees. Putting a face on a company is powerful . . . and easily done. We at the Hardwood Federation are here to help . . . don’t hesitate to reach out to explore more ways that you can get involved!

You can find out more about the Hardwood Federation, our priority issues, and the Fly-In at www.hardwoodfederation.com. Please reach out to us if you have questions or thoughts. We are YOUR representatives, and we value your engagement.