Press Releases
Hardwood Checkoff Dropped by USDA After Action by Congressman Jason SmithOn Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it would drop the proposed “hardwood checkoff” after opposition from Congressman Jason Smith and other members of the Missouri congressional delegation. The program would have hurt small forestry businesses in our area by forcing them to pay mandatory assessments for the USDA to conduct research and execute a public relations campaign. The plan was opposed by forestry groups in the state and around the country, including the Missouri Forest Products Association and the US Hardwood Industry Coalition. “Almost two years ago, I told the USDA this was a bad idea, and I’ve stayed on them ever since,” said Congressman Smith. “The hardwood checkoff is just another example of what happens when Washington, D.C. bureaucrats think they know how to run a business better than the folks who actually create jobs.” Congressman Jason Smith actively fought the hardwood check off, leading a letter with the Missouri Congressional delegation to Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack pushing for the USDA to pull this proposal back in January 2014 and another in January 2015. “It seems like the Obama administration is always looking for new ways to meddle in small businesses and make life harder for folks in rural America,” Smith continued. “One size fits all doesn’t work for job creators, and getting the USDA to back down on the hardwood checkoff is a win for common sense.” ***Click here for the 2014 letter to Secretary of Agriculture*** ***Click here for the 2015 letter to Secretary of Agriculture *** ### |