U.S. timberland owners face a new contract clause, driven by EU deforestation rules, that locks land into timber production forever. International Paper is already using it. The clause blocks conversion to pasture, crops, or development, restricting property rights.
This is probably the sharpest knife in this legislative regulatory nightmare known as EUDR. And I mean, let's just be honest, the sharpest knives weren't the ones in Brussels that came up with this. But this is a sharp knife in the contract in front of you at your kitchen table when you're trying to sell your timber for income or you want to make a change. Let's just say that you're tired of having that deer stand in the back because you would like to have a hay field, you would like to have some hay for the animals, you want to grow some alfalfa because you heard the horses like it. Well, here's what you have to know. We are already seeing in the U.S. timber companies and mills—yes, International Paper—adding language that says essentially, "I promise I will not convert this land into anything else after I take down the trees." You're supposed to pinky swear that if it's under timber now, it will stay in timber forever. So no, you're not allowed. Mm-hmm. In the country built on property rights, Fifth Amendment. That's right. You're not allowed to turn that timberland into pasture. You can't turn it into row crops. You can't even develop it in the future. What if you wanted to put your baby boy and his sweet little family behind you Mm-mm, no, because that might require a rezoning. So they're limiting what you can do with your own land. Are y'all hearing me on this? Because if this isn't getting to you right where it hurts, you need to be paying better attention because this is happening right now and we're not getting good information on this.
