Arkansas Home Builders Association

National Association of Home Builders Urgent Message From NAHB Chairman     Urge a "Yes" vote on H.R. 1732 As part of its full throttle effort to prevent an unprecedented federal land grab, NAHB is calling on members to contact their members of Congress and urge a "yes" vote on H.R. 1732.     If the Environmental Protection Agency gets its way, millions of additional acres of land could be regulated as wetlands under the Clean Water Act. H.R. 1732, the Regulatory Protection Act, would prevent this expansion of federal authority. In a videotaped message to members, NAHB Chairman Tom Woods, a home builder from Blue Springs, Mo., notes that the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act (H.R. 1732) would stop the land grab in its tracks. As he points out, the EPA proposal would expand federal authority to include ditches, man-made canals and even puddles on low-lying land. It also would require even more property owners to ge...

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposing special rule under Endangered Species Act (ESA) to provide maximum benefit to northern long-eared bat. January 16, 2015 – proposal appeared in Federal Register opening 60 day public comment period March 17, 2015 – final day public comments accepted April 2, 2015 – final decision due by USFWS Final Decision options List species as endangered List species as threatened List species as threatened with 4(d) rule Withdrawal the proposal Conservation Measures if Rule put into effect: Local Ecological Services Field Office (USFWS – Conway) to determine specific locations of “known hibernacula” and “known maternity roosts” Locations will be informed by records in each State's Natural Heritage database, Service records, other databases, or other survey efforts Hibernacula Buffer Zone – 0.25 Mile Radius (128 acres) Buffer will provide basic protection for the hibernacula and hibernating bats in winter from direct impacts, such as fi...

By Robert Dietz on April 7, 2015 • ( 0 ) The number of open, unfilled construction sector positions increased noticeably in February. Overall, the construction labor market has been characterized by relatively higher levels of turnover over the last few months, with an increase in hiring and quits at the end of 2014 and an upward trend in job openings. According to the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and NAHB analysis, the number of open construction sector jobs for February (on a seasonally adjusted basis) increased to 166,000 from an upwardly revised count of 137,000 in January. The February 2015 estimate of unfilled construction jobs is the highest total since July of 2007. On a three-month moving average basis, the open position rate for the construction sector increased slightly to 2.27% in February. Over the last year, the open construction jobs rate has typically been higher than the rates that...