No. 517

March 2012

WHA Board of Directors

Darrin Hastings President

Mike Lipke Vice President

Lindy Stallard Treasurer

Jeff Nuss Immediate Past President

Greg Antle

Adam Brennan

Gevin Brown

Lee Jimerson

Rob Johnson

Kurt Landwehr

Matt McCoun

Bill Robbins

Randy Wisner

David Sweitzer Secretary/Manager P.O. Box 1095 Camas, WA 98607

Ph: (360) 835-1600

Fax: (360) 835-1900

Web:

www.westernhardwood.org

Email:

wha@westernhardwood.org

Expanding the world’s

knowledge of Western

hardwoods since 1955.

The Collins Companies Upper Columbia

Mill in Boardman, OR served as host for the

December WHA board meeting. Many thanks to

Lee Jimerson and the UCM personnel for the

meeting room, wonderful barbeque, and

educational plantation, mill, and planner tour.

All facilities were state of the art. Lee has his

hands full marketing the impressive production.

Membership chairman Gevin Brown, Red

Cloud Wood Products LLC, report 67 members

with 8 new members since June 2011. Each

member is being asked to send a personalized

prospect letter by email to three business

contacts. First year and second year dues are just

$150 each year. Click here to pull up the

emailable prospect letter.

The annual grade school is scheduled for

May 3-4 at Hardwood Industries. Ludwig

Rabold will instruct on alder, maple, and hybrid

poplar standard and proprietary grades. Thank

you Kurt Landwehr for hosting.

Annual meeting chairman Adam Brennan,

MJB Wood Group, has secured a location in

Sunriver, OR to hold the June 22-23 meeting.

Plan now to attend. Preliminary agenda could

include an adult reception Friday evening, the

board meeting and program Saturday morning,

and a family barbeque Saturday evening.

WHA Board & Members Treated to the Making of Hybrid Poplar

2

W elcome New Member

REIMER HARDWOODS LTD.

Contact: Colin Reimer, Greg Antle

PO Box 2160

Abbotsford, BC V2T 3X8

Phone: (604)850-9281

Fax: (604)852-2451

Web: www.reimerhardwoods.com

Email: csreimer@reimerhardwoods.com

gantle@reimerhardwoods.com

Sponsor: Greg Antle

Find us on Facebook!

L egislative Update

Key Policymakers Address HF February Board

Meeting. Officials from the Obama Administration and

key Congressional leaders were briefed by Hardwood

Federation (HF) Board Members on industry priorities,

including reducing barriers to trade, green building

regulations that include hardwoods, and Forest Service and

EPA policies harmful to the industry. HF advocacy efforts

with these officials will continue as it works to correct

misguided legislation and regulations harmful to the

industry.

Forest Service Management Bill Introduced. In

mid-February, House Natural Resources Chair,

Representative Doc Hastings (R-WA), introduced H.R.

4019, the “Federal Forest County Revenue, Schools, and

Jobs Act of 2012.” The bill applies to National Forest

System lands nationwide and was subsequently passed by

the committee.

Briefly, H.R. 4019 does the following:

Creates a County, Schools, and Revenue Trust whose

beneficiaries are the counties with Forest Service lands

within their boundaries. The Secretary of Agriculture

is the trustee.

Requires that, beginning no later than FY 2014, “trust

projects” be carried out annually on each National

Forest. The projects must be sufficient to generate

revenues at least equal to 60% of average annual

revenues between 1980 and 2000.

Revenues from trust projects may include timber sales,

grazing, mineral development, power, special use

permits and recreational use.

65% of project revenues to be distributed to the

counties under the Secure Rural Schools formula; 35%

to U.S. Treasury to be available through Congressional

appropriation to the Forest Service.

Requires each National Forest to annually sell timber

at least equal to 50% of its yearly sale volume between

1980 and 2000; posts and poles and firewood would be

excluded from the calculation.

Public will be given an opportunity to comment on and

to object to project proposals before they are approved.

2012 Hardwood Federation Outlook:

Economic Recovery/Taxation

Status: Economic issues including debt ceiling and

payroll tax continue to dominate the Congressional

agenda and are intensifying as the 2012 elections

approach.

Action: HF continues to work with coalitions to seek

* WHA Mill Tour & Meeting

* Welcome New Member

* Legislative Update

* New Member Profile

* Upcoming Events

* News in the News

* Outlook

* Grade School Signup

In This Issue:

G ot News?

Get it in the HARDWOOD STAND.

Promotions, new products, company news - we

want to help you get the word out. Contact the

WHA office at (360)835-1600 or by email,

wha@westernhardwood.org.

WHA Grade School

May 3-4, 2012 Portland, OR

The Western Hardwood Association sponsors an annual lumber grading

school each year. Members and non-members alike may attend. May 3-4,

2012 is the date set for the next WHA sponsored grade school. It will be held

in Sherwood, OR, at the Hardwood Industries building.

Students will learn Alder, Hybrid Poplar, PC Maple, and other Western

Hardwood grades, how to apply them to actual lumber, the application of

proprietary grades, and the importance of "on grade” to profitability. This

class is a must for owners, managers, sales, and graders. Class will be from

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM each day. Room and meals are student’s responsibility.

Cost: $200/member, $350/non-member

Grade Stick: $50

A grading stick is required. You may

purchase one with your registration

or bring your own.

May 3-4, 2012

9:00 AM-5:00 PM

20548 SW Wildrose Place

Sherwood, OR 97140

To register:

visit www.westernhardwood.org or

call the WHA office, (360)835-1900.

The registration form is also on the last

page of this newsletter.

full repeal of, or a reasonable level for, the Estate Tax

and seek to enact any initiatives which particularly

help hardwood business.

Trade Issues

APHIS Phytosanitary Issue - Remedy the high cost of

APHIS phytosanitary certification by assuring

adoption of the Kiln Dry (KD) certificate worldwide.

Hardwood Product Advocacy

Seek opportunities to have the federal government

highlight the renewable, sustainable, and

environmentally preferable qualities of hardwood

products through programs such as federal

procurement standards and home energy efficiency

initiatives, such as HomeStar.

Green Building/Certification

Seek opportunities to assure that hardwood products

are fully recognized in any Green Building programs.

USDA Voluntary Labeling Program for Bio-based

Products which could exclude wood due to mature

markets clause in final ruling.

Regulatory Issues

EPA Boiler MACT/Biomass Energy policy: Assure

that EPA does not implement a devastating boiler

replacement rule for the hardwood industry and

instead pursue an environmentally sound and

economically sustainable ruling for Boilers and

Biomass energy usage.

Clean Water Act: Assure the recent decision by the 9th

Circuit Court of Appeals does not reverse EPA’s long-

standing regulation to retain the status of forestry as a

nonpoint source of water pollution under the Clean

Water Act (CWA).

Federal Forest management

Engage Congress and Administration in focusing

USFS resources (particularly in those regions with

greatest need) on sound management and responsible

fiscal policies which will restore federal forests to

exemplary levels of health and productivity.

Illegal Logging

Lacey Act passed in 2008 has had a demonstrable

impact on curtailing illegal logging worldwide. A

federal case being brought against Gibson Guitar has

resulted in legislation being introduced (HR 3210)

which would diminish the effectiveness of the Lacey

law.

2012 Farm Bill

Assure that hardwood forestry and conservation issues

are included in the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization

encouraging further development of a sustainable,

dependable hardwood supply.

Promote and urge Administration and Congress to

maintain funding for the Market Access Program that

supports AHEC’s promotion of U.S. hardwood

exports. And actively oppose any efforts to eliminate

funding for the program.

4

Fall Fly-In Needs You to Fly In

Time and time again HF hears from Members of Congress

that nothing takes the place of meeting constituents face-to

-face to hear about issues important to them. Our annual

Fall Fly-In remains a priority to reach influential policy

makers.

The 2012 Fly-In will take place from September 19-20 in

Washington, DC, and it will be an excellent opportunity for

you to stand up for your industry, joining shoulder to

shoulder with hardwood brothers and sisters from all

around the country and in all sectors of the business.

We'll meet with key officials in the Obama Administration

and with leaders on Capitol Hill to tell our hardwood story

and let them know how policies, regulations, and laws they

are enacting are impacting us on the ground.

There's nothing like putting a face to an issue - and we

want it to be yours. Join us in Washington this September.

Have you renewed your WHA

membership for 2012? If not,

online renewal is quick and safe.

Renew today!

www.westernhardwood.org

Transportation/Truck Weights

Support increases in allowable truck weights through

federal legislation to enhance productivity and savings

in goods movement.

N ew Member Profile

Reimer Hardwoods LTD is a wholesale distributor of

hardwood lumber, fine softwood, plywood, MDF,

particleboard, melamine and related products. They are a

family owned, multigenerational business, founded in

1977 and operating out of company owned warehouses

in Abbotsford, Kelowna, and Victoria, BC, as well as a

leased facility in Calgary, Alberta, an a sales office in

Edmonton, Alberta. Their focus is building and

maintaining long term relationships with suppliers and

customers resulting in a consistent flow of quality

products that their customers can rely on.

Recently, Reimer Hardwoods acquired GMA

Cascade Industrial Group, a WHA member for several

years. WHA welcomes Colin Reimer, President an CEO

of Reimer Hardwoods. Greg Antle, sales manger for

Reimer Hardwoods, will continue as a member of the

WHA Board of Directors.

They can be contacted at PO Box 2160, Abbotsford,

BC V2T 3X8, ph: (604)850-9281, fax: (604)852-2451,

website: www.reimerhardwoods.com and by email,

gantle@reimerhardwoods.com

csreimer@reimerhardwoods.com

N ews in the News

Multi-Family Housing Market Prospects Brighten

According to the National Association of Home Builders

(NAHB) Multi family Production Index (MPI) released

this month, the condominium and apartment sector has

seen broad improvement over the last year and a half.

Positive and negative feelings of builders and developers

for the Multi-Family market are split, but the final

quarter 2011 MPI indicator of 48.9 is the most positive

since 2005. The low mark come from the third of the

three index elements with the for-sale condominium

market holding at 30.6 positivity. Market-rate rental

units and low-rent units, the other two components of the

rating are positive with ratings of 64.3 and 55.5

respectively, 64.3 being an all time high for market-rate

units. While lending availability remains a primary

concern for builders and developers, both expect an

average of 6.2 percent MPI improvement over the next

two quarters.

Existing-home Sales Rose in January. According

to a news release in mid-February from the National

Association of Realtors, existing-home sales have made

gains in three of the last four months. Total housing

inventory at the end of January fell .4 percent to 2.31

million existing homes available for sale, which

represents a 6.1-month supply at the current pace, down

from a 6.4-month supply in December. Total unsold

listed inventory has trended down from a record 4.04

million in July 2007, and is 20.6 percent below a year

ago.

5

Up Coming Meetings

April 29 -May 1, 2012

NAWLA Leadership Conference Colorado Springs, CO

Email: kketchum@nawla.org

May 3-4, 2012

WHA Grade School Portland, OR

Email: wha@westernhardwood.org

May 5, 2012

Washington Farm Forestry Association

Annual Meeting Spokane Valley, WA

Email: info@wafarmforestry.com

June 6 -9, 2012

Small-scale Logging McKenna, WA

Email: kirk@nnrg.org

June 13, 2012

Washington Hardwoods Commission

Annual Meeting Kelso, WA

Email: whc@wahardwoodscomm.com

June 22 -23, 2012

WHA Annual Meeting Sunriver, OR

Email: wha@westernhardwood.org

Ninety Percent of Home Building Will Have

Green Features By 2016. By 2016, most home builders

say that green building technologies will be used on 90

percent of projects and 33 percent say they will be

dedicated to green building in 2016, up from 17 percent

today. Green homes comprised 17 percent of the overall

residential construction market in 2011 and are expected

to grow to 29-38 percent of the market by 2016.

Building LEED Homes Can Be Dangerous to

Your Staff. Will working on a LEED home put your

technicians in danger? Yes, says a new

study on construction safety that shows

there are 50 percent more injuries among

construction workers on LEED projects

than conventional structures. The study,

“Identification of Safety Risks for High-Performance

Sustainable Construction Projects,” from a researcher at

the University of Colorado, uses actual data, not

anecdotal evidence to make its conclusion.

Washington Hardwoods Commission annual

meeting is scheduled for June 13, 2012, at the Kelso

Red Lion. An outstanding cadre of speakers will

address “Markets, Management, and Science:

Hardwood’s Increasing Relevance to the Washington

Economy”. In addition to discussing current and future

markets, alder growth and yield and RAP Organon

model will be demonstrated. Alder thinning and

hardwood conversion in riparian zones will be

addressed. Filling out the morning session DNR, UW,

and WSU representatives will discuss biomass for

biofuels and energy. Alder clone production for tree

improvement and short rotation hardwood plantation

will be demonstrated during the afternoon field trip to

Greenwood Resources Clatskanie Poplar Plantations.

O utlook

West Coast contacts report

a pickup in activity and supply shortages. A southern

California contact noted that while activity has picked

up since second quarter of 2011, buyers are still

reluctant to speculate beyond their immediate needs.

Contacts in the Quebec area are reporting that

logging is a month behind the norm due to the

unseasonal mild winter weather. Because of delayed

access to timber this winter, some are forecasting lumber

shortages for summer.

Logging conditions were somewhat delayed in the

province of Ontario due to the freeze-thaw pattern of

temperatures. As a result, logging crews have been

restricted in providing log supplies. This has resulted in

lessened mill output as well.

6

Join Today! The WHA is the only organization dedicated exclusively to the availability and promotion of Western Hardwoods. Your membership includes an online membership directory listing, our monthly email newsletter, important industry updates by email, a free banner ad on WHA’s website and cost effective newsletter advertising. Benefits include networking at the Annual Meeting, discounts on Association meeting registration, and political representation in the nation’s capital through the Hardwood Federation.

Invite a colleague to join WHA. First time membership is $150 the first year and $150 for the second year.

2012

WHA

ANNUAL MEETING June 22-23, 2012

Sunriver, OR Get the lates t , per t i n en t indust ry updates , ne twork , and en j oy the beaut i ful weather in Sunr i v er . , Oregon

Plan now! mark your calendars and watch for more informat ion!

WHA Grade School

May 3-4, 2012

Name(s): _____________________________________________________________

Company: ______________________________________ Phone: ______________

Address: _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Credit Card # ____________________________________ Exp. Date: ______________

Grade Stick: (how many?) _______

Total due: $ ________________

Mail form and check to: WHA, PO Box 1095, Camas, WA 98607 / Fax to: (360)835-1900

The Western Hardwood Association sponsors an annual lumber grading school each year.

Members and non-members alike may attend. May 3-4, 2012, is the date set for the next

WHA sponsored grade school. It will be held in Sherwood, OR, at the Hardwood

Industries building.

Students will learn Alder, Hybrid Poplar, PC Maple, and other Western Hardwood grades,

how to apply them to actual lumber, the application of proprietary grades, and the

importance of "on grade” to profitability. This class is a must for owners, managers, sales,

and graders. Class will be from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM each day. Room and meals are

student’s responsibility.

Cost: $200/member, $350/non-member

Grade Stick: $50

A grading stick is required. You may purchase one with your registration or bring your

own.

May 3-4, 2012