Earlier this month, the Hardwood Federation, a wood products industry lobbying group of which the NWFA is a part, petitioned the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for an additional $6 million for increased wood products life cycle assessment (LCA) and green building research.
On Jan. 9, the Hardwood Federation sent a letter to Harris Sherman, under secretary for natural resources and environment, USDA, and Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. The letter specifically asked for increased funding to be given to the Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory based in Madison, Wis.
The letter thanked the two men for their efforts to promote the use of wood in green building. The letter also pointed out that increasing the use of wood in construction would help sequester carbon and mitigate global warming, help maintain forests by providing markets for forest products, and support good-paying jobs.
"Now we are calling on the U.S. Forest Service to implement its identified research goals with this $6 million investment," The Hardwood Federation wrote.
