NEWS

Columbia Forest Products, Commonwealth Plywood, States Industries, and Timber Products Company have petitioned the Department of Commerce to find that Chinese hardwood plywood products with face and back veneers made of softwood species, suitable for decorative use, are being used to circumvent the recently issued antidumping and countervailing duty orders on hardwood plywood products.

Source: Woodworking Network, American Shipper

The Sierra Club won in court last week, as a federal district judge ruled that the EPA unlawfully delayed an Obama-era rule to limit formaldehyde emissions from wood products. However, the EPA will not need to comply with the court's order until it works out a plan for "effective implementation" with plaintiffs.

The U.S. formaldehyde regulation requires that composite wood products be tested by a certification body recognized by the EPA before entering the country. Now the EPA has officially recognized China’s National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment.

An analysis conducted by Ramboll Environ, funded by Hexion, concludes that the EPA draft assessment and data published afterward do not show a causal link between formaldehyde and leukemia.

The Timber Products board of directors announced that Steve Killgore will assume leadership of the company on February 20th. Mr. Killgore has more than 40 years of experience in the wood products industry.

Source: Timber Products Company

Photo © Timber Products Company

Veneer Technologies announced the judges for its 14th annual international design competition. They are Michaelle Bradford, an editor with Woodworking Network, Scott Grove, an artist, designer, and woodworking instructor, and Thomas Brooks, a global commodity manager at Masonite International. The challenge is open for entries!

Effective immediately, HPVA Laboratories® has issued certification certificates for TSCA Title VI, the federal formaldehyde emissions standards for composite wood panels, to Murphy Plywood and American OEM. Both companies are CARB-certified for all production.

Watch this amazing video that blends the sounds of industrial veneer production with world-famous tango music. The result: an inspiring piece of art that will appeal to those who love wood and those who love music.

NAFCD announced its 2018 officers and board members, naming Zach Zehner of Mannington Mills as a supplier director.

Kenneth R. Roach, 90, former co-owner of McCathay Timber in Chicago, IL, passed away on Sunday, December 31.

With support from federal trade agencies and the USDA Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters has created an open-access clearinghouse for national and state regulations that affect the management of U.S. forests. The Timber Assurance website is a resource that helps show how U.S. timber is harvested legally and sustainably.

Source: National Association of State Foresters

The fertilizer effect of carbon dioxide is one element that may explain why the increase in carbon dioxide concentrations has flattened since 2002. What this suggests: Increased plant growth may be slowing the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Source: UC Berkeley

A new study shows that the lethal fungus that causes white-nose syndrome in bats is highly sensitive to UV light. This could lead to new treatments for the disease.

The IKEA Group recently bought 25,000 acres of forestland in Alabama. The company owns 250,000 acres of forestland in Romania and the Baltics.

Carbon farming could turn Vermont into a giant carbon trap. This could offset a significant chunk of the state's emissions that contribute to global warming.

U.S. researchers documented the arrival of the spotted lanternfly - a native of China, India, and Vietnam - in Pennsylvania in 2014. Now the pest has been found threatening hardwood trees in Virginia.

According to a Houzz survey of more than 1,700 homeowners, the biggest trend in kitchen remodeling is tidiness. The top 3 priorities are decluttering counters, creating places to put things away, and tidying up recycling.

Look out for natural elements, mixed metals, urban farmhouse inspired designs, and touches of velvet in homes as part of the top home design trends of 2018, according to newly released information by Pulte Homes, a unit of PulteGroup, Inc.

Two Sides’ anti-greenwash campaign reaches a milestone as more leading corporations change their marketing messages to recognize the sustainable features of print on paper.

The luxury British automobile brand has selected a unique exquisite veneer for new Bentley interiors. The veneer, called Liquid Amber after the tree's genus, is sourced from American sweetgum trees that grow in the Southeast. The video documents the search of Bentley's "veneer hunters."

Photo © Bentley Motors

Domtar’s Ashdown, Arkansas mill has used drone technology since 2016 to save time, improve efficiencies and help keep its foresters safe.

See images of intricate wood carvings at Bing images.

See the winners of 2018's Wood Design Awards.

U.S. housing starts jumped 9.7% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.33 million in January 2018, led by increases in multifamily housing.

U.S. construction spending rose 0.7% to $1.253 trillion in December, the fifth straight month of spending increases.

The latest forecast for U.S. construction starts shows an annual gain of nearly 5% through 2022.

Sumitomo Forestry will build the world's largest wooden skyscraper, with an expected completion date of 2041. At 1,148 feet, the wooden building will approach the height of the Empire State Building, 1,454 feet.

Photo © Sumitomo Forestry

Canada's Michael Green Architecture will construct a massive timber office complex - 500,000 square feet, 11 stories tall - overlooking the water in Newark, NJ. This will be the largest commercial building in the U.S. made of wood.

Why an Alphabet subsidiary is planning to build a futuristic neighborhood out of wood.

Norway's latest tall timber tower, Mjøstårnet, will stretch to 18 stories.

Tour the new headquarters and state-of-the-art laboratories at the Decorative Hardwoods Association® and Capital Testing and Certification Services® open house on April 19.

Claim your sponsorship, or register now for your early-bird discount.

The Montreal Wood Convention will be held at the new Fairmont, The Queen Elizabeth, in Montréal.