HIGHLIGHTS: ALASKA’S FOREST PRODUCTS INDUSTRY DOMINATED BY SMALL “MOM AND POP” MILLS, WITH THE STATE NOW THE KEY SOURCE OF WOOD SUPPLY. MILL OPERATORS ARE INNOVATIVE, DEVELOPING NEW NICHE PRODUCTS AIDED BY NEW TECHNOLOGY. MODERATOR: TESSA AXELSON, Executive Director, Alaska Forest Association PANEL: n JEREMY DOUSE, Forester, Alaska Division of Forestry n RYAN TINSLEY, Partner, Alaska Adaptable Housing, LLC KEY POINTS: n Alaska wood products industry mostly small businesses n State is major partner in wood supply n Innovations in new product, local lumber grading DISCUSSION: Tessa Axelson: The wood products industry continues although we face challenges in wood supply from the federal landowners, the U.S. Forest Service. Our major partner today is the state of Alaska, with wood supplied from the state forests. “Almost all members in the forest products industry are small, locally-owned businesses, many of them family owned and multi-generational,” Axelson said. “Innovation is alive and well in our industry as we adapt to changing conditions,” she said. Two examples are in new products being developed by Joe Young, in Tok, and in new programs in the state Division of Forestry, mainly a new lumber grading program that will allow wood harvested in Alaska to be sold commercially in Alaska for home construction. This will allow operators to self-inspect and certify their products, after training, and eliminate having to fly in inspectors. Jeremy Douse: “We import most of our wood used in construction. It seemed appropriate to see if we could find ways to use wood we harvest here,” he said. The problem is that lumber has to be inspected and graded for quality by licensed inspectors and we have no way to do that in Alaska without flying the inspectors in from out-of-state, which is very expensive. This means that, for all practical purposes, wood for homes financed by government programs must use lumber shipped in from the Lower 48. “We became aware of a program in Wisconsin where local people are trained to do the inspections. We went there and attended some of the classes, and decided to try this in Alaska,” Douse said. “At first, we looked at developing this as a program within the Department of Natural Resources. State Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, of Soldotna, and Rep. Jesse Sumner, of Wasilla, were very supportive and helped us get bill through the Legislature putting it in statute, and the governor signed the bill. We are now working to set up regulations and with the University of Alaska’s Cooperative Extension Service to do the training. There’s a lot of potential. The Tongass National Forest in Southeast is now transitioning from old-growth to second-growth timber and a lot of small communities have sawmills. In western Alaska villages along the Kuskokwim River want to use local timber to build homes and cabins. Without grading by certified inspectors many types of financing are not available. Axelson: Joe Young was unable to be here because of bad weather and road conditions, so I wanted to speak for him and of some his innovations at the Young Sawmill in Tok. He has developed new products like a fire log made from wood waste that sells for less than conventional firewood. He has also developed methods to remove moisture which improves the quality of the wood. Alaska’s small forest products industry has potential for growth, state natural resources commissioner John Boyle has said. Alaskans can look to Sweden as an example of where managed forestry and sustained-yield harvesting is a major industry and big employer. Gov. Mike Dunleavy hopes this can be done in Alaska, Boyle said. — COMPILED BY TIM BRADNER ALASKA’S FOREST PRODUCTS: LEADING THE WAY IN INNOVATION www.AKRDC.org 19
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