Jun24NL : simplebooklet.com

2Quote for the Month“No company can aord not to move forward. It may be at the top of the heap today but at the boom of the heap tomorrow, if it doesn’t.”-James Cash PenneyOutlookSteady acvity is what hardwood suppliers on the West Coast are reporng. An improvement since the beginning of the year was reported by most sources, with White Oak being the hoest item.In this issue:* Upcoming Events* Quote for the Month* Outlook* Manager Update* Hardwood Federaon Update* News* MovaonNo. 663June 2024WHA Board of Directors - OcersAaron Blumenkron PresidentTeana Larson Vice PresidentLouie Guyee TreasurerJamie Price Immediate Past PresidentWHA Board of Directors - Board MembersSco ClarkNils DickmannAdam DupliseaMarlin LangworthySco LeavengoodMike LipkeBrad MichaelRyan PetersonDennis SandersStephen ZamboDavid SweitzerSecretary/ManagerPO Box 1095Camas, WA 98607Ph: (360) 835-1600Web: www.westernhardwood.orgEmail: wha@westernhardwood.orgCont on pg 7Upcoming Events June 6, 2024WHC Annual Symposiumwhc@wahardwoodscomm.comJuly 20-23, 2024AHMI Summer Conferencehttps://appalachianhardwood.comAugust 6-9, 2024IWF Woodworking Fairhttps://www.iwfatlanta.com/the-show/about/September 23-25, 2024WHA Annual ConventionEmail: wha@westernhardwood.orgOctober 2-4, 2024NHLA Annual Conventionhttps://nhla.com/convention/schedule/October 9-10, 2024WPMA Annual Meetinghttps://www.wpma.org/events/

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3Have you renewed your WHA membership? Renew your membership now and ignite excitement in the hardwood industry! Enjoy capvang tours, enlightening webinars, and invaluable networking at the Annual Convenon. Partner with the Real American Hardwood Coalion for visibility, the Hardwood Federaon for legislave inuence, and the American Hardwood Export Council for global market impact. Contribute to forestry's future with scholarship sponsorships and support students through the WHA Annual Design Contest.Renew today to partner with us! Membership auto-renewal saves you 10%. Visit www.westernhardwood.org/payment.htm now or mail your payment to PO Box 1095, Camas, WA 98607.Thank you for your connued support, essenal to our success in 2024. Reach out with any quesons or to volunteer.Mark Your Calendar & Save the Date!Roll the dice on excitement at our high-stakes annual convenon! Buckle up for innovaon and inspiraon at the Ilani Casino Hotel, just a stone's throw from Portland. Network like a pro, dive into game-changing insights on export and domesc markets, lobbying wins, AI insights, and design trends. Bet on success with us as we delve into hardwood dynamics. Win big and fuel the future with our scholarship-supporng aucon and our premium rae oering a jaw-dropping gaming/coee table. Swing into acon at our lively golf tournament and double down on connecons. Don't miss out on this synergy-packed event, with exclusive e-ins to the Timber Processing and Energy Expo. Elevate your presence with sponsorship perks! With a dash of casino avor, it's a surere jackpot for your business!SEE PAGE 17 & 18 FOR SPONSOR & AUCTION FORMS

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6Joining our hardwood associaon is an exhilarang opportunity packed with dynamic benets! Here's why you should jump on board with unmatched enthusiasm:1. **Unite for Greater Impact:** Let's amplify our inuence by joining forces with sowood groups, revoluonizing mber harvest together!2. **Powerhouse Representaon:** Gain a voice that resonates in the corridors of power! With our membership in the Hardwood Federaon, we're shaping policies in Washington DC and championing the hardwood cause!3. **Ignite Domesc Demand:** With the Real American Hardwood Coalion, we're spearheading a thrilling domesc markeng crusade that's pung hardwoods in the spotlight where they belong!4. **Conquer Global Markets:** Buckle up for an exhilarang ride as we conquer internaonal markets through our membership in the American Hardwood Export Council, showcasing the nest American hardwoods to the world!5. **Connect and Thrive:** Dive into a whirlwind of networking opportunies at the WHA's electrifying annual convenon and beyond, where connecons spark innovaon and success!6. **Inspire Future Leaders:** Join us in empowering forestry students to embrace the wonders of hardwoods through our capvang Design Contest and Scholarship Program!7. **Stay Ahead with Cung-Edge Insights:** Get ready to level up your game. We’re planning groundbreaking webinars, including must-know topics like navigang the AI revoluon in business!8. **Unlock a Wealth of Knowledge:** Our soon-to-be revamped website can be your ulmate desnaon for everything hardwood-related, oering a treasure trove of educaonal resources at your ngerps!9. **Shape the Future:** Dive into acon with our newly minted Strategic Plan and take the helm in one of our six acon commiees, where your experse can shape the future of our associaon!10. **Stay Informed and Promote Your Brand:** Don't miss out on the excitement of our Monthly Digital Magazine, where you'll nd the pulse of the industry, unbeatable adversing rates, and the chance to showcase your company's success stories!With so much passion, innovaon, and opportunity awaing, joining our hardwood associaon isn't just a choice—it's an adventure you won't want to miss! Join us today and let's carve out a future of unparalleled success together!Going to a meeting? Contact us to take along one of these popups for your table and help grow WHA!

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CONQUER© 2019 Wood-Mizer LLC *Price in US Dollars. Price and specications subject to change without notice. The ALL NEW WM4500 Industrial Sawmill is fully-loaded with stronger angled bed rails, reinforced dual-rod side supports, enhanced material drag back, and is equipped with 2" blades, balanced steel band wheels, 3" diameter blade guide rollers, 50% stronger head structure, pressurized blade lube system, powered taper rollers, and more. Don’t just live the wood life, CONQUER IT with Wood-Mizer’s next generation agship industrial sawmill. FOR MORE OUTPUT THAN EVER TRY THE NEW 1-1/4" TOOTH SPACING TURBO 7 BLADE! 800.553.0812 woodmizer.com$119,995* Retail Price“The quality of how Wood-Mizer constructs their mills and their engineering help you maintain production as well as your quality of cutting. The WM4500 is a lot heavier built which makes it easier handling bigger and longer logs.”—Marty Garbers L. Garbers & Sons Sawmill, OHIO, USANEW!7A California hardwood supplier reported improved acvity since the beginning of the year, with increased orders and interest. He noted that local markets are busy and overall acvity has been good. He aributed some of this improvement to the elecon year but menoned ghtened cash ow as a concern. Looking ahead, he expects the next six months to be interesng post-elecon, expressing condence in connued progress.An Oregon wholesaler reported slower hardwood acvity in his area, oering Maple, Alder, Walnut, Hickory, Poplar, Red and White Oak, and exocs in Superior FAS and Select and Beer grades. Alder is the fastest mover, while Walnut is the slowest. He aributed the slowdown to the economy, a sluggish housing market, and the elecon year. Perming costs and regulatory overreach also pose challenges. Looking ahead, he expects a slight improvement with beer weather but believes many will remain cauous.Manager's MessageDave SweitzerSecretary/Manager, WHAWhat’s Next?In my comments from last month’s Manager’s Comment, I talked about the Good, Bad, and the Ugly, so to speak.Good – Growing trees, lumber from harvested trees, and the products made from lumber, plus replanng with seedlings all store Carbon.Bad – The infrastructure is dwindling, along with jobs, leaving forest owners to sell to developers using concrete and steel.Ugly – Federal, state, and local governments are constantly enacng rules and regulaons designed to curb, if not stop, tree harvesng.What’s Next? – There is no silver bullet! But WHA, along with its allies, will connue to ght for less restricons and more harvesng. Simply said, it’s resource, resource, resource. Without sustainably harvested mber I fear for the future of the forest products industry as (Cont from pg 3)

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8we know it. Learn more about the future at our Annual Convenon coming September 23 – 25, 2024, at Ilani Casino and Resort in Ridgeeld, WA. .Update from Hardwood FederaonDana Cole, Execuve DirectorMay 2024Waing on a Tax BillThe year—from a tax policy perspecve—started out really well. In a rare show of biparsanship, the House of Representaves overwhelmingly passed H.R. 7024-the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act. The vote was 357-70. To summarize, the bill features a number of posive provisions for small and medium sized businesses that populate our sector, including: y Retroacve extension of the 100 percent bonus depreciaon tax benet, otherwise known as “full expensing.” This benet allows companies to fully write o the cost of machinery and equipment in the same year those costs are incurred. Full expensing began to phase down at the beginning of 2023 where it dropped to 80 percent. At the beginning of 2024 it took another haircut to 60 percent and is slated to fully phase out in 2027. H.R. 7024 restores this benet to full strength--100 percent—starng January 1, 2023, and extends the benet though Improving the lives of people in the wood industry globally.visit us at:kovaldigital.comWebsitesBrandingCopyCinematic ﬁlmDigitalcampaignsStrategyPodcastingAnimationYour business success starts here!DesignWood treatment plant manufacturing, worldwide since 1983.The most environmentally friendly wood treatment ever known!Hydro-Thermo Modication 1-877-785-0274 www.americanwoodtechnology.comAmerican Wood Technology AWT Options: design, fabrication, layouts & accessories• Smallest footprint & simplest installation• Most gentle process available• Most eective heat transfer• Fastest process time & better product quality• Lowest processing cost per board footOur thermo plant designs provide:

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102025. y Renewal of the research and development (R&D) tax credit which expired in 2022. Like bonus depreciaon, this provision allows companies to write o the full cost of R&D expenses in the same year in which the investments are made. The House bill again retroacvely restores this key benet and extends it through 2025. y Reversion back to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciaon and Amorzaon (EBITDA) for calculang interest expense deducbility. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), this standard was shortened to EBIT, which is not as generous a metric for calculang interest expenses and so the net eect has been increased costs on U.S. businesses. y Bump up in the Sec. 179 deducon limits. Right now, businesses may expense the cost of depreciable business assets up to $1.16 million. The bill raises that cap to $1.29 million. In order to stch together a biparsan agreement, these business provisions were paired with an increase in the Child Tax Credit and, for the most part Democrats and Republicans came on board. Things were looking very posive…and then came the Senate.Republican opposion in the upper chamber comes down to roughly one part substance, one part process and one part polics. On substance, there is concern around certain aspects of the Child Tax Credit provisions, namely the “look back” language which allows families to use a prior year’s income to calculate the credit if their current year’s income is reduced. There is also some concern around how the bill is “paid for.” In terms of process, Senate Finance Commiee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) has raised the legimate point that the legislaon should proceed through regular order and be marked up in the Senate Finance Commiee. Senate Democrat leadership has avoided this step out of concern that too many changes to the bill would upset the delicate arrangement forged in the House that allowed the bill to pass the lower chamber. And nally, polics are ever present in all negoaons here in Washington—whether it’s a tax bill, appropriaons, a Farm Bill or anything in between. Next year is a crical one for tax policy as many benets in the TCJA are set to expire—even our own Sec. 119A deducon for S-Corporaons and pass through enes. Senate Republicans are banking on the prospect of retaking control of the upper chamber aer the November elecon and being in a posion to hold the pen on tax policy. In sum, their thinking is why not hold o on this bill now and tackle all of the expired and expiring provisions in one big bill next year. At this point it is hard to envision a scenario where H.R. 7024 becomes law this year. Nevertheless, the Hardwood Federaon team is vising with Senate oces on a near daily basis urging for acon on these crical tax benets. We will connue to stay aer it and keep you apprised of developments. November Elecon Sets Up Tax Debate - With reduced tax rates for individuals, large corporaons and small business from the 2017 tax reform law set to expire at the beginning of 2025, whoever controls the legislave and execuve branches come January will have an immediate impact on boom lines for business and individuals. A central feature of the 2017 tax law reduced the corporate income tax rate from a top rate of 35% to a single at tax rate of 21%, a provision most Democrats and some Republicans are placing in the crosshairs. Also, the new law created the 20% small business deducon for Qualied Business Income (QBI), an eort to place small business on an even playing eld with larger corporaons. As for individual lers, the top rate was reduced from 39.6% to 37% aer tax reform. Barring legislave intervenon, the small business deducon will disappear while the rates for corporaons and individuals will revert to their higher levels in 2025. USDA Drops $74 Million on Grants for Wood Products - Drawing from the Inaon Reducon Act and infrastructure law, on May 14, USDA announced it would make nearly $74 million available to promote wood products, including through the wood innovaons grant and community wood grant programs. The Administraon’s outlay will support 171 project proposals across the public, private and non-prot sectors. Highlights include funding for installaon of “cung edge equipment in sawmills,” mass mber projects, and “converng heang systems to sustainable biomass boilers.” White House Unveils New NEPA Rule - On April 30, the Administraon unveiled revisions to the Naonal Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), expanding the statute by adding layers of environment review to the perming process. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is gathering signatories from allied trade groups to rally support for a biparsan Congressional Review Act (CRA) measure to be introduced by Sens. Manchin (D-WV) and Sullivan (R-AK) and Garret Graves (R-LA) to revoke the new regulaon. Rather than streamline the environmental perming process, as advocated by the Federaon in coalion comments led in 2023, the new rule is poised to create new legal roadblocks that will cause delays and undermine regulatory certainty.

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12Member NewsAs spring brings new growth to the forest, WHA member Zena Forest Products, is also experiencing its own season of evoluon. With warmer weather and longer days, Zena is excited to share its recent developments and ongoing growth as a company.For nearly 40 years, Zena has been dedicated to stewarding a biodiverse and resilient mixed-species and mixed-age forest. This complex environment demands careful management, with a primary focus on the planet's health. Zena strives to bring the beauty of the natural world into homes through their ooring, reecng the intricate balance of the forest ecosystem.Managing this complexity is no easy task. Each day at Zena involves a careful balancing act, priorizing the needs of Oregon's forests. They ensure that the trees removed support the remaining forest, and every piece of Zena ooring honors the beauty and sustainability of its origins.Zena's commitment to sustainability and stewardship is highlighted in their new website, www.zenaforest.com, launched aer months of development during the winter. The site details Zena's bold approach to generaonal stewardship, sustainable forestry, and harvesng. Customers can now explore how choosing Zena ooring is an investment in the future of Oregon’s forests.Zena invites everyone to visit their new website to learn more about their sustainable pracces. With spring just beginning, they look forward to sharing more updates in the weeks ahead.NewsA commentary from Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Co - Aer a number of years where our re losses were trending favorably, we have seen a reversal early in 2024. While property loss frequency is sll dropping, we experienced six large res in a six-week period over the rst quarter. All six losses exceeded $2 million, with two of them over $10 million. Interesngly, ve or six years ago, these types of losses would have been from sawmill or pallet operaons. None of these were! They were all losses from light manufacturers or lumber dealers. We will be looking at each loss closely, but at a glance, all of these accounts (with the excepon of one) were quality operaons, many of them never experiencing a signicant loss before. Such is the nature of this industry. Experience teaches us that there may not be many losses, and

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accounts may not have a loss for years or even ever, but when they do occur, they tend to be severe. Source - Smith, J. (2024, May 15). President’s commentary: Lumber memo, issue 2 2024. PLM. hps://www.plmins.com/lm-commentary-24-2/House Republicans are pressing the White House for spending and budget informaon associated with President Joe Biden’s sweeping “America the Beauful” iniave. Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), who chairs the Oversight and Invesgaons Subcommiee, want detailed informaon on a grants program associated with the iniave, which aims to conserve 30 percent of the naon’s lands and waters by 2030. In a leer sent Tuesday to Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory, the lawmakers target the “America the Beauful Challenge,” which is managed by the Naonal Fish and Wildlife Foundaon. The program consolidates funding for “large-scale” conservaon and restoraon projects “from mulple federal agencies and the private sector,” according to the foundaon’s website. (Subscripon Required for full arcle).- Streater, S. (24AD). E&E News: House Republicans Demand “30 by 30” spending docs. subscriber.policopro.com. hps://subscriber.policopro.com/arcle/eenews/2024/05/08/house-republicans-demand-30-by-30-spending-docs-00156852Private-sector employment in the U.S. increased by 192,000 jobs in April, while March employment gains were revised upward from 184,000 to 208,000. Job growth, which had slowed in the second half of 2023, has accelerated over the past three months. The recent rate of job growth nearly matches that of the rst half of 2023. The manufacturing sector added 9,000 jobs, and construcon saw an increase of 35,000 jobs. - excerpted from DuBravac, Shawn, Dr.. “NAM-Weekly Economic Report - May 6, 2024”| NAM. Naonal Associaon of Manufacturers.: n. pag.Consumer credit increased at a slower pace in March, growing at an annual rate of 1.5%, a decrease from the 3.6% rate in the previous month. Total consumer credit outstanding rose $6.3 billion, which was signicantly less than the ancipated $15 billion increase. Revolving credit saw a modest increase of $200 million for the month on a seasonally adjusted basis, translang into a 0.1% annual rate following a 9.7% rise in February and a 7.3% increase in January. Nonrevolving credit grew $6.1 billion, or at a 2% annual rate. - excerpted from DuBravac, Shawn, Dr. “NAM-Weekly Economic Report - May 13, 2024”| NAM. Naonal Associaon of Manufacturers.: n. pag.A forestry ocial says the 2024 Oregon wildre season looks to be a moderate one so far. Al De Vos is a public informaon ocer with the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Incident Management Team 2. He told KLCC that at this point, the outlook between now and late June is fairly decent across Oregon, Washington and northern California. “We’re looking prey well in terms of snowpack and precipitaon and whatnot,” said De Vos. “But a couple months in, there’s certain areas that are a lile more on the dry side.” De Vos said come summer, re managers will be doing weekly outlooks. He added that even in damp condions, all it takes is a few days of sustained easterly winds to dry out terrain and make it suscepble to re. - Bull, B. (2024, May 13). Weer condions seen across northwest as wildre season approaches. opb. hps://www.opb.org/arcle/2024/05/13/wildre-outlook-oregon-washington-lile-yamsay/In this photo dated May 4, 2024, a Union hotshot watches the eects of a ring operaon on the Lile Yamsay Fire in Klamath County, Ore. Crews are managing the naturally occurring re for forest health and fuels reducon.Courtesy of Fremont-Winema Naonal Forest / InciWeb

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1545 Years Leading Dry Kiln Efciency!kilnsales@nyle.com (800) 777-6953Economic headwinds connue: The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index decreased 0.6% in April due to weaker new orders, a negave yield spread and fewer building permits. Stock prices also had a negave impact on the outlook for the rst me since October. Despite no recession signals, challenges persist. - excerpted from DuBravac, Shawn, Dr. “NAM-Weekly Economic Report - May 20, 2024”| NAM. Naonal Associaon of Manufacturers.: n. pag.MovateHOLD THE ROPE!!! by Chris ForeI came across this story called HOLD THE ROPE several years ago, and it became a major mantra for us during the 2005 Training Camp. I rewrote and added some things to what I originally found.I went down to Home Depot, and bought a long rope. I cut about a 5 inch piece o that rope and gave one to each and every player and coach in our program. I encouraged them to carry it with them all season. I was encouraged to see many of the boys took my words to heart, and most aached these ropes to their key chains. HOLD THE ROPEEvery year a professional football team wins the championship. Every year a college football team wins the NCAA tle. Every year the best high school team in Division A on down wins the state crown. All these teams have one thing in common: No maer how tough it became throughout their season, they did one thing — they held the rope!What is “holding the rope?” Imagine that you are hanging from the edge of a cli with a drop of twenty thousand feet. The only thing between you and a fall to your death is a rope, with the person of your choice on the other end. Who do you know that has the guts to pull you to safety?Who will hold the rope?Who do you know that is going to let that rope burn their hand and not let go? How many people that you know are going to withstand the burning pain and watch the blood drip from their hands for you?If you can name two people, that’s not good enough, because those two people might not be around.The next me your team is together, look around and ask yourself, “Who could I trust to hold the rope? Who is going to let their hands bleed for me?”When you can look at every member on your team and say to yourself that they all would hold the rope, you are desned to win a lot of ball games. You see, the team that holds the rope when the going gets tough are winners. When you are down by four points with thirty seconds to go, don’t give up. Yell at your teammates to “hold the rope — let it burn but don’t let go!” Every year there are winners and losers in all sports. Every year the winners hold the rope. You don’t have to have the best team on the eld to win the game.If you play with poise and do what your coaches ask of you, and most of all — hold the rope — you will be successful. No maer what sport you play, in order to win, you have to have a commitment to your team. If you are supposed to run three mes per week, do it.If you have to li weights three mes per week, don’t miss. Once you start leng up at pracce or start missing your workouts, you’ve killed the team because you didn’t hold the rope! Don’t let your team down! You’ve got to hold the rope!Chris Fore has his Masters degree in Athlec Administraon, is a Cered Athlec Administrator and currently works as a Principal in Southern California (yes, he went to the “dark side” aer 17 years of coaching!) He served as the President of the California Coaches Associaon for 3 years. Fore is the CEO of Eight Laces Consulng which specializes in helping coaches naonwide in their job search process. Fore has been named to the Hudl Top 100 Coaches, and the Top 5 Best High School Football Coaches to follow on Twier by MaxPreps. Follow him! Fore, C. (2024, February 10). Hold the rope!!! (powerful and inspiraonal story for your team). CoachFore.org - Providing coaches and athlec directors with dynamite resources to become even more successful in their elds. hps://coachfore.org/2012/07/22/hold-the-rope-powerful-and-inspiraonal-story-for-your-team/

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WESTERN HARDWOOD ASSOCIATIONWESTERN HARDWOOD ASSOCIATIONANNUAL CONVENTIONANNUAL CONVENTIONALL IN ON HARDWOOD: ALL IN ON HARDWOOD: CRAFTING A WINNING STRATEGY IN TIMBER MARKETSCRAFTING A WINNING STRATEGY IN TIMBER MARKETSSEPTEMBER 23-25, 2024SEPTEMBER 23-25, 2024Ilani Casino Hotel - Ridgeeld, WAIlani Casino Hotel - Ridgeeld, WALevel:$ Invoice meName on card: _______________________________________________ Card #: ___________________________ Exp:_______ CVV: __________ Address: ____________________City: _____________________________ State: _______ Zip: _____ Phone: _____________________________ Email: ________________________________________________________ Email form to: wha@westernhardwood.orgOr online: www.westernhardwood.org/$10,000 - $10,000 - ALDERALDER 4 free registrations, 12 months of full page magazine ads, logo on banner at meeting, special recognition during the meeting.$5,000 - $5,000 - PC PC MAPLE MAPLE 3 free registrations, 12 months of full page magazine ads, logo on banner at meeting.$3,000 - $3,000 - OAKOAK2 free registrations, 12 months of 1/2 page magazine ads, logo on banner at meeting.$1,000 - WALNUT$1,000 - WALNUT1 free registration, 6 months of 1/2 page magazine ads, logo on banner at meeting.$500 - $500 - COTTONWOODCOTTONWOOD 12 months of quarter page size magazine ads, logo on banner at meeting.All sponsors will be featured in promotion materials, magazine, logo on webpage.SEND

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WESTERN HARDWOOD ASSOCIATIONWESTERN HARDWOOD ASSOCIATIONANNUAL CONVENTIONANNUAL CONVENTIONALL IN ON HARDWOOD: ALL IN ON HARDWOOD: CRAFTING A WINNING STRATEGY IN TIMBER MARKETSCRAFTING A WINNING STRATEGY IN TIMBER MARKETSSEPTEMBER 23-25, 2024SEPTEMBER 23-25, 2024Ilani Casino Hotel - Ridgeeld, WAIlani Casino Hotel - Ridgeeld, WAYour donation to the WHA Annual Auction helps support the WHA Scholarship Fund as well as other industry support. Company _____________________________________Donor Name ______________________________Address __________________________________City _____________________________________State _________ Zip ______________________Oce Phone _____________________________Cell Phone __________________________________Item Value $___________________________________Item Description __________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________We also need to have a photo of the item(s). Please email it to us along with this form before August 15th.Email form to: wha@westernhardwood.orgSEND

Jun24NL

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