Mar24NL : simplebooklet.com

2Quote for the Month“Look before, or you’ll nd yourself behind.” -Benjamin FranklinOutlookThere is a mixture of curiosity and apprehension among lumber industry insiders on the West Coast for the rst quarter of 2024.In California, one supplier notes that despite a slow fourth quarter, lumber types like white oak and poplar are thriving. White oak, especially, is widely used, even in siding. Yet, the rise of engineered wood challenges tradional species. The source aributes this shi to changing market preferences. Despite diversifying, tradional lumber remains their main product.An Oregon source said he believed that the December 2023 slump was due to the typical holiday slowdown. Customer will buy something only if they absolutely need it. He also noted that there is pent up demand from the last quarter of 2023, so he expects the rst quarter of 2024 will be prey good.A seasoned lumberman from Washington, with 35 years of experience, revealed a slowdown in orders due to customer worries over high interest rates. Despite 11 months of protability, December saw a drasc sales volume decline of at least 50 percent from 2022. When asked about a soluon, the source emphasized the need for more aordable home loans which would in turn help rejuvenate business.In this issue:* Upcoming Events* Outlook* Quote for the Month* Hardwood Federaon Update* Member News* News* MovaonNo. 660March 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.orgUpcoming Events March 13, 2024WHA Board MeetingEmail: wha@westernhardwood.orgMarch 26-28, 2024International Mass Timber Conferencehttps://masstimberconference.com/September 23-25, 2024 Save the date!WHA Annual ConventionEmail: wha@westernhardwood.org

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3Have you renewed your WHA membership? Your ongoing commitment fores the hardwood industry's stability. Renewed membership brings engaging tours,insighul webinars, and the Annual Convenon for invaluable informaon and networking. Your membership makesyou a partner with the Real American Hardwood Coalion for enhanced visibility, theHardwood Federaon to posively inuence legislaon, and the American HardwoodExport Council strategically targeng export markets.Contribute to the future of forestry with scholarship sponsorships and supportstudents through the WHA Annual Design Contest.Renew today to be part of these iniaves! Membership auto-renewal saves you10%. 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 outwith any quesons or to volunteer.Real American Hardwood Coalion Update:It’s industry trade show me, which means many ofyou are seeing in-person updates about the Real AmericanHardwood Coalion. Earlier this month, at the IHLA annualmeeng, RAHC released a video showcasing the Coalion’sprogress to date, as well as its plans for the future. It will beshown again at the AHMI meeng later this month. If youmissed it, click the image and take a look!From the start, the goals for RAHC have been ambious.They have to be if you expect to inuence consumerpercepons, but with the nancial support of industrystakeholders, we have accomplished just that. Website tracis up, social media engagement is up, consumer adversingis happening, and resources for architects, builders, anddesigners are being developed. Your support has made thispossible:o $1.82 million raised to dateo $12,000 raised through fundraiserso 2023 contribuons doubledThose are impressive numbers, but to maintain ourmomentum, we need to maintain our fundraising eorts.If you have contributed to RAHC, we thank you. If you havecommied to a mul-year donaon, we encourage you tomake those connuing contribuons now. If you have yetto give, we ask that you do so today. Donate at hps://realamericanhardwoodcoalion10.wildapricot.org/Join-us.

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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!5nwh.comSimple – we handle all the complexities that go into hardwoods to make life easier for you. Natural – we manufacture and supply only sustainable, high-quality products that breathe life into your work. Hardwoods – from harvest to delivery, we set the standard for what the hardwoods experience should be.Update from Hardwood FederaonDana Cole, Execuve DirectorFebruary 2024USFS Study Conrms Top Threats to Old Growth - Underscoring industry advocacy on a range of regulatory issues, from dening mature and old growth forests to pushing back on ghter air quality standards from EPA, the USFS has released a study showing that wildres and disease top the list of threats for old growth forests. As with previous studies, the report shows that “70 to 80 percent of mature and old growth forests are at high [risk] to wildre-caused mortality.” The report goes on to point out that disease and insect infestaon wipe out millions of more acres under federal management, including “1.86 million acres of mature and 182,000 acres of old growth.”Front and center in 2023’s advocacy was the inclusion of hardwood-friendly provisions within the context of farm bill legislaon. Polical turmoil in the House squashed hopes for an on-me 2023 Farm Bill reauthorizaon, but on November 15, Congress nally passed an extension on the expired bill through September 30, 2024. The one-year extension will guarantee funding for key hardwood iniaves such as the Market Access and Foreign Market Development programs. It is unclear what the exact language of the current Farm Bill dra language looks like as House Ag Chair GT Thompson (R-PA) has indicated that he won’t release legislave text on the Farm Bill unl leadership schedules oor me. But we are condent that as the Farm Bill moves forward in 2024, it will serve as a vehicle to capture other priories for the industry. In addion to authorizing resources that promote hardwood exports, the Hardwood Federaon also is leveraging the debate to promote related industry objecves:Hardwood Access Program – In an important milestone for the hardwood sector, Reps. Tom Tiany (R-WI) and Annie Kuster (D-NH) have agreed to sponsor the Hardwood Access Program (HAP) bill for introducon in the House. Although scal constraints will make it very dicult to move HAP as part of the Farm Bill, the legislaon will serve as a high-prole vehicle to educate Congress on the benets of hardwood products, laying the groundwork for enactment in future years. Stay tuned for updates as the industry bill moves forward.Timber Innovaon for Building Rural Communies Act – This biparsan, bicameral bill sponsored by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), and Reps.

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6Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Krisna Glusenkamp Perez (D-WA), and John Duarte (R-CA) could be folded into a nal Farm Bill. The proposal includes several posive provisions for the industry, including establishing a USDA plaorm measuring, collecng, and sharing data related to the carbon benets of wood products, and recognizing the value of carbon reducon and environmental benets of wood in building design and furnishings in USDA grant programs. Through the federaon’s work with the Forest in the Farm Bill Coalion, several recommended changes were incorporated into the bill language to ensure that hardwoods are eligible for the programs.Hardwood Industry Outlines Top Policy Priories for 2024 - On February 5, the Hardwood Federaon released its survey ranking the top public priority items for the industry. As in past years, all issues surveyed scored on the upper end of the rankings, demonstrang that each issue has a major impact on the industry. Coming rst this year was promong the “environmental benets of hardwood products” followed closely by a concern with federal regulaons. Tax issues scored high as well, with several respondents poinng out that the estate tax and 100% depreciaon of equipment were essenal to the success of their operaons. Thanks to all who parcipated in this year’s survey.Mark Your Calendar Today! The Hardwood Federaon has scheduled Fly-In 2024 for Tuesday, May 21 to Thursday, May 23. Save the dates and come to Washington to make your voice heard on Capitol Hill! Stay tuned for details related to registraon informaon and Fly-In agenda.Wood 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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8NewsThe headline in the Oawa Cizen reads “HouseWorks: Three fake wood oors worth a look.” Most of the arcle is like any other wrien by a home improvement “guru,” suggesng opons that include laminate, luxury vinyl le (LVT) and porcelain le. However, in one two-sentence stretch, it takes a swipe at real wood oors, saying they “are not all that durable,” and that alternaves that merely appear to be wood are “authenc.” Those aacks on real wood buried in a much longer arcle are subtle enough that the average reader will likely pay more aenon to the comparison between the three alternates than queson how these imposters can be “authenc.” And, that is part of what makes the war against fake wood or “wood-look” products so dicult. Marketers have come up with some great spin for imposter wood products that just subtly hint their products are beer than the real thing. And they’ve done it so well that the average person might not even blink when the durability “win” is awarded to laminates or LVT ooring—products promised to last up to 25 years—instead of the 30 to 100 years that engineered and solid hardwood oors might respecvely last. - excerpted from Knol, Tim. “The War for Market Share: Ongoing Bales Against Wood Substutes" Hardwood Review Express, 1 February 2024.The U.S. trade decit edged up from $61.88 billion in November to $62.20 billion in December. The higher decit was the result of growth in goods imports that somewhat outpaced the gain in goods exports. At the same me, the goods trade surplus rose to a record $26.87 billion. For the year, the U.S. trade decit totaled $773.43 billion in 2023, down from $951.19 billion in 2022 and a three-year low.Using seasonally adjusted data, U.S.-manufactured goods exports totaled $1,599.59 billion in 2023, essenally unchanged (up 0.02%) from $1,599.28 billion in 2022. Durable goods ($1,012.12 billion) rose 3.96% for the year, but nondurable goods ($587.47 billion) declined 6.11%.. - excerpted from Moultray, Chad, Ph.D.,DBE. “NAM-Weekly Economic Report - February 12, 2024”| NAM. Naonal Associaon of Manufacturers.: n. pag.Consumer prices rose 0.3% in January, or 0.4% with food and energy costs excluded. These gures were stronger than expected, parcularly for services, and a sign that pricing is moderang, but stubbornly. The Consumer Price Index rose 3.1% over the past 12 months, while core inaon increased 3.9% year-over-year in January, matching the rate in December and connuing to be the slowest pace since May 2021. - excerpted from Moultray, Chad, Ph.D.,DBE. “NAM-Weekly Economic Report - February 19, 2024”| NAM. Naonal Associaon of Manufacturers.: n. pag.An Oregon State University scienst’s study found that climate change is contribung to an escalang threat of wildres even in the Pacic Northwest’s coolest and weest forests. Published in JGR Biogoesciences on February 22, the research highlights the potenal increases in burn probability, re size, and number of wildres as the climate connues to change.Alex Dye, the study’s lead author, is a faculty research associate at the OSU College of Forestry. Dye said understanding how re regimes may change under future climate scenarios is important for developing adaptaon strategies.Dye collaborated with the U.S. Forest Service to conduct simulaons covering more than 23 million acres of forest land west of the Cascade Range crest in Oregon and Washington.The simulaons showed that by the 30 years beginning in 2035, Washington’s North Cascades region, the Olympic Mountains, the Puget Lowlands, and the western Oregon Cascades could see at least twice as much re acvity as was observed during the prior 30 years, Dye said. Yeash, M. (2024, February 22). OSU study warns of increased wildre risks in PNW cooler, weer areas. - excerpted from Yeash, M. (2024, February 22). OSU study warns of increased wildre risks in PNW cooler, weer areas. KEZI 9 News. hps://www.kezi.com/news/osu-study-warns-of-increased-wildre-risks-in-pnw-cooler-weer-areas/arcle_7502232c-d1e0-11ee-9350-13f718e6fa7e.html

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9Manufacturing acvity expanded at the fastest pace since September 2022, with the S&P Global Flash U.S. Manufacturing PMI rising from 50.7 in January to 51.5 in February. New orders grew at a rate not seen since May 2022, and exports and output both rebounded following two months of declines. Manufacturers remained upbeat in their expectaons for future output despite easing a bit from the best reading since April 2022. - excerpted from Moultray, Chad, Ph.D.,DBE. “NAM-Weekly Economic Report - February 26, 2024”| NAM. Naonal Associaon of Manufacturers.: n. pag.USFS Chief Moore warns of budget crunch: In a memo to the eld, Forest Service Randy Moore cauoned that “All signals point to lower appropriated funds for our budget in 2024.” Moore notes that Federal employees are geng a 5.2 percent cost of living increase, but that this must be absorbed by our exisng agency and departmental funds,” and that “we have found costs of operaon are higher than we inially ancipated. …we are seeing that as our project costs go up as well. All this means we are facing gaps in funding for our salaries, informaon technology needs, and other expenses.” The memo implies that the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025 will come out someme in late March. (Federal law required it to come out on Monday, but there’s no parcular reason to expect the Federal government to be consistent in that regard). - excerpted from Imbergamo, Bill, “FFRC Weekly Report for Friday, February 9, 2024”| FFRC. Federal Forest Resource Coalion.: n. pag.There is no way to sugarcoat the generally dismal hardwood lumber export markets of 2023, and no value in spinning posives that aren’t there. Yet, it is important to idenfy those markets and market-species pairings that did relavely well in 2023, even if only in respect to others that did much worse. These “bright spots,” however dim, weathered the global economic pressures beer than others and may, therefore, oer the most upside potenal for 2024. [While this is, by necessity, a high-level overview, 60-month history charts for every species-market pairing Wood Protection Products You Know and Trust.WWOOD OOD PPRROOTTEECCTITION ON PPRROODUDUCCTTSSWood Protection Products You Know and Trust.WWOOD OOD PPRROOTTEECCTITION ON PPRROODUDUCCTTSS1-888-END-COATsales@uccoatings.comBuffalo | Portland | Seattle

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10are available to subscribers at HardwoodReview.com.]Global Trends - Except for a brief rst-quarter bump, the decline in U.S. hardwood lumber exports that began in the summer of 2022 connued throughout 2023. The last me exports were as low as last year, the U.S. was just coming out of the Great Recession (Figure 1). The 2010 low in hardwood lumber exports was caused by the shortage of available lumber that resulted from the signicant producon capacity losses during the ve-year market decline that preceded. Last year’s export decline, in contrast, was a funcon of both low producon and low demand. Declines in annual U.S. hardwood lumber exports tracked the decline in shipments to China from the 2017 peak through COVID. In 2021 and 2022, however, exports bounced to every major world market, while shipments to China and Greater Asia connued to decline. Unfortunately, the weight of high inaon and weak or negave economic growth combined to sink demand in mid-2022 in every major market, and 2023 volumes fell to all but a select few (Table 1). In addion to the geographically widespread decline in hardwood lumber exports in 2023, shipment volumes of every hardwood species tracked by government data declined (Figure 2).Good News in the Numbers? - As alluded to in the intro, we can idenfy some peeks of sunshine in the otherwise gloomy 2023 export data, even if some of these opmisc bits have to be couched with a “but.” Volumes for nine species-market pairings rose by more than 1 million board feet (MMBF) in 2023, for example (Figure 3). The downside is that 60 such pairings declined by at least 1 MMBF in 2023. In addion, three of those large-growth items were Ash, Hard Maple and Poplar shipments to China, and growth in each of those largely hinged on strong rst-quarter shipments, aer which volumes averaged quite a bit lower. Likewise, two of the three items that government data show grew at least 1 MMBF to Mexico in 2023—Ash and Hickory—may have actually contracted, as all of the reported growth result from grossly anomalous September data points. Of the nine big gainers, then, only Walnut shipments to China; Aspen & Coonwood shipments to Mexico; and White Oak shipments to Vietnam provide some opmism for 2024, in that the data seem legimate and volumes didn’t fall way back as the year wore on.Another point of opmism is that the 30% decline in White Oak exports in 2023 seems largely due to lack of supply. If demand had not remained stronger than availability, 4/4 upper-grade and #1 Common White Oak lumber prices would not likely have grown 55% and 22% on average, respecvely, from April 1 through year-end.

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12Further, White Oak shipments did not fall o a cli to price-sensive markets like China and Vietnam. With the possibleexcepon of Walnut, however, the same cannot be saidabout most other species, whose export volumes declinedeven though supplies were relavely more available thanWhite Oak.- excerpted from Meyer, Dan. “2023 Export Recap: A Few Bright Spots Amid 13-Year Low" Hardwood Review Express, 23 February2024.MovateDon't Allow Uncertaintyto Take its Tollby Robert Evans Wilson, Jr.Follow these ps to deal with the uneasiness of themes.In another arcle, I wrote about how inaon, a fallingstock market, recession, unemployment, rising gasolineprices, and war in the 1970s triggered a collecve senseof nostalgia that permeated the United States and muchof the world for the tranquility of 1950s. In this arcle, Iwill address the collecve sense of uncertainty caused bystressful mes.I’d been Insulated from Reality - I’m not old enough toproperly remember the 1950s, and I was mostly insulatedfrom the problems of the 1970s by my family. But, it all hithome when the recession caused my father’s construconbusiness to fail. And, it aected me personally as I preparedto aend college.I’ll never forget the conversaon I had with my dad.It began when he asked me how I did on the SAT collegeentrance exam. I was prone to test anxiety, and the highstakes of geng into any parcular college - as a memberof the biggest Baby Boom year - made scoring well on theSAT paramount. Unfortunately, I became so nervous that Isuered from a severe case of indigeson that distractedme from doing my best.I replied, “I did poorly, so much so, that I will have toretake it in order to get into Emory (the college my fatheraended and where I had set my sights on going).”My dad then said, “Son, about that... I’m afraid I canlonger aord to send you to Emory.”I was stunned - that had been my plan for years - Ilooked at my dad and asked, “But what about the collegefund?” My dad had bragged to my sister and me for yearsabout how he had set up a college fund for us that wouldpay for all of our college costs wherever we wanted to go.He soberly replied, “Son, what do you think we’ve beenliving on for the past year?”A bit of Irish trivia for March:The saying "March comes in like a Lion and goes out like aLamb" likely originated from astronomy but symbolizes March'stransion from harsh winter to gentle spring. It dates back toThomas Fuller's 1732 collecon of proverbs and reects weatherlore used for agricultural planning. Inially linked to celesalmovements (the constellaons Leo and Aries), it evolved todepict March's unpredictable weather paerns. Early Americancolonists recognized its applicability to the New World's climate.Across the Northern Hemisphere, March brings harsh wintercondions inially, followed by glimpses of spring's warmth. Theproverb's endurancelies in its reeconof prevailing weatherpaerns and seasonaltransions.An Irish blessing:"For each petal on theshamrock, this brings awish your way. Good health,good luck, and happiness for todayand every day."

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14The uncertainty of the 70s suddenly became real for me, and I was ummoxed.Uncertainty Comes with its Own Problems - In another previous arcle: What Were You Certain About? I wrote about the problems of certainty. Certainty gives us a sense of comfort and security, but it’s a false sense because nothing is certain. It causes people to arrogantly cling to outmoded thinking which ses freedom and creavity. Uncertainty, on the other hand, has its own share of problems.Once again, the news is full of fear factors. Inaon, poverty, crime & violence, unemployment, and government corrupon, round out the top ve worries of the world according to French market research rm Ipsos. War, loss of freedom, food shortages, pandemic, and frustraon with public schools are also top concerns.These issues create anxiety. They make planning dicult. Businesses nd it dicult to execute plans when adverse economic condions (supply chain congeson, labor shortages, cybercrime, etc.) make doing business unpredictable. People nd it dicult to strategize for the future as well (family planning, home purchasing, career path, etc.) when they don’t know what to expect. Uncertainty makes you feel stuck, that you can’t move forward, and that all you can do is wait it out and hope for beer mes.Lately, people have responded to uncertainty in dramac ways. Many have voted with their feet and moved to other states. Between July 2020 and June 2021, there was an enormous exodus out of New York and California with the two states losing 319,000 and 260,000 residents, respecvely. According to the Associated Press, in 2020, California's populaon declined for the rst me since state ocials started measuring it in 1850.Others have quit their jobs causing worker shortages everywhere. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Stascs, reports that over 47 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs in 2021. This unprecedented mass exit from the workforce is being called the Great Resignaon. Sll others have become survivalists and preppers ancipang some kind of Armageddon.How to Deal with Uncertainty - * First of all rest and relax. Take a deep breath and don’t react.* Next, take your me and assess and assimilate the new informaon.* Lean on the people you love for support. Develop your tribe and make plans together for dealing with the unknown.* Be exible. Don’t give up your goals (or your purpose in life); connue to pursue them, but consider taking new or dierent paths to achieve them. Learn the art of adapng, and develop change agility. Now is a great me to be creave.* It’s okay to grieve your losses, but don’t dwell in them. Count your blessings; you sll have a lot.* Keep a posive mental atude. Look at change as an opportunity.* Be mindful; live in the present. Don’t get bogged down trying to see the whole picture. Ask yourself: what can I do just today to move toward my goals?On a Praccal Basis, Do These Things to Be Prepared – * Invest in your health. If you’ve wanted to lose weight or get in shape, now is a great me to start a new diet or an exercise habit.* Diversify your savings; as the old adage advises: don’t keep all your eggs in one basket. Speak to a nancial advisor and learn about the best ways to store your wealth in mes of inaon: cash, stable stocks, insurance, precious metals, cryptocurrencies, luxury collecbles, or real estate.* Increase your income, save more and build a bigger nest egg. Work extra hours, take a second job, or start a new business or side hustle.* Finally, you don’t need to hunker down in a bomb shelter to be prepared. Simply review the things you use every day or frequently and keep backups of those items (remember the toilet paper shortage of 2020).How I Dealt With Reality - Once it sank in that my family was broke, that the once vaunted college fund was gone, and that the burden of paying for college had fallen to me, I pivoted. I went to my dad, and said, “Don’t worry about my going to college, Dad; I’ll go to Georgia State University instead of Emory. I can aord to pay for that myself with what I’m earning at my part me job. Even beer, I won’t even have to retake the SAT to get in!” Wilson, Robert Evans. “Don’t Allow Uncertainty to Take Its Toll.” Jumpstart Your Meeng!, Aug. 2022, www.jumpstartyourmeeng.com/arcles/TUZ/182-Uncertainty_Tips.shtml.

Mar24NL

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