Working Together For A Successful, Stable Future For Wood Products U.S. wood products companies are under pressure from the economy, environmental regulation, and competing materials. In the face of these challenges, no single company can achieve the changes necessary to ensure a level playing field and survival. Now, more than ever, strength is found in numbers. The American Wood Council (AWC) provides an organizational structure for wood products companies and associations to work together on building codes and standards, green building policy issues, and a focused set of environmental regulations. Working together, the industry can have the resources, clout, and credibility to achieve policies that can secure a strong future for the wood products industry. AWC is seeking to expand the force and effectiveness of its advocacy efforts by ensuring that they reflect the full range and diversity of America’s wood products industry. Such a broad base of support not only enhances advocacy efforts before Congress and key policymaking bodies, but also helps ensure that all those who benefit from these efforts are helping to support them.
Building Codes and Standards With its staff of building engineers and code experts, AWC ensures the continued acceptance of wood products in markets regulated by building codes. It does this by defending against attacks from competing materials in codes and regulations, and maximizing opportunities for wood in residential and commercial construction by monitoring national, state and local regulations and maintaining a leadership presence in standard-setting bodies. AWC is the only organization that advocates for all segments of the wood products industry before building code-writing bodies in the U.S. It is also the authoritative ANSI-accredited standards developer of wood construction standards and design tools referenced in these codes.
Environmental Regulation With a new wave of regulations under development by EPA, wood products companies face the potential for more than $2 billion in new regulatory costs in coming years. Among these possible new regulations is a complete overhaul of the wood MACT, brought on by a recent court decision tossing out EPA’s 2004 rules. Recognized by EPA as the industry’s voice, AWC’s Environmental Regulation Program can credibly provide the Agency with data and policy recommendations that ensure the wood products industry’s interests are understood and respected. The industry’s unified engagement in the Environmental Regulation Program has been the key to its success over the past decade.
Green Building With the green building market estimated to reach as high as $140 billion by 2013, securing a strong place for wood is essential to the wood products industry’s future growth. That means both telling the positive story of wood’s renewable, energy efficient advantages, as well as defending against anti-wood bias in rating systems. Strong, unified industry support is essential as the green building battlefield continues to spread from the state to the federal level.
Get Involved To learn more about how your company can start putting AWC’s resources to work for your bottom line, contact Robert Glowinski 202/463-2768.
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 (AF&PA is the successor organization to the National Forest Products Association - NFPA)