The SLB Generated 498 MM BF of Incremental Demand in Q3 2023 

The SLB recently published its Q3 2023 Report, highlighting how the SLB and its funded programs continued to advance the industry’s goal of stimulating demand and expanding softwood lumber markets. Last quarter, SLB-funded programs and initiatives helped achieve significant gains in the market and maximize the impact of the SLB’s investments.

Key highlights include:

• 498 MM BF of incremental demand generated, which has a carbon benefit of 1.2 MM metric tons of CO2 stored and avoided.
  
  
• Five winners of this year’s Mass Timber Competition were announced
  in October, with $2.2M awarded. The initiative, funded jointly by the SLB and USDA Forest Service, showcases larger-scale uses of mass timber and a commitment to prioritizing domestically sourced wood from sustainably managed forests.
  
  
• The SLB Education initiative continues to scale up its AEC faculty training program to get more AEC students learning about wood design and construction. A total of 52 faculty from 42 architecture and engineering programs across the United States participated in the SLB-funded workshops in 2023, during which instructors learned how to better integrate education about wood systems into their own academic programs.
  
  
• The American Wood Council is better positioning the industry for a defense of wood in wildland-urban interface zones as fire performance and building codes emerge as priority issues.
  
  
• Think Wood is the top online resource for mass timber, reaching the number one spot for Google search results for “Mass Timber” in the United States as of the end of Q3. Enhancing Think Wood’s search performance is an important and efficient way to support specification of wood in the design community.
  
  
• WoodWorks directly influenced 122 projects and indirectly influenced 442 projects in Q3. Combined, the projects represent 20.9 MM SF of impacted wood construction, 190 MM BF of incremental lumber, 41 MM BF of incremental engineered wood products, and 142 MM SF of incremental wood structural panels. WoodWorks support of these professionals can lay the groundwork for long-term industry growth when economic conditions improve.
  
  
• The USDA announced the appointment of four members to serve on the Softwood Lumber Board: Keith O’Rear from Weyerhaeuser, Fritz R. Mason from Georgia Pacific, Ashlee Cribb from PotlatchDeltic, and Craig Johnston from Forest City Trading Group.

For more detail, comprehensive program updates, and additional SLB news, view the Q3 2023 Report below. We always welcome industry feedback, which can be sent to info@softwoodlumberboard.org. We wish you a happy new year and look forward to continuing to build on our success and momentum in 2024.

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