The Quality Leader in Treated Wood Producfs

Industsy Putg ilCl, U.S. Spdnt On HoH

April saw two mqjor long distance carriers jump on the green bandwagon. Both MCI and U.S. Sprint announced plans to donate 506 of the usage charges of new customers to the environmental group of the customer's choice and I to 4%r for existing customers who request the program.

In actuality, both programs limit customer choices to specific groups. U.S. Sprint negotiated with the Environmental Foundation of America, an umbrella group representing 23 preservationist organizations, including the Sierra Club Legal Delense Fund, National Resources Defense Council and Friends of the Earth, to channel its donations to them. MCI negotiated individually with lour separate organizations: The Nature Conservancy, National Audubon Society, Ducks Unlimited and National Wildlife F'ederation.

Many wood products companies, groups and individuals have called and written the two long distance carriers to express their frustration with the fundraising campaign. Several have ceased to do business with them.

After asking MCI to add lbur forestry foundations to its list of environmental groups, the National Hardwood Lumber Association discontinued its service with the company. "We could not in good conscience do business with a firm that is raising nroney for groups that are in court with our members trying to prevent timber harvesting," NHLA executive director Ernest J. Stebbins said.

Stebbins contacted both companies to express the dismay of the forest products industry and its allies with the canrpaigns. "This kind ol' program could put us all out of business," he said.

Stebbins indicated that. lor the most part, the company representatives were surprised that there was any criticism ol' the programs. "They seemed astounded that anyone would have any problem with any of the organizations on the list."

Canada seeks lumber tax relief

Canada's tentative steps to seek termination of its soltwood lumber agreement with the U.S. are causing a strong reaction from the U.S. lumber industry.

"The Canadian government should be held to its bargain," C. T. Howlett, Coalition for Fair Lumber Imports chairman, said after Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney raised the question of the tax during President Bush's recent visit to Ottawa.

The four-year-old agreement imposes a 150/o tax on Canadian lumber exports to the U.S. lt was put in place by the Canadian government to ease the threat of U.S. countervailing duties. Canada's share of the U.S. softwood lumber market has declined from 330/o to 270/o since the tax was imposed.

Rationale for eliminating the tax, according to Canada's Trade Minister John Crosbie, is that since the agreement was reached Canadian lumber has become less price competitive in the U.S. because of a 19.40/o appreciation of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar.

The Coalition for Fair Lumber lmports maintained at the time the tax was imposed that Canadian lumber mills have been able to buy timber from their provincial governments at "a fraction o[similar timber just across the border." The coalition said it will file a breach of agreement complaint if Canada terminates the softwood lumber pact unilaterally. This could bring about duties on Canadian softwood lumber.

British Columbia and Quebec, which account for 900/o of Canada's lumber exports, favor rescinding the agreement.

As an alternative, he recommended that MCI and Sprint add the Evergreen Foundation, Hardwood l'orest Foundation, Temperate Forest Foundation and American l'orest F'oundation, sponsor of "Project Learning Tree." These are organizations that support the principles of forest ry as a science, multipleuse manag,ement and sustained yield. Stebbins said these foundations are environmental organizations and should therefore be included in the fundraising drive.

To date, Sprint representatives have been unresponsive to the request. MCI executives are "still talking to us," Stebbins said, and "we hope to hear from them in the near luture." NHLA arrd the American F-orest Resource Alliance are asking others to request the inclusion of the environmental and conservation foundations in the programs. Companies and individuals can contact Karen Jost at QID 4632747 (AFRA) or Elizabeth Pease at (90r) 377-r818 (NHLA).

1982's total or I,097,000 for the past decade's weakest output of homes, condos, and apartments.

"The only real difference between the current credit crunch and the last one is the form it has taken," said George A. Christie, chief economist for F.W. Dodge. "Despite falling interest rates in 1990, the current lack of funds available for real estate development is creating the same result that the sky-high rates of the early 1980s did."

All but one of the nation's top ten housing markets suffered deep declines in 1990. The exception, Detroit, managed to just equal its 1989 volume.

199O: A Bad Year For Housing

The continuing decline of homebuilding through 1990 left last year's recently released fourth quarter housing starts totalat 221,195 units, 180/o below the year-earlier quarter.

As a whole, 1990 was the worst year for the housing industry since the early 1980s when severe anti-inflationary credit restraint sharply curtailed building. The 1990 total of 1,133,000 housing starts rivaled

Los Angeles/Long Beach, Ca., led the nation with 28,898 units, down 39% from 1989. Riverside/San Bernardino, Ca., placed second with 27 ,230 units, a 37% decline. Other top housing areas: Washington, D.C., 25,709 units, down 3lolo: Atlanta, Ga., 23,622 units, down 32010, Detroit, Mi., 20,024, unchanged; Seattle, Wa., 19,402 units, down l2o/o;Las Vegas, Nv., 17,566 units, down 4lolo; Orlando, Fl., 17,338 units, down l8%; Chicago, Il., 16,977, down 28%, and Sacramento, Ca., 15,723, down 300/0.

Tarheel Assists Gommunity Projects

Tarheel Wood Treating, Morrisville, N.C., donated pressure treated wood to a number of civic projects in the last few months. Benefiting from their generosity were the playground at Loblolly Park at the Museum of Life and Sciences, Durham, N.C.; a United Way playground project in Raleigh, N.C., and the restoration of the historic Page-Walker Hotel, Cary, N.C., as a history and cultural arts center.

The company also participated in the llth annual Home, Garden and Flower Show in Raleigh, N.C., sponsoring Jim Bennett, the Weekend Gardener from the tv program "Backyard America," for demonstrations and advice on landscaping and gardening. A licensee of Osmose, Tarheel gave away a gazebo in a drawing during the show, Lynn Gallup, advertising and marketing manager, said.