Money matters dominate WWPA meeting

T HE EFFECT of higher inleresl

I rates on the lumber business during the year and other expectations for the national econonry helcl the atrenrion of the 1050 lumbermen and others attending the annual spring nreeting of the Western Wood Producls Association, Mar. l8-21, in San Francisco. Ca.

"Cost of money is the single most influential conrponent of our forecast for 1.3 nrillion units in 1980," noted WWPA executive v.p. H.A. Roberts.

Story at a Glance

"ln previous years, what now seems like modest increases in interest rates had only a danrpening effect on use of our products. As for repair and renrodeling. increased nlortgage rates increasecl denrand. Not in 1980. though," Roberts said. "Every use will be clown. solely because of the cost of nroney or availability."

The WWPA expects U.S. consumption to drop by 5.8 billion board feet in 1980. Western lunrber

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Wwpa Meeting

(Continued from previous page) is expected to absorb 2.5 billion of' the drop.

A new wrinkle at the convention was a poll of nrenrbers to sallrple the sentiment regarding a possible change of location for the convention, which has traditionally been helcl each year in San Francisco.

The high cost of attending and a negative climate of opinion in San Francisco regarding the lunrber industry were described b1, spokesmen as contributing factors behind the sanrpling. A rough count showed approxinrately 201\, of those eligible voted, with a fairly high percent favoring a change. It is anticipated that llrther study will be nrade by association conrmittees. The group is committed to the present location through 1982.

Keynoting the industr)' lr.rnch- eon on Mar. 20. Chief ol'the Urrited States Forest Service R. Max Peterson voicecl colrcern over the RARE Il process which has becn slorved b1' a California court rulirrg that thcprocess violated the National Enr ironnrcntal Policy Act.

"The Departnrcnt ol' Agricultr,rrc has reconrnrendecl thirt the coLlrt's ruling be allpealed," Peterson saicl. "Outsicle the areas included ilr the court injLlnction. the USFS is proceeding with the Prcsident's direction. that non-Wildcrness areas be available tor tinrber productiott and other non-Wilderness uses."

Peterson also said that he expected f'urther lau'suits for other RARE Il areas uould be helcl to a nrininrunr.

Special convention progranrs and preselrtations included a "How To" Export Lurnber sentitutr sponsored bv WWPA. It cov'ered the

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IRAtISP0RTATI0N men included {ll Bill Dorris. Jim Manning. Leland J Ziesmer (2| Edward W. Harris, Doug Krafl. Tony Farbizio l3l Art Wittmann, Brian Rio, Denny Bobertson, Allen K. Penttila, Jim Manning "Gus" Hubbard, Jerry Rawles. l4l Bobert E. Cramer. Jamie Sandino. Jerry Ensworth. [5] Ernie Stovall. Bill Hendricks. {61 Chuck Wills, Bob Shannon, John Cole. [7) Harriet and Ted lsrael. Jim Hunter l8l Bob Borghorsl, Bob Burger, Mike Roach. l9l Arnold Smith, Frank Antonsson, Deborah Nikkel, Bob Reynolds, Rich 0dekirk, Mike Singleton, Jim Graddy, Dick Mills [10] Paul Gaboury, Jean and Gary Gamble, Joe Bowman ll I I Ralph Wallen, Joe Lowery, Myrtle Harwood. ll2) Don Moreland, Chet Gonczeruk, Don Cherovsky, Paul Bean, Lloyd Webb. (l3l Phil DuBaldi, Carole Rourke, John Kelly, Gil Sissons, Jr Il4l Richard Ellner, Paul Trueb, Dick Wickman, Mary Burger, Don Gunderson. (l5l Jerry Lef0r, George Sharp, Bill Giltings (l 6l Dave Brewer, Jon Wolfe, Sterling Wolle, Susie Rankin. David and Robert West