4rugr!lissl AMKEY

Industry Plants Most Trees

Despite owning just l4%o of all U.S. timberlands, the forest producs industry did 42Vo of all 1996 tree planting. According to the Forest Service, industry planting fell 3Vo from 1995 to 1,005,802 acres. Planting on non-industrial private lands rose 7Vo to 1,082,009 acres, on federal lands dropped 27Vo to 206,239 acres, and on National Forest System land fell l6Vo to 174,359 acres, the lowest total since 1961 due to reduced harvest levels. Tree planting on all lands slipped less than l%o to 2,4M,700 acres.

Mullins Gather On Gatalina lsland

Lieht Gauge Steel Trusses for REsidentia-l and Commercial

Allied American Studco has been a leading manufacturer of high qualiry, cold-formed steel framing components since 1982. Responding to a need in the industry for an efficient, cost-effective, easy-to-fabricate and install light gauge steel truss, we developed a patented shape supported by the revolutionary AmKey@ design/engineering software. For more information on our steel truss producq the AmKey System or for the authorized AmKey@ fabricator nearest you, please contact us:

Allied American Studco

2525 N. 27th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85009 Fx 602-269-1324

800-877 -8823 . E-mail: studco@internetmci.com

Also visit us...

... on the Internet at www.studco.com at Metalcon - Booth 1 158 at NAHB's International Builder's Show - Booth 2654

Forty-four members of the Mullin lumber family recently gathered in Avalon, Ca., to celebrate 101 years of consecutive summer residence on Catalina Island and honor senior member Stan Mullin on his 90th birthday.

Three generations attending the three-day event in midJuly included Russ and Terry Mullin, Terry Cos., Tarzana, Ca., and John Mullin, Mullin Lumber Co., Los Angeles, Ca., and ranged from babies in strollers to Stan, who until last year regularly rowed his two ocean-going racing sculls.

Weather Lowers Mower Sales

Outdoor power equipment this year lagged behind projections due to a cool, rainy spring followed by a summer drought, reports the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute.

For the 1997 model year ending Aug. 31, walk-behind mower shipments rose l%o to 5,416,000 units, front engine lawn tractors climbed 3Vo to 1,155,000 units, riding garden tractors fell lOVo to 173,528 units, rear engine riders dropped 22Vo to just over 101,000 units, and walk-behind tillers slipped 4Vo to 303,789 units.

New Homeownership Record

The U.S. homeownership rate reached 65.lVo in 2nd quarter 1997, the highest level in nearly 17 years.

More than 67 million American households, the highest total ever, now own their own homes.

Greenpeace Cuts Back

Having seen its membership plummet over the last six years from 1.2 million to 400,000, Greenpeace is slashing its staff by over 8070 nationwide.

The 25-y ear-old environmentalist organization will reduce its U.S. staff from 400 to 65 employees, cut its $29 million annual budget to $21 million in 1998, and close 10 regional offices outside Washington, D.C.

The group plans to curb fundraising door-to-door and concentrate on fewer issues, primarily old growth logging and global climate change.

APA Books Ex-Greenpeacer

Dr. Patrick Moore, a founding member of Greenpeace who has since become a leading advocate of sustainable forestry, will speak at APA-The Ensineered Wood Association's 6lst annual meeting Sept. l3-16 in Scottsdale, Az.

Dr. Moore was a director of Greenpeace International for seven years until concluding in 1986 that "we had largely accomplished the task we set out for ourselvesGreenpeace could define the problems, but did not necessarily have the solutions nor was it equipped to put them into practice."

Plastic Lumber Standards

American Society of Testing & Materials has approved five test methods for plastic lumber.

The tests cover compressive properties, flexural properties, bulk density and specific gravity, compressive and flexural creep and creep rupture, and mechanical fasteners.

Research is continuing to provide standards for plastic lumber regarding shear properties, thermal expansion/ contraction, weatherability, marine/ waterfront applications, combustibility, electrostatic, traction, and use in residential decking.