Treaters get down to business

DRESSURE treated wood purl-chasers need information addressing their concerns before they are raised as public issues, and they expect the wood preserving industry to provide it, the American Wood Preservers Institute learned at its recent annual meeting.

"The American public is not sold on the benefits provided by the use of pressure treated wood," said public relations and communications research expert Dennis Conigan tackling "How the Public Views Pressure

Jefi Smisel. (17) Ted Clay, John Hightower, (18) Teresa Massey. (19) Steve Smilh, Fred Omundson. (20) Linda & Diane Ackerman. (21) James MbG6ugh, Nathan Henrich, Mark Rolle. (22) Nick Boc*, Lena Blais. (23)Kermit Petens, Scotl Grove.

TreatedWood."

He said consumers need: ossufance that skin contact with treated materials is safe; answers about whether toxins can leach into yards or water supply; information on preservatives, treating processes, grades, and types of treated wood, and tips on installation and care.

The hottest topic at the meeting was the 2l tD 3 vote approving slashing dues by neady 60Vo for "small treaters" (total cytinder void of less than 1,400 cu. ft.). The move may initially lower revenue, but it should

Story at a Glance

Treated wood's image still needs work ... light attendance at American Wood Preservers Institute's annual meeting dues lowered for smalltreaters.

evennrally increase membership.

In other business, Robert O. Hawes, Mellco, Inc., was installed as chairman, and Richard D. Russell, International Paper, vice chairman. Osmose's Paul Goydan resigned from the product acceptance committge.

Joe Elder, Elder Wood Preserving, Mansura La., will lead a test marketing effort to draw in new sawmill members to the association. In the works are three new brochures on how to use CCA treated wood and a scorecard showing how the new 1993 members of Congress stand on industry issues.

A registered 140 attended AWPI's meeting Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at the Marriott Grand Hotel, Point Clear, Al., down from 240last year. The 1993 meeting will be held Sept. 29Oct. I at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton, Fl.

Intense Treating Meeting

The American Wood Preservers Association atmcrcd is largest anendance ever at a fecent series of intensive technical committee meetings.

About 175 attended the 20 meetings held Sept. 20-25 in Rapid City, s.D.

Chief anong business was a resolution to form a Non-Pressure Applications Committee, covering spray, brush-on, injection and other nonpfessure tfeatments, which could greatly increase membership. A master committ€e was formed and more than 50 members applied for appointment to a subcommittee.

CSI's new preservative ACQ, approved last year for the curent AWPB Book of Standards, gained initial approval for expanded applications.

A new alternative from Osmose, copper citrate, was introduced for the first time, but was turned down. Osmose is expected to gather more data on the chemical and present it again fm consi&ration in 1993.

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0n the Soapbox

By Matt Moulder

How does one gel the needed lacts and figures to dispute arguments against logging? A good start would bsto obtain lhe Evergreen Foundalion's'special bonus issue.' Repinls can be obtained by sending $2 to Evergreen Foundation,2680 N, Pacilic Hwy.' Medford' Or. 97501. The magazine-gives statistics on such things as Timber Growth and Removals," wildlife Innds, and comparisons of wood producls lo mebl products wih regard t0 onergy usage in the manufacturing process.

Earlier thie year the U.S. Environmental Proteclion Agency set up a program lo rewad s€miconductor manufacturers for reducing lhe amounl of electicity consumed by compulors' The importance of energy conservalion is also stressed by the Ad Council Environmental Delensi Fund. They run radio ads pointing out that recycling one aluminum can will save enough energy to run a radio for trree hours. lf energy consumption is such a big deal wilh lhe environmental community, doesn'l il make sense to promole the use of wood producb lor con' stuction in prelennce b metal products? The Evergreen Foundalion lells us hat for every biF lion board leel ol timber replaced by wood subslitutes, U.S, energy consumplion will increase by 720 million gallons of oil Furhermore, CO2 emissions willincrease by 15 million tons.

Environmehtal scientish are much like their counlerparts in the lield of heallh' One day we are bld hat a cenain tood is bad lor us. Then a few years later we ate told thal his is wrong and lhal we should be ealing trat particulu lood for good healh' We iust hope lhal there is a lumber industry lelt atbr he scienlific community finally wakes up lo ihe lacl lhal the advan' tages of using wood outweigh he disadvanbges wih regad to the environment

Ovl lhoppingr

Spokesmen lor he State ol Calilomia are concemed that business in their state will b€ hurt by thi addition to tre endangered species list of fre 'fairy shrimp." No, he lairy shrimp is nol s6mething that you might fnd at Fishermen's Wharl in San Francisco, as some might lhink. ll is aAually a tin! crustacean hat inhabib vemal pools throughout the slate, ll is lhrealened, lhey say, I mining, laming and land development, among other aclivilies. As lime goes on, the lumbeiindustry is gaining more and more allies in the battle againsl lhe Endangered Species AcL *iene fulagazine gives credence to the idea that logging in old growtt foresls should be increased in he interEst ol environmenhlism. The reason: to reduce he brmile and anl popu' lalion thereby enhancing air quality. A leaiured artide on anls and termites pinls out lhal 9Oo/. of the wood eaten by brmites is converled into carbon dioxide, melhane and olher gases and then belched inlo he atnosphere.

ThE termile has a cousin who is an ant but no relation lo lhe fairy shrimp, belonging to the formicinae lamily. These anh produce formic acid whictr is released when he anls lighl and communicale with one anolher and also when frey die. As a resull, ants put an estimat€d 600,000 mefic tons ol lormic acid into the atmosphere annually, an amounl equal lo he com' bined contibutions of aubmobiles, refuse combuslion and veg€talion.

One writer suggesls retraining lhe termites to eat grass instead of wood. A betler idea is h accelerete logging on old growtr foresls lo hke away much ol the rotting wood that the ler' miles and anls lhrive on.

But then there is probably a subspecies of enl or termit€s that is on the endangered species lisl and hey woJd have h be saved at any cost.

Manufacturcrc: Ponderosa & Sugar Pine Mouldings and Cutstock