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getting a top-of-the-line product with no holes." he said.

To stimulate demand, the association has begun directing promotional efforts towards contractors and consumers, convinced that retailers will sell what their customers ask for. Unfortunately, many don't ask for cedar because they think it's not available. But, Furtado said, "there's still clear cedar around. People say, 'I didn't know you could get that quality.' But there's plenty of supply."

It is a ricky business for the mill. The cedar manufacturer, especially "the small U.S. producer, really doesn't control his own availability, quality or price," said Bob Walton, Caffall Bros. Forest Products, Wilsonville, Or. "It's a developing species in the logging mix. It grows and is harvested sporadically. You don't go out and cut large stands ofcedar."

It's a challenge, but mills realize they must offer wide availability to meet dealers' demands for just-in-time delivery. Restrictions on federal, state and private lands have made it difficult for some U.S. firms to get logs, admitted WRCLA's Ken McClelland. Decreasing harvest levels are tightening overall supply and driving up stumpage costs. Yet, in 8.C., there is a different system of long-tenure tree farm licenses and a long-term conmiunent by goveflrment to industry.

Finally, WRCLA explored offering warranties on cedar siding. "Because of the warranties offered on preprimed, cedar substrate siding, some manufacturers felt some kind of warranty on actual cedar siding would be nice," said Furtado. "But we concluded that we as an industry could not put a waranty on a product. If an individual member wants to, that's up to him. But in order to offer a warranty, every single piece has to have the mill number stamped on it" and if you buy appearance lumber for a deck, you don't want a stamp on it."

"A watranty is a gimmick, anyway. Because with most products, you try to collect on a waranty, good luck," Furtado revealed, while conceding that to the public, the perception is all that counts.

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