The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) is an industry funded initiative established to promote the benefits and uses of softwood lumber products in outdoor, residential and non-residential construction. Programs and initiatives supported by the SLB will focus on increasing the demand for appearance and softwood lumber products in the United States.
Using wood obtained through sustainable forestry practices in green building applications promotes a healthy environment and a strong economy. A recent lifecycle analysis found that harvesting, transporting, manufacturing, and using wood in lumber and panel products in building yields fewer air emissions–including greenhouse gases–than the resource extraction, manufacture, and use of other common building materials. In fact, wood-based wall systems can require significantly less total energy for manufacturing than thermally comparable houses using other materials.
The softwood lumber industry is an important job creator and supports hundreds of local communities, many of them rural.
"Wood should be a major component of American building and energy design." – USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Read the USDA study about the Economic and Environmental Benefits of Using Wood Products
Programs
How It Works