Pacific Northwest Research Station

Green building products, research, focus of forest products convention

USDA Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Research Station

Portland, OR: June 06, 2011

Contacts: Eini Lowell, (503) 808-2072, elowell@fs.fed.us

Media assistance: Sherri Richardson Dodge, (503) 808-2137, srichardsondodge@fs.fed.us; Yasmeen Sands, (360) 753-7716, ysands@fs.fed.us

PORTLAND, Ore. June 6, 2011. Sustainability is the theme for the 65th Annual International Convention of the Forest Products Society, scheduled to meet in Portland June 19 to 21. Hundreds of scientists, design professionals, managers, decisionmakers, and others from academia, government, non-profit groups, and private industry will gather to discuss the state of the forest products industry and share information about innovations in the field.

“ The theme of our convention, ‘Sustainable Development and Role of the Forest Products Industry,’ is significant and timely for our industry as government officials and industry representatives discuss and debate this issue,” says Barry Goodell, president of the FPS. “With over 170 technical presentations and 150 scientific posters, the international convention is the place to learn about the latest developments in forest products research and application.”

Various levels of government have targeted the sector as one that needs to improve its performance to meet sustainable living objectives. Green building rating programs have been developed in an effort to direct sustainable development efforts. The implication for the North American marketplace is that green building rating programs affect nearly all building materials going into construction projects, including wood products. Add to this that consumers are increasingly environmentally conscious and demanding, thus the entire construction sector is under pressure to become more “green.”

Eini Lowell, a research forest products technologist with the Pacific Northwest Research (PNW) Station, U.S. Forest Service, will moderate the opening session panel. Speakers include representatives from the World Forestry Center, Sustainable Northwest, Weyerhaeuser, and WoodWorks. “The general session will provide a view of sustainability and its role in the forest products industry from a global to regional perspective,” explains Lowell.

Cosponsors of the conference include the U.S. Forest Service, World Forestry Center, Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau, and others.
For more information and registration, visit http://www.forestprod.org/ic65/location.html.

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The PNW Research Station is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. It has 11 laboratories and centers located in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington and about 425 employees.