The American Wood Council

THE AMER I CAN WOOD COUNC I L whether it’s a code development activity, or a legislative hearing, there is the possibility that something will come out of that process that’s unfavorable for wood product manufacturers, because we didn’t have a voice,” explains Kenneth Bland, Vice President for Codes and Regulations. “If you’re not there to represent and defend wood products, or to promote their structural characteristics, their sustainability attributes, and performance, then they very well may be left out of the conversation. And our members don’t want their products left out; they want to be in the foreground of these conversations. And that’s where a portion of their dues dollars go – to staff participating in technical meetings and legislative and regulatory hearings where building materials are on the agenda.” “For example,” Bland continues, “over the past four years, we’ve been directly involved in a project with the International Code Council (ICC) to increase opportunities for mass timber operations. The staff work extensively on building codes, standards, and regulations and provide significant technical support and education to the broader building community on engineering and code matters related to the use of structural wood products. AWC staff also play an important role in advocating for a legislative and regulatory level playing field at a national, state, and local level and educating policymakers on issues impacting the wood products sector. Its environmental policy group works primarily with federal agencies, most often EPA, that develop policies that regulate emissions from manufacturing facilities. AWC staff are also involved in sustainability and green building activities that range from the development of codes and standards that are written specifically for high-performance, green buildings to the development of environmental product declarations for wood products. “If the industry isn’t represented in these forums,