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Diversifying Demand, Defending
Markets, and Delivering Results for the
Softwood Lumber Industry

Continuing the SLB’s Vital Work

In 2011, the Binational Softwood Lumber Council (BSLC) funded the development of the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB), an industry-funded checkoff program overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). With the goal of promoting softwood lumber to increase demand, expand market share, and advance wood in building codes and standards, the SLB’s investments have generated more than 16 billion board feet (BBF) of incremental demand since 2012.

The USDA conducts a referendum every five to seven years to continue the SLB, and the vote to continue the SLB for a third term will take place soon. It’s never been more important for producers in the industry to work together to develop new markets, combat competitive threats, and stimulate demand for softwood lumber. By investing together, we create collective wins that no single company could achieve alone.

stack of cut lumber
The vote to continue the
SLB is upcoming.

The BSLC supports the continuation of the SLB
for a third term as a scalable, collaborative,
industry-wide strategy that is vital to securing the
future health of the lumber industry.

THE SLB’S IMPACT

Every dollar spent by the SLB goes directly into
growing the U.S. market for lumber.

The SLB and its funded programs—including the American Wood Council (AWC),
Think Wood, WoodWorks, and SLB Education—are essential for unlocking new
market opportunities for softwood lumber. These programs help overcome
challenges, such as tightening economic conditions that constrain lumber demand
in the single-family housing market and code and policy headwinds that threaten
demand in applications like outdoor living.

The SLB’s investments have generated more than 16 BBF of incremental demand since 2012.

Accelerating
Lumber
Consumption

Without the SLB, annual U.S. softwood lumber consumption would have been 3.5% lower.

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Successful
Checkoff
Program

The SLB has the highest return on investment of any of the USDA Checkoff Programs.

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Return On
Investment

$44 is returned for every $1 invested since the SLB’s inception.

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Our Industry Leaders Support the SLB

Brad Thorlakson

Brad Thorlakson

Executive Chairman, Tolko Industries

"I’ve seen the value of working together to grow the lumber business and demand for sustainable building materials on both sides of the border. Other building materials are trying to displace us. Without working collaboratively together, the market is going to be smaller. U.S. and Canadian companies have many things we agree on, and it would be a shame to lose the opportunity to continue to grow our industry."

Watch Brad's Video
Susan Yurkovich

Susan Yurkovich

President and CEO, Canfor, SLB Board of Directors

"At Canfor, we believe the future of building is rooted in sustainability, and lumber is central to that future. As a company that operates in both Canada and the United States, we're proud to be a part of a North American industry that is advancing the use of lumber in both traditional and emerging applications. The Softwood Lumber Board is leading that charge by growing the market for mass timber and highlighting the benefits of using responsibly sourced materials. Their exceptional efforts are playing a critical role in positioning lumber as a renewable, low-carbon solution while helping to drive demand for smart, sustainable construction."
Nick Arkle

Nick Arkle

CEO, Gorman Group

"We need to supercharge the SLB’s efforts so that North American companies together can lead the world in producing lumber. We’re not each other’s enemy, and the SLB plays a key role in ensuring we can collaborate to improve building codes and get more architects and developers excited to build with wood."

Watch Nick's Video
Luc Thériault

Luc Thériault

President, Wood Products, Domtar

"The trade relationship between Canada and the U.S. has its challenges, but we’re focused on the bigger picture. North America needs more housing and infrastructure, and wood is the perfect renewable material to build them. What I like about the SLB and its programs is their ability to reach engineers, developers, and builders—and inspire them to use wood. That’s how we’ll grow demand, strengthen the North American industry, and make our business more profitable."

Fritz Mason

Fritz Mason

President of Lumber, Georgia-Pacific; SLB Board Chair

"We see the SLB as a very efficient way to fund critical investments in growing new markets for softwood lumber and defending existing markets. The SLB’s programs are strategically aligned, working together to promote growth. WoodWorks’ role of converting projects to wood is supported by Think Wood’s marketing efforts and the AWC’s work in codes and standards. It’s critical that we continue to have a sustainable funding stream for these programs."
Sean McLaren

Sean McLaren

President and CEO, West Fraser; American Wood Council Board of Directors

"As a global producer of renewable wood products with a significant footprint in both Canada and the United States, West Fraser is proud to contribute to a dynamic North American lumber industry that’s redefining and expanding how wood is used. The Softwood Lumber Board plays an important role in this transformation, driving market growth for both light-frame and mass timber construction, while elevating the environmental and performance advantages of responsibly sourced wood through strategic advocacy, education and building code advancement."
Ashlee Cribb

Ashlee Cribb

VP of the Wood Products Division, PotlatchDeltic; Second Vice Chair, SLB Board of Directors

"Other material industries have already been at this for a long time. The concrete and steel industries have a lot of money, but by pooling our resources, I believe the lumber industry has an opportunity to be on the offensive. And we are gaining momentum because of the work being done across the Softwood Lumber Board programs. These programs support the growth of wood construction by providing technical support and educational resources, removing obstacles in the code, and making other smart investments that our company could never make on our own."
Watch Ashlee's Video
Jérôme Pelletier

Jérôme Pelletier

Vice President of the Sawmill Division, J.D. Irving, Ltd.; First Chair, SLB Board of Directors

"Since I first joined the board three years ago, I've been amazed by the industry knowledge and skills that the SLB staff brings to the table. They have a clear understanding of market trends and a strategy on where the industry's investments can be done to be the most impactful. That expertise stands out by the results. Since inception, the SLB has generated $45 in additional revenue for every $1 invested by the lumber industry. This translates to more buildings built with wood as opposed to concrete and steel, generating several additional billion board feet of lumber demand over the last decade."
Watch Jérôme's Video
Marc Brinkmeyer

Marc Brinkmeyer

Owner, Idaho Forest Group; Chair Emeritus, SLB Board of Directors

"It's through the Softwood Lumber Board that we've had the opportunity to have a combined marketing effort of all of our species from a building component perspective. The cost of building is still too high. As we look at what automation, creativity, and AI will be able to bring us in the future, all of those things can manifest themselves through the Softwood Lumber Board, the AWC, Woodworks, Think Wood and our Education arm. The Softwood Lumber Board is our future."
Watch Marc's Video
Caroline Dauzat

Caroline Dauzat

Owner, Rex Lumber; SLB Chair Emeritus

"As a past chair, I have found the focus that SLB brings to our industry is essential. The board has been a positive force pushing us forward and engaging in what is really important, which is growing our market share. That is the most critical goal for us all. The SLB and its programs accomplish this not only by defending our market share where we are traditionally strong, in single-family construction and repair and remodeling, but in bringing lumber into new markets such as multifamily construction, nonresidential buildings, and mass timber. Each of the SLB programs have been vital in these efforts."
Watch Caroline's Video
Brian Luoma

Brian Luoma

Retired President and CEO, The Westervelt Company; Former SLB Board Chair

"Builders, developers, and architects are becoming increasingly positive about the environmental and economic benefits of wood construction, and the SLB is building on that momentum by removing obstacles and promoting using more wood in non-traditional applications. I'm proud of what we've achieved, but we need to continue building momentum. I look forward to seeing what the industry can accomplish by continuing to work together in the years ahead."
Watch Brian's Video
Hear from more Industry Leaders

Why Vote Yes?

The SLB is essential for unlocking new market opportunities for
softwood lumber that benefit the entire industry and its investors
on an individual level.

While investor contributions to the SLB are scaled to annual production in the U.S. or shipments to the U.S., no matter the investor’s size or geographic location, the SLB delivers benefits that extend across all investors and the broader industry to ensure collective growth and shared value. By expanding U.S. markets, the SLB ensures that every producer gains from industry-wide growth—while contributions remain proportional, the returns scale across the entire sector.

WHO FUNDS THE SLB?

Lumber producers and importers are assessed only
on the volume of lumber shipped to or produced in
the U.S. (net of exports and a 15 million BF de
minimis credit).

HOW DOES THE
INDUSTRY BENEFIT?

While the SLB and its programs focus on expanding
market share in the U.S., the SLB frequently
collaborates with organizations outside of the U.S. to
share learnings, messaging, and relevant experiences
to support efforts to increase per capita consumption
of softwood lumber.

The SLB has approved a strategic plan to
deliver 2.9 BBF of annual incremental
lumber volume by 2035.

The SLB’s targeted go-forward strategy prioritizes refinement, optimization, and
focus, using precision to drive incremental growth in sectors that present high
opportunity with the lowest investments of time, talent, and treasury.

To achieve its goal of 2.9 BBF in annual incremental
demand by 2035, the SLB will focus its efforts on:

Multifamily 1-4

670 MM BF

in 1-4 story multifamily,
capitalizing on light-frame’s
dominant position.

Multifamily 5-8

307 MM BF

in 5-8 story multifamily, increasing
momentum with hybrid light-frame
and mass timber solutions.

Commercial

414 MM BF

in commercial, where 1-2 story
retail and restaurants are a
good fit for light-frame.

Educational

203 MM BF

in educational buildings, which is
a growing sector that appreciates
wood’s biophilic benefits and
warm, inviting atmosphere.

Offices and Banks

299 MM BF

in offices and banks,
including the growing data
center segment.

Warehouses

178 MM BF

in warehouses, which presents
substantial potential but high
barriers to entry.

Projected Material Type Breakdown

Light-Frame
Mass Timber
47%
53%

Without the SLB, We Lose Ground Fast.

The risks are higher than they were when the SLB
held its last continuance referendum in 2018.

If the continuance referendum is not successful and the SLB does not continue, the
momentum that has developed since 2012 will rapidly erode, and the investments
and time spent since inception will be for naught.

Lost Market Share

Today, the lumber industry faces aggressive, well-
funded, coordinated efforts from other competitive
materials, such as steel and concrete. Having
witnessed the success of the SLB, these industries are
investing tens of millions annually in promotional and
advocacy efforts to gain market share in residential
and non-residential sectors. Without the SLB, the
industry stands to lose significant market share across
all sectors where lumber is currently used.

Program Disruptions

The SLB’s strategic investments minimize duplication
and inefficiencies, resulting in improved outcomes
and greater overall benefits for the industry. Without
the coordinated efforts of the SLB, the vital work of
funded programs like Think Wood and SLB Education
would be eliminated, and programs where the SLB is
the primary funder—the AWC and WoodWorks—
could experience drastic changes or cease to exist
entirely.

A Vote for the SLB is a Vote for a
Strong Lumber Industry.

The lumber industry has shown strong support for the SLB since its inception, and in
return, the SLB has shown a proven track record for delivering meaningful results. To
continue building on the momentum created since 2012,
please vote “Yes” to support the continuation of the SLB.

About the Binational Softwood Lumber Council

The Binational Softwood Lumber Council (BSLC) was established by the Canadian and U.S. federal governments as part of the 2006 Softwood
Lumber Agreement to promote cooperation and expand the market for softwood lumber in both nations. Comprised of CEOs from key
producers in Canada and the U.S., the BSLC’s mandate is to strengthen the North American softwood lumber industry by increasing demand
and fostering better relationships between the two nations’ industries.