An Overview of the Forest 's New Wood Utilization Center ______Secretary Glickman expressed Theodore L. Laufenberg his support for efforts to improve Charles G. Shaw III Southeast Alaska's economy in a press USDA--Forest Service release dated January 17, 1999 from the Pacific Northwest Research Station United States Department of . ______He said, "Federal agency cooperation will unify and enhance the opportunities for economic assistance to workers, families, businesses, and affected by the changing timber in southeastern Alaska." He went on to discuss the establishment by the Forest Service of the Wood Utilization Center in Sitka. In the Fiscal Year (FY) 1999 budget appropriation for Interior and related agencies, the USDA Forest Service (FS) was directed to establish and commence operating a harvesting and wood utilization laboratory in Sitka, Alaska with no less than five, full-time employees. Even though the enabling legislation was in an appropriations bill, no funds were provided to support the program. The Forest Service is implementing the mandate in FY 1999 with FY 1998 carry-over funds, but does not have funding for the laboratory specifically identified in the FY 2000 Budget being considered by Congress. Ted Laufenberg was detailed to Sitka for one year as acting team leader for the Wood Utilization Center (WUC). Over the past 19 years as a research engineer, project leader, and, most recently, program manager at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Madison, Wisconsin, Ted has worked with a wide array of wood products; collaborated with a host of academic, government, and commercial interests; and advanced numerous science-policy initiatives on topics such as free trade, , and environmentally-preferable purchasing. He came to Sitka recognizing the challenge in establishing this Center. The Center is a component of the Pacific Northwest Research Station (PNW) that has a long and productive history of conducting research on an array of topics in Alaska. Other PNW research locations in Alaska include Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. In addition, the Center will draw on expertise available at other Forest Service research sites, including the Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin. We also will seek the cooperation of academic and other research institutions to fulfill our mission. That mission is to identify and evaluate the opportunities for viable forest products industries in Alaska. The Center will build that take advantage of different groups' strengths and interests. In terms of the scope of interests, the Center will have a southeast Alaska focus and an Alaska-wide emphasis; however, results may well be applicable to the global forest products . Having an acting team leader in place begins the process of placing five full-time positions in Sitka by the end of FY 1999. We have conducted a professional staffing analysis with the assistance of personnel from FS Region 10 (Alaska), PNW, FPL, and our Washington Office staff. These positions will include a team leader to in utilization and and collaborate with stakeholders, an economist with marketing and economics expertise, a forest products specialist with wood utilization and expertise, a forester to work on harvesting, log , and plans, and a support services specialist for technical and administrative support. The recently drafted charter objective of the Wood Utilization Center is to "identify and evaluate the opportunities for viable forest products industries in Alaska." In the near term the

The Winds of Change: The Forest Products Industry and the of Alaska 19

Laufenberg, Shaw continued______Center will emphasize three activities: Assess opportunities to manufacture and use Alaska forest resources, assess market conditions and Alaska's competitiveness in specific markets, and assess the link between successful, sustainable industries and forest management objectives of federal, state, and private timber owners. The assessments being developed to address these three areas will form the foundation for a plan to identify the opportunities for viable forest products industries in Alaska. Upon their completion (approximately October 1999), WUC staff and all partners will integrate and synthesize the subcomponents of these assessments into a research program and prioritize a complementary plan of work for FY 2000. In assessing opportunities to manufacture and use Alaska forest resources, the Center will provide a background review of existing resource-related literature, develop partnerships with tribal and private-sector groups to identify emerging opportunities, consolidate information from consultants, University and other past governmental input, and form sub-assessment teams to identify opportunities in , primary, secondary, special-use, and non-timber products. To assess market conditions and Alaska's competitiveness in specific markets, the Center will identify market trends on regional and global scales, link potential changes in markets with forest products opportunities, focus on economic and market barriers, and identify methods to minimize or eliminate them. To assess the link between successful, sustainable industries and forest management objectives of federal, state, and private timber owners, the Center will review background issues which promise to integrate ecological, economic, and social aspects of sustainable forests and communities, identify timber harvest patterns and techniques that reduce delivered wood costs, maximize returns to the public or private owner, protect ecological systems and functions, and develop a forward-thinking identification of issues that hinder an integrated treatment of ecological, economic, and social aspects of sustainable forests and communities. Preliminary results of these assessments will be delivered at a workshop entitled; "Value-added Alaskan Forest Products". This workshop will be held in Sitka on September 27 and 28, 1999. ______Answers to Questions

Q: Is this Center going to be doing something not already done in the lower 48? A: Because the focus for this Center is Alaska, we are doing something rather unique. However, we can learn a lot from what has been done or is ongoing down South. However, much of that information and may not be directly interjectable into the Alaskan situation.

Q: Can five people begin to handle such a broad range of research topics? Right now we see Forest Service decisions being made in Washington DC. A: We do have a lot of territory to cover. We hope to provide a focus for the research and identify the priority needs over the next six months.

Q: How can all this information be made available? Also, what about oils? It is a unique resource. A: The is a promising outlet for information. Electronic and other document sharing should aid our dissemination of information. Oils are a promising aspect within special (non-timber) forest products. The Center likely will not conduct extensive research on the topic of oils, but we can assist in evaluating the opportunities to produce and market these possible products.

Q: Do you have a budget for traveling into the field, or will you operate out of a lab in Sitka? A: Center staff is expected to conduct considerable fieldwork in forests, mills, and communities to be effective in fulfilling their mission. ______The Winds of Change: The Forest Products Industry and the University of Alaska 20 A Workshop held March 5 - 6, 1999 at the Ted Ferry Civic Center, Ketchikan, AK. Robert Gorman, Editor, UAF Extension, 31 pg.