Sawmill operators to produce dimensional lumber for residential construction

The state House voted 38 to 1 to approve a bill that allows Alaska sawmill operators to become certified to grade and sell certain types of dimensional lumber they produce for residential construction.

Senate Bill 87, which passed the Legislature Monday, was sponsored by Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski. Mat-Su’s Rep. Jesse Sumner-R-Wasilla, sponsored a similar bill in the House and guided SB 87 through the House to final approval.

“This local lumber grading program will provide Alaskans the option to purchase a local product for use in the construction of their homes,” said Bjorkman. “It will provide substantial cost savings on dimensional lumber in some parts of the state. And it will create economic opportunities that will result in permanent, stable, family-wage jobs in rural communities and villages.”

The state Department of Natural Resources will oversee the program and provide free training for sawmill operators, establish benchmarks for certification, and oversee the criteria used for grading the allowed Number 2 and better, Stud, and Number 3 grades of dimensional lumber. Under SB 87, the sawmill operator could sell the dimensional lumber directly to a homeowner or contractor for use in a residential structure with three or fewer units.

Many people worked to develop and promote the local lumber grading program, including sawmill owners, home builders, housing authorities, economic development associations, vocational educators, the Department of Natural Resources, and the United States Forest Service.

As SB 87 and its companion, HB 93, sponsored by Sumner (R-Wasilla), moved through the committee process, the bills gathered strong statewide bipartisan support.

“Creating new opportunities for lumber sales through the local lumber grading program can serve as a catalyst to help grow Alaska’s timber sector,” said Bjorkman. “In addition to providing economic opportunities across the state, this could provide the additionality needed for creating and selling forest carbon offset projects.”

“This could also help address Alaska’s housing shortages across the state, which are made worse by the significant increase in the cost of construction materials and lag time due to supply chain issues, and encourage higher value-added use of materials harvested from forest thinning and hazardous fuels reduction projects that would otherwise be piled and burned,” Sumner said in introducing the bill in the House.

“A local lumber grading program would lower the barrier for entry to create new sawmills. These sawmills can serve as a catalyst to increase investment in forest management and help build the timber sector statewide,” Sumner said in his statement.

SB 87 passed the Senate unanimously in April. The bill now goes to the governor for his signature.