Currently lumber used for Alaska construction must first be graded by a third-party agency, meaning it leaves the local area before getting to a contractor — but a bill in the state Legislature could change that.
A state Senate bill proposed by Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, would put lumber evaluation in the hands of local sawmill operators, allowing local lumber to be used more readily in building projects.
“Allowing for local lumber grading in Alaska will create economic opportunities for small businesses, provide an opportunity for Alaskans to purchase local products, and perhaps offer building materials at a lower cost than dimensional lumber from the Lower 48,” Bjorkman said in the press release. He said some custom home builders, for example, prefer local lumber for its appearance and custom dimensions.
He also suspects the bill might spur an increase in new local lumber producers, inspired by the lower barrier to entry. “Sawing lumber is a pretty simple process. You’re just taking something that’s round and making it rectangular,” Kauffman said. “But there’s an art to it, and it’s important that if you’re gonna produce lumber and it’s gonna be used in a structure that it’s done well, and it’s done skillfully and it’s done correctly.”
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