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As the summer of 2022 unofficially comes to a close, Decorative Hardwoods Association and our industry partners have been active, opposing a new sweeping, universal definition of "old growth forests" that we see as unworkable and inconsistent with diverse forests. These and other regulations, including the long-eared bat endangered species listing, could further limit harvests despite the well-documented sustainability of wood products and the need for wood products that can store carbon emissions and reduce climate change.

At the same time, the new Inflation Reduction Act provides more than $2 billion to help fund low-embodied carbon materials and products—products that emit substantially lower levels of greenhouse gas during production, use, and disposal—for use in government construction. To qualify, wood products that reduce carbon emissions, including decorative hardwoods, will need to demonstrate this by developing environmental product declarations. DHA is already developing a declaration for engineered wood floors with the National Wood Flooring Association that we plan to release in the coming months.

And, is anyone surprised that the new building for sustainable chemistry at the University of Munich relies heavily on wood products? We're not.

If you have questions or comments, contact me. I look forward to hearing from you.


Keith A. Christman, President
Decorative Hardwoods Association

Photo © USFS