NAHB has been leading the charge to urge Congress and the Trump administration to consider ways to increase the domestic supply of timber of public lands.

 

These efforts are especially critical, given that the Commerce Department has placed tariffs averaging more than 20% on Canadian lumber shipments into the U.S. and that the U.S. relies on Canada to meet roughly one-third of its lumber needs.

 

Since January of last year, rising lumber prices have increased the cost of an average single-family home by nearly $9,000. Much of these unprecedented price hikes are due to the lumber tariffs.

 

Testifying yesterday before Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Christiansen said: “Our anticipated level of timber harvest in fiscal 2018 is the highest it’s been in 20 years. In all, this year the Forest Service plans to sell 3.4 billion board feet of timber while improving the resiliency and health of more than 3 million acres of National Forest System lands through removal of hazardous fuels and stand treatments.”

 

Christiansen said a major reason why timber harvests are Read the Story