Kilmer Leads Discussion at UW-Tacoma with Key Stakeholders on Innovative Wood Building Materials

Press Release

Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) led a panel discussion at the University of Washington-Tacoma on the benefits of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) and other mass timber products for Washington state. The discussion brought together academic, environmental, and industry leaders to look at how CLT products can become more widely adopted at building sites in Washington state and across the country.

"Construction sites across the country could soon use sturdy, innovative, renewable wood products grown and manufactured right here in our region," said Rep. Kilmer. "We brought together industry, academic, and environmental leaders today to explore the potential for the widespread adoption of lower-cost, environmentally friendly building materials. Today's discussion also showed that being good stewards of our environment doesn't have to conflict with increased economic opportunity and job creation."

CLT is a building material that is growing in popularity in both Canada and Europe due to its reduced impact on the environment, lower life cycle costs, and stability under seismic activity. A number of public and private entities in the Pacific Northwest are exploring how to make the best use of local resources, a skilled workforce, and mill infrastructure to develop and produce environmentally friendly, sustainable, and durable CLT products that can create jobs in local communities.

Michael Green, of Michael Green Architecture in Vancouver, delivered a keynote address about the potential of CLT to change the way structures are built. Green is a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and works on projects around the world.

"The building industry is on the cusp of a revolution that underscores the importance of building sustainably with responsibly harvested renewable resources," said Michael Green, Michael Green Architecture. "New engineered wood products like Cross Laminated Timber panels open up all new types and scales of building that will transform the cities of our future. These products are allowing us to build safely and responsibly at scales previously unimagined for products grown by the sun. No longer do we need to choose materials with large carbon footprints that impact climate change and our planet's health. With well managed forestry and high value wood products we can sequester carbon and begin the systemic change that a sustainable built environment demands. It is exciting to see communities around the world embrace these new ways of building our future."

The panel discussion today was hosted by Forterra, The University of Washington College of the Environment, and Washington State University.

"Building with cross-laminated timber has clear environmental benefits because it reduces the carbon footprint of new construction," said Lisa J. Graumlich, Dean of the College of the Environment and Prentice and Virginia Bloedel Professor at the University of Washington. "In Washington state, there is an added benefit: the production of cross-laminated timber creates a market for small diameter timber. This creates an economic incentive for thinning operations that improve overall forest productivity and enhance habitat quality for species of concern."

Don Bender, Director of Washington State University's Composite Materials and Engineering Center, said, "CLT presents a unique opportunity for the state of Washington to capitalize on its leadership in wood structures than can lead to both rural economic development and sustainable design."

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently working on a partnership to train architects, engineers, and builders about the benefits of advanced wood building materials.

Representative Derek Kilmer is the Co-Chair of the Healthy Forest Caucus, founded in 2013. The caucus is a bipartisan working group devoted to the state of forest health, forest management practices, conservation efforts and engagement with communities that depend on the health of our forests.

Kilmer also introduced the Olympic Economic Development Initiative this year, which included a focus on supporting innovation and promoting new market opportunities in areas like CLT.

Source