USDA Forest Service researchers have developed a tornado shelter made of wood that provides powerful protection at an affordable cost.
With safety and security in mind, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) engineers designed the residential tornado shelter to resist the high wind pressure and debris impacts generated by high-wind events.
Most importantly, the wood shelters can be built into an existing home using readily available materials and tools.
Happy National Forest Products Week!
For the past 58 years, the third week of October has been deemed National Forest Products Week by Presidential proclamation. Here at the Forest Products Laboratory, every week is Forest Products Week, but we’re extra happy to celebrate this particular week with partners and the public, sharing all the good things trees provide.
To kick off the week, you can read a blog post below featured on the U.S. Forest Service and USDA blogs. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @fsWoodLab and #ForestProductsWeek to keep up with all the fun facts supporting what we already know: Wood is Good!
The National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) has released “Wood Packaging Supports Healthy Forests and Strong Communities,” a video that puts a spotlight on the vital role wood packaging plays in our communities.
Researchers from the Forest Products Laboratory have partnered with the NWPCA for several years, and are currently working with them to develop life cycle assessments for wood pallets.
Wooden pallets used for shipping purposes in the United States (NWPCA 2016).
NWPCA collaborated with leading forest conservation organizations to produce this video. Participating in this project were Tom Martin, President and CEO, The American Forest Foundation; Larry Selzer, President and CEO, The Conservation Fund; Jay Farrell, Executive Director, The National Association of State Foresters; Carlton Owen, President and CEO, U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities; and Vicki Christiansen, Interim Chief, U.S. Forest Service.
“We’re proud of the work of our members in supporting the missions of these conservation organizations, providing economic and employment opportunities in rural communities, and improving the health of our nation’s forests,” said Brent McClendon, CAE, National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) President and CEO.
“The wood packaging industry is a critical player in advancing the health of our forests because they use the small diameter wood for making pallets that cannot be used in higher end products,” stated, Carlton Owen, President & CEO, U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities. “Without markets for that low value material, we can’t move our forests to a healthier, more resilient condition.”
The 3-minute video is a project of Nature’s Packaging®, a North American initiative to promote the use of wood-based packaging to users seeking sustainable, responsible and economical packaging solutions.
The North American Forest Partnership (NAFP) recently released a creative whiteboard video outlining all the ways forests make our lives better. NAFP is a diverse group of companies and organizations from throughout the United States and Canada – including the U. S. Forest service – who are committed to the management of sustainable, healthy forests.
Here at the Forest Products Laboratory, we work every day toward a powerful statement made in the video: “From root to branch, from leaf to bark…always innovating.”
Take a minute (or three) to watch and be reminded of the many ways forests improve your life. “Our trees are amazing. By looking after them, we look after ourselves.”
A new public television series focused on maintaining and sustaining healthy forests in America kicked off by exploring cross-laminated timber (CLT) and the future of green building.
In the premiere episode of America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell, music industry giant and tree conservationist Chuck Leavell steps into the world of sustainable construction, as he investigates the innovative possibilities of building with CLT. Continue reading