Release No.: 172-15
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2016 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service is seeking nominations for the Softwood Lumber Board.
The board will hold elections to fill six seats for members whose terms will expire on Dec. 31, 2016. Each member will serve a three-year term. Domestic manufacturers will fill four seats – two small companies representing the South region, one small company representing the West region, and one company of any size representing the Northeast and Lake States region. Two seats will be filled by softwood lumber importers – one large company representing the Canada West region and one company of any size representing other importing countries.
The Softwood Lumber Board meets periodically to develop marketing and research activities that encourage market growth and benefit the industry. The national program, which became effective in 2011, is industry-funded and supports the national marketing and promotion of softwood lumber. By law, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service oversees board activities.
USDA encourages board membership that reflects the diversity of the individuals served by the programs. All eligible women, minorities and persons with disabilities are invited to seek nomination for a seat on the Softwood Lumber Board by the March 4, 2016, deadline.
Visit www.softwoodlumberboard.org for a copy of the application, or contact the Board’s Director of Operations, Peter Andrews by calling (202) 463-4705, or via e-mail at pandrews@softwoodlumberboard.org. You may also contact Maureen Pello, USDA Marketing Specialist, by phone at (503) 632-8848 or via e-mail at maureen.pello@ams.usda.gov, for more information.
Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency, and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.
Get the latest Agricultural Marketing Service news at http://www.ams.usda.gov/news or follow us on Twitter @USDA_AMS. You can also read about us on the USDA blog.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).