A Full-Court Press on Lumber

NAHB continues to move rapidly and aggressively to engage the Biden administration on lumber and to urge policymakers to take immediate action to address skyrocketing lumber prices and supply shortages that are harming home builders, home buyers, remodelers and the economy.

This week, letters were sent to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the U.S. Forest Service Chief Victoria Christiansen that addressed NAHB’s urgent concerns on this issue and recommended key strategies to ease lumber price volatility and boost supply.

Last week, NAHB spearheaded an effort that led to 35 organizations signing onto a joint letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo urging the secretary to “examine the lumber supply chain, identify the causes for high prices and supply constraints, and seek immediate remedies that will increase production”

The letter to Agriculture Secretary Vilsack urged him to include the lumber supply chain in a report to the White House regarding President Biden’s executive order to secure supply chains for critical and essential goods.

“Thank you for your efforts to examine America’s agricultural supply chains,” the letter stated. “We respectfully encourage you to include the lumber supply chain in your review and report to President Biden. We stand ready to work with you to ensure American consumers and home builders have a reliable, affordable supply of lumber to meet housing demand. ”

The message to U.S. Forest Chief Christiansen noted that “improving the health of our nation’s forests and increasing the supply of domestic timber are not mutually exclusive goals, and we strongly urge you to maintain current harvesting plans for the National Forest system ”

“Better forest management practices will not only promote the health of our nation’s forest system but also improve housing affordability,” the letter stated. “As additional supply of domestically produced timber is brought into the market, upward pressure on lumber prices will soften.”

View the full text of all the lumber letters, including one sent to President Biden in January, here.