VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 3 | SUMMER 2025
BUILDING A NEW FUTURE IN ALASKA CONSTRUCTION
University of Alaska program helps lumber certification process
BY REBECCA LAWHORNE, UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA
UP UNTIL NOW, LOCALLY MILLED LUMBER IN ALASKA COULDN’T BE USED IN RESIDENTIAL BUILD- ING PROJECTS. THAT WASN’T BECAUSE OF QUALITY, BUT BECAUSE BUILDING CODES TYPICALLY RE- QUIRE A GRADE STAMP FROM A NATIONAL AGENCY, SOMETHING TOO EXPENSIVE AND INACCESSIBLE FOR MANY SMALL OPERATORS IN ALASKA. The issue came into painful focus during the pandemic, when supply disrup- tions and high prices highlighted how little of Alaska’s own timber could legally be used in its own housing market. In 2023, the Alaska Legislature passed Senate Bill 87, authorizing the state to es- tablish a lumber grading certification pro- cess. Shortly after, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, in collaboration with the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, launched the Alaska Lumber Grading (ALG) pro- gram. This program is still in its early stag- es, but is already seeing support and success throughout the state. HOW IT WORKS The ALG program is a one-day, hands-on training that prepares participants to grade dimension lumber for structural use. Attend- ees learn wood science, drying and storage methods, and how to assess common defects such as knots, splits and decay. To earn certi- fication, participants must pass both a written test and a practical grading exam. After being permitted under local code exemptions, ALG-certified lumber can then be used in residential construction as a substitute for nationally graded material. The program was built for Alaska’s specific conditions and species. There are five approved species with documented
The Alaska Lumber Grading (ALG) program is in its early stages, but is already seeing support and success throughout the state.
Douse added that regulatory alignment is now the most important next step: “We now need municipalities to allow for this product to be used in residential construction. We need more industry to meet our forest management needs, but we also need a steady supply of timber for an industry to exist.” The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation has already ap- proved ALG-certified lumber for use under its construction loan standards. Local code changes could open the door to much wider use. WHAT’S NEXT UAF and the Division of Forestry will continue trainings in new communities through 2025. The university is also pi- loting advanced workshops on lumber drying and sawmill op- timization and plans to launch a searchable public directory of certified ALG producers. n Developing an Alaska Forest Product brand label n Contributing design-value data to inform forest man- agement and wood utilization opportunities of young-growth timber in the Tongass National Forest Still in its first year, the program is already empowering saw- mill operators to participate in Alaska’s housing economy. With continued support from municipalities and agencies, it has the potential to shift how local timber is used across the state. Future goals include: n Supporting municipal code changes
Photos Courtesy University of Alaska
strength property data — white spruce, Sitka spruce, western hemlock, mountain hemlock and Alaska yellow cedar. The pro- gram’s grading standards align closely with those used by national agencies. In some cases, the rules are more restrictive. WHERE IT’S WORKING Since the program launched in 2024, more than 130 Alaskans have been certi- fied. Trainings have been held in Fairbanks, Palmer, Klawock, Soldotna, Sitka, Aniak, Haines, Juneau, Tok and Wrangell. Several large initiatives already plan to use ALG lumber, including: n The Kuskokwim Corporation’s Har- vest to Home housing project in remote villages n U.S. Forest Service employee hous- ing in Sitka n Rebuilding efforts along Alaska’s western coast following Typhoon Merbok Kathryn Thoden, a Division of Forest- ry representative involved in a training in Palmer, shared, “It is breeding confidence in the industry where folks have been ten- tative about moving ahead with their ideas.
Sharing industry connections and informa- tion is as valuable as the class.” COMMUNITY SUPPORT The ALG program is built and running, but broader adoption depends on how mu- nicipalities respond. For the lumber to be used in residential construction, local gov- ernments need to write exemptions into their building codes. In a news release issued at the time of the bill signing, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said, “The timber industry is an integral part of Alaska’s history,” Dunleavy said. “This lumber grading program will help shape the timber industry for Alaskan small busi- nesses to allow them to thrive now and in the future.” At the local level, program leaders say pol- icy support will be key to long-term viability. “The industry has diminished substan- tially since the end of the pulp mill days,” says Jeremy Douse, Alaska State Forester and director of the Division of Forestry & Fire Protection. “It’s hard for a business to justify additional investment in an environ- ment like this.”
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ALASKA RESOURCE REVIEW SUMMER 2025
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