WASHINGTON –
American Wood Council (AWC) President and CEO Jackson Morrill issued a statement following the House of Representative’s passage of the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included language to establish a pilot program to evaluate the effects of using mass timber products in Department of Defense military construction projects.
“The FY 2023 mass timber pilot program is a major step forward in utilizing low-carbon building solutions that are available today. Mass timber buildings are a right now solution to lowering the carbon footprint of the built environment, which is currently responsible for almost 40% of global carbon emissions.
“Mass timber construction also speeds up construction time, ultimately saving money and getting service members into housing more quickly. In past construction projects, the Department of Defense saw a 37% reduction in schedule duration and a 31% increase in expected energy performance in its first mass timber construction project through Lendlease at Redstone Arsenal in 2015.
“AWC applauds Representatives Austin Scott, Jared Golden, Rick Larsen, and Trent Kelly for leading this initiative to better housing and building solutions for our service members. We also thank Chairman Adam Smith, Ranking Member Mike Rogers, and Subcommittee Chairman John Garamendi for their leadership in passing this year’s authorization with this program’s inclusion. We encourage the Senate to move forward with the House-passed language and, in so doing, address the Department-wide backlog of housing projects and facilities utilizing innovative wood materials.”