NEWS RELEASES

• 2008
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• 2005
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• 2000

2008

December 12, 2008
Wisconsin Research Lab Presents Recommendations to Major League Baseball
If you followed baseball last Summer, you know that almost all of the major television sports outlets peppered their nightly baseball coverage with images of broken bats flying towards fans, pitchers or ducking infielders. Broken bats have always been a part of the game, but over the past few years the frequency and intensity of the breaks seemed to be on the rise... more »

September 9, 2008
Released by Major League Baseball--> DISCLAIMER»
Major League Baseball Teams Up with FPL to Address Issues Associated with Broken Bats
Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association jointly announced today the following update from the Safety and Health Advisory Committee. The Committee is charged with considering issues of player and fan safety, including those associated with broken bats... more »

July 8, 2008
Researchers Urge Use of Forest and Agriculture Materials to Create Sustainable, Environmentally Friendly Global Economy
Four research scientists from the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) have proposed an approach to meeting global energy needs and creating a sustainable, bio-based economy that would reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, reduce dependence on oil and other fossil fuels, and enhance the health of the world’s forests... more »

March 25, 2008
Chemist Receives Fulbright Senior Research Award: Hammel to conduct research related to carbon cycling in Germany
Dr. Kenneth E. Hammel, research chemist at the US Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), has been named recipient of a Fulbright Senior Research Award by the German-American Fulbright Program. ... more »

2007

Nov. 19 , 2007
North American Softwood Sawmills in Decline: Report details current state and future outlook of softwood sawmill industry
The number of larger, permanent softwood lumber mills in the United States and Canada has shrunk from 1,311 in 1995 to 990 as of June 2007, according to economists at the US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory (FPL). In a report issued this week... more »

Aug. 13 , 2007
Forest Service Announces $1.2 Million in Forest Restoration Partnership Grants
The US Forest Service has awarded $1.2 million as a one-time grant opportunity for forest restoration working partnerships involving the use of woody biomass. more »

Aug. 6 , 2007
Forest Service Announces Grants for Wood-to-Energy Jump Start Program
$800,000 for a one-time grant program has been awarded to State Foresters to support the development of projects that will help jump start statewide programs that implement wood-to-energy-technology. more »

Aug. 6 , 2007
$36 Million Research Facility Coming to Forest Products Laboratory:
Groundbreaking ceremony kicks off construction project
The U.S. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) will soon begin construction on a new 90,000 square foot Multi-Use Laboratory (MUL). more »

July 26 , 2007
Local Biofuels Research Funded by DOE Grants: Projects focus on alternative fuels production
Scientists at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory received $738,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy in support of biofuels production research. Two separate grants were awarded and each project will be funded over a period of three years. more »

May 10, 2007
Building Materials Go from Trash to Treasure
The steel and concrete skeletons of new buildings all around Madison might lead you to believe that construction is the talk of the town. But it’s just the opposite—deconstruction—that will have the attention of an international audience next week at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. more »

Mar. 13, 2007
FPL Researcher Honored by International Association
Theodore H. Wegner, Assistant Director for Wood, Fiber, and Composites Research at the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), has been named Fellow by the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI). more »

Mar. 6, 2007
Progress Made in Biomass-to-Biofuels Conversion Process: Genetic sequencing of yeast a step toward economical production of biofuels
A collaborative research project between the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) and the Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute has advanced the quest for efficient conversion of plant biomass to fuels and chemicals. more »

Feb. 15, 2007
Proper deck installation a must for safety
Ah, the backyard deck. Home of neighborhood barbecues, family gatherings and relaxing afternoons with a good book. As spring approaches, many people dream of adding an outdoor living space to their homes. more »

Feb. 15, 2007
Springtime means deck maintenance for many homeowners
Although there is still snow on the ground in some places, it’s not too early to start think about refinishing your deck.more »

Feb. 15, 2007
Not just your average lumber: Considering alternative materials for deck construction For decades, deciding what material to build a deck out of was a fairly simple process, as choices were mainly limited to pressure treated lumber or naturally decay-resistant species such as cedar or redwood. more »

Jan. 18, 2007
“Wisconsin’s Flying Trees” takes off from Forest Products Laboratory
Exhibit’s nationwide tour opens with reception
The nationwide tour of a traveling exhibit, “ Wisconsin’s Flying Trees: Wisconsin Plywood Industry’s Contribution to WWII,” will kick off with a reception at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) on Wednesday, January 31 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. more»

2006

Dec. 18, 2006
Scientist awarded Fellow position by key international organization dedicated to global science advancement
A U.S. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory scientist was recently elected by her peers as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). This appointment recognizes scientists whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished... more»

Nov. 1 , 2006
Scientist honored for greenhouse gas reduction research:
Team develops reporting guidelines for farms, forests
Ken Skog, a project leader and research economist with the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) here, was recently honored as part of a team that according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), “defined a new class of agricultural commodity – a greenhouse gas reduction credit”... more»

Oct. 11 , 2006
Advancing Renewable Energy: Component to maintaining healthy economy and security
By Dr. Chris Risbrudt, Director, US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory
A key component to maintaining our national security and the health of our nation’s economy rests on America’s ability to develop alternative sources of energy and fuel. Doing so will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. This week the Secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Energy and Agriculture are.... more»

Oct. 3 , 2006
Surprised to hear that wood propellers are still used by the military?
Phone call to USDA Forest Products Laboratory Rekindles their interest in wood propellers
In mid-July 2006, an anxious phone call from a leading manufacturer of airplane propellers to the US Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) rekindled FPL’s involvement with wood propellers and research to meet wartime needs of the U.S. military. more»

Sept. 28 , 2006

FPL Scientist honored for improving processes to make ethanol from wood
For more than 20 years, Dr. Thomas W. Jeffries, a research microbiologist at the US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wis., has sought to improve the process for making ethanol and other important chemicals from wood... more»

June 29 , 2006
GAO Evaluates Federal Support for Wood Utilization Research, Cites Reduced Funding Despite Increased International Competition
Noting that more wood is consumed every year in the United States than all metals, plastics and masonry cement combined, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report on federal research and product development activities related to the utilization of wood. more»

April 18, 2006
Conference on Nanotechnology for the Forest Products Industry Will Focus on Safety as Well as Technical Issues
When more than 150 researchers, business leaders and government officials gather in Atlanta later this month to examine nanotechnology and its global scientific and economic impact on forest products industries, one of the first topics they’ll consider will be potential environmental safety and health issues related to nanotechnology. more»

April 17, 2006
Haywood Habitat Affiliate to Reconstruct Uniquie Sustainable Resource House Previously Exhibited in Nation's Capital and Donated by US Forest Service and Industry Contributors
The Haywood County (N.C.) affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, in collaboration with the US Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory and Haywood Community College, will erect an unusual house in Canton next week, April 26-28. more»

April 6, 2006

FPL Researcher Receives Highest Honor from Wood Preservation Group
Jerrold E. Winandy, Ph.D., a research project leader at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wis., has been named to receive the 2006 Award of Merit from the American Wood Preservers’ Association (AWPA). more»

February 14, 2006
Researchers, Business Leaders to Explore Impact of Nanotechnology on Paper, Composites, and Lumber Industries
Recognizing that nanotechnology—the science of understanding and controlling extremely small pieces of matter that have unique and novel properties—could revolutionize forest products industries worldwide, the US Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) is cosponsoring a conference to examine global scientific and economic trends that are shaping future technologies and markets. more»

January 17, 2006
Wood Reinforced with Fiberglass Offers Environment-Friendly High-Strength
Material
Wood reinforced with fiberglass potentially offers “green”—or environment-friendly— products, according to a life-cycle inventory that investigated the energy consumed and environmental emissions produced during its premanufacture and manufacturing stages. more»

2005

December 5 , 2005
Released by the Xethanol Corporation--> DISCLAIMER»
Xethanol Corporation, Forest Products Laboratory finalize Cooperative Research, Development Agreement |Word Doc | PDF
Proprietary technologies for cost efficient production of xylitol
Xethanol Corporation, a biotechnology driven ethanol production company, announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Xylose Technologies, Inc., has finalized a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory located in Madison, Wisconsin. Dr. Thomas Jeffries, of the Institute for Microbial and Biochemical Technology at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, will... more»

November 22, 2005
Training New Orleans Inspectors to Evaluate Flood Damage to Wooden Homes
Hurricane cleanup is underway in New Orleans, but with so much damage by flood waters, thousands of homes and other buildings need to be inspected to answer the question: repair or demolish? Without physically going there, researchers from the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Madison and the University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) will be able to show New Orleans’ inspectors how to... more»

August 31, 2005
North American Softwood Sawmills Expand Capacity, Productivity
Economics, Demographics Point to Continued Demand
The North American softwood sawmill industry as a whole has grown about 2.4 percent per year since 1995. The U.S. half of the industry has grown nearly as fast and has recovered ground lost in the early 1990s, according to economists at the US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory. In a report issued this week, economists Henry Spelter and Matthew Alderman also report that conditions are favorable for continued long-term activity in housing and demand for softwood products. more»

August 29, 2005
Reducing Cost to Government for Printing Paper: Researchers Collaborate to Reduce Cost, Improve Paper Performance
Researchers at the US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory have joined with other federal agencies in an effort to reduce the economic costs and environmental impacts of the paper commonly used in government offices—while simultaneously optimizing the paper’s performance for government applications. more»

August 23, 2005--Released by the U.S. Senator for Indiana, Dick Lugar--> DISCLAIMER»
Lugar Announces US Forest Service Official to Visit Indiana |Word Doc | PDF |
U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar has announced that Michael A. Ritter, the U.S. Forest Service’s Assistant Director of the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Madison, Wisconsin, will visit Indiana on August 24 and 25 to tour wood product companies and conduct technology transfer meetings with Purdue University faculty and Indiana state government officials.

August 8, 2005
Forest Service Scientist Uses X-Rays To Understand Wood-Decay Mechanism
The innovative use of sophisticated physics technology by a US Forest Service biologist has led to fundamental advances in understanding the molecular and chemical processes involved in fungal wood decay, thereby opening the way to the development of new, environmentally preferable methods for protecting wood. The discoveries are considered important because nearly 10 percent of the 300 million tons of trees harvested annually in the United States are used to replace wood products damaged by decay. more»

July 1, 2005
Released by The Engineered Wood Association (APA) #2005-14--> DISCLAIMER»
Sustainable Resource House Links Forest Practices with Efficient Building Materials
(TACOMA) Thousands of visitors to our nation’s capital saw first hand the link between our forests, our homes, and green building practices in North America when they toured the Sustainable Resource House, a 1,200-square-foot wood demonstration house on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

June 29, 2005
USDA Forest Products Laboratory Researcher Presented Wood Engineering Achievement Award
Douglas R. Rammer, a research engineer at the US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory, has been awarded the Wood Engineering Achievement Award by the Forest Products Society. more»

June 22, 2005
FPL: Working With Industry To Build Better Houses For 95 Years
Since it was established 95 years ago, the US Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory has played an important role in developing and improving technologies used in constructing homes for Americans. more»

June 21, 2005
Forest Products Experts Set January Meeting to Study China Impact
To better understand the potential impact that China's rising investment in forestry and forest products will have on global markets... industries, policy-makers, researchers and economic-development specialists join manufacturers, consultants, and investors for a conference next year. more»

April 21 , 2005
Greater Madison Federal Agency Association Awards Luncheon
to recognize contributions of Madison-area federal employees and agencies to their customers on May 2. more»

April 18 , 2005
National Sustainable Forestry Center Gets First Staff Person: Forest Service Names Dockry to Work with Menominee, Other Tribes
The National Center for First American's Forestlands, located at College of the Menominee Nation in Keshena, Wis., has its first full-time staff member. more»