PLIB has received notice from the American Lumber Standards Committee in regards to a new European Union (EU) debarking requirement.  Starting July 1, 2009 lumber used in wood packaging, including dunnage, that is shipped to the countries of the EU will be subject to the following bark limitations.  Bark 3 cm or less in width can be unlimited in length, if over 3 cm wide bark patch is limited to 50 square centimeters or approximately credit card size.

PLIB Holds Semi-annual Board of Directors Meeting

  The PLIB Board of Directors met on December 3rd, 2008 at the Radisson Hotel in SeaTac, Washington for their regularly scheduled semi-annual meeting. Items that were considered by the Board new dues rate for Wood Packaging Manufacturers, CE Marking, California Wildland Interface regulations, changes in the IRS reporting requirements for not-for-profit organizations, approval of new members and the 2009 budget. 
  The PLIB Board of Directors consists of Bob Waltz Jr. (President), Dave Poggemoeller (Vice-President), Paul Beltgens, Eric Fritch, Jim Hallstrom, Jim Manke, Greg Mobley, Tom Rogers, Ted Smith, and John Thorlakson. Approved minutes from the meeting will be available to members through this web site by logging in and visiting the Members Only tab.  

PLIB Ready to Support Members with the CE Mark

  The European Union (EU) has delayed the implementation date of the CE Marking requirement from September 1, 2009 to September 2012.  The EU will require that all structural lumber be marked with a special CE Mark that identifies that the lumber complies with EN 518 requirements. The mark includes information such as the identification number of the Notified Body, producer information, document code information and the special CE mark. Any mill shipping structural lumber into the European Union will need to stamp their product with the CE Mark before the deadline.
  The CE Mark will only be available to those agencies that have been recognized and accredited by one of the approved European Notified Bodies. PLIB, through the Canadian Lumber Standards Accreditation Board, will be approved for CE Marking and will be prepared to issue CE Marks to PLIB member mills (Canadian and U.S.) well before the deadline.  Several Canadian Lumber producers have begun CE marking and will continue to do so, as many customers are requesting it.  PLIB currently has two mills that have been issued CE marks.  Any mill that is interested in the CE Marking program or that needs the CE Mark for their export products should call Jeff Fantozzi at the PLIB Head Office (253) 835-3344 for more information.         

Use of Non-HT Bottom Bunks & Dunnage

 Recently, cases of pinewood nematode and other non-quarantine nematodes have been reported in heat treated wood packaging certified under the ISPM-15 program. The American Lumber Standards Committee (ALS) has investigated and collected samples to determine that it is likely a result of storing heat treated lumber on non-heat treated bottom bunks or dunnage between units. Samples collected toward the center of units tested negative for nematodes while many of the samples collected from boards in direct contact with the non-heat treated pieces tested positive.
  Wood packaging material found to contain the pinewood nematode or other non-quarantine nematodes are generally rejected by foreign governments as a sign of non-compliance. PLIB is recommending that all heat treated lumber be stored on heat treated bottom bunks and dunnage in order to avoid such problems.
  We would like to assist ALS in studying this problem over time and would ask that any facility currently storing HT lumber in this manner to let us know so that we can determine how widespread this practice is. This notice is intended to be for informational purposes only; no action is required at this time.
  For more information about this please contact Ben Haynes at (253) 835-3344.

Head Office to Move to New Location

  After 8 years in our little office by the pond, PLIB is moving down the street to a new location. Please note that the move to the new office takes place on July 15th, 2008; after which our current address will no longer be used. All invoices, bill payments, and other accounting necessities need to be sent to our new location. Our office phone, fax, and emails will all remain the same, and are listed below as reference.

Our new address is:
1010 S 336th St Ste. #300
Federal Way, WA 98003

Phone: (253) 835-3344
Fax: (253) 835-3371

If there are any questions please do not hesitate to give us a call.

PLIB Says Goodbye to Tye...

  PLIB will say goodbye to Tye Graham in mid-May as he leaves PLIB to pursue a law degree at Seattle University.  Tye has been with the Bureau since 2003 and with his computer background, he has held a wide variety of responsibilities, including computer programming and IT, clerical, administrative assistant and more recently the Manager of the Wood Packaging program.  Please join us as we wish Tye all the best in his future endeavors – we will miss him!         

...and Hello to Ben and Jessica

  Effective April 1st, Benjamin (Ben) R. Haynes joined the PLIB staff as the new Technical and Special Programs Manager.  Ben earned a B.S. degree from Iowa State in Forestry and Wood Science.  Previously he worked in the quality control division of Timber Products Inspection supervising and monitoring wood packaging, pressure treated lumber and truss manufacturing facilities in the Midwest region.  Most recently he was Senior Technician for SECOR International in Portland, OR.  In his new role with PLIB, Ben will be responsible for managing the wood packaging program in the U.S. and the treated wood program in Canada.  In addition, he will be representing PLIB and its members on numerous industry technical committees such as ALS, NLGA, American Wood Council and ASTM and will be responsible for overseeing the MSR and finger-jointed lumber programs of the Bureau.  Ben will be located in the PLIB Head Office in Federal Way, WA and can be reached at (253) 835-3344 and at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The new voice you may hear answering the PLIB phones is probably that of Jessica Tinsley.  Jessica began her training with PLIB on April 14th and will be taking over reception and clerical duties that will include certificate processing, stamp order processing and grade survey data entry.  Jessica will be working in the afternoons on Monday through Friday while she attends Highline Community College to pursue her AA degree.  Jessica can be reached at (253) 835-3344 and at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it    

Don Roberts Set to Retire in June

  Don Roberts, long time PLIB Supervisor, will be retiring from his full-time duties on June 30, after which he will continue to work as a Supervisor on a part-time basis for a period of time.  More information on Don’s retirement arrangements and reception will be sent to all PLIB members and subscribers next month.

Member Changes

  The Portac sawmill in Tacoma shut its doors and turned in their grade stamps in April. Portac, Inc., a PLIB member since 1991, manufactured primarily Douglas fir structural lumber and timbers for domestic and Japanese markets. The ailing lumber market, log supply issues and pressure from the Port of Tacoma all contributed to the closure. PLIB is grateful for Portac’s loyal support over the past 17 years and wishes all employees the best. Weyerhaeuser’s new sawmill in Lebanon, OR began producing lumber on a limited basis in April. The new mill is located on the same site as the former Bauman sawmill (formerly Willamette Industries) and will produce 2x4 and 2x6 dimension lumber. PLIB supervisors Don Roberts and Glen Walton have been on site providing assistance with grade optimization and grade stamping during the start-up.

New “CE Mark” Required for Structural Lumber & Timbers Headed for Europe

  All structural lumber landing in the EU after September 1st, 2008 must incorporate the "CE Mark".  This includes any lumber graded under the National Grading Rule (NGR) and any larger dimension structural lumber like post & timbers and beams & stringers. For the time being, non-structural items such as appearance grades for things like door and window stock, sidings, moldings, etc. are exempt from this marking requirement. The CE Mark is a separate and unique mark that will be applied to the lumber.   PLIB will soon be authorized (through the Canadian Lumber Standards Accreditation Board) to provide the CE Mark to member mills that wish to participate in this program.  We anticipate the CE mark may be available by the end of April.  If you are interested in participating in the CE Marking program, if you think you may be shipping structural grade lumber to the European market in the future, or if you have any questions, please contact the PLIB head office immediately.  The September 1 deadline may mean that some mills will need to begin stamping with the CE mark by June.