WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King applauded a decision to approve Norway spruce as construction-grade dimensional lumber. Senators Collins and King commended a team of researchers from the University of Maine that conducted extensive testing on the wood species, which informed the decision by the American Lumber Standards Committee to approve Norway spruce for use in construction.  The decision will benefit Maine landowners, loggers, lumber mills, retailers, and builders.

“Approval of Norway spruce as construction-grade is exciting news for Maine’s forest products industry and is a perfect example of how research and business communities can work together to create economic opportunities,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “We applaud the team of researchers and students at the UMaine Composites Center whose hard work helped lead to this decision that will open doors for rural Maine.”

On October 30^th, The American Lumber Standards Committee approved the inclusion of Norway spruce in the Spruce-Pine-Fir South grouping of wood species for home construction and industrial applications. That decision was based in part on the testing done at the UMaine Composites Center on lumber milled from Norway spruce.

The team of UMaine staff and students was led by wood composites manager Russell Edgar and wood composites technician Jon Hill. The team tested 1,320 pieces of lumber from Norway spruce grown in Maine, Vermont, New York and Wisconsin.

For more information on the Norway spruce species and its approval for construction use, click HERE.

More information on the testing conducted at UMaine is available HERE.

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