California Air Resources Board

The Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI), North American Wood Pole Council (NAWPC), Treated Wood Council (TWC), and Railway Tie Association (RTA) are pleased to provide the following comments to the Implementation of the Carbon Capture, Removal, Utilization, and Storage Program: Senate Bill 905. Attached you will find information about how wood products can be used to help California achieve its carbon neutrality goal.

Wood products play a vital role for achieving California’s carbon neutrality goal. The electricity we use is provided via overhead power lines supported by preserved wood utility poles. Vessels that transport cargo rely on preserved wood pilings for many dock and port functions. Commerce is transported by trains which ride on rails built on preserved wood railway ties that create the foundation of the railroad tracks. Vehicles are kept safely on roads with guardrails mounted on preserved wood posts. Farmers and ranchers utilize preserved posts and poles to construct fences for the livestock we consume and to support the agriculture we eat. While preserved wood products have been essential to our daily lives for centuries, the need for them will continue to increase as California works to reduce and store greenhouse gas emissions.

Using wood products (over CO2-polluting materials, like steel, concrete, or composites) increases proper forest management which compounds carbon sequestration and carbon storage. By harvesting and replanting, carbon is transferred from the air to the forests, and then into durable products like utility poles, crossarms, railway ties, foundational pilings, and many other building materials. Without an emphasis on wood products, we don’t believe California will be able to reach its carbon neutrality goal.