USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service to begin referendum next month on lumber check-off program that will fund marketing plan, expand demand

Wendy Lisney

LOS ANGELES , April 19, 2011 (Forestweb) – The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service will begin the voting process next month on a lumber check-off program that would fund a marketing plan to expand lumber demand.

The voting process will begin on May 23 and end on June 10, , Random Lengths reported on April 18.

The service is currently making calls to verify the information it has compiled on the eligibility of each company to participate in the referendum.

Companies can also provide their information to USDA by phoning the softwood lumber hotline at 888-720-9917.

A copy of the Proposed Final Rule and referendum procedures to all companies in late April, and ballots and voting instructions will be mailed on May 16.

Votes will be tallied by both company and shipment volumes, and both categories will require a supporting majority for the referendum to pass.

Results of the vote will be released late in the week of June 13.

The primary source of this article is Random Lengths, Eugene, Oregon, on April 18, 2011.

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