For 18 years, the Build Local Alliance (BLA) has been building connections between forest owners, mills, and wood consumers in northwest Oregon.  Sustainable Northwest Wood (SNWW) is proud to have been present at the founding and engaged throughout its growth. In fact, the inception and success of SNWW is partly the result of the inspiration and relationships fostered by the BLA.

For much of its history the BLA has relied heavily on the knowledge, leadership, and hard work of its volunteer board. Their commitment has been instrumental in composing the multitude of success stories that illustrate regional sustainable wood finding its way into local green building projects. However, the board has decided that a new model is needed for the BLA to sustain itself, grow, and continue delivering the inspiration, education and connections that have served it so well in the past.

Towards that end, the BLA has dissolved its non-profit governance structure and has asked Sustainable Northwest Wood to take the lead in delivering the important programmatic work of the Alliance. We are honored. As a mission-based and non-profit owned B-Corp, the work of the BLA has always been near to our heart. As a distributor interacting with so many components of the supply chain, we are fortunate to already be connected to many facets of the BLA’s work. That role, combined with a dedicated and amazing staff, puts us in a unique position to carry on and expand upon all that has been accomplished. Most importantly though, the close alignment of the two organizations’ missions makes the merging of our efforts a natural and hopefully seamless step.

The Build Local Alliance Mission – to improve the vitality of local forest and related human communities by connecting local responsibly grown and processed wood with local wood products.

The Sustainable Northwest Wood Mission – to foster a wood products community where each purchase for the built environment ensures resilience in the natural one.

The spirit and purpose of the BLA will remain intact, but there will be new communities brought into the fold. In the years ahead, expect the BLA’s range to expand to encompass juniper work in Central Oregon, small family forests of the Puget Sound, and tribes within the Umpqua Valley. We will engage wood working professionals at all levels, from our robust community of makers to large scale architects and general contractors. We will also acknowledge the critical role played by loggers and small mills, and do whatever we can to bring the next generation of innovative professionals into these fields.

Rest assured that the community fostered by the Build Local Alliance lives on. All of the hard work put in over the last 18 years is the foundation upon which we will build. It is our sincere hope that each of you stays as involved as you can, and we look forward to working together to usher in this next phase of the BLA. In the months ahead you can expect to hear from us on the specific activities and tours that we will plan and the various ways that you can stay involved.