The Softwood Lumber Board Accelerates Lumber Demand Growth in the First Half of 2026

The Softwood Lumber Board
September 4, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) has released its Q2 2026 Report, highlighting strong progress in growing demand and expanding market opportunities for softwood lumber. Through the first half of 2026, SLB-funded programs generated more than 1 billion board feet of incremental lumber demand while continuing to strengthen wood’s competitive position through project conversions, education, market development, and codes and standards. 

Key Q2 highlights include:

  • SLB-funded programs generated 517 MM BF of incremental lumber demand in Q2
  • WoodWorks directly influenced 109 projects in Q2 and generated 220 MM BF of incremental lumber demand in Q2 
  • SLB Education continued scaling wood design knowledge among current and future practitioners.
  • Think Wood increased new contact acquisition 80% quarter over quarter and generated 8,785 new contacts in Q2. 
  • The American Wood Council secured key outcomes as the 2027 I-Code development cycle concluded
  • The SLB continued advancing its Accelerator Cities strategy
  • Across the SLB, AI-enabled tools are driving operational efficiency and reallocating resources toward market development. 

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