Saitama Prefecture Sets Guidelines to Use Local Wood for Buildings

Saitama Prefecture in Japan announced that it has drawn up guidelines to promote the use of local wood for prefectural facilities. The guidelines will be applied from April 1, 2004.

The new guidelines aim to contribute to the creation of a recycling-based society, prevent global warming, provide a boost to the forestry and timber industries, and promote forest management, as well as provide healthy and comfortable public facilities for local residents.

The guidelines basically require that local lumber be used in new construction, renovations and additions done on prefectural buildings of two stories or less and 3,000 square meters or less in total floor area. They also call for wood to be actively used for the interiors and outer walls of schools, welfare and healthcare facilities, which are used extensively by children and the elderly, as well as other facilities frequented by local residents.

The guidelines also recommend that the prefecture's civil works or exterior construction projects actively use locally grown timber, including wood from the thinning of plantation forests and wooden products. In prefectural facilities, the use of local wood is encouraged in, for example, desks, chairs, room-identification plates and stationery. In addition, the guidelines call for the careful use of paints and adhesives to prevent the "sick building syndrome" and to make it easier to recycle the wood.

Japan is one of the most forested countries in the world, having 67 percent of the land covered with forests. Japan's timber self-sufficiency, however, is less than 20 percent, as a result of declining prices paid to producers of domestic timber and the importing of cheap timber from overseas. This situation makes it difficult to manage the country's extensive plantations, and leads to poorly-maintained forests and threats to land conservation. To address these problems, many municipalities have promoted the use of local wood in public works projects.



Posted: 2004/02/18 09:03:59 AM
Japanese version