Vilsack on Bark Beatles

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack discussed the problems with bark beetles on our nation's forests. I asked if there were any significant research or efforts towards eliminating bark beetles. The USDA has invested roughly $100 million per year in helping the forests that have been impacted by the bark beetle more resilient and we are trying to restore those forests. The challenge is to find a way in which we can use the diseased wood which in turn creates an economic incentive to remove the diseased wood and replace it with new trees. That's why I am excited about the cross lamination timber opportunity because you start building army barracks or multistory high rise apartment complexes or office buildings made not from concrete or steel but from wood, not only are you going to create something that is really pleasing to look at but you are also going to be able to store that carbon indefinitely. You're not going to see it burn up in a horrific forest fire.