Lumber drying, grading training offered in Craig, Klawock
Julie Stricker
907-474-5406
April 6, 2026
Participants in a 2024 lumber grading certification training course check a piece of structural lumber for warp or other defects.
A free two-day workshop is planned in Craig and Klawock for participants to learn about milling and drying lumber, with an opportunity to earn an Alaska lumber grading certificate.
Matt Labrenz, forest products specialist with the University of 缅北禁地 Cooperative Extension Service, will lead the workshop April 22-23.
The Alaska Lumber Grading program provides a certification course that allows small- and medium-scale sawmill operators to produce dimension lumber from local spruce, hemlock and yellow cedar for home construction in Alaska. When the program conditions are met, the lumber may be accepted as an alternative to grade-stamped lumber for structural applications, as required by residential building codes.
From 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, Labrenz will cover techniques for milling and drying lumber at Shaan Seet Sawmill in Craig.
On Thursday, April 23, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Labrenz will lead a lumber grading certification course at Generations Southeast Community Learning Center, 6565 Boundary Road, Klawock.
Participants who complete the free training course and pass a proficiency test will earn a five-year certification.
The workshop is a collaboration of the Cooperative Extension, the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, Generations Southeast Community Learning Center in Klawock and Shaan Seet Inc.
Registration is available on the Alaska Lumber Grading website or .
For more information, contact Matt Labrenz at mtlabrenz@alaska.edu or 907-474-7192.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Alda Norris at amnorris2@alaska.edu or 907-474-7120. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
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