The newly launched and reinvigorated Federal Timber Purchasers Coalition (FTPC) formalizes and builds upon the important work of the original Committee.  
FTPC was originally formed in 1962 (called the Federal Timber Purchasers “Committee”) at the behest of then-Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman who sought a group to be the principal point of contact and communication between the Forest Service and the forest products industry relating to timber sales and timber sale contracts.
Over the last 50+ years, the Committee served as an informal, but effective, forum for the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, and federal timber purchasers to convene and discuss issues relevant to the federal timber program.  
For decades, and across Democratic and Republican Administrations and Congresses, the Committee worked together to solve technical and contractual challenges to help improve stewarding federal forests and the working relationship between federal agencies and private sector partners on the ground. 
Since its creation in the 1960s, the Committee was managed under the umbrella of various forest products industry trade associations, including most recently by the Federal Forest Resource Coalition (FFRC).  In January 2026, the FFRC Board of Directors voted unanimously to transition FFRC into FTPC complete with an organizational name change, updated Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, and a new governance structure.  
FTPC will now be governed by a five-person, voluntary, working Board of Directors with national reach and representation, including:

  • Travis Joseph, FTPC President of the Board, President/CEO of the American Forest Resource Council
  • Tim O’Hara, FTPC Vice President of the Board, President of the Forest Resources Association
  • Ben Wudtke, FTPC Secretary/Treasurer, Executive Director of the Intermountain Forest Association
  • Max Braswell, FTPC Board Member, Executive Vice President of the Arkansas Forestry Association
  • Richard Schwab, FTPC Board Member, M.A. Rigoni Inc, representing the American Loggers Council