CPA and its members continue to press their position on the USDA_s Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), as reflected in the high profile story prompted by CPA_s efforts that appeared in the Sunday edition of the Washington Post, on January 10.

See The Washington Post, page A3

The article examines BCAP and addresses the composite panel industry_s concern about the eligible materials list and its inclusion of _higher value_ wood, among other problems with the program. It also cites Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), who chaired the Senate Agriculture Committee during the writing of the 2008 Farm Bill upon which BCAP is based, as questioning whether BCAP is being implemented the way Congress intended.

The article is generating significant attention from the Washington political establishment, other business groups and the media, and pressure is building on USDA to respond constructively to industry_s concerns. It also was the second most viewed page on the WashingtonPost.com website on Sunday.