PACOIMA : Lumber Industry Donates Supplies to Rebuild L.A.

In the first major post-riot relief for the San Fernando Valley, Rebuild L.A. is channeling $70,000 worth of supplies donated by the lumber industry to help build eight Pacoima townhouses for poor families.

The donation will enable Habitat for Humanity--a nonprofit international group whose most famous volunteer is former President Jimmy Carter--to complete its low-income condominium project, which depends largely on volunteer labor and gifts of building materials, Habitat executives said.

The donation by six lumber companies of beams, siding, insulation and wood chips for landscaping was put together by two trade groups--the California Forestry Assn. and the California Forest Products Commission.

The groups plan to donate more supplies to Rebuild L.A. not only to help revitalize the city, but to draw attention to what they believe is over-regulation of the lumber industry, a spokesman said.