Kaufman, Centex to Reject Old-Growth Wood

Kaufman & Broad Home Corp. and Centex Homes, two of the nation’s largest home builders, announced they will eliminate the use of wood from old-growth forests in their new-home construction. Los Angeles-based Kaufman & Broad--which builds about 22,000 homes a year--in partnership with the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council, is developing a plan to phase out dozens of wood products from endangered forests, including Douglas fir and cedar. The company will phase in the use of wood harvested from alternative, young species and from engineered wood products. Dallas-based Centex Homes, in conjunction with a coalition of environmental groups and forest industry representatives, is developing a similar wood-purchasing policy.