(Coeur d’Alene) Shawn Inman was officially announced as the organization’s new executive director Friday, October 29 at the Idaho Board of Scaling Practices (IBSP) meeting. Inman will officially begin his duties as the new executive director on November 14.

Inman replaces Russ Hogan, the retiring executive director who has worked for IBSP for 26 years. Hogan’s last day is November 15.

“The Idaho Department of Lands, as well as the Idaho Board of Scaling Practices, thanks Russ Hogan for his dedication, expertise, and knowledge of scaling practices,” said Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller. “I’m confident Shawn Inman will succeed in well-serving our state and forest products industry.”

What is the Idaho Board of Scaling Practices? It is an independent state agency attached to the Idaho Department of Lands for administrative purposes. The primary purpose of the Board is to enforce log scaling standards prescribed by statute and regulations.

What is log scaling? Log scaling probably began around two hundred years ago. As sawmills arrived on the scene, it became necessary to have some means of log measurement. In its simplest terms, scaling provides the means for establishing log value.

Why is it important? Determining fair log value is important for the state of Idaho, and particularly to forestland owners. The board enforces log scaling standards prescribed by law, and tests and licenses scaling practitioners. Scaling is also crucial to the Idaho Department of Lands, which generates revenue from endowment lands through timber sales. Timber revenue and fair log scaling helps fund Idaho schools and other state agencies.

Also at Friday’s meeting, Alan Harper was sworn in as a member of the Idaho Board of Scaling Practices. Harper was reappointed to his second three-year term on the board by Governor Brad Little. Harper represents manufacturers utilizing more than 100 million board feet of logs per year.