Welcome to the Intermountain Roundwood Association website.

The Intermountain Roundwood Association (IRA) represents firms engaged in the harvesting, production and marketing of roundwood and associated products, materials and supplies. Through education and training, we also help members and consumers stay current on industry trends and new advancements in wood products technology.

Here you’ll find valuable information about treated and untreated wood fence posts and poles, log and fencing products for farm, ranch and home, fence gates and archways, livestock and corral posts, hand and deck railings, log and rustic furniture, guardrail posts, pole barns and gazebos, wood preservative, tree stakes and vineyard poles, and more.

34th Annual Meeting set for March 8-9 in Missoula

IRA will hold its 34th annual meeting March 9-10 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Missoula, MT. You can register for the meeting online at: https://wwpi.regfox.com/ira-annual-meeting-2023. In addition to registering for the meeting, you can also renew your IRA membership, be a sponsor for the event or sign up for an exhibit table during the meeting.

Registration fees are $30 for IRA members and $45 for non-members.You can help sponsor the meeting for $100 and if you are a vendor, tables are available for $50. The registration form also allows you to renew your IRA Member Dues of $125 for 2023. All registration fees and dues can be paid via credit card. Please note a small fee will be charged for credit card processing.

This year's meeting opens on Wednesday March 8 with a Social Buffet Dinner, sponsored by our good friends at Koppers Performance Chemicals. We have a great lineup of topics and speakers for the meeting on Thursday, March 9, including:

• - Market and legislative update on Ag Industry by Jay Bodner, Montana Stock Growers Association
• - Post & Pole Manufacturers Survey - Steve Courtney, The Beck Group
• - Federal Legislation and Forest Management - Nick Smith, Heathy Forests, Healthy Communities
• - University of Montana Economic Research - Todd Morgan, University of Montana
• - State of Ag Industry, State Legislative Update - Scott Kullbeck, Montana Farm Bureau

Real value of treated roundwood

Properly treated roundwood posts and poles are the preferred choice of the agricultural industry for fencing and other ranch and farm projects.

These materials are also popular for ranchette perimeter fencing, and are frequently specified by highway and park departments.

Preservative-treated posts and poles are strong, attractive, easy to install and feature a long service life. Properly treated wood is safe for the environment and utilizes sustainable, renewable resources to meet many agricultural and fencing needs.

Roundwood posts and poles are made from Aspen, Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine and Douglas fir timber. They are often manufactured from timber that is too small to cut into lumber products.

The benefits of preserved wood posts and poles include:

Long service life reduces costs - Preservative treating can extend the life of a lodgepole pine pole to nearly 40 years vs. 4-12 years for an untreated pole. The significant reduces the cost of materials, installation and replacement labor.

Superior strength - Roundwood posts provide a higher strength-to-weight ratio compared to iron or steel. A 2-1/2-inch wood post can withstand a force of 400 lbs. or more applied 48 inches above the ground line, while steel posts will fail at 300 lbs.

Easy to install - Quality roundwood posts are straight, have minimal taper and are easy to use. They can be installed using a tractor-mounted post pounder or auger.

Holds well in soil - Preserved wood posts and poles stay in the ground better because more surface area is in contact with the surrounding soil. In even slightly sandy soil, steel posts become unstable while properly installed wood posts stay solid in the ground.

Natural beauty - The warm colors and wood grain of wood posts and poles provide a natural look in the landscape, blending seamlessly with their surroundings.