MADISON, Wis. — Robert “Bob” Ross is one of few people who would know where to find thousands of pounds of rare high-quality wood. As the acting assistant director of research with Madison’s Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), he knew just what to do when the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) called him asking for some.
“It’s very beautiful wood and when you put a finish on it, it’s just going to be absolutely gorgeous,” Ross said.
The FPL has a longstanding relationship with the DOD. Ross said when he got the call asking for wood to help repair some historic parts of the U.S. Capitol that were damaged in the January riots, he was excited to be a part of the process.
“It’s an incredibly humbling experience to think we are helping rebuild the Capitol. That’s the United States Capitol! That’s our house. That’s who we are,” Ross said.
The wood, originally sendt to the FPL for research into the design of airplane propellers used during World War I, sat in the basement of the building for 100 years.
“We conducted the research and published the reports,” Ross said. “When we got done with it, we kept the material.”
For a century, the wood sat without a purpose. Ross and his team sent over 3,000 pounds of the rare wood to D.C. The wood today is invaluable and unavailable at any price because of the tree’s international conservation status.
What once played a role in the foundation of protecting our country will now be used as the foundation of our future, ingrained in our nation’s home.
“To work on things that have a positive impact on people and have a positive impact on our natural resources is just a great feeling,” Ross said.
Repair work on the U.S. Capitol is expected to start in June.
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