The American Lumber Standard Committee Incorporated (ALSC), is a non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Maryland. The ALSC, comprised of manufacturers, distributors, users, and consumers of lumber, serves as the standing committee for the American Softwood Lumber Standard (Voluntary Product Standard 20) and in accordance with PS 20, administers an accreditation program for the grademarking of lumber produced under the system. That system, the American Lumber Standard (ALS) system, is an integral part of the lumber industry's economy and is the basis for the sale and purchase of virtually all softwood lumber traded in North America. The ALS system also provides the basis for acceptance of lumber and design values for lumber by the building codes throughout the United States.