More and more communities are looking for better ways to manage their urban forests. Whether that means seeking more eco-friendly options, or supporting more local initiatives, or both, developing a program to reclaim community wood will assist in reaching those goals.
Urbanwood isnt really much different from traditional wood. Its durable, beautiful and renewable. The only difference is that it doesnt come from typical forests or lumber yards. Rather, it grows in backyards, parks, and neighborhoods.
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John "Sawmill John" Haling is an urban sawyer in Michigan. Photo by Peter Hoffman.
Unfortunately, trees removed from our cities are often seen as waste, and generally end up in a chipper. Urbanwood programs seek to end this cycle, by working to save logs. This creates a wide variety of green products, conserves resources, and supports local jobs.
Turning an urban tree into a finished product is labor-intensive, but well worth the effort. Hazardous trees are removed due to death, disease, or development. Quality logs are handpicked and set aside. Local mills process the logs one at a time to preserve each ones unique character. The lumber from this waste wood becomes beautiful furniture or flooring for your home.
Furniture made from urban wood by designer Paul Hickman
Furniture made from urban wood by designer Paul Hickman
The U.S. Commerce Department found that 73,000 American furniture jobs were eliminated between 2000 and 2002. During the same period, U.S. sales of Chinese-made furniture exploded from $405 million to $5.82 billion.
Municipalities and urban areas can reach their environmental and think-local-first goals with an urbanwood program in more than one way. The most important aspect is to promote the highest and best use of a communitys wood resources. Secondly, by capturing the lumber value contained in trees and utilizing it within the communities it came from, jobs are created and dollars are kept right in the neighborhoods.
According to Jessica Simons, a project coordinator for the Southeast Michigan Resource Conservation and Development Councils Urbanwood program, Southeastern Michigans dead urban trees could produce enough lumber to build 362 average-sized homes each year.
Urbanwood is a natural choice for green building projects, because it conserves resources by keeping good wood from going to waste. Since all harvesting, processing, and sales happen locally, urbanwood products create fewer transportation emissions than other eco-friendly options.
In addition to the environmental and economic benefits, programs are rewarded through building connections between producers and end users. Urbanwood programs also increase the opportunity to enhance public understanding of sustainable working forests and landscapes.
Kitchen cabinets made from dead urban ash trees
Kitchen cabinets made from dead urban ash trees
To learn more about urbanwood programs that are currently in operation all over the country, visit the following Web sites:
Southeastern Michigan (http://urbanwood.org),
Mid-Atlantic region (http://www.urbanwoodexchange.org),
Los Angeles (http://www.urbanwoods.net),
Chicago (http://illinoisurbanwood.org)
Seattle and San Francisco (http://www.urbanhardwoods.com).
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