Advocate for Sustainable Wood

Do you know where your project’s wood comes from?

“Sustainably managed” means different things in different parts of the country because forests are unique. In general, though, the American Forest Foundation defines it this way: “Sustainably produced wood comes from forests that are managed for a full range of benefits and functions – where forest owners work to protect clean water and wildlife habitat, replant after harvesting, and promote diversity while combating invasive species.”

The Colville National Forest in Northeastern Washington is one that is sustainably managed through a public-private partnership designed to serve multiple interests. When Sustainability Project Manager Emi LaFountain visited last year, she learned how sustainable forest management there includes efforts to minimize damage from fires common in West Coast forests. Management includes prescribed burns and thinning treatment so fires don’t spread out of control.

“It was interesting to see how public-private logging agreements and prescribed burning techniques like those at Colville help protect as much of the forest as possible,” she says.

How can we encourage more use of restoration wood harvested from sustainably managed forests in our projects? Emi offers the following tips:

• Ask architects to specify restoration wood.
• Request “blue-stained" wood,” a specific type that is discolored by fungus resulting from pine beetle boring. Work with the timber provider to make sure it’s graded as structurally equivalent to non-blue-stained wood, however.
• As individuals, vote for policies and politicians that fund and support forest restoration efforts.