Redwood Forests Certified
for Sustainable Harvests

Four of every five acres of commercial redwood forest are now independently certified as well managed and harvested on a sustainable basis. The major redwood lumber mills and landowners have completed independent third-party certification of their redwood forestlands. As a result, over 1 million acres, approximately 80 percent of the available redwood commercial forest are certified under one of the two most widely recognized certification programs: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI SM ) program.

There are 1.74 million acres (1) of Coastal Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forests on California’s north coast. About 26 percent, or 450,000 acres of these forests are preserved in national, state and municipal parks, national monuments and other administratively withdrawn lands (2) where harvesting is prohibited.

Of the remaining 1.29 million acres where harvesting can take place, approximately 1.03 million acres (3) (80 percent) are currently being well managed according to independent third-party certification programs.

Forest certification provides consumers with assurance that the redwood products they purchase have been harvested in an environmentally sound manner. The basic tenants of certification programs include:

sustainable forestry
prompt reforestation
protection of water quality
enhancement of wildlife habitat
minimizing the visual impact of harvesting
protection of unique sites
improvements in wood utilization
These voluntary third-party certification programs are in addition to the mandatory requirements of California’s Forest Practices Act, recognized as the most thorough timber harvesting regulation in North America. Section 913 of the Forest Practices Act requires that any company owning commercial forests greater than 50,000 acres prepare a Sustained Yield Plan. These plans must project an equal balance of growth and harvest over a 100 year period while ensuring sustainability of all forest resources, including wildlife, watershed and soil.

References:

1 U.S. Forest Service Inventory and Analysis, Pacific Northwest Forest Range and Experiment Station, Portland Oregon reporting 1,244,000 acres with a plurality of redwood trees and another 496,000 acres with redwood present. (See also Fox III, Lawrence, “A Classification, Map and Volume Estimate for the Coast Redwood of California,” 1988, revised Oct. 1989, Humboldt State University, Arcata, Calif., with California Department of Forestry; reporting a plurality of redwoods on 1,663,000 acres and occurring on another 287,000 acres.)

2 Solinsky, Frank and Dean, Consulting Foresters, Trinidad, “Acreage and Volume of Coast Redwood Timber in Public Ownership In California”, Sept., 1990. (More recently withdrawn acreage added.)

3 Forest Stewardship Council, www.fscoax.org. American Forest & Paper Association’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI SM) Program, www.afandpa.org/forestry/sfi or www.aboutsfi.org.

Installing Wood Siding

By Tim Carter
©1993-2009 Tim Carter

Summary: Wood siding has been used on houses for hundreds of years. Engineered wood siding is an improvement on traditional siding as it allows us to make the most of our natural resources. If you want the best exterior wood siding, look for wood that contains natural preservatives and has vertical grain. Western cedar is a great wood siding species.

DEAR TIM: The house I grew up in had traditional wood lap siding. It seemed to wear like iron and it has a fantastic traditional look and feel. I would like to install some on a new home and wonder if it is still available and what is the best way to install it. Perhaps the biggest question is how do I make sure that paint will never peel or blister on this new wood siding? Phoebe H., Palo Alto, CA

DEAR PHOEBE: You know what they say don’t you? Imitation is the highest form of flattery. It seems like all of the non-wood siding products for years have copied the lap wood siding look. Aluminum, fiber cement and vinyl siding have had imitation lap sidings for years. This tells you that not only is the wood siding a timeless material, the lap siding look is perhaps the most popular. My wife and I love the real lap wood siding on our own home.

Lap wood siding is still available but you have to be sure you buy the right one. I prefer wood products that include preservatives injected by Mother Nature. Cedar and redwood are two such sidings. Both of these wood species have a considerable amount of natural preservatives. You may find other soft or hardwood siding materials, but only buy them if you can be sure they have been treated against wood rot.

 

Installing wood siding takes time and is not hard to do. Note the painted ends of the pieces behind my head. Each end is painted before the siding is nailed to the wall. PHOTO BY: Kathy Carter

Be sure to discuss wood grain orientation with the siding salesperson. The best wood siding has vertical grain. Less expensive wood sidings will sport flat grain. You can easily tell a vertical grain wood siding if you look at a freshly cut end. If you see ten, twenty or even 50 of the dark tree rings on the cut edge, the siding is indeed vertical grain. Flat grain wood siding may only have one, two or three dark tree rings visible on the end of a piece of siding. The vertical grain wood siding is more stable and the grain will not raise on the flat surface that you see once it is installed. 

Before you even think of nailing up your first piece of siding, there is a critical step you must follow. The wood siding needs to be primed on both sides and all edges before it is installed. Furthermore, each time you cut a piece of siding and are sure it is the correct length, those exposed cut ends must be painted before the siding is nailed to the wall. These critical painting steps help ensure the finish coat of paint will never peel or blister. I feel the best finish paint to use is one that is a blend of acrylic and urethane resins.

If the back and edges of the wood siding are not painted and water soaks into the wood, paint failure is an almost certainty. The water in the wood wants to get back into the atmosphere and it works its way to the front surface of the siding. Once there, warmth, wind and direct sunlight cause the water in the siding to form a vapor which can actually create a real blister in the finish paint. If you paint the back and edges of the siding, water can’t get into the wood in the first place.

The sides of the house must also be covered with a water barrier such as traditional asphalt-saturated felt paper or some of the modern synthetic fiber woven water and air barriers. You must use metal flashings and special drip caps moldings above horizontal trim boards, windows, doors and any other dissimilar material other than the siding. The flashings and drip caps help direct water away from the siding and prevent water from getting behind the siding or any trim boards used with the siding.

Be sure the first piece of wood siding or the lowest wood trim board laps over your foundation at least one inch. Water is your worst enemy and you want to ensure that water gets away from the siding and foundation of your home as quickly as possible. Follow all building codes with respect to the height above grade where the siding must start. Not all codes are the same, but I would not have the wood siding any closer to the soil than six inches. The greater the distance between the soil and the first piece of wood the better. If you can adjust your foundation height so there is a ten or twelve-inch space between wood and soil, do so.

 

Here is the finished product. Isn’t this a handsome garden shed? The wood siding and all trim details match my house perfectly. PHOTO BY: Tim Carter

The nails you use for wood siding are very important. The best nails are specific siding nails which have very blunt points and are made from stainless steel. These nails also have stacked rings on the shank of the nail for extra gripping power. Siding nails often have smaller heads as well so they are not that obvious if you install them flush with the surface of the wood siding. On painted siding, I always countersink the nail and fill the resulting hole with exterior spackling compound. 

To make sure the wood siding does not fall off the wall over time, be sure the nails used are long enough. The nail must pass through the siding, then pass through any sheathing such as plywood, foam board or oriented strand board and finally into a wood wall stud. The nail needs to penetrate the wood stud at least one and one-quarter inch. Do the math and you will discover it is best to use a nail that is 2.5 inches long.

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• Survey Says: Dealers Are Slowly Getting Greener, but Skepticism Persists

  In March 2009, PROSALES magazine conducted an online survey of LBM dealers, distributors, and manufacturers regarding the state of the green construction movement in their communities as well as whether they had taken action to green their own operations. The Survey indicates dealers are getting more active in green issues, even though a significant number say there’s little demand to do so. A small majority of dealers responding to the nationwide, online poll said they’re getting asked more often these days about green, but 41% still categorize interest in their area as nonexistent or barely there. To check out how dealer responses from our area compared to the rest of the nation, click HERE.

• The Many Shades of Green

With all the buzz on all things green, most of us now understand the basic concept. But do any of us know exactly what “green building” means, and do we have answers for the questions our customers are asking? Click HERE for full article.

What the Experts Say –

Dovetail Partners is a nonprofit organization that fosters sustainability and responsible behaviors by collaborating to develop unique concepts, systems, models and programs. Jim L. Bowyer, Professor Emeritus, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota; President, Bowyer & Associates, Inc. – a wood science and bioenergy consulting firm; and Director, Responsible Materials Program, Dovetail Partners, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota, explains what’s all this means to our industry and our region. The following articles were authored by Dr. James Bowyer. Biomass Energy – An Emerging Opportunity for the Forest and Agricultural Sectors A marked shift toward greater use of renewable energy is underway. A key element of renewable energy development is biomass, which today provides about one-half of renewable energy generation nationwide. To balance societal needs for renewable, less polluting energy sources with desires for healthy and diverse forests, one approach taken in Minnesota was the development of “Biomass Harvesting Guidelines.” Click HERE for full article. Green Building Programs, Are They Really Green? This article examines and explains the many different green building programs. The author, Jim L. Bowyer, is Professor Emeritus, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota; President, Bowyer & Associates, Inc. – a wood science and bioenergy consulting firm; and Director, Responsible Materials Program, Dovetail Partners, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota. Click HERE for full article.

• The NLBMDA Outlook

   

1. IS THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG? - Op/Ed by Valerir R. Hansen, LBMI Trustee

Today our industry is experiencing the most significant housing downturn in at least a generation. We’re also at the threshold of a new era in American home building, one that will spin off new construction methods, new materials, and require a new attention to process – or a return of old-fashioned craftsmanship. It’s time for lumber dealers, truss manufacturers, and the ALSC to take the leadership in establishing an eco-standard for dimensional lumber. CLICK HERE FOR REST OF ARTICLE

2. LBMI Formal Request to the ALSC 

The Lumber and Building Materials Institute (LBMI), the research and education foundation of the NLBMDA, and the LBMI Green Building Council, respectfully request the American Lumber Standards Committee (ALSC) to adopt a new eco-forest management standard, accredit agencies to certify the standard, and establish a corresponding eco-label (grade stamp). CLICK HERE FOR REST OF ARTICLE

• Green Links

Click HERE for links to other sustainble building web sites and certification links.

• FSC-Certified Suppliers

Click HERE to view a list of companies that have notified NLA that they have received Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody certification.

• Green Education

“Certified Green Dealer™” Program

The NLA is pleased to announce a new program available to NLA members! The new “Certified Green Dealer™” program is designed to train, test, and certify the nation’s lumber and building material dealers on green building techniques and green products. Check out the ad below, or click HERE for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Key Facts on Sustainable Forestry in Canada

Size
About half of Canada’s land mass is covered by forest, that is approximately 417 million hectares. Only ¼ of Canada’s forests are dedicated to forest management (119 million hectares), the remainder, for example, is either protected from harvesting, is of a non-commercial quality, or is commercial but not yet accessed or allocated.

Ownership
94% percent of Canada’s forests are publicly owned, while the remaining 6% is private property belonging to more than 425,000 landowners.

Harvest Levels
Canada harvests less than ½ of 1% of its commercial forest area each year, or ¼ of 1% of its total forest area. Moreover, it grows twice as much timber as it harvests. About ½ of the Canadian forest will NEVER be harvested. That never-to-be-logged Canadian forest is larger than California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana combined.

Fire, Insects & Disease
Did you know that Canada harvests less of its commercial forest each year (0.4%) than is taken by fire, insects and disease (0.5%).

Regeneration
By law all forests harvested on Canada’s public lands must be replaced. . More than half of the area harvested in Canada is left to regenerate naturally. Many tree species can reestablish themselves on a site without planting or seeding. These natural mechanisms include seeding from the adjacent forest, suckering of stumps and roots, and growth of young trees remaining on the harvested area. In summary, regeneration is accomplished by natural regeneration (53%), planting (43%), and aerial seeding (4%).
An Abundant and Growing Forest
The area of trees growing in Canada is growing not shrinking. In fact, during the 5 year period, 1990-1995, the United Nations FAO estimated a net increase of 4% in the area of trees growing in Canada’s commercial forests.
Helping Our Climate
Trees are living plants that ‘breathe’ to help them grow. As they breathe, they remove unwanted carbon dioxide from the air – a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming – and replace it with life sustaining oxygen.
Park System
Canada is the world leader in terms of area dedicated to its national and provincial park system for the use and enjoyment of Canadians and citizens around the world. Its national and provincial parks alone occupy some 56.8 million hectares. Compare that to the area of forests managed primarily for wood production in Canada – 119 million hectares – and one can quickly see that Canada’s forests are maintained for a variety of values and uses.
Original Forest Cover
Almost half of the Earth’s original forest cover is gone, much of it destroyed within the past three decades. In contrast, Canada has maintained over 90% of its forest cover and it has done so while being one of the world’s largest producers of high-quality forest products.
Forest Certification
Certification provides proof that forests are being managed by an independent 3rd party audit. Currently, if including CSA, SFI, FSC and ISO 14001 certifications, Canada has certifications covering some 115 million hectares of forest land- the largest certified forest area in the world! If however, one considers only those certifications to forestry-specific standards such as CSA, SFI, FSC, Canada has over 25 million hectares of forest land certified – of which 1 million is certified to FSC (see next bullet). However, the area of certifications to forestry-specific standards (CSA, SFI, FSC) is scheduled to grow considerably by 2006 given a new commitment by the Board of FPAC. It is also important to remember that the vast majority of wood coming from Canada’s forests are well-managed, certified or not. For more information on the forestry specific standards noted above or on forest management certification status in Canada, visit www.CertificationCanada.org.

FSC Forest Certification
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is not practical for small 10-100 acre parcels of land which are the primary source of high value hardwood in Canada. Costs to implement and maintain an FSC certification would be higher than the value of product derived. To be brief, FSC on small private lands managed for timber is conceptually unworkable in Canada. This point is made given that many environmental organizations lobby purchasers of Canadian forest products to specify FSC certified wood – this is an unrealistic demand for most small private woodlots in Canada. It should also be noted that even large scale commercial forestry operations in Canada for the most part are not pursuing FSC certifications for a variety of reasons. To date, 1 million of 25 million hectares of certified forest land in Canada is certified to the FSC Principles.

Key Facts on Sustainable Forest Products in Canada

What are the ATHENA™ Sustainable Materials Institute’s Life Cycle Facts in Support of Wood over Competing Products?

Total energy use: The wood building used the least energy. The concrete option required 1.7 times the energy for wood. The steel option required 2.4 times the energy. Wood simply does not require much energy to manufacture.

Greenhouse gases: The wood building had the lowest greenhouse gas emissions. The steel building generated 1.45 times and the concrete building generated 1.81 times the greenhouse gases for wood.

Air pollution: The wood design had the lowest air pollution index. The steel building produced 1.42 times and the concrete building produced 1.67 times the air pollution index.

Solid waste: The wood design had the lowest solid waste. This takes into account both manufacturing and on-site construction waste. Steel produced 1.36 times and the concrete produced 1.96 times the solid waste. This means there is virtually no waste during the manufacturing process and the use of engineered wood products has radically reduced the on-site construction waste.

Ecological Resource Use: The wood design had the lowest ecological resource use index. Steel was 1.16 times and concrete was 1.97 times the index for wood. This factor compares the long-term effects of resource extraction. Although forestry affects a large area, reforestation means the effects are short term. Sustainable forest management practices help ensure that disruption is minimized.

Conclusion: The office building built with wood had lower environmental impact for energy use, greenhouse gases, air and water pollution and ecological resource extraction than the steel or concrete building. A similar case study of residential buildings (comparing wood, steel and concrete construction) produced similar findings in terms of wood’s superior environmental performance.

What are some of the key sustainable wood product messages that the Wood Promotion Network?

N. America’s forests are abundant and growing, based on satellite imagery.

Wood is the best insulator against heat and cold, which makes it the most energy efficient material that can help keep home energy bills in check.

Regardless of market volatility, wood is the most affordable building material you can use. Framing an average 3-bedroom home can cost up to 30% less with wood versus other framing materials.

New innovations in engineered wood products and pre-made panels and trusses help builders and homeowners keep framing costs down.

The production and use of wood is easier on the environment than any other building material. It takes less non-renewable fossil fuels and less energy to produce wood framing materials than alternative framing materials.

Wood is the world’s only 100% renewable building material and is manufactured with the organic power of solar energy.

Wood is the only major building material that is renewable. Canada’s sustainably managed forests ensure that there is an ample supply. New manufacturing technology allows every part of the tree to be used so that nothing is wasted. Advanced engineered wood products make use of fast growing species to produce high strength products without requiring large dimension timbers to meet building needs.

Group buys forest to log, shield it from development
By Tim Reiterman
June 15, 2007

With 100% financing from the Bank of America, a nonprofit conservation group has purchased 50,000 acres of redwood forest along the Mendocino County coast north of Fort Bragg for $65 million and plans to use it for commercial timber harvesting while shielding the land from development.

“We know that this property without protection would have been subdivided into smaller parcels,” Art Harwood, a sawmill operator and president of the Redwood Forest Foundation, told reporters Thursday in the redwood grove outside the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. “Every year in the U.S., millions of acres of forest are bought and sold, and the pressure is particularly high in Northern California.”

Bank and foundation officials said the deal is the first of its kind that relies entirely on private financing.

However, much of the debt is to be paid through the sale of a conservation easement to another nonprofit group that plans to seek state funding.

Harwood said the land, acquired from Hawthorne Timber Co., was heavily logged in the 1980s and ’90s and now consists primarily of second-growth redwood and Douglas fir. “There are a few old-growth trees scattered out there, but we will not be cutting them,” he said.

Foundation officials said they plan to do very little logging at first, and never on more than 3% of the property a year to ensure a long-term supply of jobs and timber. The Redwood Forest Foundation, which is dedicated to restoring working forests, plans to use logging revenue to help pay off the 20-year loan.

The foundation, based in the southern Mendocino County town of Gualala, intends to sell the conservation easement to the Conservation Fund, which plans to use state money approved by voters last year in Proposition 84, the clean water, parks and coastal bond measure.

“We haven’t negotiated the cost of the easement and the terms,” said Chris Kelly, who manages California operations for the fund. “But our intention is to have an agreement allowing no subdivision, development or conversion to non-forest uses, and possibly there will be a cap on harvesting.”

The land is north of Fort Bragg and about 50 miles north of two other parcels purchased recently by the Conservation Fund.

03/26/2009 -  Despite the failing economy over the past year cedar prices have remained somewhat stabile and will even begin to rise in the coming months as demand starts to rise again.  Cedar siding, both in western red cedar and incense cedar, is a very popular way to side a custom home or to reside an existing home in a makeover.  What makes cedar such a great product is its long-term sustainability in respect to insects and weather.  Wood siding is by far the most popular choice in mountain communities where a “green” look is desired.  As the summer months approach look for cedar prices to start to rise again.