Wood for the long term
Cutting trees produces timber, but growing them until they're older is the way to ensure a steady supply of wood. Typically, industrial logging takes trees as soon as they're marketable, at 40 to 50 years old. But that's just when trees in our region are entering the most productive years of their lives. Cut the trees when they’re most vigorous, and you reduce the amount of timber the forest can produce. According to one study, that kind of logging actually drives down long-term harvests by 27 to 63 percent, compared with forests that stand for twice as long. Growing older trees is part of FSC certification. It’s standards like these that make better use of our precious timberlands.
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