Regenerating a Living Forest requires the economy to support the ecosystem

A new integration for using environmentally and economically sound strategies for using both supply and demand

Simply expressed, thinning forests creates massive amounts of renewable small diameter trees and woody biomass, which stagnate without an equally sustainable market for non-traditional products. Small timber can drive a new style of forest industry that provides products that not only sink carbon, but also replace carbon-intensive materials. Hence, a large number of critical issues resolve through the same solution— fire, economic development, carbon sequestration, water quality preservation—all with community participation that honors conflicting value systems to resolve current forestry policy paralysis.

Sagehen Creek Reserve research reveals this process

At Sagehen contracts are let and restoration began in the summer of 2017. Several other forest health projects in the Tahoe-Truckee Region are rapidly developing in similar ways with a goal of providing reliable wood supply over time.

Innovative construction projects are breaking ground across the Western States. In addition to internal markets in California, the rapidly expanding Reno metropolitan area offers potential demand for other potential large and medium scale wood consumers for Eastern Sierra timber. Beyond this region mass timber buildings are being built in large numbers in Canada, England, Australia, Japan and Europe.

We are actively pursuing companies or groups interested in exploring the value of using wood to produce sustainable products for a broad range of consumer, commercial and construction uses. In June 2019 we commissioned a survey of over 30 companies with a substantial presence in the California market to measure their interest level and concern about using renewably harvested CA wood in their businesses.

Please see the following report on Market Interest in small diameter timber:

Report: Identifying Market Interests and Opportunities for Sierra Nevada Sustainable Forestry Materials