Sustainability

Sustainability

North American Hardwoods –
A Highly Sustainable Resource

Are we running out of trees? No. Absolutely not. Is the supply of hardwood lumber sustainable? Yes!

Hardwood lumber production reached its peak in around 1999 when we were cutting approximately 14 billion feet per year. Today the estimate is closer to 8 billion feet.

Our forests are now regenerating over 1.5 times faster than we are harvesting.

Hardwoods are a bountiful resource and remain an extremely popular and desirable building material. Here are some important reasons why hardwoods will remain sustainable and why overall production has been reduced.

Why Hardwoods are Sustainable

  1. Hardwood trees and forests naturally regenerate on their own.

  1. Modern sustainable forestry management techniques are now applied to most forests. This includes selective harvesting, which has vastly improved both the growth rates and the quality of standing timber. Our well-managed hardwood resource is a model for the world.

  1. More efficient mill designs, modern equipment, improved technology, and thinner saw blades have increased productivity and yield in the sawmill.

  1. Over the years many substitutes have been brought to market, reducing demand for solid hardwoods.

  1. Overall quality control in the hardwood industry has steadily improved, resulting in improved yields.

Why Hardwoods are Sustainable

  1. Hardwood trees and forests naturally regenerate on their own.

  1. Modern sustainable forestry management techniques are now applied to most forests. This includes selective harvesting, which has vastly improved both the growth rates and the quality of standing timber. Our well-managed hardwood resource is a model for the world.

  1. More efficient mill designs, modern equipment, improved technology, and thinner saw blades have increased productivity and yield in the sawmill.

  1. Over the years many substitutes have been brought to market, reducing demand for solid hardwoods.

  1. Overall quality control in the hardwood industry has steadily improved, resulting in improved yields.