Tag: Wood products

Making Forests Healthier and Fire-Safe in the San Juan Islands

Blakely Island Timber

Up in the San Juans Islands, our Forest Stewardship Council®-certified member Blakely Island Timber cares for more than 2,200 acres on namesake Blakely Island. Harvesting timber is a tool to achieve their goal of stewarding the forest with a healthy, productive long into the future. Douglas-fir grows much more slowly in the San Juans than on the mainland, creating stronger wood with tighter rings and greater contrast between light spring bands and dark summer ones. This beautiful wood is harvested according to FSC® standards. BIT does all of its own processing, milling, drying, and manufacturing on site using an energy-efficient

Forest Tour: Many Shapes & Sizes

Kevin Kaster (right), owner of a small-scale sawmill in Clackmas Co., presents a sample product to forest managers, designers, and woodland owners. A Tour of “GOOD WOOD” Management and Products REGISTER TODAY! Can a forest be managed for different purposes? Why might one tree be cut and another left standing? How does the way our forests are managed affect the products that come from them? And, do you know where your wood comes from? Join the Build Local Alliance, Forests Forever, Inc., and OSU Extension to explore these questions on a “Good Wood” Management and Products tour. At this event hosted

Workshop: Energy Opportunities for Woody Biomass

Options for San Juans Forest Owners REGISTER TODAY! Woody biomass in densely stocked San Juan forests may present an opportunity to support local energy needs. This workshop will discuss examples of community-based energy projects from throughout the Pacific Northwest. Learn about the cost-effective methods for converting biomass into energy to heat and power our houses, businesses, and communities. Topics include: Energy uses for woody biomass Comparing woody biomass to conventional fuels Different forms of woody biomass: firewood to pellets to chips Community cooperative business models for woody biomass energy Heating public facilities with woody biomass Emissions and clean air concerns

Workshop: Biochar 101-Making Biochar from Woody Biomass

Benefits for Farms and Forests Learn How to Make Biochar: REGISTER TODAY! Biochar, a charcoal made from woody biomass that stores carbon and improves soil, is an emerging option for forest owners to generate income and remove excess wood from densely stocked forests. Biochar can increase agricultural productivity, improve soil fertility, and help mitigate climate change. This workshop will take you through the steps to turn low-value branches, twigs, and other woody biomass into valuable biochar. We’ll also cover potential business strategies that are working for San Juan county biochar producers as well as findings in the latest biochar research. This

By the Numbers: 2016 Accomplishments

2016 was an incredible year for Northwest Certified Forestry members and the forests they steward. Because of the dedicated community of ecologically-minded woodland owners, Pacific Northwest forests are healthier, more resilient homes for wildlife and people alike. Here are some highlights of our year: Accomplishments: We hosted 11 workshops on ecologically-based forest management, precision tree-felling, forest monitoring, and programs for natural resource professionals and engaged 267 participants. We conducted more than 92 site visits to forest landowners – including NCF members and beginning woodland owners. We completed 6 ecologically-based thinning projects across 65 acres We oversaw 4 forest restoration projects involving inter-planting, pre-commercial

Workshop: Utilizing Woody Biomass to Reduce Fire Risk

Fire Ecology and Active Management in San Juan Forests REGISTER TODAY! Many forests in the San Juan Islands are comprised of extremely dense small diameter trees. These dense stands are at high risk for forest fire, have stagnant growth and low timber quality, and present very poor wildlife habitat. This workshop will go over the history of island forests, the risks and problems with leaving dense forests unmanaged, and different active management strategies to reduce wildfire risk, enhance forest biodiversity, improve wildlife habitat, and generate income. This workshop is the first in a three-part series on woody biomass in the

Member Spotlight: Oak restoration & attuning to “hidden” wonders

When Jeanie Taylor and her husband, Tom Lenon, saw their forest for the first time they knew it was home. While the 20 acres in the Gopher Valley hills of Yamhill County was riddled with scotch broom and blackberry, it also supported Oregon white oaks and suggested the potential to provide habitat for endangered Fender’s blue butterfly, threatened Kincaid’s lupine, western gray squirrels, western bluebirds and other species endemic to the Willamette Valley. They bought the land with the intent to restore native oak ecosystems and eventually live full-time on the property. Jeanie and Tom knew it would be work to rehabilitate the historic oak woodland choked

FSC Your Valentine’s Day

However you choose to spend February 14th The Forest Stewardship CouncilⓇ (FSCⓇ) certifies forests and forest products that meet stringent standards of environmental sustainability. What better way to celebrate your loved one than with these luxurious picks? [table id=3 /] Go on a date in an FSC certified forest: Turtleback Mountain | Orcas Island, WA Discovery Park | Seattle, WA Seward Park | Seattle, WA Carkeek Park | Seattle WA Schmitz Park | Seattle, WA Commodore Park | Seattle, WA Cowling Creek Forest Preserve | Poulsbo, WA Ueland Tree Farm | Bremerton, WA Klingel Wetlands Wildlife Refuge | Belfair, WA Tiger Mountain State Forest: Issaquah, WA Island Center Forest | Vashon Island, WA Ellsworth Preserve | Naselle, WA Northwest Trek | Eatonville, WA Mashel

From stump to Stumptown

The farm-to-table movement resonates with citizens of the Pacific Northwest. We shop at local farmers markets, participate in CSAs, buy eggs from our neighbors who raise chickens. We care so much about where our food comes from – and its well-being – that the show Portlandia pokes fun at us Oregonians and Washingtonians wanting to “meet the chicken” on our plate. But can we extend the farm-to-table concept to the next level of sustainable sourcing? Forest-to-building? Stump-to-siding? Tree-to-floor? At NNRG, we believe it’s important to have confidence and take comfort in knowing where our wood products come from. Meeting the stump and walking through the forest from which the

Workshop: Optimize the Value of Your Timber – November 7

Recognizing the value of the timber you have can be the difference between selling a veneer-grade log at pulp prices instead of the market premium. By understanding the specialty product markets for veneer, figured wood, pole-quality timber, and export logs you can extract the highest value for your timber. It’s important to understand the niche markets that exist around you, the log manufacturing process, and what you can do right now to optimize for long-term timber value and specialty forest products. Attend this class to learn specific practices you can do to grow quality wood and obtain the highest value for

Member Spotlight: Shiitake Mushroom Logs

In our Member Spotlight series, we highlight Northwest Certified Forestry (NCF) members who have used forest products for unique and entrepreneurial purposes on their land and within their communities. Often these projects help members earn supplemental income. For the second installment in the series, we introduce you to Gopher Valley Botanicals, a Forest Stewardship Council® certified member of our group certificate, who has sourced non-timber forest products from her woods to local markets. Gopher Valley Botanicals Located amid the rolling foothills of Yamhill County in the western Willamette Valley, Gopher Valley Botanicals (GVB) stewards a 20-acre forest comprised of Douglas-fir, Oregon white oak, and a wooded wetland. The landowners take an active management

Workshop: How to Manage a Timber Sale – August 15

Harvesting and marketing timber can be one of the most rewarding experiences of owning forestland… it can also be one of the most challenging. On Saturday, August 15, join us for a workshop to learn how to manage a timber sale on your land and effectively market your wood products. This day-long seminar will introduce landowners to the steps involved in setting up and managing a timber sale. Participants will be better prepared to manage a timber sale and more familiar with resources for assistance. All woodland owners are encouraged to attend regardless of past workshop experience. Harvesting timber is an important management tool. When done with care

Build Local Alliance’s Summer Tour – June 27

The Build Local Alliance (BLA) is a network of foresters, land stewards, millwrights, craftsmen, contractors, and architects interested in creating with wood from well-managed forests in Oregon and SW Washington. Each season BLA hosts a talk or field trip to connect our community of practitioners. We share ideas, showcase projects, and often enjoy well-crafted beer! NNRG is a supporting member of BLA. This summer, on June 27, we’ll be touring NestWood Forest in Corbett, OR and visiting some building projects in Portland that incorporated local wood. As always, there will be time to do some good networking. Space is limited, so register now to reserve your spot. Lunch

Sustainable forestry in Clark County

In southwest Washington, Clark County Department of Environmental Services exemplifies how to transition forest land from passive management to active management. Starting in 2011, the County developed forest stewardship plans for its recently acquired properties. Today, the County is using selective thinning and other techniques to improve overall health of these forest ecosystems that supports a diversity of plants and animals while generating a modest income from wood products. The County’s Forest Stewardship Council® certified forests at Camp Bonneville and Green Mountain are part of NNRG’s FSC group certificate. Learn more about Clark County’s sustainable forestry program.

Hyla Woods on OPB’s Oregon Field Guide

How often can we meet the forest where our table came from? When you purchase wood locally from forest owners like Peter and Pam Hayes of Hyla Woods there’s the a unique opportunity to meet the forest and know that it’s a healthy, diverse ecosystem. Peter and Pam are students of their land and steward it to enhance biodiversity, produce high-quality timber, and contribute community benefits that range from clean water and wildlife habitat to outdoor learning experiences for students of all ages and jobs in the woods. NCF member, Hyla Woods, was recently featured on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Oregon Field

Wetset Enterprises

Wetset Enterprises, Mossyrock, WA By Kirk Hanson Thomas Wolfe once famously stated that “you can’t go home again”. NCF member Micheal Hurley begs to differ as he gradually exchanges a 30-year career that took him all over the world for the woods of his childhood. Nestled into the headwaters of Salmon Creek in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains southwest of Mossyrock, Hurley has pieced together over 120 acres of exceptionally diverse forestland from which he is now creating as much of a living as he is a lifestyle. Hurley is a native to southwest Washington. “I was raised cutting

Wild Thyme Farm

Wild Thyme Farm, Oakville, WA By Jennifer Whitelaw John Henrickson’s land speaks to him, and he thinks more people should listen. “We need more people to develop that relationship – to fall in love with the land,” he said. The particular object of John’s affection is Wild Thyme Farm, a 150-acre forest in the Oakville area of the Chehalis River Valley. John hopes to expand the Wild Thyme Farm land holding in the future, but for now, the 150 acres, which he describes as more land than he and his brothers intended to buy in the first place, keeps him

Clyde Tree Farm

Clyde Tree Farm & Northwest Sustainable Wood Products, Silverdale, WA By Jennifer Whitelaw Helen and Drew Daly have 154 acres of Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC®) certified forestland near Silverdale in Kitsap County along the Hood Canal. Helen inherited the property, where she grew up, from her parents, who purchased it in the 1930s after the government decided to build the Bangor Naval Submarine Base, thereby displacing her family from their former residence. Her parents, Clyde and Bernice, got a deal on the land they purchased, now known as Clyde Tree Farm, thanks to the economic downturn at the time. If not