re: #162 wrenchwench

Not all logging projects are about taking old growth trees. Not all thinning projects are about logging. Not all thinning projects are commercial. Commercial loggers don’t want to restore forests, they want to make a buck. That’s not what I’m talking about.

There are thinning projects done by the Forest Service or contractors. There are a few projects, one I know of personally, where the little trees that are taken out are used for furniture and vigas, and the slash is made into commercial gardening and other products.

My wife worked for a company that has tree farms as it’s core business, family owned since 1864. They are good stewards of the land, and a very good company to work for.
portblakely.com

“After each harvest, the land is quickly replanted, ensuring a new forest grows tall long before the next harvest. Our forest practices have been independently certified as meeting the standards of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, a national program dedicated to forest stewardship. This certification means we protect natural, cultural, and environmental resources, and that we grow more wood than we harvest.

Of the lands we own, we harvest less than two percent in any given year.”

In regards to thinning their stands:
“Managing Our Forests
Port Blakely Tree Farms is committed to managing our forests in a sustainable way. We plant more than one million trees each year, knowing we’ll be caring for these stands for the next generation of foresters.

Our seedlings are planted by hand, and we monitor them to ensure that they grow strongly and vigorously. As a young forest matures, we periodically thin it to promote growth and prevent disease.”

Now in respect to minimizing fire impact by thinning, I’m mot sure that is a primary reason. However, I know of no serious fire issues impacting their operations in recent history.

At one time, the company had tree farm operations in New Zealand, and the wood used for the masts for the ship(s) in Pirates of the Caribbean first movie came from their land.
Oh, at one time there was a possible opportunity for my wife to relocate there….