I'm wondering what folks think - so I will throw a couple things out here, at the risk of getting a bit preachy:
Should the Guild have a forestry policy? and why?
In my opinion, absolutely, and here is why:
If the Guild's mission is to promote the craft of timberframing, I would assume that insuring the future of the craft is inextricably linked to this mission. At a point in history where sustainability is arguably becoming the most important underlying issue in all facets of modern society, now is the time for us to examine where we stand on forestry management and forestry issues in general.
Our work demands an appreciation of sustainable forestry and its importance in overall ecological health. Who better than us to recognize the potential in providing building material as well as forests' critical role in a healthy and functioning ecosystem?
I am not a professional ecologist, but even a limited understanding tells us that in general a functioning forest ecosystem is resilient and sustainable when it is diverse and harvested with an appropriate degree of respect. Do your timbers come from forests like this? Does it matter to you? Could your business prosper if it did?
People have always been motivated by the power of vision, be it personally or as a group. Building timberframe structures is an activity that ties our group through simple methods more directly to the trees than other construction technologies- with relatively unprocessed material we can share a vision that protects our long term future as a craft and recognizes the importance of working within the limits of natural systems.

If you have some down time this winter, and are interested in raw material cycles- check out The Story of Stuff

Hey

Nice post thanks for the link. I think you make some really great points. I also believe there are some un explored areas of relevance in what we do as Timber Framers. One hears many terms thrown around, in the times we live in, that all seem to have relevance to our craft. Carbon sequestration, green building, sustainability... Timber framers by nature are leaders in such areas. It is our responsibility to take advantage of our opportunity to educate. Are we quantifying the carbon life cycles of timber frame structures and our building materials? As we harvest our building materials from the forest are we educating our clients as to the benefits of releasing the carbon storage potential in the saplings that replace mature trees. Forestry and building go together with out them the circle is incomplete. The health of our natural environment is strongly linked to our choices in our built environment.

'Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts; they preach undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life.'

Herman Hesse, Wanderings


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When I started growing my own food I quickly realized that every year i was buying seeds to plant. It dawned on me that if i started a seed saving policy, then i would have seeds to plant every year. I now feel that I have a stronger system in place if times are to become more difficult. To not have a Guild forestry policy seems short-sighted. I notice up here in Canada, our top-sizes are getting smaller, not bigger and our market is geared towards 2x4's and no longer 2x6's, let alone 2x10's and 12's. To help maintain large timbers, not to mention forests, I have started canvassing my local woodlot owners and I will choose to support those who are making attempts at maintaining and increasing their top-sizes.

Interesting to note the current climate in the lumber industry and their preference of 2x4 stock trees. This is no doubt brought on by "engineered wood products," such as trusses and I-joists.

As we all know, the field of engineered wood products is growing not shrinking with each passing year. Even laminated plywood (that typically peeled large trees into veneer) is being phased out in favor of Advantech and the latest "OSB" sheathings.

Although the use of chips and other waste products has a "green" side, big timber, and by default TF, seems increasingly threatened by the engineered wood products industry and its love of little trees and planting aspen and popple over traditional lumber species.

Plant good stuff and let it grow. That seems to be in TF's best interest.

One thing this current industry seems to avoid in there policy and for a good reason: embodied energy. The embodied energies of these forest "products" is high-tech and high embodied. It's amazing how low embodied the energy becomes with wood when you take it from the local forest, to the local sawmill, and work with it in the local shop. I'm currently building cabinets for a timber frame i built and building them without any "engineered wood products", not even plywood. It's been a great challenge and very rewarding in the journey towards lowering the embodied energy and increasing the ability to do as much as possible locally.

THANK YOU MMAIER FOR THE STORY OF STUFF! VERY GOOD! THANK YOU!

Thanks Mmaier, great topic.
I do belive that we should endeavor to plant what it is that we sow,, I've got some interesting publications regarding planting for veneers, but have not found much in terms of rearing timbers.
Anyone found readings?
I'm looking for potential wood lots,,ain't that the dream?

A dozen or so years ago Len Brackett started down this path in reference to the inimin (sp?) forest in northern CA. It would be interesting to reacquaint with that work and see what applies today.
IMHO this should be an issue that is driven nationally (as in "we need one!) but finessed locally. I'm from the upper mid-west U.S. and I now live on Vancouver Island, B.C. The two places have very different forests and therefore should have very different forestry practices.
There are probably schemes in place that we can look to as well, such as FSC.

Best,
Chris Koehn

Maybe the timber framing companies, no matter what size, should purchas thier own timber lots and treat thier own land the way they see fit. If it is misstreated they loose out. Take on the responsibility. Stop handing it off, out of sight out of mind. Get out of the office and into the woods, the source of our livelihood.

Maybe the guild should get into the timber industry.

Tim

Tim, I really love that idea. That just makes way too much sense.


For my part, I would love to start a project with a walk in the woods -- our woods-- to pick the right trees for the job. I have been thinking about our company buying a woodlot for a few years now. Our biggest problem is that we would have to go 60 or more miles away to find timberland that is priced as timberland and not as building lots. It still might make sense.

Wendell Berry has a great essay called Conservation and Local Economy that I highly recommend to anyone. In it he outlines some of the laws or rules of conservation. The basic premise is that land that is used can only be properly cared for by people who live on the land, know it intimately, depend on the land, plan to stay indefinitely, and believe that their children will live on and depend on the land. I recommend anyone interested in sustainability or conservation to check out that essay.