No images? Click here ESFPA E-NewsVolume 4 - Issue 28July 14, 2023 Why Naturally Renewing ‘Mass Timber’ is the Building Block of the FutureFrom the New York Post Across the globe, wood-framed architecture is increasingly reaching new aesthetic and technical heights. The move is being fueled by developments in “mass timber” — factory engineered wood made from layers of planks fused together to increase their structural strength and integrity. Though mass timber has been manufactured for commercial use in Europe since the 1980s, it’s gained new attention from architects and builders for its promise as a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to concrete, one of the world’s most notorious polluters. The need for innovation is clear: building construction contributes 40 percent of the world’s carbon emissions, with cement alone responsible for nearly 10 percent of that tally. Mass timber, meanwhile, is carbon sequestering — absorbing an estimated one ton of carbon for every three cubic feet in use. It is also both naturally renewing and lightweight. There are structural limitations of wood, which is still outmatched by more traditional building materials. Mass timber is ripe for innovation, but still lacking both the proper certifications and supply-chain systems needed to meet consumer and environmental demands. However, as sustainability becomes increasingly important to homebuyers, mass timber is likely to become more commonplace, even using technologies that pair conventional building materials such as steel and concrete with mass timber. “Both symbolically and actually, Mass Timber is the building material that our culture needs right now. Mass Timber transforms the structural demands of a building into a warm and tactile environment that also feels organic. In terms of carbon footprint, Mass Timber’s is less than 50% that of steel or concrete. All of this is crucial at this moment when we are experiencing the global impact of climate change.” Read more by clicking the link below: Private Forests Doing Public (Carbon) GoodBy Eric Kingsley- FRA Northeastern Region Consultant Recently, I have been hearing more and more about forest carbon and how the forests of this nation and the entire world are critical to mitigating carbon emissions. Too often, this is presented as an alternative to timber harvesting – that keeping the forests untouched is necessary for carbon to build. I had a friend who used to tell me, “If we are using data, let’s all see the data; if we’re using opinions, let’s use mine.” Fair enough, I suggest skipping right over the opinion option and seeing what the data can tell us. Using the USDA Forest Inventory & Analysis (FIA) dataset, I used their tool EVALIDator (version 2.0.6) to get estimates from the most recent FIA survey (dates vary by state, but the final data year for all was between 2019 and 2022, with 2020 as an average) and from 2010 (for all states except NV, NM, WA, and WY – for those I used the year closest to 2010). I queried private timberland in all states except Alaska and Hawaii (I mean, those are great states, but not a ton of FRA members). Here’s what I found:
In short, in the last decade, forest carbon on private timberland in the lower 48 states increased by 780 million tons or roughly 78 million tons annually. When we convert this to CO2 equivalent (Co2e), the volume that matters when discussing carbon, that’s 259,734,203 metric tons of CO2e annually. Of course, this number means little to most people, but according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it equates to the annual emissions of over 56 million cars annually. Is that a lot? Well, according to the Department of Transportation, in 2020, there were 103 million private and commercial cars in these states, so to put it simply, the forest carbon on private timberland, on an annual basis, offset more than half of the private car emissions in these same states. All of that while these forests were providing the raw materials for lumber, paper, energy, pellets, and a whole lot more. Let’s not forget that forests also provide habitat, jobs, recreation, clean water, and a host of other benefits. Forests are essential for the products they provide, meeting human needs in many ways. They anchor the nation’s rural economy, providing jobs in the woods and the mills. And they are part of our climate solutions. The good news is that all of these uses are compatible, and we need not choose (in fact, there’s an argument to be made that we shouldn’t choose, but that’s a discussion for another day). New Online Resource Provides Carbon Blueprint for State's Working ForestsFrom the Washington Forest Protection Association The Washington Forest Protection Association (WFPA) launched a website that outlines how the state can increase carbon capture through working forests to help meet its ambitious goals of cutting net carbon emissions in half by 2030 and by 95 percent within 27 years. "Healthy, growing trees are the fastest way to remove carbon from the atmosphere while simultaneously helping to prevent small forest fires from becoming catastrophic wildfires," said Jason Spadaro, WFPA executive director. "As widescale damage from increasingly larger blazes mount each year, it is critical that we all – residents, community leaders and policymakers – take actionable, science-backed steps to promote healthy, resilient forests and reduce carbon emissions. This can be done through sustainable forest management." Trees use carbon dioxide from the air to turn carbon into solid wood, releasing oxygen in the process. The faster a tree grows, the quicker it stores carbon. By harvesting slower-growing trees and replanting them with faster-growing trees, a forest's carbon removal capacity is increased. The carbon in harvested trees remains in the wood throughout the product's lifespan, turning homes, furniture, infrastructure and other timber products into carbon vaults. Forest management is more important than ever. Drought and hotter summers brought on by climate change and nearly 100 years of fire suppression policies on federal and state forest lands have created a dangerous situation. Catastrophic wildfire events are becoming increasingly more frequent, threatening private property, wildlife habitat, human health, the environment, public safety and air quality. At the same time, demand for renewable, environmentally friendly products made from wood has soared as community leaders, builders and consumers look beyond more carbon-intensive materials like plastic, steel and concrete and insist on a greener way of life. The website explains how a sustainable cycle of growing, harvesting and planting healthy trees removes carbon from the atmosphere and wood products ensure that carbon remains locked away for decades. Upcoming at this Year's Woodsmen's Field DaysThe 2023 dates for the 76th Annual NYS Woodsmen’s Field Days are August 18, 19, & 20 at the Fairgrounds in Boonville, New York. Stop by the ESFPA booth during the Woodmen’s Field Days to nominate who you think should be named NYLT/ESFPA Logger of the Year, which will be presented at our fall Regional Meetings. Once you’ve given us a nomination, your name will be entered into a raffle to win a FREE prize at the end of the weekend. Additionally, there are 2 classes being hosted this year by Rick Turk Tree Service during the Woodsmen's Field Days. These classes are "First Aid, CPR & AED Training" and "Stop the Bleed" which are both being held at Adirondack Senior High School on Friday, August 18th. Please contact Julie at (315)-206-7036 with any questions about these classes. Class information is listed below. First Aid, CPR, & AED Training:
Stop the Bleed:
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