ROUNDTABLE Urban Wood Utilization

Grievous as they may be, blow-downs, hazard takedowns, and Asian Longhorned Beetle and Emerald Ash Borer infestations offer opportunities for creative use of urban wood. In this Roundtable, we get pro- gram and policy ideas—as well as some important reality checks—from Owen Croy and Stephen Godwin of Surrey, BC; Alan Siewert, Stephanie Miller, and Marianne Prue of the Ohio Division of Forestry; Jessica Simons of the Ash Utilization Options Project of the Southeast Michigan RC&D Council; and Cindy McCall of Lompoc, California.

he City of Surrey’s TParks Division adds value to its operations through the utilization of logs and wood sal- vaged during Hazard Tree Abatement and Forest Health programs. High- value logs are salvaged and milled locally into spe- cialty wood products used in many park features, assisting us in keeping costs down. Other logs are sold on the open mar- ket to help pay for urban forest renovation projects. Specific examples are as follows: Interpretive Kiosks have been constructed from durable wood milled after two giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron gigante- um) were removed from local parks.

www.urban-forestry.com 31 Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) wood has been milled into lumber used in the construction of bird houses, which were put together by schoolchildren while attending a Parks interpretive sessions in Green Timbers parks.

(left) Western red cedar wood has been used to construct park board- walks through sensi- tive wetland areas.

(right) Mountain bike parks within Surrey have many built structures and fea- tures that provide skill ele- ments to the rider while providing excitement to the trail. At two of our City parks, milled wood from logs salvaged dur- ing the Parks Hazard Tree Abatement program pro- vided building materials for the construction and maintenance of the biking structures.

32 City Trees Coarse Woody Debris (CWD) provides an essential nutrient source for plants to begin their life cycle; it plays an impor- tant role as a rooting medium for forest plants and trees, most often in nurse stumps and nurse logs. CWD also affords a source of food, water, shelter and cover to a wide array of wildlife and inverte- brates. Parks routinely moves salvaged logs and stumps into key locations within forests and transports and relocated logs to areas lacking CWD. Many of Surrey’s riparian res- toration projects include the placement and positioning of CWD, and large stumps and logs are often anchored in streams and ponds during fish habitat improvement efforts.

www.urban-forestry.com 33 (left) Root rot containment log sal- vage over three phases resulted in a total of $220,500.00 of revenue from logs sold. This money was then allocated to pay for the root rot containment, future forest health initiatives, interpretive signage and community plantings within the Sunnyside Acres urban forest. (below) Tree hazards in our urban forest trees can often be abated while retaining vertical structure for wildlife. Many appropriately located hazardous trees may be creatively pruned, resulting in wildlife trees that will provide roosting, nesting and foraging habitat for wildlife, and providing nutrient deposition over time to the forest floor.

Owen Croy, Manager of Parks and Stephen Godwin, Urban Forestry Coordinator City of Surrey, British Columbia

34 City Trees o fully discuss urban wood utili- developing a migratory market and tional part of our city infrastructure. Tzation, it should be defined first. systems is grim. However, there are To truly develop an urban wood uti- In discussions with our colleagues several success stories on the local lization market we must understand from around the country, there seem level that deal with alternative uses the product we are marketing and to be two definitions: of ash wood. understand that the wood from EAB is atypical of what we have to sell in 1. To utilize all urban wood If our intent is to address the long- to the best use for eco- term use of urban wood, then we everyday urban forest management. nomic gain (Long Term need to face the stark reality that In addition to the poor product Approach) or urban wood has little in common we have to offer, the logistics of with the wood harvested from our “logging” community streets is dif- 2. To find alternative ways nation’s forests for lumber produc- ficult at best. Efficiently and safely to use, rather than dis- tion. Our urban timber product is removing full-size urban logs from pose of, the anticipated characterized by rot and decay, large neighborhoods and tree lawns—and influx of ash logs due to branches in inconvenient places, Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and a vast assortment of metal and then delivering them anywhere— and possibly offset tra- foreign debris. To the logger and requires tremendous coordina- ditional disposal costs sawmill operator, it is junk! tion with municipal departments, (Short Term Approach) property owners, and contractors. A forest tree reaches its peak dol- Fuel, equipment, expertise, staging These are important distinctions, lar value when it is cut down and areas, travel distance, and person- because in the latter scenario, the processed into lumber. Until then, nel are some of the bigger costs. glut of logs and wood will come its economic value is only potential, We have estimated that urban trees and go in a given area in just a not actual. Urban foresters do not cost five times their lumber value few years. Developing a market harvest urban trees at the peak of to remove—or as one Ohio logger and systems to handle this product wood quality (if we did, we would get reminds us, “You have to buy lunch will need to be transient to follow fired!) The value of an urban tree for everyone that touches the log!” EAB infestations. The prospect of reaches its peak as a living, func-

Ohio Urban Wood Utilization Workshop in February 2007. Teaching urban forest managers how to measure potentially marketable logs. Photo by Stephanie Miller www.urban-forestry.com 35 Therefore, each community must he Southeast Michigan Resource groups, and woodworkers. These examine what utilization methods TConservation and Development grants have produced inspiring offer the wisest use of taxpayer (RC&D) Council has been working results. Nearly one million board dollars and offers the best options since 2004 to identify value-added feet of urban lumber has been pro- for offsetting traditional disposal uses for urban wood residues, driv- cessed on a local mill. Ash floors costs. This certainly depends on en largely by the need for wood dis- are being installed in the new Ann each town’s local resources and out- posal options following the state’s Arbor District Library building, wood lets. Is there a mill nearby? Is chip- Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) outbreak. energy assessments are in prog- ping for mulch or cutting firewood The RC&D’s aims to reduce wood ress in local public buildings, and more cost effective? Do we have waste disposal costs for communi- art exhibits of salvaged wood piec- the manpower to run a portable ties, promote sustainable use of es by Michigan woodworkers have mill, and what do we do with the urban wood resources, and create been held. Other successful Council boards when we are done? It takes economic development opportuni- activities have included a series of homework and investigation by each ties for the area. Using grant funds training programs for local wood community to determine what is in from the USDA Forest Service, the industries and many public educa- their best interest. Council has implemented demon- tional and outreach efforts. stration projects, research initiatives, It boils down to Economics 101: training workshops, and outreach Both generators and users of urban Supply & Demand. The future of and networking strategies to build wood have found more ways to work urban wood utilization will require local momentum for the growth of together in Southeast Michigan. resource managers to explore new, industries based on recycling dead New businesses and public-private untapped markets for poor quality, ash and other urban trees. partnerships have developed, exist- urban wood fiber. The traditional ing operations have expanded, and market of dimensional lumber is an The RC&D Council has granted new retail opportunities have been acceptable end point for only a small nearly $200,000 to a variety of created. The public has developed a portion of urban wood. The supply is local wood products companies, sci- stronger awareness of urban forestry currently met by harvesting the logs entists, municipalities, community concerns and of the value that trees that cost the least to extract from our forestlands. In addition, the competition here and abroad to sup- ply raw materials for that market is great and growing every year. New players in this market include recy- cled plastic and metal building prod- ucts. The supply side of this market is saturated, yet the demand side (building, furniture, etc.) is strug- gling, making this market extremely weak, with an unreliable future. Resource managers need to set their sights on markets with limited and diminishing supplies combined with growing demand. A major player is energy. The demand for energy is growing and the supply of fos- sil fuels is shrinking. The future is growing brighter for alternative sources of energy, including biofu- els. Successful urban wood utiliza- tion will require thinking outside the traditional markets and beyond short-term solutions.

Alan Siewert & Stephanie Miller, Regional Urban Foresters, and Marianne Prue, EAB Urban Forester, Ohio Division of Forestry

36 City Trees play in their communities. Most Communities with healthy, thriving, use the revenue to pay rent on our importantly, we’ve seen that when and respected urban forests should three-acre nursery and wood facility community leaders and local indus- be able to find solutions, but what and to purchase equipment. tries are allowed to be innovative about a forest in decline that is and responsive, our cities can taken not very important to its commu- Over the last four years, we have an expensive problem and create a nity? This is the first partnership established partnerships with local positive solution that results in both that must be developed—respect woodworking artisans, and we economic benefits and wise stew- for the urban forest and a sincere receive products in exchange for our ardship of public natural resources. love of trees. Education is crucial, wood. Products have included furni- For more information about the Ash so trees are not topped or removed ture, shelving, benches, and step- Utilization Options Project, please for convenience. When people are ping stones. Some of the products visit www.semircd.org/ash. informed about the value of their are used in-house; the artisans sell trees and proper care, waste stream others and forward a check to us. Jessica Simons, Natural Resource reduction is automatic. Recently we developed our own mill- Specialist Southeast Michigan RC&D Council A second partnership involves com- ing operation. With a grant from the munity as well. Heat is required daily California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, we borrowed a ith the passage of the California in our area. With the depressed portable mill and kiln. This was the Integrated Waste Management economy of our region, gas and elec- W best possible solution for our city Act of 1989, urban forest managers tric heat can be prohibitive. Most of so that we could mill hardwoods and their solid waste counterparts our homes burn wood for heat dur- that could be made into bleachers, were faced with some hard deci- ing off-winter months. Wood can be dugouts, etc. that withstand the sions about the reduction of urban expensive, so nineteen years ago we extent of use and abuse that our wood in the waste stream. The implemented a low-cost wood sale parks experience. A milling opera- requirement to reduce our waste program that has been extremely tion allows us to use our hardwoods stream in California by 50% by the successful. Our wood is offered for these purposes, resulting in a year 2000 was a stringent standard split or unsplit at a minimum fee closed loop that produces durable to meet. Waste wood is one of the to residents within our city. So suc- products that we use daily. largest and heaviest components of cessful is the program that we now the waste stream, and to meet the take wood from local contractors to Cindy McCall, Parks & Urban Forestry reduction mandate, creative utiliza- reduce their tipping fee costs and Manager tion is essential. to improve our diversion ratios. We Lompoc, California

he Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) Twas detected in two separate New Jersey locations—in Jersey City in 2002 and in Middlesex/Union counties in 2004. The removal of infested trees and potential host trees and the disposal of the wood chips produced by these trees is an ongoing cooperative project between the State of New Jersey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Union County, and industry—mainly, Covanta Energy Inc. Barry Emens, APHIS Director of the ALB Program, determined the need to remove 21,000 host trees that included 616 infested trees in the quarantined area. This was to be done in a highly residential and industrial area. Contractors began removing the trees and grinding the stumps in late 2004. This mate- rial would produce approximately www.urban-forestry.com 37 15,000 tons of wood chips—the mit from the New Jersey Department contacted and approved the plan. equivalent in volume of 750 full 40- of Environmental Protection Solid foot trailer loads of wood chips. This Waste Division did not allow the How much electricity was produced? volume of wood chips was too much burning of wood chips, and 2) since As of May 2007, 21,000 trees had to be processed quickly into mulch wood has a higher heating value been removed and chipped and and/or for composting. Enter a coop- than trash, steam flow had to be the stumps ground up. The result- erative effort to dispose of this slightly increased. ing 15,000 tons of wood chips material effectively and efficiently. were mixed in with the trash and Once we brought this to the atten- burned by Covanta. Through the We contacted Tom Delacruz of tion of the DEP Commissioner, a use of Covanta’s resource recovery Covanta Energy, a waste recov- one-time project waiver was granted technology, 15,000 tons of wood ery/energy company located in the to Covanta’s permit that allowed the chips generated 14.2 million kilo- quarantine area. We asked whether company to take the infested wood watt-hours, enough energy to supply Covanta could process the wood chips and increase steam pres- electricity to 7,780 households in chips in their resource recovery and sure slightly. In return, as a public our Mid-Atlantic region for a period energy production system, where the service to the eradication effort, of three months. heat generated is used to produce Covanta waived the $71/ton tipping steam that in turn runs turbines to fee for the 15,000 tons of wood Edward Lempicki, New Jersey Forest generate electricity. Two problems chips ($1,065,000). The New Jersey Service and Ron Sheay, Certified quickly surfaced: 1) Covanta’s per- Department of Agriculture was also Forester (Retired)

38 City Trees